I played this game with my high school first-years as a fun way to prepare them for them for my school's International Day. They had a lot of fun with it! It does require quite a bit of preparation, but it engages all four skills, and you can always play it again.
When class begins, immediately sort the students into groups of 3-4. Give each group a deck of green cards and a worksheet. The students must shuffle the cards and lay them face-down in the middle of the group. The student will janken to decide their order.
EXPLANATION:
Person #1 will take the top card off the deck. The card will have a number and the shape of a country. They must run around the room to find that number and country shape posted somewhere (blue card). When they find the matching card, they will flip it over to find that country's name. Then they will run back to their group and repeat that name to the next person in the group.
Person #2 will write down the country name next to the corresponding number. Then they will get up and go look for the name posted somewhere around the room (red card). When they find the name and flip it over, they will see that country's flag. They must memorize the flag and describe it in English to the next person in the group.
Person #3 will listen to the explanation and draw the flag accordingly. Then show it to the next person in the group.
Person #4 (or #1 in a group of three) will go search for the flag (yellow card), flip it over, memorize the fun fact, then tell the next person
Person #1 (#2) will write it down.
Person #2 (#3) will draw a new card from the deck and continue.
The game will continue in the same sequence. The students will change roles with each round. The explanation is a little heavy, but the game is simple enough. Utilize your JTE if your students are having a hard time.
Continue until about 5-10 minutes before the bell. You and your JTE should go around the groups counting the number of completed boxes. The winning team may receive a prize!
There's no way the students will be able to complete every box for all ten countries. I included several countries to minimize the probability of everyone bumping into each other while they run around.
BOARDWORK
1: Shape and number -> Name
2: Name -> Flag
3: Draw the flag
4(1): Flag -> Fun fact
1(2): Fun fact
2(3): Shape and number -> Name
3(1): Name -> Flag
etc. etc...
YOU NEED:
- Country shapes: 8+ color copies
- Country names: 2 copies
- Country flags: 2 color copies
- Fun Facts: 1 copy
- Construction paper: blue (2), red (2), yellow (2), green (7+)
- A space larger than a typical classroom
PREPARATION:
Print and cut out all of the cards. Keep them organized by country. Space out the information so that you can leave a half-inch color border for each card. Flip the card vertically when you glue the information on the backside of each card.
Green Cards
Front side: Country shape. Number each shape on the left side.
Backside: blank
Blue Cards
Front side: Country shape. Number each shape identically to the green cards
Back side: Country name.
Red Cards
Front side: Country name
Back side: Country flag
Yellow Cards
Front side: Country flag
Back side: Fun fact
I suggest scattering these cards all over the room to really make the students look for them. Don't hide them out of sight, but maybe place some lower down on a wall or on the back of a chair or podium, just in places to make the students hunt a little harder.
Yo, thank you so much! My students love scavenger hunt-type games and I was just given a rare "do whatever activity you want" day for our first year high schoolers! They'll love this.