Groups: Class

Maths Line

Description

Each flashcard is assigned a random multiplier, for example ‘x2’, ‘+10’, ‘/3’, ‘-20’. A ‘high score’ is written on the board, which is the number to beat (this can be an arbitrary number, the previous class’s score, etc). Students repeat the teacher until the timer goes off, and whichever multiplier that is under the card that’s called last becomes the first part of the ‘maths line’ sum. This continues until there are no more rounds. The result of the sum is written down, and if it beats the ‘high score’, the class wins.

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Quick Crossfire

Description

Place the flashcards in an square grid (i.e. 2×2, 3×3, etc). Students repeat the teacher until the timer goes off, and whichever card is called last becomes the keyword. The dice is rolled. If it rolls a 1, the vertical line of cards the keyword card is on are turned to be face down. If it is a 2, the horizontal line is turned around. 3 is left diagonal, 4 is right diagonal, 5 is both horizontal and vertical and 6 is both diagonal directions, all centred from whichever card is the keyword. If a card is already face down when it is selected by the dice, it is turned back to face up.

Notes

If you don’t have enough magnets to turn the cards face down on the board, you can just remove them and put them back up as necessary.

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Lucky Carousel

Description

Place six flashcards in a line and roll a dice. The flashcard that matches the number rolled is the lucky keyword. The students repeat the target English with the teacher, who calls out the target English in order from left to right in a loop until time runs out. If the last called target English is the lucky keyword, the class wins one point. Roll the dice again and pick a new keyword for the next round.

Quick Discard Game

Description

The students repeat the target English with the teacher until time runs out. The teacher then shuffles a deck of small flashcards cards and discards one card at a time until the keyword is found. The class gets one point per discarded card. The deck is then reshuffled and continues for the next round.

Tug of War

Description

Split the board into two halves, one half is the students’ side and one is the teacher’s side. Draw a horizontal line between these two sections, with 5 dots either side. Place a circle magnet in the centre of the line. The students repeat the target English with the teacher until time runs out. The teacher and one random student janken. Move the circle magnet one circle towards the winner’s side. When the rounds are finished, the winning team is whichever team has the circle magnet in their half of the board.

Card Collect Game

Description

The class is split into two groups. Number cards are placed under each vocabulary card (the value being hidden from the students).

The students repeat the target English with the teacher until time runs out. The teacher then picks one member from each group to janken each other. The winner gets that card for their group. This continues until the rounds are finished. Then, the secret numbers behind each groups’ cards are revealed. The winning group has the highest total points.

Notes

If the class is too boisterous to pick members to janken, the ALT and teacher could represent one team each and play against each other instead.

Crossfire 2:0

Also known as:

  • Crossfire

Description

Students are in groups and the goal is for the entire group to be seated. They do not need to move their desks, just keep the class as is. We then follow the regular crossfire procedure: everyone stands up and the ALT asks a question. Then we break from tradition. Set the timer to 10/20 seconds. Each group then peer checks an answer between them. When the time is up, students can volunteer to answer. The JTE then chooses one student. The student answers then rolls the dice. Depending on what they roll, select students sit down. The first group to have everyone sitting down wins…until someone rolls a one and everyone has to stand up again!

Notes

Crossfire is often used at JHS as a review game. While students may be answering questions they have previously studied, they’re put on the spot to answer the question with no review time. It’s not a review game. It’s very high pressure, high stress and has a huge amount of downtime for other students. Students can easily pass the entire game doing absolutely nothing. I was asked to play this game at a JHS and couldn’t bring myself to do it, despite the insistence. I went to Paul for advice and this was the result. It’s not a perfect game, I don’t think it really has a place in our classes but it’s a huge step up from crossfire in the current form and it worked well. 

Element Game

Description

Firstly, explain the strengths and weaknesses of each element. Water beats fire, fire beats earth, earth beats water. Air beats water, fire and earth. Pollution beats air, but water, fire and earth can all beat pollution.

Give each student three random element cards. The students stand up and find a partner, then practice the target English. The students then both pick one element card from their hand. Instead of saying “rock, paper, scissors,“ they count down “3..2..1.. Show!” Whoever has the winning card takes their partner’s card.

In case of a tie, both students place their cards somewhere (like on a desk or chair) and continue to the next round until there’s a winner. The winner collects all the cards.

If a student runs out of cards, they ask the teachers for two more cards. The student with the most cards at the end wins the game.

Notes

  • Make sure they count down “3…2…1…Show!” or any other chant you would like in English. If not, there is a chance for students to just say “せーの” if the English is not emphasized.
  • Print enough cards so you will have spares for the losing students.

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Gacha Basket!

Description

In this team game, students will take turns pantomiming a vocabulary verb for the other members to guess. This game’s purpose is for students to effectively say sentences such as “She can swim” and “They can’t play kendama” on their own.

Put at least as many gacha as there are members in each team. For example, if there are 4 members, there should be four gacha in the basket. Each gacha will have two cards inside: the verb vocabulary card, and the point card. Sandwich these cards together, backside facing outwards, to keep the cards a mystery. Bend the card slightly into a U shape to fit into the gacha. Place the gacha in the container.

Each group gets a set of cards, face down, on their desk to make their sentence. For example if the target English is can/can’t, they would get a set of pronoun cards and modal can/can’t cards.

Player 1 turns over the cards and opens one mystery gacha. They secretly peek at the action verb, then pantomime/gesture it (without saying the word themselves) for the remaining players to guess as a team. For example, if the two cards on their desk are ‘she’ and ‘can’t’, and the gacha card is ‘swim’, player 1 pantomimes someone who CAN’T swim. The correct answer would be “She can’t swim!” The players must say the whole sentence for the game to be effective English practice. If the remaining three players can guess correctly within 3 tries, they will win the number of points within the gacha ball.

Notes

  • This game can be played as a group, as a pair, or as a class! When in groups or pairs, the students will work together to accumulate points and compete against all other teams. When this game is played as a class, the class will simply see how many points they can accumulate together, and there will be no opponent. Even without an opponent, it can still be a rewarding game.
  • In a group setting, the members janken to decide the first player to the last. As a pair, two students janken and the winner goes first. As a class, the teacher will volunteer as the first player as an ice breaker, then volunteers can come and participate in the front of the class as they like.
  • Pass out the group point sheet after the game demonstration is performed. If played as a class, points can be recorded on the board instead.
  • The points should not be checked until the end of class both to save time, and to keep the excitement and wonder in the class high.
  • A variation of the rules is the group looks at the gacha card instead, and pantomimes for the current player to guess the correct sentence. This could be decided by what card is drawn on the desk, for example. An example could be if the ‘they’ card is picked, the group pantomimes to the current player, otherwise the current player pantomimes to the group.

Elimination

Description

Show students 9 possible points they could get. Secretly write/place the points under each. Repeat with a timer. Reveal the points under the last card called. Those points are gone. Keep repeating until you are left with one card. The class then gets the points from the last card.

Notes

  • A possible variation is having one more point card than vocab words. Those points go to the teacher (secret is best). The goal is to have more points than the teacher at the end.
  • I say 9 possible points. This is based on how many vocab words you have. 

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