Draw-a-mouse is an alternative to Hangman! Simply print off the template (a few to choose from... all look like the main pic but some have more/less letter spaces to suit different age groups). Laminate to make re-usable. Teach and use! OR simply upload to Showbie and use digitally! Great for sp...
A few years ago at the MFLA Fall Conference I attended a session that talked about games (and drills and how to organize class time... it was a really good session), and one game that really stuck with me is Wheel of Fortune. **Edit** I have since found my notes from that conference. Credit goes to Tyrone F. Parker with Baltimore City Public Schools, as he is the one who first introduced me to this game. Overview: Wheel of Fortune - or Rad of Glück as we call it in my German classes - is based on the game show of the same name. It's a great end of class game if you have an extra five minutes and a great game right after beginning students have learned the alphabet. What You'll Need: A deck of cards and your chalkboard. I'd recommend having different colored markers or chalk, one per each group playing, but this is optional. How to Play: 1. Divide the class into 2-3 teams (depending on the size). Each team will work together to try and solve the phrase. 2. Put a phrase on the board the same way you would for hangman (one space for each letter). I usually have a phrase that uses whatever grammar or vocabulary topic we're currently focusing on. 3. Each team starts their turn by "spinning the wheel." One team member volunteers to "spin" by drawing a card from the deck. This card determines how many points they can get this round. Each card is worth its face value (2 of diamonds is worth 2 pts, 4 of hearts is worth 4 pts, etc.). I have Aces worth 1 pt and all face cards worth 10 pts. I also keep the Jokers in - if a team draws a Joker, their team loses the rest of that turn. Pick a card - any card! This team drew a 4 - that means any letter they guess will be worth 4 pts 4. Once the point value for the turn has been determined, the team gets a chance to guess a letter. They can guess any consonant. If that consonant is in the phrase, write it in each time it appears (just like hangman). For each instance of that letter in the phrase, they get however many points they drew. For example: My group draws the 5 of clubs. We guess the letter "t" and there are three t's in the phrase. My group gets 5 x 3 = 15 points for this round. Record the letter and point values for each round, plus how many points each team earned Optional: Different ColorsI use a different color for each team - I write all the letters they guess in the same color. It makes it easier for me just in case I forget to put in a letter - I can still figure out which team guessed it and then give them points. 5. Keep going through each group until the puzzle is solved. They draw one card and guess one letter per turn. 6. Vowels: Just like in the game show, groups will need to buy vowels. At the beginning of their turn, a team must forgo drawing a card and say they want to buy a vowel. It costs 5 points (doesn't matter how many are in the puzzle - it's a flat fee). They choose a vowel and all instances of that vowel in the phrase are written in. Note: I make groups specify that they want to buy a vowel at the beginning of their turn so that they don't draw a card, determine it's not worth very many points and then decide to buy a vowel. 7. Solving the Puzzle: Groups can also forgo drawing a card and guessing a letter for a chance to solve the entire puzzle. They must have the entire phrase ready - not just one or two words. If students get the puzzle right, I give them 2 pts for each letter that was missing. This team solved the puzzle, giving them 2 pts for each missing letter - a total of 14 points *Update* 4/4/19 I have recently made a template I can use on the board for the game - it makes it easy both me and students to keep track of teams/point values and it looks a whole lot nicer than scribbles on the board ;) If you'd like the template, click here - to save a copy, go to "File" and then "Make a Copy." Let me know if you end up playing! - Frau Leonard
Hangman is a great way for kids to have some cooperative fun and practice spelling and critical thinking. But I've always thought that traditional hangman is too morbid. Drawing a little man on a gallows is too negative for school time games.Happy Hangman plays just like traditional hangman, but ins...
Want to teach vocabulary without boring word lists? Here are 5 great ideas to teach ESL vocabulary and keep your students motivated!
The Spanish for You blog provides tips and information about teaching Spanish to elementary and middle school aged children.
Charts to improve literacy skills. Spelling, poetry, word lists, hang man, games. Planning for literacy blocks.
Mrs. T's First Grade came up with this awesome game to make spelling fun! "2 player game, each player inserts his word list in spaces going across (one letter per box). Players take turns guessing coordinates. If they miss, they mark it on their board. If they hit a letter, they keep guessing until they miss. If they sink a word, the player marks it off of his list. The goal of the game is to sink all of your opponent's words." Visit Mrs. T for a free printable!
Teaching grammar CAN be fun! Check out this blog post featuring five fun, free grammar games and activities! It includes four free games and a writing activity!
Schmooze (also spelled shmooze) comes from Yiddish schmues, meaning 'talk,' which itself is from Hebrew shěmu’ōth, 'news' or 'rumor.' Although originally used to indicate simply talking in an informal
You finished a lesson early, now what?! I know, that very rarely happens. But, indulge me for a minute. So, you have an extra 5 minutes before you have to get ready for lunch/ music/ PE...
Free pen and paper games for kids. Print these out for road trips. Includes Tic Tac Toe, Dots and Boxes, and Hangman.
There are some really funny and wacky idioms in English! Idioms can be quite confusing, but they’re fun to learn and also help you sound like a native speaker. In this blog post, we’ll talk about some of the popular English idioms . Some are funny enough to make you chuckle while some are just downright bizarre! Here are 20 of the funniest idioms in the English language.
Want to teach vocabulary without boring word lists? Here are 5 great ideas to teach ESL vocabulary and keep your students motivated!
Upper elementary classroom tips and ideas with a focus on classroom management, student engagement, & cooperative learning.
Games to play with teenagers in the English classroom.
Students need a good vocabulary to understand what they read, and improve in writing papers. Free online vocabulary games are a fun way to learn vocabulary.
