Digital Play

By kylemawer 　http://digitalplay.info/blog/2010/02/discussion-topics-3-a-new-life/

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 A New Life box.

Playing

Learners can play this game in a computer room or a connected classroom . In the computer room it acts as an interactive reader though you may wish to incorporate some of the ideas below as note taking activities.

1 Learners read the job letters and agree on one explaining why.

2 They then choose the best clothes to wear to the interview.

3 In the reception there are three other candidates for the job.  Ask learners to note down what they say and what they would say to them in return and who they would most like to sit by and why.

4 Finally the job interview consists of a few questions.  learners should say which is the worst answer to the questions and explain why.

Learners visit each of the shops looking to buy a mobile phone.  A pre play activity could be for learners to discuss what phones they have, which is the best and why.  They then play the game:

1 Take notes on who says what in the shops.  i.e. age, gender, looks etc and what opinion they express.  Later learners can discuss what sort of views they have on immigrants and how these opinions may be true/ false and what affect they may have on an immigrant who hears them.

Quickly drag objects into origin categories of either the USA or Other Countries.

1 Start the game and as the objects go past one learner watches and dictates the objects to a partner.  Play the game until they have all objects.

2 Learners discuss the country of origin for each country.   (pyramid discussion).

3 Ask a volunteer to come to the front to play the game as the rest of the class shouts out where each one goes.

4 If they get it wrong click on web facts and tell learners they have 2 minutes to find the answers on that page.  Scroll down/ up every 30 seconds so that learners can read all the text.

5 Repeat steps 3 & 4 until the game has been finished.

Post Play

Learners write up their reflections on what some of the emotions and feelings an immigrant may feel.

To research and write about an invention from their own country, any other country or a predetermined country (England, Scotland, Ireland or Wales).

Debate with half the class presenting and anti-immigration view point and the other half a pro-immigration view point.

Role play the situation in the reception between them and the three other candidates.  First brainstorm the characters and personality to establish character roles.

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