What is Happening in the Picture?

Mydene Cuevas

OBJECTIVE:

• Reviewing a specific grammar point through creative writing in a fun group setting

PROCEDURE:

1. Warm up by quickly reviewing the specific grammar point the class has learned and will be using in the game (e.g. past tense, superlative, or past participle).

2. Get students to form into groups of 4 or 5, and ask them to put their desks together.

3. Explain the game: JTE/ALT will give each group an envelope full of words, including 3 to 5 “free” words, in which they can substitute any word not included in the set. JTE/ALT will then show the class a large picture. The students will have 5 minutes to form as many sentences as they can using only the words included in the envelope. After the 5 minutes are up, one student in each group runs to the board and has one minute to write down the sentences his or her group formed. JTE/ALT corrects students’ work and gives points to each acceptable sentence.

NOTES:

• To make the game specific to a grammar review, develop rules that would allow students to practice those grammar points. For example, if the class has just learned past tense, tell students that at least one of their sentences must be past tense in order to acquire any points at all. Likewise, if they’ve just learned past participle, then at least one of their sentences must include the use of a past participle.
• For higher level classes add rules that would challenge the students. For example, we tell students that each sentence must have 5 words or more. They also cannot use two “free” words in one sentence, nor can they keep using the same sentence form (e.g. She is very sick today. He is very sick today.)

HANDOUTS and WORKSHEETS:

A sample worksheet for this activity is here