Korean Job Discussion Forums

[just because]

In the absolute wisdom and logic of Korean schools I find myself with no tables or chairs in the classroom...

When i asked why i was told it is because of vacation(which starts NEXT WEEK).

Anyway the dilemma is I need some games I can play with grades 4-6 elementary school students...the younger ones no problems but this group i am having some real trouble as too physical and i can see some problems.

Can anyone help me out???

[kiwiliz]

Directions game...blindfold some students..get their team mates to guide them to the other side...while some students lie on the floor being obstacles. They love it

[Ya-ta Boy]

Presumably they didn't take the whiteboard out with the rest of the furniture, so spelling and math games on the board. Do a spelling relay game.

Write one word...tree...on the board. The next word has to start with the last letter 'e'...Teams race to write a word starting with 'e'...carry on for 5 minutes.

Variation: Each student writes one letter of a word and passes the marker on to the next team member. The farther away they have to start, the better. You can burn off a lot of energy that way.

Chinese whispers with messages and math problems to write on the board.

[ddeubel]

Zip-zap is my improvised invention and I've had grade 6ers play it all afternoon, only running for a snack now and then when they were out. They control everything, never gets out of hand and is addictive. This is the quick explanation....

Students form a circle, best played in a circle of 8-12. One student in the middle is the zapper. That student is the boss and decides everything. They twirl around and say zip zip zip zip and then stop and point at one student. That student ducks and the two students on either side must draw and zap. The one zapped is out and sits down (just until the end of the game, usually takes 2-3 min. / game.). Play until the last two students are standing and then they draw back to back to decide the winner. The winner then gets to be in the middle. Start again. The rub/language comes when the student zapper points. they must either say a letter or a word. The other students who draw and shoot, must say a word that starts with that or better yet a phrase using it.

Example...zip zip zip zip "B" "I love bananas!" Zap.

Endless variations depending on how advanced the students are. Last letter of a word. Noun/verb associations. Categories (ie. Fruit - banana. Weather - sunny. ) Countries / cities , letters names etc.....

works great and the teacher just sits and monitors. Really fun and you can play it with a big class. Just break them up into a few circles...Make sure that you try and try to get them zapping in full sentences!

[Ilsanman]

How about demand chairs and desks. That's ridiculous.

Otherwise, try 'What time is it Mr Wolf' or 'Red Rover'.

[majolica]

also remember that this isn't a western school where you have to fill out a form if someone bangs their knee... no one will care if the bigger kids totally destroy each other, so don't worry too much about safety. just let them have at it and enjoy watching the blood flow.

p.s. my kids enjoy "what time is it", blindman's tag(i.e marco polo), and the best, "chopstick chase"... basically an obstacle course where i fill two bowls with small things (i used biscuits, small balls, candies), give the two first racers a pair of wooden chopsticks and have them pick up and race their object across the room into a 3rd and 4th bucket... the first team to empty their bucket wins. so dangerous, but the kids like it.

[BreakfastInBed]

[pootle]

You can still do some writing games (lots at http://www.mes-english.com/games.php) but let the kids use books to lean on to write.

Love this 'Lapdesk' invention that has radically changed teaching practise in many African countries. Go Kellogg (who first handed them out free to South African schools).

http://www.lapdesk.co.za/files/2005/A_desk_to_build_a_dream_on%20.pdf

Cue debate about corporate social responsibility -v- branding and brainwashing...see the good folks, see the good.

[matthews_world]

Scavenger Hunt: Use handphone cameras to gather pictures of clues given. Participate in teams. Each team must use one phone. Make a rule where students cannot use any parts of their body, clothing as clues. They must go out and physically find each clue. Personal effects such and items in backpacks could be permissible.

3-Legged Race: With a partner, tie inside legs together. With 3 legs, students must race to one side of the room and return.

Balloon Walk/Hop: Place a balloon between legs. Have students walk to the other side of the room, touching the wall, and come back.

Lifesaver Pass: Find Lifesaver-type candies at the supermarket along with toothpicks. Participants pass a piece of candy from one toothpick to another. If the candy drops, start again.

Spoon Relay: Take plastic spoons and put a tangerine or hard-boiled egg on the end. Students put the spoons in their mouth and must balance the object while walking to the other side of the room and return.

