GAMES

INTRODUCTION

This section of the blog will show a rich variety of Games that teachers can use in order to provide a good CLIL practice.
The presented games are divided into vocabulary games and subject games:

• The vocabulary games are simple ones just focused on reinforcing any type of vocabulary from any subject. They are very specific and based on repetitive practice. They are complementary to more complex activities. So, they are more based on English, but they cannot be considered CLIL.
• The subject games are the ones requiring High Order Thinking Skills. So, the ones that are really working on CLIL because students are required to solve difficult activities: counting, experimenting, adding, subtracting, deciding.... while using English in a natural way. There are 3 different subjects: Maths, PE and Science.

VOCABULARY GAMES

DOMINO: Creating domino pieces according to the required vocabulary. Depending on students level we can provide them with images, with images to combine with words or just with words. In the case we use images, they would be required to say the name of each image when they put it with the same one.

• MATERIAL: Domino pieces.
• PARTICIPANTS: 2 or more.

CHAIN GAME: Every student says a new word of a list of vocabulary and the next one has to remember all the names said by the previous participants and add a new one. We can support this activity with some images or written words, depending on the English level of students.

• MATERIAL: Possible support images or words.
• PARTICIPANTS: 5 or more.

MEMORY: Creating memory pieces according to the required vocabulary. Depending on students level we can provide them with images, with images to combine with words or just with words. In the case we use images, they would be required to say the name of each image when they fins the pair of equal images. If they do not remember the name of that vocabulary they would not be allowed to win a point.

• MATERIAL: Memory pieces.
• PARTICIPANTS: 2 or more.

PUZZLE: To put together some images with the words.

• MATERIAL: Puzzle pieces.
• PARTICIPANTS: 1 or more.

HANGMAN: To practice the spelling of some needed vocabulary in a specific unit.

• MATERIAL: Writing tools.
• PARTICIPANTS: 2 or more.

SUBJECT GAMES

For PE:

GROUPING PARTS OF THE BODY: The coordinator* of the activity give some instructions to the participants about the quantity of parts of the body they have to put together in a group, always using the same structure (eg: Put 7 elbows together). The rest have to obey. The ones that cannot fit any group are eliminated, so do it running. 

* The teacher can start being the coordinator but then some students can develop this role.

• REQUIRED VOCABULARY: PUT + (QUANTITY OF PARTS) + (NAME OF THE PARTS) + TOGETHER.
• MATERIAL: Possible support images or words.
• PARTICIPANTS: 5 or more.

EVOLUTION: There is a prestablished order of elements to practice (eg: first T-shirt, second coat, third boots, fourth hat...) and each student has the labels with all the vocabulary united by a ring. Each student starts being the first vocabulary word in the decided order, and they move around shouting "I am a T-shirt". They meet with another participant that is at the same level as the are (another T-shirt in this case) and they play Rock, Paper, Scissors. The on who wins evolves to the next level (coat in this case) and s/he would start moving around shouting "I am a coat" and looking for another participant that is at the same level as the are (another coat in this case) to play Rock, Paper, Scissors and try to evolve to boots. The one who loses remains in the same level until s/he wins beats someone. Every time some beats someone else and evolves to the next level, s/he has to change the front level s/he presents to the rest by moving the one at the bag and showing the following one. The labels would be hanging from the neck.

• REQUIRED VOCABULARY: I + AM + A/AN + (NAME OF THE VOCABULARY). + ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS
• MATERIAL: Labels for each participant.
• PARTICIPANTS: 5 or more.

THE PERFECT COUPLE: Students line up and close their eyes. The first person is asked what does s/he prefer A or B (A or B means any two options of the vocabulary we want to work on). Before answering other people has to locate themselves at the right (for A) or at the left (for B), without knowing what the rest s choosing. Then, the first person answers and the ones that have chosen the wrong action are eliminated so they are not the “perfect couple” for him/her. We would continue this “selecting process” until we find the “perfect couple”.

• REQUIRED VOCABULARY: I + PREFER + (NAME OF THE VOCABULARY).
• MATERIAL: Possible support images or words.
• PARTICIPANTS: 5 or more.

For MATHS:

PLUS VS MINUS: One player is called "PLUS" and the other is called "MINUS" so decide who is who. Plus moves from left to right and Minus moves from right to left. (The children may be encouraged to think about why that might be.) Take it in turns to throw the two dice and add up the numbers on the two dice. Move that number of places in your direction. If the counter reaches 1, Minus has won and so, of course if the counter reaches 27, Plus has won.

• REQUIRED VOCABULARY: I + PUT + (NUMBER) + POINTS.+ I WIN./ I LOSE.
• MATERIAL: A number line from 1 to 27 and dices.
• PARTICIPANTS: 2.

DOTTY 6: Take turns to throw the dice and draw that number of dots in one of the boxes on the grid. Put all of your dots in one of the boxes. You can't split them up and you can't have more than six dots in a box. Who puts the last points in a box wins that box. When all the grid  completed, wins the ones who has completed more boxes.

• REQUIRED VOCABULARY: I + PUT + (NUMBER) + POINTS. + I WIN./ I LOSE.
• MATERIAL: 3x3 grid and dices.
• PARTICIPANTS: 2 or more.

SNAIL ONE HUNDRED: To start put both your counters on "0". The first player throws the dice and moves one of their counters that number along the snail's body. Take turns at throwing the dice. After you get to "9" the first counter goes back to "0" and the second counter goes onto "1 ten". Go on moving the first counter along the snail's body and moving the second counter to the next "ten" every time you get to the end and go from 9 to 0. The winner is the first to reach "100".

• REQUIRED VOCABULARY: I + MOVE + (NUMBER) + POSITIONS. + I WIN./ I LOSE.
• MATERIAL: Dices and a Sail board you can find in this link.
• PARTICIPANTS: 2 or more.

For SCIENCE:

In Science we consider that it is more useful introducing some experiments that can be used to explain basic aspects from the curriculum, than memoristic games.

CANDLE BURNING EXPERIMENT: Fire is a chemical reaction that creates light and heat from oxygen and fuel. A lit candle needs to draw oxygen from the air in order to continue burning. If you limit the amount of air available, the candle's flame eventually goes out once it uses up all the oxygen. Here's a science experiment that gives your child a chance to see this concept in action, with a little math and writing practice thrown in.

You can find the instructions and materials in this link.

WIND VANE: Breezy weather? Help your young scientist relate it to weather across her community and state, and make a wind vane for kids—a simple version of a classic scientific measurement tool—in the process!

You can find the instructions and materials in this link.

CELERY EXPERIMENT: Do you like to water the plants in your home or garden? We already know that plants and flowers need water to grow and live, but what happens after that? Find out what really occurs when you sprinkle that water with this fun celery science experiment that uses food coloring to show how plants absorb water!

You can find the instructions and materials in this link.