Gamification has transformed the modern classroom. While tools like Kahoot! and Quizizz have long dominated the quiz-show format, Gimkit has emerged as a deeper, more strategic platform that offers surprising versatility. Often pigeonholed as a tool for rote memorization or vocabulary drills, Gimkit possesses robust features that educators can creatively repurpose to teach complex concepts like storytelling and narrative structure.
By moving beyond simple question-and-answer mechanics, teachers can use Gimkit’s unique game modes to immerse students in narrative building, character development, and plot sequencing. This guide explores how to unlock the platform’s potential for English Language Arts (ELA) and creative writing instruction.
Understanding Gimkit Beyond the Quiz
Created by a high school student, Gimkit looks like a standard quiz game on the surface. Students answer questions on their own devices at their own pace. Correct answers earn in-game currency, which they can use to buy power-ups and upgrades.
However, the “secret sauce” of Gimkit lies in its varied game modes. Unlike linear quizzes, modes like “Trust No One” (a social deduction game similar to Among Us) or “The Floor is Lava” require cooperation, strategy, and communication. These mechanics are where the narrative potential lives. The platform isn’t just checking for understanding; it is creating an environment where choices matter—a fundamental principle of good storytelling.
Leveraging Specific Game Modes for Narrative Skills
To teach storytelling effectively, you must choose the right vessel. Here is how specific Gimkit modes can be adapted for narrative instruction.
1. “Trust No One”: Teaching Character Motivation and Unreliable Narrators
The “Trust No One” mode is a social deduction game where students are crewmates trying to find the impostors. This is a goldmine for teaching character perspective and the concept of the unreliable narrator.
The Activity:
Before starting the game, assign each student a “character archetype” (e.g., The Reluctant Hero, The Schemer, The Innocent bystander). As they play the game and investigate who the impostors are, they must roleplay their archetype in the chat or during discussion phases.
Learning Outcome:
Students learn that every character has a motivation that drives their actions. By trying to deceive others or uncover the truth, they actively practice understanding hidden agendas—a key skill in writing complex antagonists and analyzing literature.
2. “Don’t Look Down”: Collaborative Plot Building
In this mode, students work together to build a bridge to the top of a mountain. If they answer incorrectly or fail to cooperate, they fall. This structure mirrors the rising action of a story.
The Activity:
Use the questions to prompt plot points rather than facts.
- Question 1: “Our hero faces a dragon. Do they fight or flee?”
- Correct Answer: “Fight” (leads to next plot point).
- Distractor Answer: “Flee” (ends the story).
Create a “Choose Your Own Adventure” style kit. As the class progresses up the mountain, they are essentially building a narrative arc together. The tension of falling mirrors the tension of a story’s climax.
Learning Outcome:
This reinforces the concept of rising action and cause-and-effect in storytelling. Students see visually how individual choices (answering questions/placing blocks) contribute to the larger goal (the story’s resolution).
3. Classic Mode: Vocabulary for Descriptive Writing
Even the standard mode has value for narrative skills, specifically in expanding descriptive vocabulary. Strong storytelling relies on “showing, not telling.”
The Activity:
Create a kit focused on sensory details. Instead of standard definitions, use vivid descriptions.
- Prompt: “Which word best describes the smell of rain on hot pavement?”
- Options: Petrichor, Aromatic, Damp, Stench.
Follow this up with a “shop phase” challenge. Tell students: “You can only buy upgrades if you can write a sentence using the word you just defined in the chat.”
Learning Outcome:
This gamifies the acquisition of the precise language needed for setting the scene and building atmosphere in narrative writing.
Designing a “Story-Kit”: A Step-by-Step Guide
Simply playing existing games isn’t enough; the real power comes when teachers design custom “Kits” (question sets) specifically for narrative instruction. Here is a blueprint for creating a Story-Kit.
Step 1: Define the Narrative Goal
Are you teaching the Hero’s Journey? Character archetypes? Dialogue punctuation? Be specific. If you try to teach everything at once, the game mechanics will overshadow the learning.
Step 2: Write Scenario-Based Questions
Avoid simple definition questions like “What is a protagonist?” Instead, use scenarios.
- Question: “Sarah clenched her fists, her face turning red. She clearly wanted to scream but remained silent. What is this an example of?”
- Answer: Indirect Characterization.
- Distractor: Direct Characterization.
Step 3: Use Images for Visual Prompts
Gimkit allows image uploads. Use this to teach visual storytelling. Upload an image of a mysterious setting (e.g., an abandoned carnival).
- Question: “What mood does this setting primarily evoke?”
- Options: Nostalgia, Foreboding, Joy, Tranquility.
Step 4: The Debrief (Crucial Step)
The game itself is the hook; the learning happens in the debrief. After a round of Gimkit, pause the class. Ask: “In the ‘Trust No One’ mode, how did you decide who was lying? What clues did they give?” Connect their answers to literary analysis techniques.
Benefits for Student Engagement and Retention
Integrating Gimkit into a writing curriculum offers several distinct advantages over traditional worksheets.
Immediate Feedback Loops
In writing, feedback is often delayed. A student writes a story, turns it in, and gets it back a week later. In Gimkit, the feedback on their understanding of narrative concepts is instant. If they misunderstand what “climax” means, they know immediately and can correct it.
Low-Stakes Failure
Creative writing can be intimidating. Students fear the blank page. Gimkit gamifies the concepts, lowering the barrier to entry. Getting a question wrong in a game feels less personal than getting red ink on an essay. This encourages risk-taking and experimentation with language.
Collaborative Storytelling
Writing is often a solitary act. Gimkit’s team modes force collaboration. Students discuss why a certain plot point fits or debate character motivations in real-time. This social aspect mirrors the writers’ room environment of television shows, preparing students for modern collaborative work.
Advanced Strategies: Students as Game Designers
The highest level of Bloom’s Taxonomy is Creation. Once students understand the basics, flip the script: ask them to build the Gimkit.
The Assignment:
Task students with creating a “Narrative Arc Review” kit for their peers. To do this, they must:
- Identify key plot points in a novel they read.
- Formulate questions that test their peers’ understanding of why those plot points matter.
- Include distractors that are plausible but incorrect, requiring them to understand the nuance of the text.
When students create the questions, they engage with the material far more deeply than when they simply answer them. They have to anticipate misconceptions, which requires mastery of the subject.
Tips for Teachers to Maximize Success
- Balance Competition and Content: Ensure the desire to win doesn’t override the reading. If the timer is too short, students will guess randomly. Adjust the settings to allow more time for reading scenario-based questions.
- Use the “Answer Check” Feature: Turn on the setting that allows students to see the correct answer after they miss a question. This turns a mistake into a learning opportunity.
- Rotate Modes: Novelty wears off. Do not use the same game mode every time. Use “Floor is Lava” for plot structure, “Trust No One” for character, and “Classic” for vocabulary.
- Integration is Key: Don’t let Gimkit stand alone. Use it as a bell-ringer to introduce a concept or an exit ticket to review it. It should support your writing workshop, not replace it.
Conclusion
Gimkit is more than a flashy review tool. When wielded with intention, it becomes a dynamic environment for deconstructing stories. By aligning specific game mechanics with narrative elements—using social deduction for character study or collaborative building for plot structure—educators can bridge the gap between abstract literary concepts and engaging practice.
The goal of teaching storytelling is to help students understand the human experience and express their own. By meeting students in a digital space they enjoy, we can give them the structural tools they need to become the storytellers of tomorrow.
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