In hot potato, students are put into groups and each student in the group is given a sheet of paper with a different topic or a question written at the top of the page. They are then given a short length of time to brainstorm and write down all the key points they can think of that are related to the topic before passing their paper on to the next person. Each time they receive a new topic the students read what is already written and add their statements. Key points cannot be repeated. The paper keeps getting passed around until it arrives back with its original owner. This strategy is effective in activating prior knowledge and vocabulary or it can also be used as a review tool.
Watch these short videos to see the hot potato activity being used in a primary classroom and in a secondary classroom
Primary
Secondary
Teaching and learning sequence planning examples:
Secondary level:
Published on: 19 Jan 2018
