Games for Reading:
Students Having Fun and
Learning All At Once
Barb Fouts-Melnychuk
Dr. Donald Massey
[email protected]
Who Am I?
Character analysis game - created by students
Curricular Outcomes covered by creation of game
YEAH!!
2.1 Use textual cues
3.2 Select and Process:
Access Information
4.1 Enhance and Improve: Revise and Edit
2.2 Construct meaning from texts
3.3 Record Information:
Record Information,
Evaluate Information
4.3 Present and Share: Enhance
presentation
2.3 Respond to texts
3.4 Share and Review:
Share ideas and information
4.3 Present and Share: Demonstrate
attentive listening and viewing
Cross Curricular Competencies:Know how to learn, Demonstrate good communication skills and ability
to work cooperatively, Apply multiple literacies, Create opportunities, Create, generate and apply new
ideas or concepts, Think critically
Who Am I? Creating a Game for a Classmate
You are going to create an exam for a classmate and the answer key. That’s right you are the teacher!!!
First step: make the exam answer key. It must contain:
1.
4 questions - You must have 1 question related to each of the 4 methods of characterization listed below::
●
Direct Description – something said by narrator, or something you could see in movie.
●
Something character does - action
●
Something character thinks or says
●
The way other characters react or speak about your character
2. Questions must be about 2 different characters minimum. You can have a different character for each question.
3. Underneath each question You must type in the answers to the question, along with “why” the character made the
choice.
3. You will have one class to type in your questions, with the answers, and share them at [email protected]
Assessment:
1 mark for each question that accurately represents the method of characterization
1 mark if the question accurately describes the character, and the why
Subtotal – accurate method of characterization
Subtotal – accurate detail about the character and the why
TOTAL
/4
/4
/8
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Students do the exam answer key on hard copy.
Refer to the handouts given. I assess this copy to
ensure they are correct before step 2.
Second Step, after you have made the hard copy of the answer key:
● You will now type in your questions to create the exam for you classmate.
● You can type the questions right onto the google docs I shared with you.
Who Am I - Name That Character, is the document.
● Print out your exam, with your name typed or written in the top left corner.
Students then create the actual exam on google docs
so we can print it off for their classmates.
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Name/ class of student who made exam: __________________________________________
Name/class of student taking the exam ___________________________________________
Who Am I: Name That Character? Exam
There are 3 steps to answering each question.
●
First, you need to know who the question is referring to.
●
Second, explain why the character made this choice.
●
Third, circle which method of characterization is being used in the question.
1.
DD
Action
Say/Think
Others Say/Think
a.
Name of character
b. Why? _______________________________________________
2.
DD
Action
Say/Think
Others Say/Think
a.
Name of Character __________________________________________
b. Why? (student making exam writes answer here)
3.
DD
Action
Say/Think
Others Say/Think
a.
Name of Character __________________________________________
b. Why? (student making exam writes answer here)
4.
DD
Action
Say/Think
Others Say/Think
a.
Name of Character __________________________________________
b. Why? (student making exam writes answer here)
TOTAL
/8
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Make Your Own Game - Robert Munsch
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Find an elbow partner
Now we will make a quick game for the poems at your table. Remember
you are making the quiz for your elbow partner.
Each person pick the story they are going to make the exam for. Read the
story and make your answer key on template provided.
Rewrite your question on the second template, then switch your exams
and story with your elbow partner.
Give your exam back when you are done and your elbow partner will
assess it.
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BINGO Vocabulary - Freedom Writers
pg. 53
www.freedomwritersfoundation.org
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The Real Freedom Writers, and
they are
tonnes of fun!!
Curricular Outcomes
2.1 Use Strategies and Cues: Use references
3.2 Select and Process: Use a variety of sources, Access information
4.2 Attend to conventions: Attend to spelling
5.1 Respect Others and Strengthen Community
5.2 Work within a Group
Cross Curricular Competencies: Know how to learn, Apply multiple literacies,Create opportunities,
Innovative, Manage Information, Think Critically
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Building relationship and fun into class!
Give students a chance to build fruit loop/cheerios jewellry.
Example: suspenders, necklaces, glasses(pipe cleaners, glasses
chain holders
I use vocabulary from our literary choices and that students have already
defined using dictionaries and context clues.
Vocabulary today will be from The Boy in the Striped Pajama’s by John Boyne.
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Templates from Teacher Resource - ensure
you have each have one
Guidelines for Game
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Students can take as many blank templates as they want. The more they
take the more chances they have to win.
Students write the words anywhere on page, the more they write them out,
the more they are becoming part of their vocabulary.
Teacher randomly draws out the words and kids use fruit loops/cheerios to
mark their page. Yes kids will eat some while you play, that is OKAY!
PRIZES are a great thing. My best shopping friend is now the dollar store!
IRONY - what students will do for those prizes, because it is not really
about the prizes. FUN plain and simple, but the brain LOVES FUN!!!!
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“Graphic Organizers are
a way to pound a
metaphor.”
Erin Gruwell - 2014
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12
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Mood Charades - incorporating Drama
Students are recognizing that plot, setting and characters in literature creates mood.
Understand the difference between tone and mood.
Curricular Outcomes:
2.2 Respond to Texts: Experience various texts, Construct meaning, appreciate the artistry of texts
2.4 Create Original Text:Generate Ideas, elaborate, structure texts, focus attention,
3.1 Plan and Focus
3.3 Organize, Record and Evaluate: Evaluate Information
4.1 Enhance and Improve: Appraise own and others’ work
4.2 Attend to Conventions: attend of grammar, capitalization and punctuation
4.3 Present and Share: Present information, enhance presentation
Cross Curricular Competencies:
Know how to learn, Demonstrate good communication skills and the ability to work cooperatively with others, Apply
multiple literacies, Create opportunities, Innovative, Identify and solve complex problems, Think Critically
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Mood Mania
● Worksheet given to
students.
● I explain difference
between tone and
mood.
Thanks to Brenda Mulder and Tamar Runcer for
worksheet.
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Progression/Scaffold of Game
1. Students, in groups, act out mood words for
each other. Use this as a warm up activity.
2. Students find a passage from the class short
story or class novel and act it out.
Classmates have to guess which passage it
is.
3. Students write a crucial part of novel out in a
play they write.
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