| In previous articles we have talked about why | | | | of paper. This must not be seen by the other row of |
| warmers are essential, the secret of what to include in | | | | students. |
| them, and gave a working example as an illustration. | | | | - Now all the students return to their seats. When the |
| Here we expand on the examples, and have no doubt | | | | teacher gives the word, they 'say' the sentence to |
| you will be excited by the possibilities. Teaching will | | | | their partners without actually making any sound. |
| never have been such fun or as effective! | | | | - In response, their corresponding partners say out loud |
| Collapsing partners: | | | | what they are lip reading, and the first pair to say the |
| This is a blast - high energy stuff! | | | | sentence correctly wins. |
| - Put your students into pairs. | | | | Notes: |
| - Put the pairs facing each other and standing in a line. | | | | I usually play fairly loud music to avoid the students |
| - The student pairs should be so close their shoes are | | | | hearing any noise from their partners - it also gives an |
| almost touching (total invasion of personal space - | | | | upbeat energy to the activity. |
| great for ice breaking!) and stand with their hands | | | | It is good to place some kind of physical barrier to stop |
| raised and resting their palms on each other's hands. | | | | students moving closer. In their anxiousness to |
| - The rule: you are not allowed to loose contact with | | | | communicate, they crane closer, shift their chairs, and |
| your partner's hands. | | | | start to make their sentences audible. Be strict on the |
| - Now the teacher passes down the line asking | | | | rules, and give a time out to pairs who break them! |
| students questions. | | | | Get the 'speaking' students to sit on their hands. This |
| - If a pair answers correctly, then the T moves on to | | | | avoids sign language! |
| the next pair. | | | | Put a time limit on a given sentence - the activity |
| - If a pair answers incorrectly, they each have to | | | | should be brisk. |
| move back a certain distance, opening up space | | | | If two students say the correct sentence at the same |
| between them, and being forced to prop each other | | | | time, decide who wins by asking them to repeat the |
| up with their hands. | | | | sentence - the one with the best pronunciation wins. |
| - I normally use the tiles on the floor as the squares | | | | Tower of bricks: |
| where students must stand - but anything will do - a | | | | Students of all ages love this activity, and it leads to a |
| chair behind each student as a marker for example. | | | | fantastic crescendo of a finale! |
| - The teacher starts with easy questions, but makes | | | | - For this you will need materials: a set of 'Jenga' bricks. |
| them progressively harder. | | | | This is a game comprising blocks that are normally |
| - Students move progressively backwards as they | | | | used to form a tower, with players taking turns to |
| can't answer the questions, until they can't stand up! | | | | remove blocks without the tower falling down. |
| - Students go to full stretch and end up in a pile on the | | | | - Here it is done the other way round. |
| floor. It's very funny. | | | | - Students answer questions to win blocks. |
| Notes: | | | | - When all the blocks are given out, they are used to |
| When pairing students up, it helps if they are of a | | | | build a tower - the highest one wins. |
| similar height. | | | | - Allow 60 seconds for this last step. Get ready for |
| Students tend to shift themselves closer after being | | | | some high tension stuff! |
| moved apart - use a warning system - say 2 yellow | | | | Notes: |
| cards and a red for offenders! | | | | Don't allow students to build towers while you are |
| For enhanced teacher-student contact, try setting pairs | | | | asking questions, as this distracts them, but do give |
| up together by taking their hands and putting them | | | | them the blocks as they win them, as this heightens |
| together in the starting positions. | | | | their competitive appetite. |
| Odd numbers of students and large groups can be | | | | Make sure there is sufficient distance between teams, |
| done too; they form circles and prop their hands up on | | | | otherwise they may accidentally (or intentionally!) knock |
| their neighbours hands. | | | | over another another teams tower (causes |
| Lip reading: | | | | pandemonium). |
| This one puts students into contortions - really gets | | | | This game is often not won by the team with most |
| students straining at the leash to speak! | | | | building blocks - they often try to build too high, and end |
| - Place your students in two rows facing each other, | | | | up with nothing at the end of the count down. |
| with as much distance between them as the class | | | | If no one can answer a given question, put the brick to |
| allows. | | | | the side, and add one more to it. Restate the answer, |
| - Starting at one end, tell the first pair facing each other | | | | and let it be understood that that answer will now win |
| that they are partners. Walk down between the rows | | | | double the number of points. After a few more |
| pairing up all the students facing each other. For odd | | | | questions, hold up the two bricks and ask the question |
| numbers have two students paired to one student. | | | | - the first to answer wins the kitty! |
| - All the students from one row now have to stand up | | | | In the next article we will talk about how to adapt any |
| and huddle round the teacher. | | | | warmer to any classroom situation. |
| - Students are shown a sentence written on a piece | | | | |