Criss-Cross
Brief Outline: Students race to answer questions in hopes of sitting down before their friends. Detailed Explanation: - This game is quite simple and fun if done right. I have been doing this warm-up game for years now and it has never become boring.
- Start by having all the students stand. Play Janken and the ‘ultimate’ loser must remain standing. While they might seem like a real loser, allow them to save face by letting them choose ‘horizontal or vertical’ (よこ or たて)’. Let’s say the student chooses ‘horizontal’. All of the students sitting in the horizontal of the standing student must stand up. You and the JTE take turns asking the students various types of questions. The easier the question, the faster the game goes and the more confidence the students gain. The first student to raise their hand and correctly answers the question may sit down.
- The questions continue until there is only one student standing. Then, that student chooses ‘horizontal or vertical’ (よこ or たて)’, and the students in the chosen line must stand up.
- To prevent the same students from always answering the questions, allow students to choose 'horizontal, vertical, or diagonal'. (よこ or たて or ななめ)’. If students always choose 'vertical' then give students the choices of 'horizontal or diagonal' to choose from.
- There is no end to this game, so how you finish the game is up to you. One time, this game got out of hand and we ended up playing this game for the entire class period.
Variations & Options: - As the game progresses, slowly make the questions harder until you are asking questions that grammar specific to that day.
- If you play this game for more than 10 minutes, inevitably the same students will have to stand up. Try making a “3-answer safe zone” rule. Meaning, if a student can answer three questions, they don’t have to stand up anymore. However, they must choose another student to take their place. This variation promotes students hoping their line is chosen to stand up so they can eventually reach the ‘safe zone’.
- This game also works well for Elementary school students. Click here for the Japanese translation.
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