Warmup Dice

Description

The teacher places large flashcards for each of the vocabulary being practiced on the board. Under each card, the teacher writes ‘3’. They then write the sum total to the side (for example, if there are 5 cards, the total would be 3 times 5, 15). This is the class’s current score.

The teacher then sets the timer for around 30 seconds. The teacher calls out the vocabulary/grammar and the students repeat. Once the timer goes off, the teacher rolls the dice (or gives the dice to a random student to roll). The number under the last flashcard called is replaced with whatever number was rolled. The current score is updated to reflect the change. This continues for as many rounds as needed.

Notes

To make the game more interesting, the total score can be awarded a certain ‘star value’. For example, assuming the initial score is 15, a ‘1 star’ result could be 10 points or fewer, a ‘2 star’ result could be between 11 and 20, and a ‘3 star’ result could be 21 points or more.

Showing the students these ranges from the start could be used to increase the excitement of each dice roll. Having the initial score be the middle result increases the chance of a change, whether it’s an increase or decrease. The number of points needed to earn each star value will depend on how many flashcards are being used in the game, and what the starting number of points is.

Posted byPaul on April 6, 2023

2 comments on “Warmup Dice

  1. Lucy says:
    Hi Paul! Do you think it would be cool to make the starting score the JTE/HRT's score and you along with the students are your own team, trying to beat it? That could be fun! I think it would be easy to do, too. I like this game. I hope I get a chance to try it! You know, I actually think these might be very useful in JHS. We're often given very limited time to do something and these could hold real value in giving students extra support where they usually wouldn't get it. Not to say I wouldn’t have a place for them in ES (I think this is where we’ll apply them, honestly) but I’m forever holding out hope for the JHS!
    1. Paul says:
      Hi Lucy, I think a competitive element would add some excitement certainly! Especially for the older students. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but I agree that there's probably a good place for this sort of activity in JHS!

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