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Lesson Plan
Learning objectives:
Students will be able to describe the location of objects using prepositions of place.
Instructions:
Review prepositions of place (behind, in front of, next to, between, near, above, below, in, out). It helps to review with picture cards or realia. For example, place a ball between two markers. “Where is the ball?” “The ball is between the markers.”
When students are comfortable with the prepositions of place, it is time for snakes and ladders. Start by creating small groups of 2-4 students.
Place the board game on the ground so everyone can see it (photo below). This specific version was made to review prepositions of place so each space on the board has an opportunity to practice that language. For example, it has a space with an image of a monkey on a box.
Explain the rules of the board game. Each team will take turns rolling the dice to move the given amount of spaces. Wherever the team lands, they must complete the given task. For example, if the space has an image of a monkey on a box, they must describe it. “The monkey is on the box.” If a team can develop the correct sentence using the prepositions of place, they can move on.
Always model a few examples and make sure the students understand the expectations before starting the game. When they are ready, ask students to play rock, paper, scissors to determine who will go first. The first team to reach the finishing line first is the winner.
Tips:
This version of snakes and ladders was printed on a huge sheet so I took my students outside to play the game. Teachers can also print on regular paper and ask students to play in pairs at their desks.
Every aspect of this board game can be customized to meet the lesson’s objectives. For example, if the students are learning past tense verbs, each space can have an irregular verb and the task can be to develop past tense sentences using the given verb.
Teacher: Mely Sapa, Indonesia
Mely was born in Makassar. She is currently working as an English teacher at SMP Negeri 1 Makale, Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi. Mely also works part-time as a local English tour guide.