Signals Overview: Students do specific tasks based on pre-defined signals given by the teacher. Preparation: A set of 4 or more actions with corresponding hand/body signals. What to do: Before starting the activity, show the students the signals and the actions to be taken when the signals are done. Example: The action list is: Hop around the table Write your name on the black board Take out your pencils and line them up in a row Stand on your chair The signals are: Two claps and touch your nose One clap and two blinks One blink and touch your nose One clap and touch your nose NOTE: The actions can be anything and not related to each other. The closer they are related to each other, the harder the activity. Once the students understand what each signal is and what action it corresponds to, break the class up into teams. One student from each team is chosen. You do the signal and the students race. The winner gains a point for their team. Change students for each new action. If a student does the wrong activity, wait until they are completed before you tell them that it was the wrong action. The team can help BUT the help must be in the form of English. Example: Two teams are made with two students ready to go. You clap twice and touch your nose (which, you've set to mean "Hop around the table") One student takes out pencils to line them up in a row. The other student hesitates. Her teammates start shouting "Hop". She starts hopping around the table and completes the action before the other student does and gains a point for the team. Variation: Instead of doing the signals, you shout out the action and the students have to do the proper signals before completing the task. Example: You shout out "Hop around the table" The two students, before they start hopping, must clap twice and touch their noses. Copyright © 2005 Dana Chaffin All Rights Reserved http://www.englishresource.com