Materials: Flashcards

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. 

Review Extravaganza

Description

Prepare the PowerPoint and alphabet point cards on the board. Have the students make groups of around 4. Assign each group a number and write the group numbers on the board. Also assign each student within a group a number between 1 and 4.

The game begins when you ask the first question. After revealing the question, give the groups time to peer check. Then draw a group number and a student number. If the student answers correctly, their group gets a chance to pick one of the alphabet point cards. They score whatever points are on the back of the card. Once a point card has been picked, it can’t be picked again. The game continues until there are no point cards left.

Notes

  • For the point cards, I print two per page, so the pages are ordered as such.

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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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Protect the Cheese

Description

Follow the instructions on the 2nd slide to choose the target word for the game. Zooming the slide out makes it easier to adjust.

Students guess one of the letters for the hidden word. If the guess is correct, click the corresponding circle to reveal the letter. If the guess is incorrect, note it on the blackboard and then click on a piece of cheese to play the animation. If all letters are correctly guessed and the class can read out the word, click the ‘W’ button to play the winner screen. If they lose all their pieces of cheese before figuring out the word, reveal the answer and click the ‘L’ button to play the losing screen. 

The game can be run any way the teacher sees fit. However, to avoid students not engaging, or having only a handful of students volunteering, here is a potential way to run the activity.

1. Arrange class into groups. Give each group a mini card of the target vocab for the unit. Place large flashcards of the same target words on the blackboard.

2. Start a timer and have students repeat each of the vocab. When the timer ends, the group with the mini card for the last called vocab can peer check and choose a letter to guess.

3. Repeat until the class figure out the hidden word or lose all their cheese. 

Students can’t call out the answer until all letters have been revealed. The team that guesses the final hidden letter can then attempt to read out the answer.

Notes

  • You can use any length word you want. Just copy/paste the circles to add more letters.
  • If students guess a letter that appears more than once in the word (eg. dOctOr), I usually only reveal one of them each turn.

Lava Game

Description

You can make whatever rules you need. 

I was thinking of a target English repeat activity where everyone is looking at the relevant English on the board, then as a class they can answer a related question. If they get it right they go to round two, before which they have to do more repeating. Same for round three and beyond. 

Notes

When I made this game, I made it with JHS in mind. There is often very little chance to introduce the new English or review previously studied material before an activity. I imagined this would be a good way to encourage repeat of target English while simultaneously having an English activity – something to balance the ALT’s goals and the JTE’s goals.

I thought we could put the flashcards – whatever target English – on the board. Set a timer and have the students repeat: sentences, words. Whatever you need. 

When the timer beeps, they can play the first round of the Lava Game and work together as a class to answer the question. They can do another round of repeat, then they can try round two of the Lava Game. Another round of repeat, then try round three of the Lava Game – as many rounds as you need.  

It’s easy enough to edit but not suitable for group play, really. There is a right/wrong answer only. If you get it wrong, you explode and the game is over. 

Monster Game

Description

Divide the class into groups and assign each group a flashcard on the blackboard. You can either draw or prepare the monsters (I found pictures on Irasutoya and printed + laminated them because you need multiple monsters). 

Place or draw the first monster on the board. Assign the monster health points (I recommend keeping it under or just above 10 so more groups have a chance to win points) and secret points (I used number flashcards and put it face down on the blackboard. The teacher sets a timer and calls the target English. Students repeat the teacher.

When the timer sounds, the last called flashcard indicates the group that gets to attack the monster. Either the teacher or a student volunteer from the group rolls a die. Subtract the number from the monster’s health points. If the monster’s health reaches 0, the monster is defeated. The secret points are revealed and awarded to the group that defeated the monster. The next monster is brought out.

The game continues as such until either all monsters have been defeated or time has run out. Group with the most points at the end of the game is the winning group!

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Bomb Sweeper

Description

Put all cards on the board, and hide the star and bomb card under any two cards. Repeat with the students until the timer goes off. Remove the last card called. If there is nothing under it, the class gets one point. If there is a star, the classes’ points are doubled. If there is a bomb, the round ends and the class keeps whatever points they gathered. Reset and try to get more points the next round. 

Notes

  • You can introduce more special cards as you go to make it longer. Please comment if you discover any good variations!
  • This could be used as a warmup or input game depending on your variations and delivery.
  • The could also be turned into a group game, although I’m not sure how they would hide the special cards. Please comment if you find a good method.

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Zombie Virus Game

Description

For this game, there are humans, zombies, and doctors. The teacher will choose select students to start off as zombies or doctors (how many depends on the size of your class). Small cards can be given to each student to let them know what they are.

When the game starts, students go around and play each other in rock, paper, scissors. The loser asks the question and the winner answers OR if your target language consists only of a statement, just have the winner say the statement.

Depending on what the student is (human, zombie, or doctor), they respond with different answers if they win rock, paper, scissors. Make sure students whisper their answers in the other student’s ear so they don’t reveal what they are to surrounding students. Zombies turn humans into zombies and doctors turn zombies back into humans, but only if they are the winner of rock, paper, scissors. If a human wins, nothing happens. At the end of the game, if more than half the class are humans, humans win! However, if more than half are zombies, zombies win!!

Notes

This game has never been played. If you do try it out, please leave a comment!

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Balloon Pop 2.0

Description

There is a PowerPoint with five balloons. Behind each balloon is a point. Have the ALT/teacher choose a number. The vocab flashcards should be on the board and labelled 1-5. You can add more balloons if you have more vocabulary or you can put two flashcards under one number, i.e. “Red, yellow” – 1, “blue, green” – 2. It’s up to you how you manage it.

Set the timer and have the students repeat, when the timer goes off, you can pop the balloon that matches the number flashcard you landed on. The goal is for the students after three tries to have beaten the ALT/Teacher’s number. You can pop the balloon each round or wait until the game is over to pop them.