They are allowed to give me an answer once each day up until announcements on Tuesday morning. I have been doing this program for six years and it has continued to grow in popularity. Another program that works quite well is my art pins. Every day I wear a different pin by an artist or culture. As the students suggest answers, I try to reinforce their efforts with clues.
Some students come to check out the pin that morning to research it before class.
In March for Youth Art Month I have a contest in which I wear all my art pins. Students are able to give answers before school, at lunch, during my planning period, and after school. They can also bring in books or other resources to help them. This year I was amazed - I had a second grader that got 37 right and several sixth graders who got over 100 right. Each student that participates gets a certificate with the amount they got correct, each student who gets a certain amount right gets a small prize, and the top student in each grade and in the school also gets a prize.