(~ _ _ L - ,- e_ v_ el _ _ ~)

Intermediate or
upper-intermediate Comments
( Type ) .
'----~---~ This game provides a lot of input and intensive practice with a wide range of verbs in the simple past
and habitual past with used to. Because the subject of childhood and teenage memories is so close to
everyone's heart, the game promotes a lot of conversation and better student rapP'?rt.As such, it
should be reserved for the more communicative end of the lesson and used for fluency building.
CLanguagefocus
Used to
Board game
c _ . TOPiC. - - ,- ~)
Growing-up memories
UNIT 2 Past
Sweet memories
)
Vocabulary
Verbs.:grow up, fall down, break, fight with, fail, go on a trip, have a date
Nouns:.childhood memory, toy, tree house, pet, (school) subject, complaints, idol, hero, date, curfew,
school dance
(,- _ _ I n_ t_ er_ a_ c t_ i_ on_ ~) Language output
...............................................................................................................................................................................................
Groups of two to six
C T_ i- m _ e=~~_ " J ~
20-30 minutes
Board and dice (one per
group), counters (one per
student)
J
Procedures
1Preparequestions relatedto childhood and teenage experJ ences.Askone at a time, elicit answers from
the dass, and continue the conversation from there, as shown in Language output. Drawstudents'
attention to the meaning and use of used to, and contrastit with the simple past if necessary.
2 Divide the class into groups and hand out the material.
3Playingthe game:
Players place their counters at the starting paint (symbol of birth: the stork) on the board.
They take turns casting the dice and moving along the board accordingly.
Whenever a player lands on a square with a question in it, someone in the group asks him
or her that question, and the player answers. The group should then explore the topic with
further questions, answers, comments, etc. Encourage the appropriate use of the simple past
and used to.
Whenever a player lands on one of the squares containing happy or unhappy events of life, he
or she must follow the instructions in them.
The first player to get to (but not beyond) the finishing point (symbol of graduation: the
mortarboard) wins the game.
Variations
1If you are teaching teenagers, change the questions so as to suit their young age.
2 If you want to let your students decide what to talk about and formulate the questions themselves,
.replace the questions on the board with prompts, e.g. GROW UP, SCHOOL, TOYS, GAMES,
DATING, MOTHER, BROTHERS &SISTERS, etc.
Note on class size
If students are playing in pairs or groups of three, use coins instead of dice. That way they will move
either one square (heads) or two squares (tails), and have more opportunities to talk.
Where didyou
grow up? What
wasit l ike there?
What kind of
pl ac e did you
use to l ive in?
Youfal l down
and break your arm .
Move bac k
2squares.
5
What isyour
favourite
childhood
m em ory?
26\- - - - - 2- 5 '- - - 7244" 1- - - - - - - ::-
2
:"1
3
- - - - - 2- - ,2L - - - -
2
::":1r----:---2Ol
What didyou use What c om pl aints
to l ove dOing? didyour m other
What did you use to have
hate dOing? about you?
How often did
you use to spend
the night at
friends'?
What didyou
use to do at
weekends?
Who used to
be your idol
or hero?
Youfail your
m aths test.
Missa turn.
27
28
Yougo on your
first trip with
your friends.
Pl ayagain.
Who wasY0l }r
J irstdate?
How did it go?
Didyou use to
have a c urfew?
29
4
31
Youdon't have
a date for the
sc hool danc e.
Missa turn.
16
36
37
What used to
be your
biggest dream ?
35 17
Didyou use to be
a good student?
What was
~your favourite
subjec t?
What used to
be your biggest
probl em ?
What used to
be your favburite
pl ac e to be
al one in?
Youl earn to ride
a'bic yc l e. Move
forward 2squares.
15
Who used to be
your favourite
rel ative? Why? ~- -..._ --
7/
101- - - - _ - ;- - - - ;;,
/~ I 11 121- - - - - -
1
'"1
3
Didyou. use Who didyou use
to have a pet?
to fight with?
What? I f not,
Who didyou
didyou want use to pl aywith?
one?
What used to
be your
favourite toy?
81- - - - - - ;:9
Your father buil ds
you a tree house.
Pl ayagain.
What didyou
use to do in your
sc hool hol idays?
14
18
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