Recommended level: Elementary grade 3

Lucky Combination Hunt

Description

Students are in groups and each group has two sets of flashcards (the two sets that make the target sentence). The groups shuffle the cards and place them face down in their group.

ALT/HRT sets a timer and calls the target English at random, creating random combinations of one card from each set. When the timer sounds, the last called combination is the lucky combination. Continue this until all combinations have been created (e.g. if you have 9 flashcards in both sets, make 9 combinations).

Once all combinations have been created, students then take turns in their groups to turn over the cards, trying to find the lucky combinations. When they find a matching combination, the group gets one point. If the two cards they opened do not match the combination on the blackboard, both cards are turned face down. 

Notes

I play this as an input/output hybrid game so when students are turning over the cards in their groups, have them challenge the target English as a group. I did this with the schedule unit for grade 4 and found it was quite effective and the groups were able to say the target English to a level that I was very happy about. 

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Secret Bingo

Description

Students are in groups or pairs and each group/pair is given a set of small flashcards. Students shuffle their cards then make a 3×3 bingo grid with the cards remaining face down. ALT/HRT sets a timer and calls the target English. Students repeat. When the timer sounds, the last called flashcard is that round’s lucky word. Mark it on the board with either a magnet or any other identifiable mark (I circled the card on the board). Continue this pattern for another 4 or 5 rounds. When all the rounds are finished, students turn over their flashcards and check how many bingos they got based on the keywords!

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Tree Game (Output Variation)

Also known as:

  • Tree Game

Description

Students make pairs and receive one copy of the game sheet, one dice and 3 ohajiki of a different colour (e.g.. 3 red and 3 yellow). Students then place their ohajiki in each of the boxes marked A-F along the top. Only one ohajiki can be placed in each box and players can’t share a box. An eraser is then placed in the [START] box at the bottom of the tree. The ALT/JTE starts a timer for 3-5min.

Players janken and the winner rolls the dice. If the outcome is a 1, 2, or 3, the eraser is moved to the upper left box. If the outcome is a 4, 5 or 6, the eraser is moved to the upper right box. Both players then repeat the target English in the box. The next player then rolls the dice and the game continues until the eraser lands in one of the top lettered boxes. Whoever’s ohajiki is in the final box wins one point. The eraser is then reset at the [START] and players can rearrange their ohajiki. 

The game repeats until the timer ends. Players then compare points to determine the winner. Players can then rotate pairs for another round with a new partner. 

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Secret Alphabet Colouring

Description

Each student is given a small flashcard which is kept secret. For round one, give them one card of ‘E’, ‘T’, ‘A’, ‘I’, ‘J’, ‘H’, ‘P’, ‘Y’, or ‘Q’, and a worksheet (for round one the worksheet with ‘E’ in the top left space). Students colour in the square corresponding to the secret card they were given. 

Students make a pair and janken. The loser tells the winner their secret card. The winner colours in the square corresponding to the letter they were told. Students then make a new pair and the flow continues. As students colour in more letters, the shape of a specific letter should become apparent on the grid. This is the secret letter (Round 1 = ‘F’). 

Notes

For round 2, the flashcards that need to be handed out are ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘L’, ‘M’, ‘N’, ‘S’, ‘X’, ‘W’, ‘V’ and the worksheet is the one with ‘A’ in the top left corner. Secret letter = ‘S’

Janken Elimination

Description

Students are in pairs and each pair has one or two sets of small flashcards. They shuffle the cards and place them face down between themselves. On the blackboard, assign each of the big flashcards a point value.

Students janken. The winner gets to choose and turn over a card. The pair says the target English together. The winner of janken gets that card. This continues until there are no more cards face down. Students then count how many points they won!

Secret Number

Description

Vocabulary cards placed on the board are assigned even numbers from 2-18 (assuming 9 cards). The students make groups and each group gets a whiteboard and pen. The teacher randomly picks an odd number from 1-19.

The students repeat the teacher calling the target English until the timer goes off, and whichever card is called last becomes the keyword. Each round, the teacher says if their chosen number is ‘up’ or ‘down’ from the keyword’s assigned number. Each group writes what number they think the teacher might have picked.

One group can volunteer to guess at the teacher’s number. If they get it right, the groups that had the correct number get one point and the teacher picks a new number. If they don’t, the teacher keeps the same number into the next round. This continues until the rounds are up, and the group with the most points wins!

Secret Vocab

Description

The teacher picks a small flashcard and keeps it a secret. Students repeat the teacher until the timer goes off, and whichever card is called last becomes the keyword. If the keyword matches, the class wins one point, and the teacher picks a new small flashcard. This continues until all the rounds are complete.

Quick Janken Discard Game

Description

Class vs the teacher. The flashcards are on the blackboard. ALT/HRT sets a timer and calls the target English. The students repeat. When the timer sounds, the last called flashcard is the keyword. Using a set of small flashcards, the ALT/HRT discards cards one at a time until the keyword is found. The amount of discarded cards is the amount of points to be won. One student volunteer plays janken against the HRT. The winner of janken wins the amounts of points indicated by cards discarded. After a few rounds the team with the most points is the winner!

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Line Bingo

Description

Place 4 flashcards on the board. Students are put into pairs and each pair is given a set of small flashcards. The pair takes out the 4 flashcards that are on the board and arrange them into a line in any order they want.

ALT/HRT sets a timer and calls the target English. Students repeat. When the timer sounds, the last called flashcard is the keyword. All pairs who placed that card at either end of the line can turn it over. If the card is in the middle, they cannot turn it over. The card that was next to the card that was turned over becomes the new end card and can be turned over if it is the keyword in another round. The first group to get bingo are the winners!

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Bingo Battle

Description

Make a bingo sheet on the blackboard for the HRT and another bingo sheet for the class. ALT/HRT sets a timer and calls the target English. Students repeat. When the timer sounds, the last called flashcard is turned over on both bingo sheets. After about 5 rounds, check how many bingos the HRT and students have to see who the winner is!

Notes

This game requires two sets of large flashcards