Digital Play

By kylemawer 　http://www.digitalplay.info/blog/2010/06/18/victors-nightmare/

A relay dictation or graded reading for primary learners.

Level: Primary

Location: Computer room

Topic: Nightmares

Language focus: Directions, prepositions & game vocabulary

Game: Victor’s nightmare

Victor suffers from nightmares and in order to get some restful night’s sleep he needs to learn how to face his fears and vanquish them.

Preparation

Download and a copy of Victor’s nightmare walkthrough.  Either print a copy for each pair in your class (a reading) or a single copy (relay dictation).

Pre-play

1. In the classroom do hangman for ‘nightmares‘ and brainstorm vocabulary onto the board.
2. Set up a relay dictation in the classroom with the Victor’s nightmare walkthrough that you downloaded.  Learner’s should take turns to relay the sentences.
3. Allow enough time for your learners to relay dictate a few sentences the take the walkthrough down.
4. Ask learners to pick up their dictation and take it to the computer room.

Play

1. Before your learners sit down put victor’s nightmare walkthrough on the wall and show your learners.
2. Explain to your learners they are going to play a game and use the walkthrough they copied to start the game.  When they have finished what they copied they can take turns (like they did in the classroom) to use the walkthrough on the wall.  This time they don’t have to write it down – they just tell their partner who plays the game.
3. First pair to finish are the champions.

Post Play

Back in the classroom learners use the Victor’s nightmare walkthrough to make a game dictionary.  After having played the game they should be able to visualise parts of the game using the walkthrough and be able to translate sections.

Alternative reading activity

1. Do the pre-play activity above.
2. Take your learners to the computer room and handout a copy of victor’s nightmare walkthrough to each pair.
3. Learners work in pairs with one playing the game and the other reading the walkthrough to them.
4. After 5 minutes say “change!” and get pairs to swap roles.
5. When first pair finishes get them to look some of the walkthrough words up in a dictionary OR do the game again from memory.

NOTE The house on the right of the path is actually up the path on the left and the house on the left of the path is actually up the path on the left.  You may want to change this as it sometimes causes confusion.  REMEMBER a little bit of confusion can produce some interesting language but be careful to avoid frustration.