CHARADES is a movement game that helps solidify vocabulary by linking words to corresponding movements.
Instructions:
Materials:
- Timer
- Cards with pre-established phrases
- Scrap paper and writing implement*
Game Option One: Whole Class Charades
Step 1. Divide the class into two teams.
Step 2. Have one student from one team come up and pick a card to act out.
Step 3. Once the student has had a second to think about how to act it out, he/she may begin (no sounds). While the one student acts out the word on the card, the other students on the team can try to guess what is being acted out.
Step 4. If the team guesses the right answer before the timer is done, that team will receive one point. If they do not, then they do not get a point.
Step 5. The next team will send a person up and steps 2-4 will repeat. The team with the most points in the end wins.
Game Option Two: Small Group Charades
Divide class into small groups so that they can play charades in small groups instead of as a whole class. Follow steps 2-5 for game play rules.
Game Option Three: Telephone Charades
Step 1. Divide the class into two teams and have them stand in two lines.
Step 2. Give the two people in the back the word that they will have to act out. It is best if you give a category for the word (e.g., movie, school, food).
Step 3. Once they are ready, the back people tap the shoulder of the person in front of them. That person will turn around and watch the back person act out the word. When the person in front thinks they understand the word they will turn around and do the same thing to the person in front of them (the back person stops acting at this point).
Step 4. If needed, a person can turn back around and have the person re-enact the word again, but the person in front of them needs to turn back to the front.
Step 5. This sequence will continue to the very front of the line. Once it makes it to the front of the line the person can guess what they think the word is that the back person was originally acting out (just like in the game telephone, but this involves actions). The first team to get the right answer (or the closest) gets the point.
Adaptations:
Game Option One/ Two:
1. Based on the level of students, it may be beneficial to give students extra time to act out the word or phrase.
Game Option Three:
1. Depending on how many students there are, it may be necessary to break them up into more teams.
Language Strategies:
Use facial expressions or mime to get a message across.
Assessment:
This game provides an ideal context to assess students' strategic competence.