JARDUERAK

ACTIVITIES

ATZERRIKO HIZKUNTZA

1. A Word Book

Give students the chance to create their own Word Book or Vocabulary Journal. Inspire them to design their very own Word Book from scratch, out of construction paper, cardboard, or any materials they have on hand. At the end of a reading task or activity, make a list of the words they have learned for the day. The little ones simply copy the word and draw a picture of it; older students can use the word in a sentence that illustrates its meaning. They may also cut out pictures from magazines or newspapers and get as creative as they like.

2. In the News

This is an ideal assignment for older students. Most read the newspaper anyway, right? Or watch the evening news. Ask them to choose a news story that has piqued their interest, and have them:

  • Write a report on the news story
  • Write a dialogue in which a journalist interviews someone involved in the story.
  • Answer a question like, “What could have gone differently?”, thus prompting them to use certain language points.

3. Ask your students to analyze fake news

How does Fake News affect communities? Challenge your students to think about the characteristics of exaggerated or disingenuous media and its potential effects on society. Students can write their own fictional story or fake news.

4. Watch It!

Choose a TV series that is shown in English, either with or without subtitles. Choose a show that is suitable to your students’ ages. Tell your students that their homework will be to watch an episode of a given series, whether they usually watch the show or not. Give them a task to complete after viewing the episode: a synopsis of the episode, a character description, or a questionnaire (Do you usually watch this show? If not, would you start watching it? Why/why not?)

5. Start some gossip

Gossip? Isn’t that something people avoid? Make up a story and write it out for one student. The teacher will send a student a message and this student will tell the story to another student. The second student sends a message someone else and does the same, and so on and so forth, until every student in class has heard the gossip for homework. Eventually, everyone must answer s questionnaire to see how much correct information was passed along.

6. Encourage your know-it-alls

What do your students really care about? Give them a chance to tell everyone about it. Have each student choose something they’re passionate about, something they might consider themselves an expert on. Challenge students to think of a creative way to present five must-know facts about that subject. They might make a movie, create a poster or brochure, write a song, put on a skit, etc.

Students will love sharing about their passions, and they’ll get some great speaking, listening and discourse information in the process, as well as teach the rest of the class some interesting vocabulary.

7. Observe in the interest of humanity

Do you like to people watch? There are so many fun and interesting things you can learn from simply watching the people around you, and there are plenty of places for good people-watching. Have students write descriptions of the people they see through their windows at home. Students can put their writing skills to work by writing out a scene starring someone they observed. Let them practice writing or speaking by asking students to tell a classmate about a person they saw (on paper or on a short video).

8. Catch a block-buster

Have the students watch a movie and:

  • Tell them to summarize the movie plot. Note new and/or interesting vocabulary (particularly slang) they hear while watching.
  • Write an interview with one of the characters in the movie or role play a character while a classmate interviews them.
  • Call a friend (telephone conversations are more challenging for language learners than those that are face-to-face) and discuss what they liked and disliked about the movie.
  • Write a movie review on a sticky note and display it in a designated area of your classroom.

9. Choose an “everyday” mistery

Students will choose a science mystery and explain it with their own words (in a digital poster, infographics, etc) (click here)

10. Visit a museum

Students will choose a room to visit in a museum and tell their classmates about what they saw. (click here)

11. Investigate a Guinness World Record

Students will research a current Guinness World Record and create a timeline of that record to show how it has changed-or developments that have made it possible to achieve-over time. (click here)

12. Envision a Communication System of the Future

Students will examine communication systems of the past and use what they learn to envision a communication device or system that people could use in the future. (click here)

13. Design a Historically Inspired Halloween Costume

Students will brainstorm ideas for a historically inspired Halloween costume and draw a picture illustrating their ideas. (click here)

14. Create a Book Club

Students will identify books to read, come up with discussion questions and decide how they will formulate groups to create a book club. (click here)

15. Create a Save the Penguins Campaign

Students will compile facts and use what they learned to create a poster for a Save the Penguins campaign. (click here)

16. Investigate and Recreate a Famous Painting

Students will choose their favorite famous painting, write a paper about it and create a reproduction with their own spin. (click here)

17. Create an Invention Based on an Animal

Students will select an animal, choose one of its physical or behavioral traits and conduct research to learn more about it. Then they will brainstorm ideas about how to improve or design a product that incorporates that trait and create a diagram of their product. (click here)

18. Plan a Hometown Spring Festival

Students will conduct research to learn about spring festivals and traditions around the world. They will use what they learn to create a new event for their hometown. (click here)

Other ideas:

  • Inspire your students to create their own flags
  • Entrust your students to show off their homes or hometowns to the others
  • Inspire your students to create their own holiday
  • Challenge students to read and discuss poetry - then write their own!
  • Ask students to learn about immigration by sharing their family histories
  • Inspire your students to become artists, curators, and patrons of the arts