Digital 10 Questions

Here is a simple activity you can do with any level or age of students from about 8+ to allow them to use their mobile phones or tablets in class.  Before you do this for the first time with your students, click here for tips on classroom management and preparation before using student phones in class.   This activity can be kept as a short warmer/filler, or extended into a full lesson by introducing grammar and vocabulary.

Aims: 

• To review question forms
• To practise speaking
• To prepare a short spoken presentation
• To encourage critical thinking
• To prepare for exam speaking activities 
• Write a paragraph about the activity
  
• To give students an opportunity to do an authentic activity (using mobile phones) in L2.
  

Preparation

1. Take a close up picture of an object with your own mobile phone and prepare a short (verbal) description of information about the object.
2. In the class before you intend to do the activity, divide the students into two teams and show the photo to the students.  Tell them they have 10 questions to guess what it is.  (Write up question stems on board depending on age/level).
3. After guessing what the object is, encourage critical thinking by asking students follow up questions depending on what the object is (e.g.where is it?, why did you take the photo?, what/who is to the left/right/above, etc. of the object?, and any other relevant questions (relating to your description).  In pairs or small groups, students write down their thoughts.  Depending on level, you could introduce grammatical structures here.
4. Tell students that they should take a mystery photo with their mobile phones and prepare a short presentation about the photo for the following class.

 Class Activity

1. Organise students into small groups of 2, 3 or 4.  Appoint a leader to run the activity.
2. One student in each group shows their photo to the rest of the group.  They have 10 questions to guess then the student gives his/her presentation about the photo.  (Could record their presentations on their mobile phones then bluetooth to the teacher.)
3. Repeat until all students have given their presentation.  
4. Students vote on the most difficult to guess, interesting, etc. in their group.  (Could review compratives and superlatives here).  You could repeat the activity with students changing groups.
5. Students write a short paragraph about which photo they found the most interesting, etc.