Traffic Light Game
Traffic Light Game
Description of the strategy
Traffic Light Game
The strategy
The traffic light game allows students to express their opinion and at the same time see whether
others hold similar or different views.
To play the game every student needs three different coloured cards:



green for “I agree”
yellow for “I don’t know”
red for “I don’t agree”
Students are than given several statements, one read out after the other. After each statement
students are asked to show one of the cards to express their view. The number of cards is counted
and noted down somewhere. After having gone through all the statements, students are asked to
discuss the results.
The traffic light game can be repeated at the end of the lesson or unit. This does not only allow the
teacher to see whether students changed their minds or not, but it also gives the students the
opportunity to evaluate their own learning process.
Example (of the strategy in action)
The thematic question is: is Europe a place where children learn similar values?
The lesson focus is: is Europe a place where children learn good manners, responsibility, tolerance
and imagination?
1. Europeans support the idea, that learning good manners is no longer an important goal in
bringing up children.
agree
don’t know
don’t agree
2. Europeans widely agree that children should be taught to feel responsibility.
agree
don’t know
don’t agree
3. Europeans think, that it is more important to teach children to use their imagination than to be
tolerant and respectful towards others.
Agree
don’t know
don’t agree
Let the students review their opinions with the help of the maps in the atlas. While doing so, you
should make them realize, that you cannot compare the maps directly as the categories in each map
are defined differently.
Traffic Light Game
The links are:
http://www.atlasofeuropeanvalues.eu/map.php?id=20&lang=en
(children should learn good manners)
http://www.atlasofeuropeanvalues.eu/map.php?id=26&lang=en
(children should learn a feeling of responsibility)
http://www.atlasofeuropeanvalues.eu/map.php?id=28&lang=en
(children should learn imagination at home)
http://www.atlasofeuropeanvalues.eu/map.php?id=30&lang=en
(children should learn tolerance and respect for other people)
Debriefing questions:
What influenced your decision-making during the traffic light game?
How far did the maps help you understand the issue better?
What other information would you need to make more valid decisions?
Why is this a good strategy to use?
The traffic light game is great for giving students the opportunity to voice their views on a
controversial issue. As everybody is showing their opinion at the same time, more timid students
find it easier to take part. It also gives the teacher the chance to learn what the students think.
Why does this work with the maps?
The maps of the EVS show the data collected on peoples’ views on various issues. The resulting
patchwork is not always easy to interprete. Thinking about their view of what Europeans might
think, produces a need to know and thereby prepares students for a more focussed reading of the
maps.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the
views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made
of the information contained therein.