A candle and matches game
Level Elementary and above
Time 15 - 30 min, better at the end of the lesson
Aims To practise a grammar structure, to make students feel more confident in the group, to get to know each other better. Possible grammar structures to practise: Present Perfect (especially for experience), can and could for ability, phrases for opinions.
Preparation
Bring a candle, some mats and matches to the class.
Drill the grammar structure and the vocabulary you want to practise with students.
Tell the students to sit on the floor on the mats and make a circle.
Darken the classroom, light the candle and put it in the center of the circle. Put a large pile of matches or small sticks there too. Make sure everyone can get a match or a stick from his/her place.
Tell the students they`re going to say sentences they have practised before.
Procedure.
Everyone takes turns to say a sentence and take 1 match or stick.
Example. I`ve never eaten raw fish. (Present Perfect for experience)
I could play the piano when I was 5. (can/could for ability)
Everyone else listens. If some student can tell the same thing about him/herself, he/she also takes a match or a stick. All other students don`t do anything.
Example. Student A begins: "I`ve never eaten raw fish." and takes a match or a stick. Those students, who have never eaten raw fish too, also take a match or a stick. Those who have, don`t do anything.
Students take turns to say sentences and take matches or sticks. Explain, that it`s better to think about some interesting and unusual facts of their lives and make it so, that nobody else took a match or stick.
Continue until the time is over and students have no more ideas.
Count matches/sticks and decide, who is the winner. The person whiolargest number matches or sticks wins.
Don`t use the candle and mats with adults, play the game just sitting in a circle.
Follow-up
You can make this game more communicative. Tell the students, that they don`t just take a match or a stick when the sentence is true for them, but they also reply and say their own opinion.
Example. Student A begins: "I`ve never eaten raw fish." and takes a match or a stick. Those who also take a match or a stick say: "Neither have I", "I hate fish" etc.
or (to practice opinions): student A says: "I think Harry Potter is great". Those who agree and take a match or stick say: "Me too", "So do I" etc.
As a homework you can ask students to write a list of most amazing facts they knew about their classmates.
Time 15 - 30 min, better at the end of the lesson
Aims To practise a grammar structure, to make students feel more confident in the group, to get to know each other better. Possible grammar structures to practise: Present Perfect (especially for experience), can and could for ability, phrases for opinions.
Preparation
Bring a candle, some mats and matches to the class.
Drill the grammar structure and the vocabulary you want to practise with students.
Tell the students to sit on the floor on the mats and make a circle.
Darken the classroom, light the candle and put it in the center of the circle. Put a large pile of matches or small sticks there too. Make sure everyone can get a match or a stick from his/her place.
Tell the students they`re going to say sentences they have practised before.
Procedure.
Everyone takes turns to say a sentence and take 1 match or stick.
Example. I`ve never eaten raw fish. (Present Perfect for experience)
I could play the piano when I was 5. (can/could for ability)
Everyone else listens. If some student can tell the same thing about him/herself, he/she also takes a match or a stick. All other students don`t do anything.
Example. Student A begins: "I`ve never eaten raw fish." and takes a match or a stick. Those students, who have never eaten raw fish too, also take a match or a stick. Those who have, don`t do anything.
Students take turns to say sentences and take matches or sticks. Explain, that it`s better to think about some interesting and unusual facts of their lives and make it so, that nobody else took a match or stick.
Continue until the time is over and students have no more ideas.
Count matches/sticks and decide, who is the winner. The person whiolargest number matches or sticks wins.
Don`t use the candle and mats with adults, play the game just sitting in a circle.
Follow-up
You can make this game more communicative. Tell the students, that they don`t just take a match or a stick when the sentence is true for them, but they also reply and say their own opinion.
Example. Student A begins: "I`ve never eaten raw fish." and takes a match or a stick. Those who also take a match or a stick say: "Neither have I", "I hate fish" etc.
or (to practice opinions): student A says: "I think Harry Potter is great". Those who agree and take a match or stick say: "Me too", "So do I" etc.
As a homework you can ask students to write a list of most amazing facts they knew about their classmates.