SENSATIONAL BEGINNINGS
Here is an activity I have devised and tested... I am helping my 8 year-old neighbours Joan Marc and Xavier with their English, and on the day of my birthday we decided to have a special lesson.
See how you like it!
Aims:
To revise spelling and vocabulary while at the same time having some fun.
Necessary materials:
A few sheets of white paper or thin cardboard, a pair of scissors, pencils
and markers.
Preparation:
Cut out 26 cards, the size of ordinary playing cards (one for each of the
letters in the alphabet.)
Decide on 2 small prizes (one slightly more attractive than the other) that
you are
ready to give the students. Your prizes WILL make the whole of a
difference, just wait and see!) As the activity was almost part of my
birthday party
I chose bar of chocolate for the second prize and a HUGE lollipop for the
first.
What to do:
Quickly check that your students know their ABC and have them write the
letters onto one side of the cards. Shuffle the cards, put
them on a desk with the letters facing the top of the desk and keep 2 for
yourself. Make sure the kids do not see what letters there are on the other
side of YOUR cards (or their cards, for that matter.)
Suggest some words (nouns work best i.e. dog, table) for the students to draw
on the blank side of the cards, or let the kids choose their own words.
Students draw each item twice (on different cards every time) and write the
words below their pictures, so you eventually get 12 pairs of words and
pics (two dogs, two tables etc.) Check the spelling!
Write "Star Prize" and "Second Prize" respectively on your own cards.
Gather all the cards and shuffle them well. When you are done,
put the cards on the desk (4 rows of 6 and 2 at the bottom will do) in such
a way that the students can see the letters but NOT the pictures on the
other side.
The kids take it in turns to say two letters and then they turn the
corresponding cards around to see if the pictures/words on them match. If
they do, the kid who has found the pair wins 1 point. In case the cards do
not match, put them back on the desk, with the pictures
facing the top of the desk again. The object is to match all 12 pairs of
words
and pictures.
When the prize cards are disclosed, you will no doubt see a big smile on
your students´ faces!
Good luck!
a bit of make-up or a few color crayons
add a few simple props if desired
Warming-up activity: Ask students to talk about any trips they have gone on. Can they remember any interesting stories? Then ask them to think of things that might go wrong on a trip to a remote country, say, somewhere in the heart of Africa, miles from anywhere. Can they suggest any solutions as well?
Explain the following situation: A group of tourists traveling in Africa encounter the Naiss, a tribe of cannibals who capture them. The tourists are brought up before Oudoutra, their King, who happens to be a very wealthy but unhappy man. So the tourists must do something to amuse him...or they'll die! The tourists decide to perform some scenes from their daily lives, with a touch of humor, in order to recover their freedom. Oudoutra (the teacher?) will give them some "Bongos" as a reward for their performances (1-4 for each.) When the tourists/students have 30 "Bongos" in all, they will be free again. Incidentally, a "Bongo" might be almost anything. How imaginative can you be?
The "tourists", individually or in small groups, set up a show to amuse Oudoutra. Anything goes: impersonations, sketches, singing, story-telling...They should do their best to please the King. Who wants a sad king? or a pile of dead tourists, for that matter?
Here is the list of the tourists' jobs, so you can find some inspiration for the sketches: 2 actors, 1 bullfighter, 1 businessman, 1 businesswoman, 3 dancers, 1 doctor, 2 explorers, 1 fireman, 2 football players, 1 hair-stylist, 2 housewives, 1 mechanic, 1 musician, 1 painter, 1 photographer, 1 poet, 1 priest, 1 striptease artist, 1 tailor, 2 teachers and a TV speaker. The group also includes 6 children, 2 OAP or Senior Citizens and 4 terrorists. Decide who's who and put your thinking caps on...there's no time to lose!
Note that pictures, music and props may be used.
With older students you might go as far as discussing concepts such as "civilization", "culture" "modern" and "progress". Perhaps they find our way of life too hectic? Would they be prepared to pack their bags with a few essential things -or none at all- and go living far from the madding crowd?
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