Rock/Paper/Scissors Tourney: Compete in a rock, paper, scissors tourney.

Not sure the name of this one but get giant-sized paper and markers from the stationery store. Have students trace a silhouette. The students then go about elaborating the drawing by adding their own signature artwork. They can label any body part or clothing items that they add.

[Faunaki]

The less chairs the better! Just joking:

For these games you will need print out of flashcards and paper:

Big Wind Blows:

if you have 30 students, break em up into 5 teams of 6, make sure that each students knows their number. Ask a question: What is it? Number 5! All the number 5s run to their pencil/paper which you have set up on the floor. They have to blow the pencil/paper to the finish line. They can't use their hands. The first one to finish is the winner.


Stomp

photocopy pictures and throw them all over the floor, students make a circle aroud them and break them up into teams as above. you yell the vocab, like potato, number 3, all the 3s run around looking for the potato pic, the first to stamp on it, wins. Or put the pics up on the walls, the students run to find the pics, first to touch it, wins.


Red pen/Black pen

Red (blue, green, whatever) pen means talk to as many peeps as possible - like How are you today? So hold up the red pen, the kids go crazy, then when you hold up the black pen they all must run to the wall, squat, stand still, not move. Last student to do this is out or has to do something funny.

Spelling race

Kids put into three or four teams and stand in a line. Say a word, tree, first students in each team write the word, first one finished, gets a point, next, next,next,next.


Numbers game

Kids make groups based on the number you say. 3 - make groups of 3s, students who don't make it are out.

Relay race

Make some crazy hard relay students must do (after putting into teams), the first one to slap your hand and say the answer is the winner.

i've got more if you need them

[VirginIslander]

Grammar Basketball: Great for review.

Materials: List of spelling words and poor sentences ( I can swimming) and a tennis ball and/or small basketball, trash can, flashcards.

Break the kids up into groups. Give each group a piece of paper.

Ask how do you spell blah blah or write the incorrect sentences on the board, or show a flashcard and ask a questions about it. Basically, a review game. The groups have to spell, correct or answer.

Correct answer equal a point. If they answer three quesitons correctly,
they can shoot the ball into a trash can. Make it-take it, up to three shots.
There is a one, three, five and a double point shot, depending on where the shooter is shooting from. They can choose where they shoot from. If they miss on a double, you erase all of their points. At the end of the game, every group can shoot, up to three times. This is the best part because it gives every team a chance to win.

Latley, I've been playing grammar bowling and soccer. Same game but
flip the trash can on its side. 1,3,5, double for bowling, but 2,6,10, triple if they choose to kick the ball.

My kids love it. But my boss might ask me to stop playing it (I play every other week) because none of the third, fourth, fifth or sixth grade players want to be on the team with the one second grader in their class, who can't concentrate on my lessons because he's in SECOND GRADE. Instead of putting the second grader in a class with kids his age, my boss wants me to stop doing the one productive thing that kids actually enjoy at their English academy. One more month, baby. One more month.

[matthews_world]

[psychohel]

Where's the pen?

This is a game a Canadian teacher told me about called 'Bob the Weasel'. She adapted it for an unruly group of 4th graders we had at a camp.

The kids stand in a circle facing inwards making the circle as small as possible. One kid stands in the middle. The kids in the circle pass a pen (or any object) around behind their backs, whilst doing this they 'bob' up and down and chant, "Where's the pen? Keep it goin' keep it goin'. Where's the pen? Keep it..." When the kid in the circle thinks he knows who has the pen he shouts, "Stop," points to the person and asks, "Do you have the pen?" They have to show their hands and reply yes/no. If he has found the pen they swap places, if he hasn't the game continues. You can change the English/number of kids in the centre/number of guesses on each 'stop' or encourage flashing the pen if they're not very good at spotting it. Also I find it helps if you are on the outside monitoring the progress of the pen as they tend to stop passing it round or try to pass it on after someone has shouted stop.

Hot Cold

Teach them hot/warm/cool/cold

One kid goes out of the room. The rest of the class hides an object. The kid comes back in. The class guide him to the object by yelling hot when he gets closer and cold when he gets further away, and warm/cool if you want to add a bit of subtlety. You can also get them to shout hot but whisper cold as it can turn into a yelling dirge.