TRASH CAN GAME. Games and Activities to Energise the Language Classroom for Junior High School
TRASH CAN GAME
Energising Language Classroom Activities for Junior High School: A Teacher’s Guide
Junior high school students often find language classes challenging, but as a language teacher, you have the power to transform these challenges into engaging learning experiences. Classroom activities are the key to achieving this transformation. These activities not only make learning enjoyable but also foster a deeper understanding of the language, leading to improved fluency and proficiency. In this blog post, we will explore a diverse range of innovative and interactive language classroom activities designed specifically for junior high school students. Whether you’re looking to enhance vocabulary retention, boost conversational skills, or make grammar lessons more enjoyable, this guide will provide you with a rich array of strategies to create a dynamic and effective learning environment for your students. Let’s embark on this journey to energize your language classroom and inspire your students to become passionate language learners.
TRASH CAN GAME
Target Group: All grades
Difficulty Level: Fundamentals
Activity Objective: To review any material previously covered in class (grammar, vocabulary, etc)
TRASH CAN GAME – Procedure
- Students are split into teams and given their designated colored paper by the teacher.
- The trash cans are placed at the front of the room (one on a desk-1 point, and the other on the chair, which is on top of the other desk-2 points), as arranged by the teacher.
- Teams are then divided into shooters, writers, and picker-uppers by the teacher. So if there are nine people on a team, then four people are writers, three people are shooters, and two people are picker-uppers.
- The teacher will ask/show a question (show: fill in the blank, unscramble the sentence, etc.). The writers will get 1 minute to write the answer on the paper.
- The shooters will then get 1 minute to crumple up the paper and try to get the paper into either the 1 point or 2 point trash cans, as instructed by the teacher.
- Then, for 15 seconds, the picker-uppers will get to pick up the paper that had not made it into the trash can under the teacher’s guidance.
- Finally, the last minute is a combination of steps 4-6, where everyone can do their tasks as directed by the teacher.
- At the end of the minute, the game stops and points are counted under the teacher’s supervision. Of course, only correct answers will get points. Repeat steps 4-8 until class time is up, as per the teacher’s guidance.
Materials and Preparation
Two trash cans, two desks, different coloured paper per team (approximately 15), a chair.
Suggestions and Advice
This can use up a lot of paper, so the teams should write relatively small and reuse the paper for all the questions.
This game can take a while to explain to a class for the first time. Usually the second time onwards is much more productive.
User discretion is advised: Though this game is really fun, if a class is typically rowdy they will be even more boisterous while playing the game.
Energising Language Classroom Activities for Junior High School
In the world of language teaching, fostering a love for learning and effective communication is our ultimate goal. By implementing these engaging classroom activities for junior high school students, you are not only enhancing their language skills but also creating an environment where curiosity, creativity, and enthusiasm thrive. As we wrap up our exploration of these energizing language activities, remember that your role as a teacher is invaluable, and your dedication to making language learning exciting and impactful is what sets the stage for your students’ future success.
So, continue to innovate, adapt, and personalize these activities to suit the unique needs and interests of your students. Watch as their confidence soars, their vocabulary expands, and their ability to communicate fluently grows. With your guidance and these engaging activities in your teaching toolbox, you are well on your way to inspiring a new generation of confident and capable language learners. The journey to language proficiency may be challenging, but with your passion and these activities, it is always an exciting one.
Happy teaching!
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