Archived from Englipedia.
Originally submitted by William White on Feb 17, 2011.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
TPuzzle attachments: The attachments include:
- Unscramble worksheet
- T-puzzles: You might enlargen the puzzle to A4 size puzzles. You can affix a puzzle to the blackboard beore every round.
- T-puzzle answer sheet
- Target questions: You may need to change them to meet your target grammar/vocab needs.
- Puzzle piece template: Every team needs a set of puzzle pieces. Making these puzzle pieces is the most difficult and time consuming part of this activity, so if you make the pieces out of quality card stock they will last longer.
DETAILED EXPLANATION:
- After dividing the class into 6 teams, give every group and/or student a worksheet. Also, give each team a set of puzzle pieces, but keep the sought after puzzle shape still a secret.
- The ALT gives the class a target question, but mixes up the word order.
- Students listen, and write down the words.
- Then, in their teams or individually, unscrambles the words to form the key question. The first group to solve it, comes and shows the teacher that they have indeed written the correct question. Then, as a group asks the teacher the question. The teacher answers it and asks the exact same question back at the team. Each member must answer the question.
- If all team members can answer (some of them might need help from their team members), a A4-size puzzle is attached to the chalkboard and that team can start trying to put together their puzzle pieces to form the shape of the puzzle on the chalkboard.
- During all of this, the other teams are still trying to unscramble their key question to ask to the teacher. Once they have unscrambled it and shown the sentence to the teacher, the process repeats until all teams have cleared the question asking/answering stage and have started the puzzle.
- The first team to solve the puzzle receives two points. Any team after that receives one point. It's a good idea to set a time limit here.
- Once the limit is over, repeat the procedure using the next key question and puzzle.
TEACHING SUGGESTIONS:
- I have had good results with this activity. Students practice the four Parts of Learning. JTEs are happy that students are reviewing whatever they want practiced, and students find the puzzles challenging!
- You might have to demonstrate how to unscramble the word order before you start the worksheet.
TIPS/CAUTIONS:
- Some students try to start on the next puzzle before they unscramble the key question, so you might not want to give the students access to the puzzle pieces until they unscramble the key question.
Files: