Digital Play

By kylemawer 　http://www.digitalplay.info/blog/2010/11/09/998/

A computer room note taking activity leading to a writing for homework.

Level: Upper-Intermediate+

Location: Computer room

Skills focus: Note Taking

Game: Stop Disasters

A disaster simulation game in which you choose a disaster scenario (tsunami, hurricane, wildfire, earthquake and flood) and “try to build upon an established community; providing defences and upgraded housing to prepare for the inevitable disaster.”

Preparation

Download a copy of the Stop disasters note taking worksheet and make a copy for each learner.

Preplay

1. Play hangman for – ‘Natural / disasters‘ and brainstorm scenarios.
2. Write ‘tsunami‘, ‘hurricane‘, ‘wildfire‘, ‘earthquake‘ and ‘flood‘ on the board and check comprehension.
3. Pairs choose one of the disaster scenarios and as each other questions using who, what, where, when, which, why, how (x2)
4. Handout the worksheets and learners write one of the disaster scenarios at the top and predict what might go in the spaces.
5. Put learners in pairs and allocate roles 1) Surveyor 2) Official

Play

1. Learners take the worksheet to the computer room and work in pairs.
2. The Surveyor plays the game but listens to the officials advice who also notes down the information on the worksheet.
3. Change learners roles every 5 minutes from the start of the game (the short game takes 20 minutes unless the player initiates the disaster.
4. Back in class learners learners report on their game.  Encourage groups that played the same disaster to compare and discuss how they could have done better.

Post Play

Learners do a writing for homework.  They can do:

• A letter from someone in the community to their local politician.
• A letter to the newspaper from the person in charge of the budget.