Submitted by Pamela Rezach, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

Idea posted August 23, 2001

Here's a game I love for my students to play. It takes a little time to make, but it is worth it. I have made enough games so that I can divide my students into groups of four and the whole class gets to play.

First, make a tic-tac-toe board as it usually is, but larger. In each box write a music category at the top of the box. I use: Rhythms, Composers, General Terms, Bass clef notes, Treble clef notes, Dynamics, Accidentals, Music symbol pictures and Tempos.

Next, make up cards that fit in the boxes - but let the category show. Be sure and decorate the front side of each card so the students will know to let that side of the card face up. I put stickers on the front side of my cards. On the back of each card, tell the answer. For example: In the accidental category I only have three cards - Sharp, Flat, and Natural. On the back of each card I tell what it does. Front side says "Sharp", back side says, "raises the note 1/2 step." (The other categories have more cards.)

Playing the game: Students put the cards (face up) in each box. (By-the-way, I keep the cards in small envelopes and label the envelope according the the category name.)

The students play the game just as it is always played, but when they choose the box to put their team's X or O, they must pick up the top card and answer it. If their answer is right, they put down the X or O. If their answer is wrong, they don't put down the X or O. They then place that card on the bottom of the stack and a person from the other team takes a turn. When a team has 3 X's or O's, they begin again.

What do I teach in each category? Composers, the back side has the time period he/she lived in; Rhythms, the back side has the value of the note; General terms, the back side has the purpose of the term. (i.e., Treble clef: It names the lines and spaces.) Note names, the students tell the name of the note; Accidentals, back side tells what it does; Dynamics, back side tells what it means; Music symbol pictures, back side tells the name of the picture.

It is a wonderful way to teach the students all the fundamentals you want them to learn. At the end of class, or the next class I hold up flash cards and they tell me what it is. From this I know they have really learned from the game.