Cards Up, Cards Down

 Cards Up, Cards Down

This is a memory game that can often be just as challenging for the teacher as for the students. For this reason it is worth jotting down a few notes as you play.

The students are now at a stage when they are quite familiar with the FC vocabulary, but you can never get enough practice! In fact, this game can be an excellent way to review old FC vocabulary.

With the usual example of your classroom set-up shown below, the students are handed an FC each. They then, while still sitting in their chairs, hold up their FCs for everyone to see – the instruction for them to do this comes in the form of the teacher saying, “Cards Up!”

WHITEBOARD

Team A                                          Team B

#1s                                 #1s

#2s                                  #2s

#3s                                  #3s

#4s                                  #4s

#5s                                  #5s

#6s                                  #6s

Looking at the above diagram, picture all of the students holding their ‘cards up’ while at the same time looking around at all of their classmates to see (and try to remember!) what flashcards they are holding. It is during this time that I suggest the teacher makes a quick note of which FC each student has.

Finally, after a half minute or so, the teacher instructs the students to put their, “Cards down!” and the students respond by putting their FCs face down on their desks (or under their chairs if they do not have a desk attached to their chair).

What follows is a series of questions from the teacher. Let us say that the FCs are for snacks:

The teacher picks the [#5s] from team A and asks them to name the snack FC that the [#3s] from team B is holding. If they guess correctly, they can win points for their team. Next the teacher picks the [#4s] from team B and asks them to name the FC that the [#1s] from team A is holding. If they guess correctly, then they are awarded points. And so the game continues in this way.

Or. …

The teacher picks the [#5s] from team A and asks them which student from team B has the [popcorn] FC. If they guess correctly, they can win points for their team. Next the teacher picks the [#4s] from team B and asks them to name the student from team A who has the [doughnut] FC. If they guess correctly, then they are awarded points.

You could also mix up the two versions, constantly changing the types of questions you ask. There is even the option (once your class have become familiar with the activity) of asking a range of more colourful and challenging questions: with the example of playing this game with ‘snack’ FCs, the teacher could ask, “Who has a very small snack? Which students from that team have sweet snacks? Who has eaten a cake today? Who had French fries for breakfast? Does [#4s] have a packet of crisps/potato chips?” etc.

You also have the choice of getting the students to ask these questions themselves, either as the ‘little teacher’ or to have the two teams taking turns to fire questions at each other.

There is the temptation to make this game last a long time, but kids get bored easily so I would suggest having a quick, punchy pace to the activity. Hand out the cards, “Cards Up” thirty seconds, “Cards Down” question, question, question, question, question, question ... stop. Cards are then given back to the teacher. The game is either repeated, or a different activity commences.