Geography Games: Escaping the norm and battling for success

Year 11 Geographers at Priory are taking a creative approach to revision as they prepare for their GCSE exams this summer. 

Instead of sticking to traditional study methods, students have been diving into inventive escape room activities and engaging in Battleship-style games to reinforce their knowledge. These innovative revision techniques have not only made learning more enjoyable but have also significantly boosted students' factual recall.

The escape room activities have been a particular hit among the students. These sessions involve solving geography-related puzzles and riddles to ‘escape’ from a locked room scenario. Each puzzle is designed to test their understanding of key concepts and topics covered in the curriculum. From identifying coastal and river features, understanding geographical processes and management techniques to coastal erosion rates with numeracy application. The escape rooms challenge students to think critically and apply their knowledge in a fun and interactive way.

One Year 11 student shared, "The escape rooms are so much fun! They make you think on your feet and really test your knowledge. It's a great break from the usual revision methods." Another student added, "I feel like I'm learning more because I'm actively participating."

Battleship-style games have also been incorporated into the revision sessions. In this activity, students are divided into teams and must answer geography questions correctly to ‘sink’ their opponents' ships. This competitive element adds excitement to the revision process and encourages students to engage more deeply with the material. The questions cover a wide range of topics, from physical geography to human geography, ensuring a comprehensive review of the factual knowledge they will need for the exam.

Teachers have observed a noticeable improvement in students' engagement and retention of information. "The students are more enthusiastic about revision and are retaining information better," said Mrs Kursitis. 

"These activities provide a welcome relief from the traditional revision lessons during what is a busy time for Year 11 and have been very well received by the students.  Simple repetition of key knowledge and numeracy skills are critical, and make up almost 25% of the overall exam”.

As the summer exams approach, the Year 11 Geographers will continue to engage in these revision games, confident that their hard work and creative study methods will pay off. The combination of escape rooms and Battleship-style games has not only made revision more enjoyable but has also equipped students with the skills and knowledge they need to excel in their forthcoming GCSE exams.

We wish them the best of luck in their upcoming exams and look forward to seeing their hard work rewarded with excellent results.