Asking and Telling the Time 'Clockmatch'

TYPE OF ACTIVITY
small group; matching

FUNCTION PRACTICED
asking and telling the time

STRUCTURES
What's the time?
It's (twelve o'clock).

TOPIC AREA
time

ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY
numbers to 25; o'clock, half past, a quarter to, a quarter past


MATERIALS AND PREPARATION

Clock cards | Teacher's notes

Mentally divide your class into groups of three or four.
Copy and cut up two (or three for the more competitive version) sets of CLOCK CARDS for each group.


HOW TO USE THE GAME

Divide your class into groups of three or four and seat each group round a table.

Give each group one set of clock cards.

They should deal out the cards equally among them (3-4 cards each).

They should look at their cards.

Then give each group the second set of cards. These are to be placed face down in the middle.

The first player begins by picking up a card from the pile on the table and looking at it.

The other ask, 'What's the time?'

The first player must tell them.

The player with the matching card can throw away both cards.

Then it is his turn to pick up the next card from the pile.

The object of the game is to get rid of all your cards.

The player who gets rid of his cards first is the winner.


DEMONSTRATION

Demonstrate how to play the game by doing the first round with the whole class.

Get him to deal their cards.

Check they've done this, then get them to pick them up and look at them.

Then give them the second pile to put in the middle.

Name a player in each group to begin.

Tell them to take a card from the pile and look at it, but not to show the others.

Get the others to ask, 'What's the time?'

Get player 1 to reply.

Then ask, 'Who has the same card?'

Ask them to put up their hands.

Then get the player with the matching card in each group to take both cards and discard them.

That player is then the next one to pick up a card from the pile

NOTE If you want a more competitive version of the game, copy three sets of cards instead of two for each group and shuffle two sets together in the pack to be dealt out. For every card that is picked up, there will be two matching cards, and the 'trick' will go to the player who calls out the time first.


CLASSROOM LANGUAGE

Here are some cards.
Deal out the cards. (demonstrate)
Good. Pick up the cards. You can look at them. (demonstrate)
Here are some more cards.
Put them in the middle. (giving a pile to each group)
X, Y, Z (naming a student in each group) You begin.
Pick up a card from the pile. (demonstrate)
Look at it but don't show it to the others! (demonstrate)
OK. Everybody ask, 'What's the time?'
X, Y, Z, tell the time, 'It's ... .'
Who has the same card? Put up your hands.
Good. You can take both cards. (demonstrate)
Throw them away, like this. (demonstrate)
OK. Good. Now you can pick up a card.
[source: Beginner's Communication Games by Jill Hadfield]

Related Posts :