In the Hot Seat

Purpose:  To motivate student learning

Description: In this activity, several students will be asked to sit in the "Hot Seat" and answer questions related to the topic of study.

Procedure:

1.        Prior to the beginning of class, the teacher will prepare questions related to the topic of study and write them on sticky notes.  Four to five questions are usually enough.

2.        Place the sticky notes underneath student desks/chairs so that they are hidden from view.

3.        At the start of the class, inform students that several of them are sitting on "Hot Seats" and will be asked to answer questions related to the topic of study for the day.

4.        Have students check their desks/chairs for the strategically placed sticky notes.

5.        Students who have questions on sticky notes will then take turns reading the question and attempting to provide an answer.  Due to the nature of this motivational activity, these should be questions that students are able to answer.

Sample Hot Seat Questions:

Internet:

1.     What is your favorite search engine and why?

2.     When was the last time you used the internet to complete a classroom assignment?

3.     If you had to recommend a website to a friend, which one would you pick and why?

4.     What do you think would be the impact if the Internet was gone tomorrow?

5.     Do you think that students should be allowed to use the Internet unsupervised?  Why or why not?