Heads down - Thumbs up
This is a game we used to play at primary school in Scotland. For the longest time it didn't even occur to me I could use it in Japanese elementary schools. Then, speaking to my cousin one day she mentioned that the kids in her class (she's a primary school teacher in Scotland) go mad for Heads down - Thumbs up. I realised that as it doesn't use too much English, children in Japan would be able to enjoy playing very easily during their elementary lessons.
In case you don't know the game. This is how I unsually introduce it to a class. Once the kids know how to play it is easy to skip straight to the game.
Start off with some Simon says and make sure to use the phrases, touch your head and thumbs up. Including Simon says into the lesson means both games will fill the 45 minutes nicely. I don't like to play more than 25 minutes of Heads down Thumbs up. About 20 minutes seems perfect as it leaves the kids wanting more.
Once they've got a handle on heads and thumbs I tell them we are going to play another game. TENSION UP!
We drill, heads down thumbs up. Starting with thumbs up and they do the action. Next, heads down and again do the action. They are usually puzzled but in a giggly kind of way.
We then have a volunteer at the front of the class with his or her desk and we have the other kids say heads down thumbs up. I help the kid at the front get into position and check that everyone knows what is expected.
Then choose between 1/5 and 1/4 of the class to be ghosts, monsters or whatever is in vogue baddie-wise. We are currently using ghosts.
The ghosts come to the front and say heads down thumbs up. Once the rest of the class are in game positon, I tell the ghosts to choose one while using my fingers to gesticulate ONLY ONE and do a thumb touching action.
It doesn't matter if anyone gets it wrong. As I haven't really explained the game to them fully it is kind of to be expected and I enjoy watching kids get it and then explain to their buddies what's going on.
The premise is that the ghosts must choose one person by squeezing someone in the heads down thumbs up position's thumbs. Then creep back to the front of the class. Then the ghosts in unison say, heads up. To which I add, if you were touched, while do a thumb squeezing action, stand up. After a few goes, the ghosts will say stand up instead of me.
Next, the people who were touched try to guess which ghost it was. The ghosts stay quiet until all the touched students have guessed. Then I say, stand next to the person you touched, again while using a bit of hand signal action. People that guessed right swap and become ghosts. While ghosts who weren't picked correctly have another go.
We limit it to three goes of being a ghost in a row. Any ghosts not picked after this become a champion ghost and are swapped out by the Japanese homeroom teacher. This is simply in an effort to make sure more kids have a turn.
That's it. Not too much English going on but I have kids from grade 1 elementary up to grade 1 in junior high buzzing for this game. It is a great ALT lesson in its own right and can be used as a filler if you end up with 10-15 minutes left at the end of a class (as long as they know how to play). The first time allowing a good half hour is probably best.
This game is also known as Heads Down - Seven up. However to me, Seven up is a kind of lemonade.
It's weird that kids can have so much fun playing a quiet game like this rather than playing with one of the latest toys of the moment like Zhu Zhu Babies or something similar!
16.06.2009. 06:16
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