Digital Play

By kylemawer 　http://digitalplay.info/blog/2010/02/discussion-topic-2-border-country/

Level: Advanced

Topic: Border Country

Speaking  Focus: Expressing opinions

Time: 30 – 45 minutes

Game: Against all odds

Preparation

You also need to go through a few steps after entering the site before you can get to play the game.  The steps are:

1) Click on Open in full screen.

2) Click on Play against all odds.

3) Choose your game characters identity.  i.e one of the characters (use the left right arrow to move between the characters) and write in a name before clicking on No! Play without registering.

4) Click on the number 1 in the Border Country box.

Playing

Tell your learners to write a list of what they think each building is.  Hover mouse over each building that gets highlighted.  Allow 30 seconds for each one.  Encourage learners to discuss what each place represents for the refugee.  Go back and click on each building left to right.  Let learners read and discuss options.  Follow learners instructions.  Play again if the game ends.  The correct option is the church on the far right.

Follow the learner’s guidelines and play as they instruct you to do so.  Try and keep the pace quite fast.

Learners work in pairs and have to decide on whether an individual is an immigrant or a refugee.  They make a note of their name and reasons for their decision.  Learners then find others who disagree with them and discuss their reasons.

Allow time for learners to read the options and in pairs discuss which option they would choose.  Then discuss the which option to choose in open class.  Vote and choose the winning option.

Post Play

Write a composition on some of the topics or issues raised in class from playing the game.

Discuss the game in open class.

Role play one of the sequences from the game.

Write a short story based on the experience of the character in the game.

Write some advice using ’should’ to the character in the game.

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