Recommended level: Junior high grade 2

Joker Game

Description

Playing cards are placed face down on the board, one for each group. Set a timer and call the target English. The students repeat the teacher, and when the timer sounds, all the playing cards are revealed. The group that has the ‘joker’ is out. This continues until only one group is left, who are the winner!

Notes

  • The ‘playing cards’ do not need to be actual playing cards. Anything where there is one ‘out’ card will work. For example, every card could be ‘red’ except for one ‘blue’ as the joker.
  • The quickest way to make groups is just have each line of students be a group – this way, no one needs to move their desk or shuffle around.
  • Normally it’s problematic to have groups or players eliminated in a game, as it takes away their motivation. In this case, the whole game should take less than 5 minutes and there is still the interest of who will win or lose. As with all warmup games, it comes down to presentation!

Card Attack

Description

The students make groups. Each group is assigned a vocabulary card and picks which Card Attack card they want to use (from a choice of any random 3 cards). Each group’s chosen card is put on the board, below their vocabulary card.

A group is randomly picked. The class asks the target English question to that group, who then pick another group to attack by giving an answer that uses that group’s assigned vocabulary card.

Depending what card they have, they will do from 1-3 damage. They also do bonus damage, or have their damage reduced based on what type of card they are attacking. Red cards do +1 damage to green cards but -1 damage to blue cards, and so on. Stronger cards do more damage but have less health. Any group that lands the final attack that reduces their opponent’s health to zero or below wins one point. Groups whose card is defeated get to pick a new card.

Notes

  • There are three sets of card types, each with a ‘triangle’ of effectiveness. The most simple way to play the game is to first only use one set of cards (for example, red, green and blue), and introduce the other two sets later in the game (or from the second time the game is played onwards, after the students have become familiar with the rules).
  • It is advisable to print out and show the effectiveness charts (see ‘Card Attack Chart.pdf’) and leave them on the board so the students can refer to them while they play.
  • You can either print and cut out the ‘marble’ images (also in the ‘Card Attack Chart.pdf’ file) and put small magnets on them to use as damage counters, or just keep track of everything by drawing marks on the board manually.
  • In this version of the game, the whole class plays together in their groups. In this case, you’ll want to use the full page cards in the latter part of the ‘Card Attack.pdf’ file.
  • This game can also be played within groups (or in pairs) by printing and using the small cards at the beginning of ‘Card Attack.pdf’. It’s recommended that you play this version of the game after the whole class has played together before.
  • While the game may seem rather complicated, many students are familiar with how this type of game generally works! Just make sure to demonstrate that attacks do +1 damage to cards they are strong against, -1 damage to cards they are weak against, and that the team who deals the final blow to a card wins one point.
  • An easy way to ensure a different group is picked randomly each time, while still ensuring that each group gets a turn, is to have use small number cards. Shuffle the deck and pick a card, and the group that matches the card has a turn. Leave that number card out of the deck for subsequent turns, until all groups have been selected at which point all the cards are shuffled back together and used again.

Quick Lucky Dice

Description

The entire class versus the teacher. Assign 3 numbers to the class and 3 to the teacher 1-6 (e.g class = 1,2,3 and teacher = 4,5,6). Set a timer and call the target English. Students repeat the teacher. When the timer sounds, roll a dice. If it lands on one of the three numbers assigned to the class, the class gets 1 point. If it lands on one of the three numbers assigned to the teacher, the teacher gets 1 point. Whoever has the most points at the end of the game is the winner!

Teacher Race

Description

A race track is drawn on the board with a start and finish line and 8 spaces in between. The teacher is assigned a magnet and the class is assigned another magnet. Both are places on the starting line. A timer is set and the students repeat until the timer sounds. A die is then rolled first for the teacher. The teacher’s magnet is moved as many spaces as rolled. The die is then rolled for the class, and their magnet is moved as many spaces as rolled. The first magnet to cross the line is the winner!

Similar Games

Timer Dice

Description

STS make groups and get a set of cards. Each group picks 3 cards. At the start, all cards are worth 3 points. The STS repeat the HRT/ALT as they call out the vocabulary until the timer goes off. The HRT/ALT then rolls a dice. The number from the dice becomes how many points the last card that was called is worth. After 6 rounds, the game is finished and the groups see how many points their 3 cards are worth in total.

