Scene charades is a super fun activity everyone will get a kick out of. Scene charades are exactly what they sound like. It is a game of charades where students act out a scene from a picture talk, movie talk, or story told in the classroom. It involves lots of students, action, and laughs.
When to use:
This activity pairs perfectly with any story you tell in the classroom. The story can be from a movie talk or a class-created story. Or it can be used after any lesson that gives a lot of information that students can act out. Use after any of these class activities:
- picture talk
- movie talk (example)
- class-created story
- teacher-created story
How to use:
Scene chardes has a little bit of prep involved. The first step is for the teacher to create cards with something to be acted out. I try to make these cards so that there are at least 2 people in the group. Two to five “actors” seems to be a good number. Many students will be embarrassed to come up front on their own. However, if you have students who love to ham it up, they can certainly have a scene that involves one person. Make a note on the card of how many people need to be included in the scene (2, 2 – 4, etc.) then place a number on the card for the order they will be presented (see example below). The order does not need to follow the story, but the numerical order is important for the next step.
After the student cards have been created, you will need to create a slide deck that shows three options from the story (see example below). One option will be accurate and the others will be wrong. The group will act out their scene then the teacher will show the slide with the options. Students can hold up a finger to show which scene they think matches the actors. Even better, give each student a whiteboard and some time to think about what they just watched. Students can write the number on the board and flip it after 30 seconds. This lets the teacher know who is really understanding and not just copying others in the classroom. It also allows processing time for those students who need just a bit more time.
What students need to do:
Once groups have their cards, give them about four minutes to come up with a skit. I tell students they can use props, signs, and mime to get the story out there. Then call groups up in sequential order so it follows the slide deck you created.
This activity is great for a few reasons.
- gets students up and moving
- adds some fun to the classroom environment
- gives the teacher an opportunity to see what students understand
- allows students to be creative with the language
- it is collaborative
How can you use this activity in your classroom?
Get Social
If you have questions, let’s talk in the Creative ASL Teaching Facebook group. Join the conversation in our Facebook group.
Don’t miss out on a sale, FREEBIE, or new product. Follow Creative ASL Teaching on TpT.
Check out the teacher swag on Etsy.
