DORA—DOLLAR
DRILL!
This
activity practices the “have you ever~?” grammar, and gets students to practice
a few more past participles than just “been”. It takes students a while to get
started on it, but once you do get them playing it they really seem to enjoy
the game.
Object
Students
start with a set amount of currency, and attempt to win more currency from
their friends by stumping them with things their friends have not done, but
they have.
Preparation
You need
enough currency that each student begins with about five dollars (pounds, lire,
yuan, intergalactic credits,
whatever). You can use anything you like as currency; if you are lacking in
available preparation time you can even use playing cards – you need about
three decks for a class of thirty. I made up these Dora-dollars (one
dollar bills with Doraemon on them in place of a
political figure) for the activity, hence its name, but substitute as you see
fit. If you’re using the Dora-dollars, print out one sheet then copy them onto
resilient paper and cut them out. Figure about five dora-dollars
for each student; so for a class of thirty you need 5 x 30 = 150 dora-dollars, or 75 copies of the printout. If you and your
JTE want to participate, that’s 10 more dora-dollars,
or 5 more copies, between you.
Playing the Game
1) Get
your students to think of as many interesting things they have done as
possible. For example:
I’ve
read Harry Potter.
I
have seen a ghost.
I’ve
made a snowman.
I
have drunk rain water.
I’ve
worn Kitty-chan sneakers.
I
have guessed the right answers on “Trivia Fountain”.
Anything
they’ve done that they think is interesting is fine. Students should be encouraged
to ask you or the JTE if they don’t know the past participles of certain verbs.
(Note: this is the hardest part of the activity for students. Many of them are
hesitant to talk or write anything about themselves; this is after all
Have
you ever read Harry Potter?
Have
you ever seen a ghost?
Have
you ever made a snowman?
Have
you ever drunk rain water?
Have
you ever worn Kitty-chan sneakers?
Have
you ever guessed the right answers on “Trivia Fountain”?
These
are the questions they will now ask their classmates.
2) Distribute
five dora—dollars
to each student. Students leave their desks, armed with their experiences, and
their five dora-dollars each. They circulate among
each other, and when two meet, they janken. The winner asks
his/her question first. For instance: “Have you ever worn hakama?”
The other student answers either “yes, I have” or “no, I haven’t”. If s/he
answers “no, I haven’t”, s/he has to give one dora—dollar to the student
who asked. If s/he answers “yes, I have” s/he receives one dora—dollar from the asking student. They continue this as long
as you like, and then at the end of the allotted time they count their money to
determine a winner.
NOTES
Students who
are good at English tend to do well at this, but so do the ones who are good at
janken. (Yes, I believe
there is an art to janken.) You can of course
make them feel good about their English by chalking any success at all up to
their English ability.
Take care
how you word the instructions at first. Don’t get students thinking they have
to come up with something totally unique from the get go, because the burden of
that will paralyze them where they sit, and you will never, ever, ever get to
play the actual game. Just tell them to think of as
many interesting things they themselves
have done as possible. Also make it clear that they can change their questions
if they come up with a better experience midway through the game.
It’s often fun – and helpful to students – if you and/or your
JTE join in the game.
Award prizes to the winner(s) at your discretion.
