 Re: Board games in large classes
Was there any other reason that the kids might have been uninterested? I know I have to deal with the Monday blues, and I have the most difficulty with classes right before lunch. Also, did you have only 4 teams with 60 students, or did you have multiple games with 4 teams each? My biggest class is 40 students, and I have better luck with smaller group or pair work.
I have been using my co-workers Snakes and Ladders as a review game with 9-12yo's, and it's gone over well. Here's how I did it:
*Split the class into groups of 6 or less.
*On the board there are 100 spaces, some occupied by letters A-G and assigned a specific question or task.
*If a student lands on a letter, they have to do as instructed.
The board is complicated enough that it takes time to win (15 minutes is fast), but the different tasks can be silly and distracting enough to keep them interested.
Humor helps a lot in my older classes. You can encourage your students to give silly answers ("You should sleep at school.") I had to teach a rather dull telephone conversation over 3 lessons, and I let the kids pretend to be fictional characters or famous celebrities in exotic locations. It got everyone talking.  |