Brought to you by,
L’Shawn Howard
3rd year SHS ALT
The following is a collection of activities and methods I have used in senior high
school over the past two and a half years. Although I have used these in senior high
schools only, I think they can be adapted to junior high school as well. I hope that
others will find them useful, and that these activities will add some variety to
team-teaching lessons. Some of the activities have been adapted from the activities
featured in the 2002 edition of AJET Team Taught Pizza.
Tips to make class fun and rewarding:
1. Use activities that allow students to use their imaginations (i.e. original
dialogues and Pictionary)
2. Try to get as many students as possible to participate in the activities
3. Make class fun and interesting by using props, visual aids, music, and
J-Pop
Fun Activities
Scrambled Sentence Assembly Line
The goal of this activity is to help the students understand
complicated grammar points, such as relative clauses. It helps them to
visualize sentence structure. It also engages as many students as possible. It
is designed for as many as forty students and as few as six students. It is
important that the students have pre-learned the concept before doing this
activity.
Preparation: Prepare at least ten sentences using the grammar point they
are studying. Write the sentences on firm paper in big bold letters. Cut the
sentences into manageable pieces; it usually helps to split the sentence into
noun, prepositional, and verb phrases rather than individual words (i.e. “in
the house” instead of “in,” “the,” “house”). Make enough sentences for at least
five or six groups of students. Make sure that when you cut up the sentences
that the pieces do not fit together like a puzzle. It helps if you vary the length
and size of each piece.
Time: This activity usually takes a whole 50 minute class period.
Objective: Assemble and translate the sentence correctly, and be the first
team to write the sentence and the translation on the board.
Procedure:
First, explain the following procedure to the class. It may be better to have
the JTE explain it in Japanese.
Next, divide the class into teams. If it is a class of 40 students, teams of six to
eight students are manageable. Keep in mind that you have to assign a task
to each member of the team, so if you have eight members in each team you
should have at most eight tasks for each team to perform.
Assign each student a task. For example: student number one writes down
the sentence after it has been assembled by the entire group, student
number two takes the written sentence to the ALT to have it checked,
student number three translates the sentence into Japanese, student
number four shows the translated sentence to the JTE, student number five
writes the English sentence on the board, student number six writes the
Japanese sentence on the board, and student number seven reads the
English sentence to the class, and student number eight reads the
translation. You can always put them into pairs (i.e. student number one and
two write the sentence down etc.). This is what I call the assembly line.
Give each group a scrambled sentence.
JTE and ALT walk around the classroom to make sure that each student is
doing their task and participating in the group activity. Encourage students
who are sleeping or not paying attention to help other students who are
working on a translation or writing down the sentence.
When the first team completes the activity, have two team members read the
sentence and its translation on the board. Review the concept to make sure
everyone understands it.
It might help to reinforce the activity by assigning sentences for homework.
It may help to provide a worksheet with words and phrases that they can use
to assemble their own sentences.
Original Dialogues
I have used this activity in several classes. It is a great way to get the
students to put the grammar points they are learning in realistic context. It
also allows them to use their imaginations.
Preparation: Prepare a worksheet with the model dialogue that you will
demonstrate with the JTE, key words and phrases, and a space for students
to write their dialogues. Make small situation cards based on the grammar
point they are learning. I usually make four or five different situations for
variety. Make enough for each pair. If you have a class of forty students,
you’ll have to make about twenty cards. It should only take about twenty
minutes to prepare.
Time: This takes an entire 50 to 55 minute class period.
Objective: To create a dialogue using the grammar or vocabulary they have
learned in class
Procedure:
First, demonstrate the model dialogue with your JTE in front of the class.
Using props and exaggerated gestures and appropriate emotions helps the
students understand the skit much better than if you just read it. It’s also
much more fun for the students, the JTE and for you. Perform the dialogue
twice, once in natural speed and again slowly.
Ask the students if they understand the dialogue. It will help to have the
JTE ask the students in Japanese, or to allow the students to answer in
Japanese.
Hand out worksheets. Go over the worksheet for comprehension and
pronunciation. The JTE can help here by explaining and reviewing the
grammar concept in Japanese.
Tell the students to make pairs and make their own dialogue.
Give each pair a situation card.
JTE and ALT walk around the classroom and help the students write their
dialogues.
When the pairs have completed their dialogue, or when there is about ten
minutes left in the class period, call on several pairs to read their dialogues
to the class. Have the class guess what the dialogues are about.
Pictionary
Most people have heard of this game. It’s a great way to review
vocabulary. My students really enjoy this game. I usually use this game in
small elective English classes ranging from 10 to 20 students.
Preparation: Prepare about 30 different word cards (pictures are encouraged
but not necessary, as they have already learned these vocabulary words). Use
concrete nouns rather than abstract ones. I usually start out with very
simple words and introduce more challenging words as the game progresses.
Time: This usually takes about 15 to 30 minutes.
Objective: Draw and guess the word. The first team to finish wins.
Procedure:
First, divide the class into two teams. Try to make the teams even in number,
or at least make sure there are equal amounts of strong and weak students
on each team. The JTE will lead one team and the ALT will lead the other.
Have one team member draw while the others guess. The student who is
drawing cannot talk. The students take turns drawing.
When one team finishes, the game ends.
Guessing Game
This is a fun warm-up activity. You can use vocabulary that they are
learning or just simple, everyday objects they should know. The students get
really excited about guessing and it creates a fun and relaxed atmosphere.
This works for a class of any size. I usually start out simple and use more
challenging words as the game progresses.
Preparation: Think of at least ten objects and about four or five hints
describing the object. This usually takes me about five minutes to prepare.
Time: About 5 to 10 minutes depending on the class.
Objective: Guess the object that the ALT is describing
Procedure:
First, tell the students that you will give them four or five hints describing
an object. They must call out the answer after you have said, “What am I?”
Start with simple nouns and introduce more challenging and abstract nouns
as you progress.
Here’s an example:
I am round and hard.
I am red. Sometimes I am green.
I am delicious.
I am a fruit.
What am I?
answer: an apple