Level: Intermediate+
Location: Computer room
Skills focus: Reading.
Game: My American Farm

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has commissioned a set of games aimed at teaching agricultural literacy. The selection of games test players on topics as diverse as geography, maths, ingredients to recipes and even the best type of machinery to mow the grass at St. Andrew’s golf course in Scotland.
What I like about the games here is that there is extensive use of language. Like many online quizzes you get asked a question and you are tested on whether you know a select item of vocabulary. This goes one step further and provides additional clues. Take for example the Equipment Engineer. I chose this one because I was doubtfulwhether my learners would benefit from expanding their knowledge of farm engineering
equipment. However, the language clues contained useful language and valid reading skills practice and avoided technical and specialised vocabulary. You read the clue, look through the equipment and click on one to read a description of it, then drag it onto the golf green if you think you have found the right piece of machinery. You get feedback on your progress on the left hand side with each ‘cog’ turning gold each time you complete a quest. Complete three of the quests and you earn a stamp in your passport.
The passport is the the thing I liked the most, though admittably it is the element that is the least digital of all. You download and print off the passport. Then with a pair of scissors and some glue you put it
together and then when you play any of the games and complete one of the challenges you earn a stamp in your passport (stamp, unfortunately, not included). This is great as it provided an extra incentive for learners to play the games and even conduct a little (cheating) practice at home. Luckily, I have a stamp with a rather comical sheep on it (looks a lot like the sheep in Wallace and Gromitt the wrong trousers) and along with my signature over the top (plus the name of the game) means that I can control the game play. I even offer my hand at doodles around the sheep if a player completes a game a number of times.
But what about the games? Are they all good? Well, not all of them but judge the ones below for yourself:
AG Across America Asks questions about aspects of geography and you have to click on a US state the question infers. Get the question right and you also get given a fact and you learn about agriculture in the states
Amazing Grains Read the question and make a choice on your answer from the two options. You have a 50/ 50 chance of getting the maths focussed quiz right.
Equipment Engineer we’ve explained already above.
Farmers Market Challenge Choose a market topic (flowers, protein, eggs, fruits, nuts, veggies or cheese) and answer solve maths based puzzles.
Finders Keepers Choose a food group (grains, protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits or physical activity) then read the challenge to find, say healthy physical activities and then drag the right floating images into the boxes.
Let’s make Something Tasty Read the recipe clues and then find the missing ingredients in the word search to complete the recipe instructions.
Little Ag Me Choose a job from the agricultural industry (food chemist, large animal vet, logger, plant scientist, diesel mechanic, produce buyer or environmental engineer) and answer questions about it. The questions are supported by images so it’s possible to deduce meaning from even some of the more difficult language.
Spin ‘n Solve Spin a wheel to decide your prize and then read a clue to a word before guessing which letters may be part of that word. If you’ve ever seen the Tv game show ‘spin the wheel’ then you have a good idea how to play this game.
That’s Life Learn about the life cycle of various things (soy, cotton, pumpkin, horse or paper). There’s actually not a lot of language in this game but I was using a course book that had exercises around this topic. Learners played this game and then used the language in the book to write about the life cycle in the game.
What’s in The World a nice geography test where you read clues and look at pictures in order to identify a country. Get the answer right and you get a ‘fun fact’.
Wild Water Adventures Choose an adventure (alpine skiing, ride the rapids, crazy canoe course or olympic swim trials) and practice your reading comprehension skills. Each adventure has a different story. Read the story and answer comprehension questions.

There were a few other games on the site but the level of language content was low. Having said that they are educational so they could be offered as ‘fun’ breaks from English. I just wouldn’t encourage too much play on them other than to get the stamp in their passport. Speaking of passports I need to check mine – it’s my summer holiday soon!
And on that note folks Digital Play will be on holiday for the summer.
We’ll be back in September.
Wishing you all a relaxing summer!