The People Game

Brianna Carrigan

PROCEDURE:

1. Split students up into groups of 4 or 5.
2. Give each group an envelope and a number stick.
3. JTE or ALT says, “Get ready, Get set, Go!”
4. Students empty the contents of the envelope, read the descriptions and match them with the pictures. Teamwork is essential for success.
5. When finished, groups raise their number stick and the JTE writes the order on the board.
6. ALT checks the first group to see if they are correct. If they are, the JTE gives their group a point. If not, move on to the next group to finish. Only one point is awarded each round.
7. After the point is awarded say, “Mix, Put Away.” The students do so and give their envelope to the next group.
8. Repeat steps 3-7 until you have played as many rounds as you have groups.

NOTES:

This is by far one of the best lessons I have done and students of many different levels have enjoyed playing. However, there are things you need to be careful of:

1. In the previous lesson, the students didn’t know that “red heads” range in color from orange to red so by the second class some were confused when they saw more pictures.
2. Emphasize that all 5 pictures and all 5 descriptions must go BACK into the envelope so the next group can play. If a piece gets lost, it really interferes with the game.
3. Use envelopes without self-sealing strips on them because even the best students cannot resist sealing them to prevent the next group from playing.
4. Mixing is important so that the work isn’t already done for the next group. But most groups strategize how to mix the pieces in order to make it more difficult for the next group.
5. When the envelopes are passed, make sure that they are always given to the same group to avoid repeats. Ex. Group 1 > 2, 2 > 3, 3 > 4, etc.
6. When preparing the pictures, make sure that there isn’t another picture on the back which might confuse the students. You might have to black out the back.
7. Laminate the pictures and print the descriptions on cardstock because they get a lot of use even during one class.
8. Double check the descriptions to be sure that one description doesn’t match two of the pictures. Don’t try to trick the students.
9. Put numbers on the back of the pictures so that they can be reused for a different activity. They can also write physical descriptions of their own.
10. It’s fairer if you complete the rotation so that each group gets every envelope. If you notice that one envelope is winning each time, mix the contents with another envelope for the next class.

Sample description card:

The students got a rise out of seeing the different pictures I used. It was great. I can imagine how the same match-game format could be adapted to review vocabulary for example, match Japanese/English or picture/word. Students of different levels can play the game as is, but it might take lower level students a little more time to make the matches, especially if they don’t remember the vocabulary. To make the game more difficult, you can organize the contents of each envelope to contain, for example, only old women, or only teenage boys.