One of the biggest myths in chemistry is that test prep has to be a separate thing you plan at the end of the unit. Chemistry is cumulative. Students need repeated chances to connect ideas as they learn them. And the more practice, the better their understanding. Plus I like review days because they help to build student confidence in chemistry.
Here are the simple ways I build test prep directly into my normal lessons, so review days actually become synthesis days, and not panic planning days.
1. Rework Classwork
At the end of each guided notes lesson, I give students a short set of independent practice questions. This usually takes about 8–10 minutes and students work directly in their notebooks. Students work on their own, and try applying the newly learned content immediately. When they’re done working, I share the answers.
This does several things at once. Students can IMMEDIATELY check their understanding. You KNOW how much I love self assessment. Your students can correct their mistakes while the lesson is still fresh, before moving on to the graded assignment for the day. And lastly, your students are leaving with plenty of example questions with the correct answers/solutions EVERY DAY.
By the time we get to unit review, these questions are perfect for going back and reworking. It’s especially great for at home studying. Since your students have this material, that means your review time can be spent connecting concepts, fixing misconceptions, and strengthening weaknesses, instead of attempting to cram in everything the day before the test.
2. Reuse your task cards, card sorts and games on purpose
If you already use task cards, card sorts, or games (really anything worth laminating) during your lessons, you are sitting on built-in test prep. I’m in love with my laminator because I plan on using these activities again and again. I use these things, once during the lesson when the concept is first taught, and again during unit review. And sometimes again
When you do this consistently, students aren’t busy worrying about the structure of the activity. Instead, they’re focused on the chemistry. This is really powerful because it’s way more low-stress the second time around. Your students know the type of thinking that is required. And so they just take all their time and energy and make connections between topics instead of figuring out what to do. Plus, by reusing what you have, you aren’t creating any new materials, just for review.
3. Use lab rewrites as review (for the right labs)
If you are a believer in test makeups, lab rewrites, and learning at your own pace, this tactic is for you! During unit review, I allow for lab rewrites. But only for a few specific labs. Students are only allowed to work on lab rewrites for labs where the content directly matches the content of the test. This lets the lab do the work to reinforce concepts that the students need to understand for their test. But at the same time, they’re actually getting work done and improving their grade in chemistry. Plus a lot of the time, your students are working together. Win-win-win if you ask me!
4. Build review into your classwork before it becomes “review”
One of the easiest ways to turn normal lessons into test prep is to stop thinking of classwork as isolated. When I write classwork worksheets and assignments, I like to include one or two questions that connect back to a previous topic. But even if you didn’t, you can ask students to compare today’s concept with something they learned earlier in the unit or the school year.
Students don’t even realize that this is review. By the time review day arrives, students have already been practicing connections for weeks. This is the beauty of spiral review. You can check out this post about spiral review strategies that I use in my classroom. If you use my Guided Notes Curriculum, the structure lends itself to very simple spiral review, but I’ve already done that all for you!
5. Chemistry is all about the electrons
The easiest way for your students to review, or spiral as they go through the content, is to ALWAYS bring it back to the basics. In my classroom, I say it probably 1000 times a school year, (that’s 18 times a day): “Chemistry is all about the electrons.”
Electrons is the common thread among all chemistry concepts. Except for Nuclear that is – that’s why I teach it at the end of the year, and not alongside Atomic When you constantly bring chemistry back to the basics, EVERYTHING you say becomes review. Chemistry isn’t a course about chemicals. It’s a course about electrons!
6. Keep a small library of activities to keep focus
Before I jump into whole-class review, I ask students to quickly reflect on which topics still feel confusing and the types of questions they struggle with. After baking self assessment into my course, this becomes much easier for them throughout the course. They’ve gotten practice with self assessment largely through my “Show What You Know” questions at the end of every lesson. Plus I have a small library of activity types that I draw from: Mystery, Pixel Art, Card Sort, Logic Puzzle, Quick Practice… This familiarity makes them very aware of what’s easy and what’s difficult for them. Their reflections become very accurate.
7. Use Learning Targets
Plus (and please don’t accuse me of being an administrator for this) I love learning targets! I don’t spend time talking about them at the start of the day – I see that as a waste of time. But I do have an “I can…” statement written on my board and at the top of the notes. Plus that statement is on my unit outline/study guide. Students have a checklist of the things they should know and be able to do by the time the test rolls around. I really make it a point over and over again that students need to use this list to help them determine if they’re prepared for a test.
If you need help with learning targets, check out my Final Exam Study Guide. While you can use it for your final exam, since it’s broken down by unit, it’s easy for you to use the file for each unit of study in chemistry as the year progresses.
Why this makes review days actually work
When you build test prep into normal instruction, review days become synthesis days. Students are able to assess their learning throughout the unit and then on review day, should be able to focus review on particular concepts within your unit. They can spend time rewriting lab reports, reworking their Show What You Know Questions, redoing your card sorts and other activities. Notice the “re?” That means there’s plenty of review happening, without you having to make anything new. You’ve already spent the time helping your students strengthen their understanding of chemistry, slow and steady throughout the unit. It’s up to your students to determine what they individually need to relearn.
The real shift
Instead of asking: “What review should I plan at the end of the unit?” Ask yourself, “How can today’s work quietly support the test later?” That single shift turns everyday chemistry lessons into ongoing test preparation, without adding extra materials, extra grading, or extra planning time. And that’s exactly how review days stop feeling frantic and start feeling useful. So keep those review days in your schedule, just put the responsibility on your students to figure out what they individually need from it. It is RE VIEW, after all.
