In the English classroom we all have some go-to games that
are helpful for reviewing all types of new vocabulary and information. A golden
rule in the second-language community is to teach no more than 7-10 new words
in any given class. As a TEFL volunteer preparing a charla on the reproductive system for 5th and 6th
grade girls, I was struck by how much vocabulary is involved and how little
practice I had originally planned into the session.
In light of that, here are 3 games I easily adapted to help
the participants (girls ages 10-13 in this case) become more familiar with the
new information about their bodies:
1. Busca el
(los) órgano(s) que…
This activity is adapted from the common game “Find the
person who…” and is a good follow-up to
the presentation of different organs and their functions. It gives the
participants a chance to actively investigate and review the positions and functions
of different body parts.
Preparation: Bring a papelógrafo like the example
below with different descriptions of organ functions. You can focus on only the
male or female system, or you can include all and color-code the writing to
help participants find the correct organ.
Have either a list of organs and their functions or labeled diagrams that participants can use to find the information. I had three half papelógrafos (male, female internal and female external) with word cards taped to the board next to the organ they corresponded with. Cards could be flipped up to read an explanation of the organ on the back.
Have either a list of organs and their functions or labeled diagrams that participants can use to find the information. I had three half papelógrafos (male, female internal and female external) with word cards taped to the board next to the organ they corresponded with. Cards could be flipped up to read an explanation of the organ on the back.
 |
| Blue-male, Green-female external, Purple-female internal |
Directions for play: Divide participants into groups
of 2 or 3. Each pair or small group has a sheet of paper where they will write
their answers. Explain that they should read the descriptions and write the
name of the organ described. Make it a competition to see who can find all the
answers first (and give candies for motivation). Participants then race to find
the correct responses.
2. Fly-swatter
Fly-swatter (also
known as ‘run to the board’) is an active and exciting way to review the names
of different parts of the reproductive system and to evaluate how well
participants remember the information.
Preparation: Post papelógrafos on the wall of
diagrams for the reproductive systems you wish to review. The diagrams should
NOT be labeled. Make sure to tape them well as participants will be hitting
them throughout the game.
Directions for play: Divide the group into two equal teams;
each team forms a line one behind the other, facing the papelógrafos. The
facilitator calls out the name of the organ and the first person on each team
runs to the board to ‘slap’ the organ. The first person to correctly identify
the organ wins a point. The two participants that ran to the board go to the
back of the line and the facilitator calls out another term for the next two in
line.
Continue calling out terms and keeping points until you run out of vocabulary or until the participants tire of the game.
Continue calling out terms and keeping points until you run out of vocabulary or until the participants tire of the game.
3. Tic-Tac-Toe
This is great a final activity since participants are
required to produce the new information and explain how different parts of the
reproductive system work.
Preparation: For this game you will need a whiteboard
and whiteboard markers. Draw a 3 x 3 tic-tac-toe board and write a different
reproductive organ in each square.
Directions for play: Divide the group into two
teams—one is X and the other O. Explain that to win a square, the team must
describe what role an organ plays in the reproductive system. Flip a coin to
decide who goes first. Have teams take turns describing the organs and winning
a square for their team until one team wins by having three in a row, in a column,
or in a diagonal across the board.
Depending on how much vocabulary you have taught, you can
make the game more interesting by drawing a 4 x 4 board. Once a team has won,
erase the words and fill the board again with new words or the same words in a
different order and play again!
The Yo Merezco manual
outlines a ‘carrera de anatomía’ where each team has a set of cards with the
names of the reproductive organs. One member from each team approaches the
facilitator who quietly reads the function of an organ to them. Participants
then race back to their team, find the card with the right organ name, and race
back to the facilitator. The first person who arrives with the correct response
wins a point for their team.
Another way to review would be playing an adaptation of
memory, having participants match names and functions or names and drawings.
Even better—have the participants prepare the memory game in the session and
then play with their friends.
Possibilities are endless, let the learning begin!
--Alba, TEFL 60, Madriz
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