Wednesday's Wonder: Learning Strategy "Kick Me"

Wednesday's Wonder is where I find learning strategies from The Teaching Channel that grab my interest and I wonder, 

"Would that work with my ELL's?"

This video was taped in Jodi Macauley's, 7th grade, writing class.  She is demonstrating a word choice strategy called, "Kick Me".  It is inspired by the prank where someone writes a note on another person's back that says, "kick me".  Just the notion of it being inspired by something that middle schoolers think is funny already says to me that kids might like this strategy.  

In my experience, analogies are difficult for ELL's, perhaps we could practice with lower level words and work our way up.  

The activity gets everyone involved, 

100% engagement!

Ms. Macauley specifies, 

rules are critical for this go down well.

~ A time limit

~ "Absolutely no kicking"

I would add:

~ Voice Level set

~ Words must remain on students' backs during the entire activity

~ Points awarded for maturity

Ms. Macauley also suggests in the video, this activity would work well as:

~ Pre and post lesson

~ Review for a quiz or test

~ Re-teaching

I think it might also be a fun B.O.Y. activity.

The questionaire could have questions about the school and classroom policies.

Something to think about . . .

If there aren't enough students for the amount of words, 

I may tape more than one word to students' backs.  

If you've used this activity, let me know how it works for you.

And, if you have another activity that might work with my ELL's, please share.

I have a reader from My Bright Blue House

who shared with me the activity, "Sum It Up" from The Reading Quest site.

Check it out.