Playing Spoons in the Chemistry Classroom
Your students will love playing a game of spoons in your chemistry classroom! The game of spoons is easily adapted to the classroom setting, and can be used with a variety of content. In this post, I am going to explain how to play spoons in chemistry class. We’ll talk about how to make your own set of cards, along with how to play the game with your students. Once you’ve tried a game in your class, both you and your students will want to find other content you can use so you can play spoons again!
Making your cards.
The biggest difference from a regular game of spoons is that you are not going to use regular playing cards. You will want to create a set of 16 cards, in which there are four categories. Within those four categories, you will have four cards each that will fit that category. So unlike regular spoons, the cards will not all be the same in a winning hand. Instead, the four cards in a winning hand would all relate to each other and fit a specific category.
In chemistry, this could be used for a variety of content. In this example, I am going to use the broad theme of “Groups on the Periodic Table.” Within in this board theme, I chose four categories: alkali metals, halogens, transition metals, and noble gases.
Within each of those four categories, I made four cards for each. These included diagrams that highlighted the group on the periodic table, number of valence electrons, and general characteristics. In the image to the left, you can see the four cards that would complete the category of “alkali metals.”
There are many content areas where spoons might work in chemistry, including types of chemical reactions and VSEPR shapes, among others. Once you create your card set, you will need to copy and laminate enough sets for the number of teams you will have play. I would suggest teams of 4, but we’ll get in to the details on game play below.
How to Play Spoons in Chemistry.
Put students into teams of four. If you do not have enough students for all teams to have four students, some groups can be three students.
Each team will get one set of the 16 cards. Students will shuffle cards and deal cards. If the team has four students, each student will get four cards. I’ll talk about what to do with teams of three down below.
Each player takes turns passing one card that they do not want to the player to the left when one player says “switch.”
When a player has 4 cards that are a match, they will take a spoon from the center as quietly as possible.
As the other players notice, they will also take a spoon (as quietly as possible), until there is one player without a spoon.
The player without the spoon will say “Prove it!” to the player that has the match. If the original player is able to prove it, the player without the spoon has to add an S to their scoreboard. If the original player cannot prove their matches, that player gets the S.
Take up all the cards, shuffle, and play again.
If a player spells the word Spoons, they lose.
What do you do differently with those teams of three? If there are only 3 players, place one card in the middle, face up. Any student can use this card for one of their matches. Each player will begin with 5 cards instead of 4. Students still only need to match 4, even though they will have 5 cards.
Helpful Tips.
I would explain how to play spoons, and perhaps play a game of actual spoons, prior to playing with content. Many of my students are unfamiliar with the game, or they focus too much on how to play as opposed to the content.
Print and laminate a recording sheet for students to keep track of which student has gotten which letter(s) from Spoons. Remember, each time they “lose” a round, they add a later (kind of like HORSE in basketball). If you have a dry erase marker, students can use the dry erase marker on the laminated recording sheet, and erase it for later use.
Have extra spoons on hand! The game can get a little aggressive once spoons start being grabbed. You might end up with a broken spoon or two if you are using plastic spoons.
Easy peasy, right?! And your students will absolutely love playing this game in chemistry class. Plus, they practice chemistry content at the same time! What could be better than that? I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about how to make and play spoons in your chemistry class. Let me know if you’ve ever ayed spoons in your classroom before, along with what content you’ve used it with. I’d love to hear more. Let me know on Instagram.
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