Everyone starts the game with 5 points. For each round, students are given a choice of key words. Students repeat each word and then choose one (they can use their name magnets or a set of mini cards on their desk).
When all students have made their selection count down from 3 and click to drop the bowling balls. Anyone who gets ‘bonked’ loses one point. Each new round, students can change their choices. After the final round, check who survived with the most points.
Give each student three random cards. It would be great if they get at least one reverse card. Students stand up and find a partner and practice the grammar structure. They then play “rock, paper, scissors.”
Without showing the cards, the winner picks one from the loser’s hand. There are three scenarios:
If a student runs out of cards, they ask the teachers for two more cards. The student with the most money wins the game.
It would be great if each student gets at least one reverse card.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
