Icebreaker 1, getting to know each other and basic command verbs
Beginner, Grade 1, A1 level
Description
Materials
Main Aims
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To provide practice of instruction and command verbs in the context of classroom language
Subsidiary Aims
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To provide practice of language used for introduction of oneself
Procedure (35-44 minutes)
Having introduced himself and shouted out “How are you?” at Ss, T plays the “Open, Close” song on the smart board.
Ss are called to the board and form a circle. T plays the song again and mimes out the commands "open, close, clap, and touch" while Ss are watching and listening. Simultaneously, T monitors the Ss to see if they are repeating and miming correctly. If needed, T can play the song again to make sure that Ss are repeating to the rhythm. Then T and Ss sing and mime without music.
Having asked Ss to get back onto their seats, T mimes the four commands and says them loudly, certainly not into rhythm this time and ask Ss to do as well. Then T stops miming and only shouts out the command while monitoring closely to check if Ss have learned them. T can increasingly add other commands as "Sit down", "Stand up", and "Jump" depending on how fast the Ss are in learning new input.
T holds up a small ball and says "this is a ball". T then introduces two new commands "Throw" and "Catch" through playing "throw, catch" with a few of the Ss while monitoring if they are repeating the new input. Then T asked all the Ss to the board to form a circle. T says his name and then shouts "Catch" while handing the ball off and rotating the ball clockwise around the circle. The next student says her name, shouts "Catch" and hands off the ball to the next student. That student says T's name, the previous student name, and then his name. Ss Proceed in this pattern around the circle. T allows the students to help each other remember the names.
Finally, T shouts out the commands but this time by tricking them by saying "STAND UP" when they are already standing up! T plays the "Open, Close" song again and monitors every single Ss more closely.