At Marshall Middle School in Janesville, Mike Tollefsrud ‘s sixth-grade science class sits in straight rows reviewing for an upcoming test. “Do electrons have a positive charge? ” he asks. Hands quickly shoot up. Tollefsrud then tells them to do the first 10 questions on the review paper in front of them. Another student asks, “Can we do all of them tonight if we want to? ”
“Of course,” he replies as students quietly begin scribbling.
In a classroom next door, Mike Morgan ‘s students are reviewing for the same test on atoms. They are divided into two teams, desks facing their opponents. Some kids spin the white erase boards they use to write answers to Morgan ‘s barrage of questions. A student from each team comes up front, squaring off to see who gets the answer right first, so they can roll dice to earn points for their team. Correct answers are greeted with whopping cheers and high-fives. “In your face! ” hollers a kid at the other side of the room after a teammate scores big points.