Description:
The students practice the "reduced relative clause" in this whiteboard quiz. I have my students write the answers on a small whiteboard, but they could use sheets of A3 paper and water-based instead.
Requirements:
- The teacher should prepare some whiteboards, pens, and erasers. Tissues may be used in lieu of erasers.
Procedure:
- Give the class an example. ("What is an animal found in Japan?")
- Show them the answer pattern. ("_____ is [an animal found in Japan].")
- Get some answers from the students. (a monkey, a fox, a bear, etc.)
- When the students understand what to do, break them into groups and have them push their desks together.
- Have one member come to the teacher to get a whiteboard, pen, and eraser.
- Start the quiz! Ask a question, give thinking time, then check the answer.
I give the students one point for a good answer, and keep track of each team's score on the blackboard.
Alternative:
- I usually only give points for unique answers. For example, if one group answers "A bear..." and five groups answer "A monkey...", I give one point to the "bear" team but no points to the "monkey" teams. This helps to motivate them to think of interesting answers.
Tips & Advice:
- For classes who are just starting to study this grammar point, I write the question on the blackboard. This helps them finish writing more quickly.
- This activity is designed for students in the 3rd year of JHS, but it could also be adapted for use in HS.
- This activity is for the "reduced relative clause", but it could be adapted for "relative pronouns".
Sample Questions:
- What is a food loved by Japanese people?
- What is an anime watched by me?
- What is a sport liked by your teacher?
- What is a tool used by Doraemon?
- What is a drink drunk by me?
- What is a story written by Natsume Soseki?
These are some questions I have used before. Feel free to make up your own questions.