2.8 - Sketch the aid

Summary

This simple activity based on the popular drawing guessing game is used to elicit and review glossary terms relating to teaching aids.

Instructions

1. Demonstrate the activity: pick up a prompt card, then turn to face the board. Draw the item on the prompt card and have trainees guess what it is. Remember not to speak at all at this stage – visually demonstrate sealing your lips to make this clear!

2. Divide the class into groups of four or five.

3. Hand out a pile of scrap paper and a selection of markers or pencils for sketching to each group. Explain that you are going to play a guessing game about teaching aids where fast drawing is needed.

4. Explain to the trainees that they should take it in turns to draw. The trainee who guesses correctly keeps the card, and the winner of the game is the one in the group with the most cards at the end.

5. Monitor the groups’ progress and police the game. If a team calls out something close to the prompt word, e.g. exercise papers instead of worksheets, or uses L1, gesture that a similar / more exact term in English is required. In other cases, you may judge the guess to be close enough.

6. Conduct feedback at the end of the game to clarify any confusion about terms. Point out that trainees could easily adapt and use the game in their lessons as a warmer and for reviewing many different lexical sets.

Follow-up

Shuffle the prompt cards and deal one to each team. Have each group brainstorm five different teaching purposes (applications) of that aid (e.g. to present vocabulary, and as a prop in a speaking activity are two applications of realia). When they have counted off five purposes on their fingers, the group raises their hands. Listen and check, awarding a point for each set of five purposes. Then pass the group another card for brainstorming.

Variation

Play as a whole class with teams competing against each other. Players in each team take it in turns to be the artist. For each round, call the teams’ artists to the front of the class and show them one card at the same time. They return to their groups, draw the picture and the first team to shout out the answer gets a point.