Activity

Classroom "Snake" Scattergories

Short game for elementary students to revise the alphabet and vocabulary

This game suits elementary school fifth- and sixth-graders. It is adapted from the game "Scattergories." It can be used as a warm-up or in the last five minutes of class.

First, explain the rules of Scattergories and demonstrate the game with the whole class. Start with the letter "A" and ask the students to volunteer answers for each of three categories: food, place (such as a country, state, or city), and animal. You may like to write these categories on the blackboard to remind students (and yourself).

Next, announce: "now, let's play." Have the four students seated at each corner of the room play rock-paper-scissors. Whoever wins will go first. The order of students after that is to "snake" or "zig-zag" through the whole class.

The first student stands and gives an answer for a food that begins with "B." Once they do, they can sit and the next student stands up. They have to say a place that begins with "B." Then, the next student has to say an animal that begins with "B." Now that you have gone through the three categories for the letter "B," the next student has to say a food that begins with "C," and so on.

Encourage students to "help your friends!" if they are taking a while to give an answer. With three categories and roughly thirty students, you might get as far as the letter "K," time permitting.

Once students understand this game, you may like to try it again but begin from the letter "M," or go through the alphabet in reverse, for example.

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Submitted by Keith Miyazaki October 19, 2021 Estimated time: 5-10 minutes

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