Activities for YLBy Iuliana Zdanevich,

Yuliya Hilchuk, Ganna Kushnyrova,

Tatiana Berezyuk, Nataliya Kidalova

ETTO, April 2011

Fly Swatt

ers(K)

Running

Dictation

(AK)

Bear

Hun

t(A

,K)

Planet

Ga

me (VK)

Chain Drawings(VAK)

Fly Swatters (Iuliana Zdanevich)

Introduction

Explanation of activity

Learner reaction

Reflection

Fly Swatters Introduction

This is a game to practice reading with YL or revise target vocabulary.

Materials needed: two fly swatters, pictures or flashcards which represent target vocabulary, or just the board with words written.

The game is suitable for levels from beginner to advanced elementary.

Fly Swatters Explanation on how to set up the activity

1. Stick pictures with target vocabulary on the wall or the board. 2. Form two teams. Children make a line in each of the team. 3. Each of the first players in teams gets a fly swatter. 4. The teacher calls out a word and the first players run and "swat" the

correct picture. The team whose player is the first to "swat" the correct picture gets a point.

5. The players go back and pass the fly swatters to the next players. 6. The teacher calls out the next word, and so the game continues.

Note: Before the game make sure you have enough words for each of the players. If you can draw well, you may draw pictures on the board and kids "swat" them.

Fly Swatters Learner reaction

1. This game is mostly for kinaesthetic learners as kids stand up and move to form teams.

2. They run to “swat” a word or a flashcard. 3. The game is a competition between two teams, so

everyone feels he/she can contribute to the team’s score.

4. As a listening activity for kinaesthetic learners it is following instructions while you explain the rules.

5. It is beneficial for V learners as they see pictures, flashcards or printed words.

Fly Swatters Reflection

This game can be adopted -for very young learners. Use flashcards with target vocabulary. Collect the vocabulary by topics. For example, Animals, Food, My body.

-For elementary learners. use flashcards with words printed to practise reading the target vocabulary use flashcards with letter combinations (ch, sh, oo, ea, th, wh, ck)

- For advanced elementary use transcribed printed words to practice reading transcription use printed words with missing letters

-You may set up the game for three teams (for large classes)- You may use a Power Point slide with words/pictures instead of using real flashcards

Running Dictation (Iuliana Zdanevich)

Introduction

Explanation of activity

Learner reaction

Reflection

Running DictationIntroduction

This activity is for kinaesthetic and auditory learners: 1. Learner Dictation is a typical writing activity for A learners.2. Running is an activity for K learners.3. It is a group work which is good for both, A and K students (students work in groups of three or four. )

4. Materials: some copies of the text you want your students to write down (the number of copies equals the number of groups). Hang them on the walls in the class or outside the class if possible. Tell each group where their text is.

Running DictationExplanation of how to set up the activity

1. Say who will be the first person to write in each group .

2. The person next to him is the first one who runs to the paper, reads the first sentence, memorizes it, runs back and dictates it to the "secretary".

3. Only when the sentence is written down the next person can start running.

4. The first "runner" is a "secretary" now. And the "runner" is a person next to him. So they change roles until the whole text is completed.

5. The winner team completes the whole text the first.

Running DictationLearner reaction

Both A and K learners can benefit from the activity.

K learners have a chance to run and to switch a role from a “secretary” to a “runner”.

A learners will enjoy a dictation to each other.

Group work is beneficial for A and K learners.

Running DictationReflection.

The activity can be adapted for different levels.

Elementary: dictate and write down separate words.

Advanced elementary: dictate and write down simple sentences.

Pre-intermediate: dictate and write down complicated sentences.

Intermediate: have open-close sentences in their texts. They dictate and write down given sentences and also complete them with one suitable word.

The activity can be adapted for V learners if you use pictures instead of words, so that a “runner” sees a flashcard and a “secretary” has to write a word for that.

Bear Hunt (Yuliya Hilchuk)

Introduction

Explanation of activity

Learner reaction

Reflection

Bear Hunt Introduction

The activity focuses on vocabulary -building and story telling. It is an excellent practice and great fun for the students of all learning styles.

Materials needed: flashcards or drawings of the places mentioned in the song

Bear HuntExplanation of how to set up the activity

1. Put a simple drawing for each of the places mentioned in the story on the board.

2. Tell the story using actions and sounds to illustrate each phrase.

3. The students have to listen and join in by repeating the sounds and doing the actions.

4. Tell the story again, encouraging the students to join in with the words.

5. The third time say as little as needed, encouraging the students to tell the whole story themselves with sounds and actions.

