Time: 5 minutes

Alphabet Game

Description

Link to page (online use only): https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1qOgcM2583FydRhYvx8xZAAQgWt0j2y84iT_k2Cerof8/edit?usp=sharing

This link can be shared with students via whatever dispersal method, such sent through Teams or using a QR code. It should work on any Google browser. It also works if downloaded as a PowerPoint file.

It is good for use in situations where the teacher(s) is busy and the students need to do something in the meantime. It can also be played as a pair activity where the students take turns at attempting hard mode or practice who can do it the fastest, and so on. It would also be good to encourage out loud reading while they do the activity.

The game has three difficulties:

Easy – There is no fail and the correct letter must be chosen in order to proceed.

Medium – Again, no fail state but the letters shuffle each correct selection.

Hard – The alphabet is separated into groups A-G, H-M, O-U and V-Z with an incorrect choice resets back to the first letter in a group.

Notes

  • Currently only capital letters are supported with lower case in the works for 4th and 5th year to review.
  • Current shortcomings – no way to prevent swiping left or right and bypassing the button function. Might need to make it clear to the students if they discover this, not to swipe.

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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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.

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!

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!

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