This is a game for the overhead projector. It is a version of the game "Concentration" in which students flip over cards of items to find matching pairs. For the overhead projector you will need to make a grid of squares on a transparency. Five squares across by four down. I make the square about 1.25 inches on a side. At the top of the grid write the letters THINK, one letter over each column. Down the left side of the grid write the numbers 1234, one number to each row. Make a transparency of your grid. Next, cut out cardboard or heavy paper "tents": small rectangular pieces just large enough to cover each space. I call them tents because they have a little flap which I use to pick them up. Prepare the game in advance. You have to think of ten pairs of any item. For example, ten pairs of opposites, ten pairs of irregular past tense forms (get,got) or ten pairs of a picture and a word. Write (or draw) one word or picture in each space in a random fashion. Place the transparency on the OHP (with the light off) and cover each space. When you turn the light on, the students will see the grid but each image or word will be dark. (You will be able to see the words and images illuminated through the paper)
TO PLAY: Instruct the students (and model of course the first time)
that they are to pick two squares by calling out a number and a letter
for each square. For example T2 and N4. You uncover the spaces as a
students calls out the letter. If the two spaces uncovered are a match
write the student's name in the spaces with a marker and toss them a
prize (a piece of candy serves nicely). If the two spaces are not a
match, cover them back up and call a different student. As spaces are
uncovered, excitement builds in the classroom until the last two
spaces. Since these are obvious winners, you can take the opportunity
for teacher inspired humor and call on either the class "comic" making a
big display of "Are you sure?" or any other individual who maybe had
repeated incorrect answers.
An individual game usually takes between 15 and 20 minutes to complete.
If you keep several transparencies of the grid handy, you can prepare a
game pretty fast for the last part of the class. If you are doing a
unit on irregular past tense, you can prepare a grid using the specific
verbs that you reviewed in the lesson.
This game was introduced to me by veteran Los Angeles Unified School
District teacher Vida Hellman (now retired).
Submitted by Barry Bakin (bbakin$$$lausd.k12.ca.us)