Sporcle

So, while I was supposed to be looking for digital games for the classroom, I kept getting distracted by how many countries I could name that end with -ia on my very favorite website Sporcle.com. And then it hit me, there is no reason why Sporcle.com couldn't be used for educational purposes. Sporcle is a website filled with trivia-based quizzes on every conceivable topic. Though there are several games that have no curricular connection (Name the Breakfast Cereal by Picture), there are tons of geography, science, literature, and vocabulary based games on Sporcle. One of my favorite series of quizzes are the "Countries of____" quizzes. In these quizzes, a blank map of a continent is displayed. Then you have 10 minutes to name all of the countries of that continent. I play these games relatively obsessively and by now I can name all of the countries of Africa and most of the countries in Asia. Students could certainly benefit from these repeated practices and would definitely expand their knowledge.

Another great thing about Sporcle is that the games aren't all recall based. There are many games that center around word play and critical thinking. Students in middle school and high school would find those challenges exciting and would be motivated to learn because the quizzes are designed with flow in mind.

www.sporcle.com