Activity

Apples to Apples

Bootleg Apples to Apples card game with Japanese translations on each card. It uses vocabulary from the Sunshine Middle School textbooks.

If you know how to play Apples to Apples, then you know how to play this game; it's pretty much the exact same. The students probably haven't played Apples to Apples before, so the first time they play will take the longest because they have to be told the rules. After the first time, you can get right down to business. The rules are really easy, so they don't usually need reminders.

Materials: Apples to Apples Cards
Players: 4-7

Break your class up into smaller groups and give each group a single deck.

Shuffle the cards
Deal out 5 or 7 red cards, place the rest of the deck in the middle beside the green cards, both face down.
Players may look at their cards
Players select a judge
The judge draws a green card and shows it to the other players.
The other players select a card from their hand that matches the adjective written on the green card and place it facedown on the table
The judge reads the cards out loud (ideally in English!) and picks the one they think is the best match
The winning player takes the green card as a point
The judge position rotates

I've marked most of the cards with the grade level of the vocabulary. The unmarked noun cards are intended to fill out the graded decks. I made these cards a long time ago, so there may be mistakes. If you notice any, please let me know! Also, I recommend changing the color of the back depending on the color of the cards. I made mine the same color, and it can cause confusion when finding the right pile to draw from.

Files:
Medium files (requires an account to download) -
  • Apples to Apples Cards.pdf (1.11 MB)
  • 31
    Submitted by awing May 28, 2024 Estimated time: 15-50 minutes
    1. Elliot Joyner July 3, 2024

      The cards look great! For higher level students, I recommend a section where after the students have placed their card, they take it in turns to justify their choice and explain why it`s the best match to the judge. They can practice superlatives, too! E.g. "I think (microwaves) are the most (convienient), because (they heat up food quickly)."

    2. awing July 16, 2024

      That's great! I teach middle schoolers, so I'm just happy if they read the English instead of the Japanese on the card. But, the game works really well, arguably better, for students with high level English. (Though at that point, it might just be worth it to buy the junior version of the real game)

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