This writing activity brings communication to pen and paper and really livens up reading and writing for students. In this activity, students provide scenarios for other students to react to. What would you do if...
The wording is manipulated just a little to fit what the textbook is trying to teach, but not so much that it moves too far away from what is natural. But given that this activity is written, it's less important for it to follow what is natural in spoken English.
The form is "If your scenario here, what will you do?". As the students haven't yet studied "would", the HRT suggested using "will" to ask about future intentions. This was a great suggestion and helped make everything work really smoothly.
Basic Info
| Time: | 10+ mins |
|---|---|
| Level: | Junior high grade 2 |
| Works with: | If it's sunny, I'll go cycling with my brother. |
| Class size: | Medium to large |
You will need:
- scrap paper
Description
- Students make groups, each group gets a sheet of paper.
- Groups write their questions in the form:
If , what will you do? - Groups pass their paper (clockwise) to another group to answer.
Once the first answer has been written, it's up to you how to proceed. You could:
- repeat step 3 so teams answer a bunch of different questions
- have each group read the question and their answer aloud
- have groups pass the paper first then read other's answers
- hand out fresh paper and start the whole process again
Tips
- Start with a small skit to demonstrate the language. Have the HRT ask you what you will do tomorrow if it's really hot. What if it's really cold? Keep it boring but simple so the students understand.
Next, give them a chance to try as a class. Write the format up on the board. "If , what will you do?" and fill in the blank with something fun. ("If you find ¥10,000, ..." worked really well for me.) Once they've answered and seen the potential, get started with the activity.
Comments
I tried this activity in my 2nd grade junior high class and the teacher was very impressed with how eager the students were to read the questions the previous team had provided and how eager they were to react to the scenario and write their answer.
This activity works well as review of Sunshine 2 Program 5 Section 3.