need ideas: card game for learning weather

[mr_spivak]

hi all,

i want to make a card game for young learners with very limited english skills for the
activity part of a lesson with the topic weather.

the goal is to get them to move around the class and talk to each other.

target vocab is: rainy, cloudy, sunny, windy
                          q: how's the weather?
                          a: it's ____________

i want to make cards with the 4 weather conditions, have the students shuffle them, take 4 or 5
each and walk around the room and use this target language.

my question is, any ideas how i can structure this game in a way that's easy for them to understand?
how can one win this game? trade cards when they find a match? have some cards with only questions?

i appreciate any ideas, thanks!!

[DWAEDGIMORIGUKBAP]

1.  Nobody 'has to' win.

2.  Going to bed after this post, so just a quick off the top of my head idea -

Each kid has, let's say 4 cards, one with each of the vocab words.

They shuffle them and hold the cards so that the one at the front is facing them an dnot the other person.

They take turns going up to each otehr ro doing gowi bowi bo.

Kid 1 asks kid 2 what picture is at the front of his (kid 1's) 4 card pile

'how's the weather today?'

Kid 2 makes a guess as to which card kid 1 has face up 'it's sunny today'

If correct, kid 1 has to hand over the card to kid 2 and say 'yes, it's sunny'

If not correct ' no it's niot sunny.'

then it is kid 1's turn.

after that they swap partners.

i know that could all have been written better but i am v tired.

[mr_spivak]

thanks! i hope you rested well as it's morning now!

[ucla_all_the_way]

Although it seems like you were looking for a game where the students have to walk around the class room I have a good game they can play in groups of 4s.

Students gather together in groups with a pile of cards in the middle.

Student A draws a card and asks "How's the weather?"

Student B, C, and D all take turns trying to guess the card that Student A is holding using the expression "It's _____."  If one of them guesses correctly Student A will then give the card to the student who guessed the card and it's one point.

If neither Student B, C, or D guess the card correctly Student A keeps the card.

The winner is the student with the most cards at the end of the game

[Paul]

There's a game that you can use for this, but it doesn't involve them carrying the cards around. Works for about 3-5 vocab terms.

Basically, you arrange the (say 5) vocab flashcards on the board vertically and number them from "Level 1" to "Level 5" from the bottom up. Assign a motion to each card/word and practise them whilst saying the full target expression with the vocab plugged in. Then, you tell everyone they are "Level 1".

The way it works is the students walk around the room making the motion (but have the motions discreet so it can be ambiguous which they are performing). When two students meet, they can ask each other "How's the weather?" and then respond with the answer that matches their level. Once they've both asked and answered, if they are of the same level (as determined by the answers), they may play Rock Paper Scissors. The winner goes up one level (capped at 5) and the loser goes down one level (capped at 1) thus changing "their" vocab word. They keep playing until time is up. Join in to make sure they use English and the "Level 5"s don't sit out. When time runs out, the winners are those at the level cap (or closest to).

I'll also second Dwae's point that there doesn't have to be a winner. Yes, Korean students are indoctrinated over and over that "foreign teacher must play games" (sigh) but the solution to this is just to dress up any production activity as a "game". Winners or not, call it a game and they'll think it's a game. The focus on any production activity you design should be on making it student-centred and making it difficult to impossible to play without using English. This is the reason why I feel stuff like the Yut boardgames in those YBM textbooks are garbage - give students a game where the English is superfluous and they'll just play it in Korean. Doubly so if it's a Korean game.

[Jwilre]

You should sell your idea is it work.

hi all,

i want to make a card game for young learners with very limited english skills for the
activity part of a lesson with the topic weather.

the goal is to get them to move around the class and talk to each other.

target vocab is: rainy, cloudy, sunny, windy
                          q: how's the weather?
                          a: it's ____________

i want to make cards with the 4 weather conditions, have the students shuffle them, take 4 or 5
each and walk around the room and use this target language.

my question is, any ideas how i can structure this game in a way that's easy for them to understand?
how can one win this game? trade cards when they find a match? have some cards with only questions?

i appreciate any ideas, thanks!!

[critchey]

My biggest issue with games like that is that they will not use the English.  They will slip back into Korean because it is what they are most comfortable with.  Do you have an active co-teacher for this class?  That could help.