20 Questions Game

Divide students into groups of 4. Have them put their desks together.
Give each group the blank slips of paper, one for each member.
Tell students to write one noun on their paper. Explain what a noun is in Japanese (I let them use their dictionaries to look it up), that it is a Person, Place, or Thing, and that any noun is okay but needs to written in English. Tell them it is a secret and not to show their group members.
While they are writing, give each group one pile of cards (the 10 sample cards, other cards with nouns, cards collected from previous classes, or some combination of these).
When everyone finishes, have students put their cards into their pile, shuffle it, and then each take one card from the pile. Tell students not show their cards to their group members.
Explain how to play.

Say the group members will ask students questions.
Write the phrase “Yes or No questions” on the board.
Explain that each student will ask one question, going around the group, until someone guesses what it is on each card. Say these questions can only be yes or no questions and provide/write some yes or no question sample formats on the board for students to follow (ie, “Is it (a)_____?” or “Do we _________ it?”)

Have students begin playing. Tell them to continue until they have used all the cards in their pile. Each time a class does this activity, I add their cards to the piles, so now there are enough cards that students can play for about 30 minutes without finishing or losing interest. It can last as long as you want depending on how many cards you give students.

by Jessie Fast

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