Unit 4 Activities

Pair
“Colors memory game”
Estimated time:
15 minutes

Materials:
Small pieces of construction paper (2 of each color for every pair of students) in various colors, each glued to a black piece of paper so that the color can not be seen when placed on a table. (The students can cut and glue the pieces of paper, or the teacher/parent can prepare them ahead of time and laminate them for durability.)

Objective(s):
The students will identify colors in the target language.
The students will match pairs of colors in the target language.
The students will count pairs of colors in the target language.

Procedure:
The teacher/parent tells the students that they will be solving a color mystery today by playing a game. The teacher/parent reviews the colors learned in Unit 4 by holding up small pieces of construction paper in various colors, and asking the students the colors in the target language. The teacher/parent then models the following “memory” game with a student, and asks the students to work in pairs on the “memory” game.

To play the game, each pair of students receives a set of color cards (2 of each color). The cards are mixed-up and laid flat in a grid on the table, face down, so that the colors can not be seen. The students take turns flipping over two cards for each turn. Every time a student turns over a card, s/he should say what color it is aloud in the target language. If the two cards match, the student receives the pair. If they don’t match, they are turned over and the other student takes his or her turn. The game continues until all of the cards are gone from the grid. At the end of the game, each student counts in the target language how many pairs of cards s/he has received. The student with the most pairs wins. This game can be repeated several times, either with the same partner or with a new partner.

Assessment/Monitoring Progress:
Students should be actively involved in the game, and it should be relatively easy for them. The teacher/parent should facilitate the game, and listen for target language errors or vocabulary that may need to be reviewed. If students have trouble with the game, review the colors again with the group, and remodel the game with a student. For younger students, or students who continue to have trouble, try reducing the number of colors used in the game. For older students, or students who master the game easily, try adding more colors/cards to make the game more challenging. This game can easily be adapted to other vocabulary (e.g.: Matching a word card to a picture card), and students of all ages tend to enjoy this game.

If the color memory game becomes too easy for the students, try this variation, which also goes along well with the “sleuthing theme.” Have the students work in pairs, taking turns being the “code-maker”. One student creates a “code” made of two or more colors, and turns those color-cards over on the desk. The other student has to guess the colors in order to break the color code. Students can use yes and no answers and simple color words, but the game is more intellectually challenging for older or more advanced students. It can become very interesting when four or more color cards are used! The students will enjoy baffling each other, while practicing their target language skills.

Group
“Class Birthdays Bulletin Board”
Estimated time:
45 minutes

Materials:
Bulletin board space (or presentation board, available at craft stores), construction paper, markers, craft items to decorate bulletin board (optional)

Objective(s):
The students will say and identify each other’s birthdays in the target language.
The students will guess and answer questions about each other’s birthdays.
The students will write their birthdays in the target language.
The students will create and decorate a bulletin board.

Procedure:
The teacher/parent tells the students that they will be “sleuthing” more information about their classmates today. S/he asks the students how much they know about their classmates. Do they know when everyone’s birthday is? Do they know how old each student is? Today, they will create a bulletin board showing everyone’s birthday, so they can have this information for their “sleuthing books!”

The teacher/parent reviews expressions in the target language by asking each student when his or her birthday is and how old s/he is. The teacher/parent may use a puppet or other “class mascot” as an example to start. For example, she may ask the puppet or “class mascot” his or her birthday and age, and the puppet or “class mascot” can then interact with the students, asking the same questions.

Each student then receives a piece of construction paper, and is asked to write his or her name, birthday, and age on the paper. The papers can be cut into appropriate shapes, such as a shamrock for a student born in the month of March, or a heart for a student born in the month of February. Try to integrate target culture into decorating the bulletin board. For example, target-culture holidays could appear along-side the students’ birthdays. The students can embellish the bulletin board with decorations appropriate to the target culture, sleuthing theme, or calendar theme in general.

For fun, the students can play a guessing game before putting up their birthday shapes on the bulletin board. The teacher/parent collects the birthday shapes, and tells the students the birthday and age of the “mystery student.” The class must guess who it is! Once the “mystery student” is guessed, s/he may put his or her birthday shape on the bulletin board. After the students are familiar with the game, try having a student take over the teacher/parent’s role.

Assessment/Monitoring Progress:
Once the students have learned the material in Unit 4, completing the bulletin board should be relatively easy. Some students may have trouble spelling the months, which is to be expected. The teacher/parent does not need to be concerned with spelling, but should encourage students to spell correctly by writing the vocabulary on the chalk board or other place to which the students can refer if necessary.

Younger students will particularly enjoy this activity, taking pride in the bulletin board and in sharing their birthdays. The activity may need to be adapted to be made more challenging and interesting for older students. Try making a bulletin board with more information that just birthdays. Most students will enjoy the guessing game, and find it engaging. Again, older students may need a more challenging variation of the game. Try having students guess each other’s birthdays by playing “twenty questions” with “yes” and “no” answers. For example

The teacher/parent and students can refer to the board as the year goes on. It can be useful as an opening activity. For example, the teacher/parent can ask what month it is, and whose birthday falls within that month. The students can sing a birthday song to their classmates in the target language.

The students can copy their work on a sheet of paper and include it in their “sleuthing books.”