6. It is possible to organize a group competition for the best presentation of the story and award the winners.

Here's an example story:

We're going on a bear hunt.We are brave and strong.We're not afraid.We go through the long grass (swish, swish)Across the river (splash, splash)Up the hill (phew, phew)Down the hill (wheee, wheee)Into the dark forest (hoo, hoo)Out of the dark forest (ahh,ahh)Oh, here's a caveLet's go inIt's very dark! (oohh, oohh)Oh! What's this!Oh no! It's a bear!Quick! Let's go!

We go out of the caveInto the dark forest (hoo, hoo)Out of the dark forest (ahh,ahh)Up the hill (phew, phew)Down the hill (wheee, wheee)Across the river (splash, splash)Through the long grass (swish, swish)Into the houseLock the door (click, click)We're safe! (wheww)

Bear HuntLearner reaction

V learners can benefit by seeing the pictures representing the target vocabulary

A learners can benefit by connecting sounds to make a story, listening to the song, writing their own story as a follow-up

K learners benefit by using a drama technique, gesturing activities involved and acting out the story in the end

Bear Hunt Reflection

As an extension, the students working in groups can make up their own story with actions and present it to the class.

You may involve A learners more by playing a record of the song Bear Hunt.

If you have some typical A learners who can “hear” the words, you may ask them to create a new chat using the word-sounds they “hear” involving any other vocabulary or grammar topic.

Chain Drawings (Tatyana Berezyuk)

Introduction

Explanation of activity

Learner reaction

Reflection

Chain DrawingsIntroduction

Tatyana got acquainted with this activity when she visited a demonstration lesson. The name of the task is "Chain drawings".

Materials needed: some sheets of paper, pencils and music.

Chain DrawingsExplanation of how to set up the activity

1. Pupils sit in a circle. 2. Give each kid a piece of paper and some pencils to colour

their drawings.3. Switch on the CD and they listen to music. 4. As music is playing the students have to draw whatever

they want (may be their dreams). 5. In 20-25 seconds I stop the music and their task is to pass

their picture to another kid who is to the right of him\her in the circle.

6. After that the music plays again and children continue to draw.

7. It continues up to the end of the song . 8. Finally, everybody has the picture that several kids

contributed to.

Chain drawingsLearner reaction

This is a perfect activity for K learners as drawing is what they enjoy doing while learning.

Drawing is natural for V learners. Especially, if some of them can “see” music.

Chain DrawingsReflection

After the activity you may ask students several questions for ex.:-describe the picture to the group; -label everything on the picture;-or when I practise Past I ask kids just to imagine what they did last night and tell us.

For more advanced levels you may ask one person to draw, and the next one to think of some words coming up with the music.

The activity is adaptable for A learners if you play any English song with some familiar vocabulary, or just a known song, and ask them to draw. If you have certain division into V,A, and K learners, don’t stop the music. A learners can write down the familiar words they hear while V and K learners draw. As a follow-up activity groups use their key-words and pictures to make up a story.

Planet/Star Game (Natalia Kidalova)

Introduction

Explanation of activity

Learner reaction

Reflection

Planet Game Introduction

It is a circle game that I modified for young learners in a Star game (we are Planets so we can call the activity Planets game).

It is good for learning the names or get acquainted.

Materials: prepared shapes of planets and/or stars (either by a teacher or by students as their previous homework), a string or tape

Planet/Star Game Explanation of how to set up the activity

1. Arrange the room so that everyone is sitting on the carpet in a big circle.

2. Give children paper stars/planets (kids can make them as they like doing things, but it’s so time-taking).

3. Instruct students to put their names on a star/planet if it’s the first lesson and/or some information according to your needs.

4. Ask each child to introduce himself or herself. The children may also provide one fact about themselves (they can write smth or draw a code-picture).

5. As students introduce themselves to the other students in the circle, they put the stars on the carpet or they can put the stars on the blackboard.

6. Children connect the stars with colourful straws until everything has connected (teacher can tape the stars together).

7. At the end of this game you will have one big constellation with all of the children's names on it.

Planet/Star GameLearner reaction

V learners will have visual associations of stars with people’s names or facts about them.

A will benefit from group work and listening to each other

K learners will be successful because of moving (stand up and stick your planet/star on board)

Planet/Star GameReflection

The activity is an educating one to build team work and ice break. You might talk about how this constellation is incomplete if one star is missing, how all the students fit together as a team like the stars of the constellation, and how you will be the tape or the straw that holds the stars together all year long.

You can display the constellation on the wall all year.

To adapt the activity for more advanced students you may ask the students give more facts about them with naming their planet.