Notes

  • The number of cards each group picks will depend on how many total cards there are in the set. The more cards in total, the more cards the students should pick at the start of the round (a good amount is roughly 50%).
  • The amount of cards picked can change each round to add a sense of development in the game.

Similar Games

Card Battle

Description

  • Students get pairs and a set of cards. Split the cards evenly between them, leaving one out (kept secret!). Students can see their own cards, but are secret from their pair.
  • The teacher gives values 1-9 to each card on the board. Higher cards win, except a 1 will beat a 9.
  • Janken. The winner asks the question, and loser answer with any of their cards. Loser then asks the question, and the winner answers with a card.
  • The card with the higher value wins, and that student gets 1 point.
  • Check points and switch pairs every few minutes.

Notes

  • With multiple sets of cards this could be done with a group, although I haven’t tried it.
  • You could do this with just the answer as well.
  • 1 beats 9 so the 9 card isn’t too strong. Feel free to experiment with different values and rules to make it more difficult/strategic. 
  • Inspired by the board game Stratego.

Similar Games

Quick Race

Description

The class is divided into 3 groups, with flashcards divided evenly and assigned to each group. A ‘starting line’ is drawn on one end of the board and a ‘finish line’ on the other, with 8 spaces between. Each group is assigned a magnet which is placed on the starting line. The students repeat the target English with the teacher until the time is up. The teacher then rolls a dice. Whichever group was assigned the flashcard that was last called moves forward as many spaces as was rolled. The first group to cross the finish lines wins!

Dice Path

Description

Flashcards are placed in a row, and positive and negative numbers are written randomly above each of them (between -3 and +3). A magnet is placed over the first card, as the class’s ‘ohajiki’. Students repeat the teacher as they call out the target English within a time limit. When the timer goes off, the teacher rolls a dice. Whatever number is rolled, the magnet is moved forward that many spaces. Depending on the number that is above the card they land on, points are added to or subtracted from the class’s score. If the number rolled moves the magnet beyond the last card in the row, move back to the first space and continue.

Territory Game

Description

Students make pairs. They get one set of cards and a territory game board. They shuffle and place 6 of the cards on the middle two rows of the board. The teacher sets a timer and the students janken. The loser asks the winner the question, and the winner answers by choosing a certain card. They can then move the card to an adjacent space, as long as there is no other card on that space already. A card can’t be moved more than one space at a time, or past any other card that’s blocking the path. When time is up, each student gets one point for each card that is on their half of the board.

Notes

  • If using the template version, print it at A3 size and the spaces will be the right size for small (roughly 9.2 x 6.5cm) cards to go on in the spaces.
  • This game can be used to practice vocabulary, grammar, or questions and answers.
  • To practice vocabulary or grammar without using a question, the students janken and the winner simply says the target English that matches the card they choose to move.

Similar Games

Search Game

Description

The students put all their cards face down. The teacher calls out the target English and the students repeat, until a timer goes off. The last card that was called is the key word. Students each pick one card and turn it over when the teacher says ‘go’. If a student turns over a card that matches the key word, they get one point. If no one gets the matching card, each student picks another card and turns it over when the teacher says ‘go’ again, until the card is found. They then shuffle the cards face down and start the next round.

Notes

  • An important point to this game is you don’t want students racing to turn over cards, as that will make things messy and disorganised (and unfair). Make sure that students wait for you to say ‘go’ before turning over one single card. You’ll need to say ‘go’ as many times it would take for each group to turn over every card, even if some groups find it on the first or second try.
  • The size of groups will depend on the number of cards you have in each set. For example, if you have 6 cards, it makes sense to play in pairs as this would give both players 3 chances to find the keyword. If you have 9 cards, playing in groups of 3 also gives each player 3 chances.
  • If you have a number of cards that doesn’t divide evenly between the students playing (e.g. prime numbers where the number isn’t equal to the number of students playing), one or more cards will not be turned over in a round. For example, if there are 7 cards and students are playing in pairs, after 3 chances to find the keyword there will be one card left. If this left over card is the keyword, then no one wins a point for that round.