Necktie Game

Hashmatt Anwari

OBJECTIVES:

To provide an entertaining means to review vocabulary

To encourage students to visualize words rather than just memorize

BACKGROUND:

The game is basically Pictionary with a twist: not being able to see what one is drawing. I chose neckties because they were the longest piece of cloth I could find at the time and they could be purchased at the nearest hyakuen store. The kids also took an extreme liking to the idea of being able to tie a necktie. It was also the kids that came up with the name “Necktie Game”, so I guess it stuck that way.

PROCEDURE:

1. Preparation. Divide the students into groups; six groups should be the maximum. Divide the chalkboard into segments, one segment per team, by drawing vertical lines. This will be their area to draw in. Have one necktie per team ready as well as flashcards of different vocabulary words. Vocabulary words are not limited to nouns only; verbs and adjectives can be used as well. It is best that recently studied words be used although mixing in old words makes for a good refresher course.

2. Now have the students pick team names. This is a good way to get the students prepped for competition mode. If they’re having trouble thinking up of a team name, give one to them. I tend to use words like *Gorilla* and *Tabasco* to give students a good laugh. Write each team name in each division you made on the chalkboard, so students know where they’ll be drawing.

3. Fan out the flashcards and ask one of the volunteers to pick one word. You can have them all draw the same concept or each draw their own; either way is fine, though it may be easier if they all drew the same concept/word.

4. Blindfold the students with the necktie, it’s important that none of the students be able to see what he/she is drawing. (Get other students to help with this!) Then lead them to their designated “team section” on the chalkboard. As soon as everyone’s ready, with a chalk in hand, they can begin drawing what they read on the flashcard. They can draw anything, but they cannot write words, numbers, or characters. However, symbols can be used (like a plus sign). Students continue drawing until a team gets the correct answer.

5. Non-drawing students are the ones who do the guessing. Students raise their hands to guess. As soon as one student guesses the correct answer, everyone stops drawing and the team that guessed correctly gets the point. The team with the most points at the end of the class period wins.

NOTES:

Many students probably have never played Pictionary before, so you may have to show them examples of tips and tricks they can use to get their team to guess correctly first. Some tips include:

• You don’t have to make elaborate drawings. For instance with the words “broken arm” you could try drawing an arm in a cast or you could draw an arm in many pieces. There’s no one way to make the drawings. Stress creativity.

• Students can draw circles and make arrows to emphasize points of interest.

• Never stop drawing! If the team isn’t getting the correct answer, try drawing something else.

It may also help to give the students a hint as to whether the “artists” will be drawing a verb, noun, or adjective, before they begin drawing.