Paired or Group Speaking Game - No, because...

Paired or Group Speaking Game - No, because…

What is this game? A guessing game to get your students speaking! This game is similar to (but more challenging than) the game of twenty questions.

Number of players: Two people or a small group. It can be challenging, so I recommend this game for grades 6 and higher.

What is included: 50 playing cards

How to play: This game is very simple, but you really need to explain how it works for students to play it correctly and not turn it into a 20 questions type of game. One player thinks of an object and the other players try to guess what it is. Each card has an image of a person, place, or a thing. The person holding the card is the one who will do the most speaking. The other people in the group will simply ask questions like “Is it a _____?” All they can ask is if the image on the card is a particular noun. The person holding the card has to answer by saying, “No, it’s not a ____ because……”

Examples:

Player 1 is holding a card and sees an image of a banana.

Player 2 says something like, “Is it a shoe?”

Player 1 has to respond by starting out with saying something like “No, because it’s not something you wear.”

Player 2 guesses another specific noun, and then another. He or she might say “Is it a chair?”

Player 1 might say "No, because you don’t sit on it.

Player 2 continues to guess, and might say “Is it a car?”

Player 1 might say “No, because you don’t drive it.”

Player 2 continues to guess, and might say “Is it broccoli?”

Player 1 might say “No, because it’s sweeter.”

Player 2 might say “Is it an apple?”

Now that Player 2 has guessed a fruit, he’s pretty close.

Player 1 can now say something like “No, but it is a fruit.”

Player 2 now just starts guessing different fruits until he or she gets it.

This can be a challenging game that requires a good amount of thought, and you really have to tell your students who are guessing that they can’t ask question about what’s on the card. They can ONLY ask if it’s a specific noun. The player holding the card can’t answer YES or NO. They really need to remember that their response has to begin with NO, BECAUSE…

This is a fun game that will really get your students speaking, and you’ll love hearing them as they play it!