Making Connections: A Fun Twist on Review

If your students are anything like mine, they love a challenge, especially when it feels more like a game than a traditional review. That’s exactly why I started creating classroom activities inspired by the New York Times Connections game.

These Connections-style activities are designed for for a variety of courses including AP World History, AP U.S. History, AP European History, and AP Psychology. Just like the original game, students sort terms into related groups—but with a twist: they’re drawing on course content instead of general knowledge.

The beauty of these activities is in their flexibility:

• Students are challenged to think critically about how terms, events, and concepts relate.

• They practice higher-order thinking by grouping ideas in new ways.

• Most importantly, they’re pushed to make connections—the skill at the heart of deep learning in every AP course.

Teachers can use them as bell ringers, station work, review games, or even quick team competitions. However you play, these activities turn content recall into an engaging puzzle that sparks discussion and helps students see the bigger picture.

If you’re looking for a way to bring energy and creativity into your classroom while sharpening essential AP skills, check out my Connections resources on TpT. Your students might just beg for one more round!