Classroom Guessing Game

In classes from about 3rd grade up I sometimes do a guessing game that the students enjoy very much; what they don't realize is that they are practicing a number of important English language skills in the process.

I introduce the activity, saying that they are going to do a guessing game, and each student has to think of one animal and then write 3 hints about that animal.

"For example," I say, "My animal lives in the ocean, my animal can't swim, and my animal is delicious."

I write on the whiteboard: 'I think your animal is a ____________ .'

Students raise their hands, and I choose one.

"Clam!"

"Make a sentence please."

"I think your animal is a clam!"

"That's a good guess, but it is not correct.

I choose another student.

"I think your animal is a crab!"

"That's right!"

Then I give them a half sheet of paper, and they think and write for a few minutes, sometimes using a dictionary for help.

Then, one-by-one, they stand up in front of the class and present. Usually the process takes one of my classes (7-10 students) about 15 minutes; I reduce the time by starting the guessing as soon as one student has finished his/her hints; the others can participate while they continue to write.

Other categories are food, sports, countries (for more advanced kids), etc.

Occasional problems arise, such as when we were doing the food category in one class last week, and a girl said:

     1. My food is not an animal.

     2. My food can't fly.

     3. I like my food.

I did not tell her that those were the worst 3 hints in the history of this game, but I did ask her to sit back down and think of 3 better hints.  (She did.)

Sometimes there are kids who know about scarab beetles or geckos, and the other students will never be able to guess the answer, so be prepared to limit the time per student and say, "Wow, John, great hints, but we don't know the answer--please tell us."