Critical ThinkingQuestioningDeduction

20 Questions: Ask, Listen, and Find the Secret

Good questions help students narrow down an idea, check a hypothesis, and listen to an answer. In 20 Questions, one keeper holds a secret while the class asks yes-or-no questions and guesses. The Speak it mode gives the game a spoken rhythm, with phones helping the teacher manage turns and record clues.

15 min2 or more studentsWorks on any device
Inside a LessonCaptain lesson

One big question, investigated: take a stance, explore the source, learn the words, argue it out, play a review game, and land with the Verdict.

One lesson, stage by stage

  1. Flight Question
  2. Briefing
    Language Toolkit
  3. Turbulence
    The Big Discussion
  4. Review Game
  5. The Verdict

Practice forming clear questions that can narrow down a possible answer.

Listen closely to keeper responses and use them to revise the next question.

Develop deduction and turn-taking through a shared clue board.

How it works

  1. 1

    Choose a student keeper or let the AI choose a topic-related secret. When a student keeps the secret, it is set on their phone and hidden from the shared class view.

  2. 2

    Speak it is the default with a student keeper: learners raise a hand, the teacher calls the next student, and that student asks the question aloud. They can optionally type it onto the clue board.

  3. 3

    The keeper answers Yes, No, Maybe, or Sort of on their phone; the teacher has answer controls as a fallback. Type it mode lets students send questions from phones.

  4. 4

    Answers build an It is / It isn't clue board. Students can make a final guess, and the teacher can briefly hold to peek at the answer during the game.

Frequently asked questions

Does the whole class see the keeper's secret?
The student keeper sets the secret on their phone, and the class-facing screen keeps it hidden. The teacher can hold the peek control briefly when needed.
What is Speak it mode?
Students raise a hand, the teacher calls one asker, and that learner asks aloud. They may type the spoken question onto the clue board if the class needs a written record.
Can a student keeper answer from their phone?
Yes. The keeper receives Yes, No, Maybe, and Sort of controls on the phone. The teacher can still use the shared-screen buttons as a fallback.
What helps students avoid repeating a question?
The clue board stores questions and answers, shows rejected duplicates, and organizes clues into what the secret is and is not.

Get one ready-to-run lesson idea each week

A short email with a lesson you can fly with your class in minutes.

Ready to try 20 Questions?

Free teacher account — sign in with Google. No student accounts or setup required.

Get started free