For our new #teachertuesday series, we ask for submissions of lesson plans, activity ideas, or general advice for teachers/ALTs. Here is a fun game submitted by our Vice President, Ciara Lily Malone
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The “Where is Pikachu?” game is a great activity for 1st and 2nd grade Elementary School, particularly for the Colours and Shapes units. Based off a game that already exists in the Takasaki Plan, this game uses mini cards with around 10 Pikachus and between 40 and 60 Mimikyus on them. Make sure you print the cards with a dark coloured back so that they are in no way see through. The aim: students work as a class to find the hidden Pikachus.
Although there are many ways to run this activity, this is my method. I have students stand up in pairs. All members of the class ask ‘What colour?’ and one of the pair chooses a colour. The class then ask ‘What shape?’ and the other student responds with a shape (or a number, for 1st grade). Then, the whole class says together, for example ‘purple square’, and the homeroom teacher turns over the card. This continues until every member of the class has had an opportunity to say either a colour or shape.
After every student has had a turn, you can either play again (if you have a smaller class) or you can give service. I have my students say every space together until all the cards are turned over. We then count the Pikachus together. It’s 10!
I have also attempted this activity in 4th and 5th grade with past units. Firstly, I would tell the class that there are – for example – 10 Pikachus hidden on the blackboard. I had my students form either small groups or pairs, and had them think about what was famous or popular in each country. The class then asks the group ‘Where do you want to go?’ and the group would answer ‘I want to go to…’. Then the class would ask ‘Why?’ and the group would reply ‘Because, I want to…’. The homeroom teacher would turn over the card and reveal whether the students were correct or not.
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