This is an idea that can be incorporated in almost any lesson. I prefer to use it in an outline format. For example, here is a multiple-choice outline that the class received recently from me when we discussed the first chapter of Ruth. The students can choose any answer because all are correct, but they are rewarded with skittles for choosing the best one. It is simply silliness to help them remember a lesson better.
Multiple Choice Outline For Today’s Lesson 1. This lesson taught by a.___Mr. Lyle b.___Ol’-what’s-his-name c.___His Majesty
c. His Majesty wishes to share his Royal Skittles with his loyal subjects. Those who chose correctly may each get a bag of Skittles. One of the other adults then comes into the group, carrying a box labeled “Royal Skittles” declaring “Make way for the Royal Skittles, make way”.
2. Mr. Lyle’s family tree is a.___really just a broken branch b.___”funky” c.___His Majesty thinks “a” is the right answer.
b. funky. His majesty wishes to share the Royal Skittles with those who picked b as the best answer. (Most of the group would have been thinking along the “His Majesty” idea at this point, thinking it will always be the right answer, but this one is like a curve ball. Tricky). (The concept at this point in the lesson was the family history of Elimelech and Naomi. My family tree on my father’s father side cannot be traced farther than 3 generations back, and it stops cold. On my father’s mother’s side it can. Their last name was Funk.)
3. “Skittles” in Hebrew means: a.___”Chocolate” b.___”Unicorn Poo” c.___His Majesty wishes it was “Kit Kat Bars”
b. Unicorn poo is the correct answer. His Majesty will again share the Royal Skittles with his most intelligent subjects. (We were looking at the Hebrew meanings of the names of all of the characters in the tory of Ruth)
4. Thou shalt not a.___lick all of the color off of the Skittles and then put them back in the bag. b.___put Skittles up our nose. c.___quote or sing any part of “The Little Mermaid”
c. I dislike “The Little Mermaid” with a passion. When my girls were growing up, we watched it over and over and over and over……His Majesty will again share the Royal Skittles with those of his subjects who dislike “The Liittle Mermaid”. (God had told the people of Israel that they were not to go and live in the neighboring countries under any circumstances. Elimelech and Naomi disobeyed that command and paid dearly for it.)
I think at this point, you get the idea of generating an outline unique to yourself and using it as a springboard for the points in your lesson. And a Skittles reward is always a nice thing.
5. Home is where a.___Mom buys me Skittles b.___Dad buys me Skittles. c.___the castle is
6. When life is hard a.___I believe everyone should turn to Skittles for support b.___I believe the more Skittles you eat, the better things get. c.___I turn to Kit Kat Bars.
7. This outline has got to be the stupidest outline ever, but… a.___I tasted the rainbow! b.___I will have a serious case of Skittles Pox c.___His Majesty’s generosity will be fondly remembered by his subjects and they will live happily ever after. The End.