Time: More than 20 minutes

Discard Game

Description

Students make groups and get a deck of small cards each. They shuffle the cards face down and put them in the middle of their group. The teacher then calls the target English randomly using the large flashcards, and the students repeat. When the timer goes off, the last card that was called becomes the keyword. Each group then discards the top card from their deck. If the card matches the keyword, they get one point. If it doesn’t match, they can discard another, until they find the keyword card. They get one point per card they discard (including the keyword card).

Notes

In later rounds, you could add a new rule that instead of getting one point per additional card they discard, they start with points that equal however many cards they have total, and lose one point per card that is discarded.

Lucky Pyramid

Description

Flashcards are arranged on the board in a pyramid shape – e.g., 4 along the bottom, 3 on the middle and 2 on the top and a ‘winner’ space at the top. Each group picks one card on the bottom row. The students repeat the teacher until time is up. Whichever groups chose the final card that was called out ‘ascend’ to the next row. Whichever groups are the highest at the end win. Any groups that reach the top of the pyramid in the meantime can win one bonus point and reset to the bottom.

Notes

Depending on the number of flashcards you have in your set, you may need to exclude some to make a proper pyramid shape. You could also include multiples of the same flashcard if you need to make the pyramid larger.

Card Drop

Description

Students make groups and divide small vocabulary cards between themselves. They repeat the teacher until the timer goes off. If the last called target English matches one of their cards, they can put it down.

After a certain number of rounds, whoever has the least cards wins one point. If more than one student has the least cards, they each win one point. If any student has no cards left, they win five points.

Notes

If, for example, there are 9 cards in your set, it’s good to have 3 students each with 3 cards in their hand. Any left over students could be put in groups of two, and the remaining 3 cards in their set can be left aside.

50/50

Description

Each group gets a set of cards. Each group splits these cards into two sets – ‘yes’ and ‘no’. They can put as many cards as they like into either set.

The students then repeat the target English with the teacher until the timer runs out. The teacher puts the last called card into their own ‘yes’ or ‘no’ set, depending on what their last answer was. Once all the cards have been sorted into one of the sets, the groups check their own cards. They get one point for each card that is in the same set that the teacher chose.

Notes

  • Generally this game works best grammar that has two possible choices, like ‘yes’/’no’ questions, ‘can/can’t, ‘do/don’t’, and so on.
  • Every card doesn’t need to be used in in every round. The teacher could pick, for example, 4 cards that the students need to put into a set then use those. More cards could be added every round.
  • A simple rule change for later rounds could be to have all groups start with as many points as there are cards being used, and they lose a point for each matching card at the end of the round.
  • Another rule escalation could be that the students need to turn their cards face down before putting them in groups, and they can’t reveal what they are until the round is finished.

Superlative and Comparatives Quiz

Description

The class is put into their usual groups (typically 8 groups of 4), with one whiteboard, marker, and eraser. 

The ALT runs the PowerPoint, doing the demo round with the JTE. The ALT reads out the question or task, and the JTE writes their answer on the main blackboard. The ALT declares when time is up, and whiteboards need to be shown. JTE mimics raising their whiteboard, and ALT reads out the answer. 1 point to the JTE. 

Scores are kept on the board, and each question has a time limit, adjusted to the level of the class. The ALT reads out the question as it appears on the projector, and teams work together to write up an acceptable answer. At the end of each question, the ALT and JTE check the answers, and the JTE keeps score on the main blackboard. The whiteboard is then passed to the next student within their group, and the quiz continues. 

Some questions need adjusting in terms of both the question or the time given to answer. Questions that need adjusting are those relating to student numbers, 2023 numbers were used. Different schools can be picked to keep it relevant to the students, or countries for the Big Mac set can be changed. Slide 23 can have the stop hand gesture removed, this was placed to give a bonus point for the student who correctly identifies the country Aoraki Mt Cook is in (New Zealand, mentioned in previous classes). For free answers, sometimes bonus points were given for interesting answers.

Ichi

Also known as:

  • Uno

Description

The attached file is for one set. Game is played the same as Uno, but using whatever grammar form you want to practice. Students/ALT can choose if they want to have +2 cards stack rule, or any other variations they know. The cards are blank and can be printed out, written on, them laminated and cut. 

Notes

  • Most students know the game, and its fairly easy for the group to teach anyone who doesn’t. Wouldn’t hurt to demonstrate though, of course.
  • I had the verbs buy, eat, visit, and see. The students could put down cards of the same verb as well as the number and color. I thought those 4 were fairly versatile, but you can do any. Another option is doing all different verbs and they don’t stack.
  • The attached file is for one set. They are pretty small in order to save on materials, as you’ll have to make multiple sets (I did 6)
  • I recommend using this after they have already studied the grammar, but depending on how difficult it could possibly work the same class. I did this with “I want to go OO” and encouraged them to use Japanese foods, places, etc to reduce the difficulty.
  • Card background made by Paul 😀

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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Damsel in Distress

Description

Students are in groups. Each group gets a game board, a set of quest cards, a set of small flashcards and a die. Student’s place their ohajiki at the stairs of the castle. The set of small flashcards is shuffled and placed in a pile face down. The quest cards are shuffled and placed face down in the spaces on the game board.

The group asks the first player the question. The first player then rolls the die and moves their ohajiki to the number on the board. They then take the top card from the set of small flashcards and answer the question using the target English. Once the student has said the answer, they turn over the quest card associated to the number they rolled. Each round has certain rules for certain cards:

Round 1: If the quest card is the key, potion, shield or sword, nothing happens. The card remains face up and the next player has their turn. If the quest card is the dragon, all quest cards are shuffled and reset. All players are moved back to the stairs and the game continues. If the quest card is the princess, the player that found the princess gets 1 point. All quest cards are shuffled and reset. Players are moved back to the stairs.

Round 2: In round 2 there are 3 dragon defeating cards. If the potion, shield or sword is found BEFORE the dragon is, then the dragon card has no effect if found. If the dragon is found before the potion, shield or sword, then the quest cards are shuffled and reset. 

Round 3: In round 2 the key must be found BEFORE the princess. Once a player finds the key, any player who finds the princess after gets the point. Once the princess is found, the quest cards are shuffled and reset. Players are moved back to the stairs. The rule about the dragon, shield, potion and sword remains the same as round 2. 

The player at the end of the game with the most points is the winner!

Notes

I played this game with my 5 graders for ‘what do you want’ ‘ want~’ and it worked pretty well. We only did the rules for round 1 (but we did 2 rounds of it) but I plan to play it again sometime this year with a rule escalation. 

I have also made a 2nd version of the cards in case you don’t plan to use the key rule (I have replaced the potion card also). I added a ‘nothing’ card in which nothing happens when that card is revealed. There is 2 per set. 

This game was designed for question and answer lessons, but should also work for answer only lessons too.

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.

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.

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