THE CATEGORY OF NUMBER

1. Tell the students that you are going to tell them a story, and that they need to learn some actions first.

2. Ask the students to stand up, in a circle if possible. Join them in the circle and start teaching them two or three words and actions. Then repeat the words in a different order and get the students to do the actions (they don’t need to say the words).

3. Teach a few more words and actions. Get the students to do the actions for the new words and old words mixed together. Continue adding a few more words and actions one at a time until you have presented and practiced them all.

 

Words for miming	Actions
Enormous	Starting above your head, trace a big circle with you hands.
Elephant	Wave an arm in front of your nose like an elephant’s trunk.
Bored	Put your head in your hand with a bored expression on your face.
Idea	Point at your head with a sudden, pleased expression on your face.
Walk	Walk a few steps on the spot.
New York	Put both hands above your head to make a skyscraper.
Meet	Turn to someone beside you and shake hands.
Magic	Hold up your hands and shimmer them down like magic dust.
Monkey	Scratch your head with one hand and your stomach with another.
What’s the matter	Open your hands and shrug your shoulders in a questioning way.
OK	The usual gesture in your country for OK.
Crazy	The usual gesture in your country for crazy.
Crocodile	Make snapping crocodile jaws with outstretched arms.
Tired	Sag your body.
Sleep	Put your head on your two hands.

 

Story outline Enormous Elephant

This is the story of Enormous Elephant, Magic Monkey, and Crazy Crocodile.

One day Enormous Elephant was bored, very, very bored. Then he had an idea.

‘I know,’ he said, ‘I’ll go to New York’.

So he started to walk, and he walked, and he walked, and he walked. On the way he met Magic Monkey.

‘Hello, Magic Monkey,’ he said.

‘Hello,’ said Magic Monkey.

‘What’s the matter?’ said Enormous Elephant.

‘I’m bored,’ said Magic Monkey, ‘very, very bored’.

‘I’ve got an idea,’ said Enormous Elephant, ‘why don’t you come to new York with me?’

‘OK,” said Magic Monkey.

So they started to walk, and they walked, and they walked, and they walked. On the way they met Crazy Crocodile.

‘Hello, Crazy Crocodile,’ they said.

‘Hello,’ said Crazy Crocodile.

‘What’s the matter?’ said Enormous Elephant.

‘I’m bored,’ said Crazy Crocodile, ‘very, very bored.’

‘I’ve got an idea,’ said Enormous Elephant, ‘why don’t you come to New York with us?’

‘OK,’ said Crazy Crocodile.

So they started to walk, and they walked, and walked, and walked.

And they walked, and they walked, and they walked.

And they walked, and they walked, and they walked.

‘Oh, I’m tired,’ said Enormous Elephant.

‘Oh, I’m tired,’ said Magic Monkey.

‘Oh, I’m tired,’ said Crazy Crocodile.

So they all went to sleep.

 

5. Simon Says: this game can be used to practice imperatives, such as, “Stand up”, “Sit down”, “Jump”, “Clap”, “Stop”, “Stomp”, and so on. The students only perform the actions if the teacher says “Simon Says” before each action. Example:

Teacher: Simon Says, “Jump”.

Students: jump on their places.

Teacher: “Clap”.

Students: stand still.

 

6. Blindfold to practice directions: one student is blindfolded and the others have to guide him/her, using words related to directions, for example, “Go ahead”, “Turn left/right”, “Stop”, “Three/four/five steps ahead”, etc.

 

7. “What time is it, Mr. Wolf?”: this activity can be used to practice time. One student is “Mr. Wolf”, and this student remains standing with his/her back to the other students. The other students stay 5/6 meters from “Mr. Wolf”, and they have to ask, “What time is it, Mr. Wolf?”. The student performing “Mr. Wolf” is going to answer 1/2/3… o’clock, and they have to walk the number of steps corresponding to the hour. When “Mr. Wolf” notices the students are near, he/she is going to answer to their question “It’s lunch time” and get one of the students to be the next “Mr. Wolf”.

 

8. Change places if…: one student stands still while the others are sitting. He/She says, “Change places if you like apples”. Students who like apples are going to move, and the one who remains standing must think of a new sentence using the structure and vocabulary previous taught by the teacher. Teachers can use this to practice likes and dislikes, clothes, colors, physical appearance, etc.

 

9. Action Cube: glue 4-6 different actions words onto a ‘milk/juice carton dice’. (To create a dice, wash the carton, cut to a height of 14 cm in one of the sides. Cut down 7 cm on the other sides and fold the longer side 7cm. Cover with colorful paper)

Practice the actions on the cube, such as clap, dance, jump, snap, sing, shout. Students take turns rolling the dice. They use the action verb in the phrase “Clap with me”. The other student(s) respond by saying, “Sure!” while performing the action. Students continue until each student has had several turns to roll the dice.

 

10. Dialogues: the teacher can use real objects to practice dialogues, creating a “real” atmosphere. Situations such as in a supermarket, shopping for clothes, travel, as so on, can be practiced with this activity.

 

 

“Good luck with the activities.

I hope your students like them”.

 

NOUN

 

THE CATEGORY OF NUMBER