Hobbies And Interests
Vocabulary Gestures
Create a display of 12 different vocabulary words and an easily identifiable picture for each. It works well to use verbs with this exercise. For example, number one might be "running" and the picture might be of a person running. Give each student two regular numbered dice and have them roll. They must say out loud the vocabulary word that corresponds with the number on the display, and then the whole group joins in with the gesture. For instance, if the person rolls a three and that vocabulary word is "swimming," the person who rolls it says "swimming" out loud and then the group starts miming a swimming motion. Go through the words several times to cement their meanings.
Parts of a Sentence
Using the templates on the Dice Generator page or your own word processing program, create several different dice corresponding to parts of the sentence. You will require a die for nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Each die has six different sides and a different word on each side. Each student rolls the three dice. He will then create a sentence using the three words he has received. If the same combination of words comes up, the student can always create a completely new sentence using the words. For an added bonus, the students can use the sentences to create a story.
Dice of Fortune
This game combines the popular game show "Wheel of Fortune" with dice. You can divide your classroom into teams if you wish. Each side of the die represents a different "spin" with one and three equaling "lose a turn," two is "$200," four is "$400," six is "$600" and five is "bankrupt." If a student rolls a two, four or six, they get to guess a letter in the puzzle. They receive $200, $400 or $600 for each letter they guess correctly. Vowels cost $200. Create some simple answers, slowly increasing in difficulty as the game goes on. The winner or winning team can receive a prize at the end of the competition.
Revision
This game allows you to make revising an essay or paper more enjoyable for your students. Use the templates at the Writing Fix website or create your own revision dice. These dice refer to various ways to revise a paper like Convention, Voice, Organization and Idea Development. Divide your room into groups of three or four people each and give them a die to start off with. Have one of the group members roll the die. Each side of the die should contain one activity to revise in the paper, such as "Add a personal experience to the writing" or "Vary your sentence lengths from long to short." This will help your students to learn new ways to touch up their papers.