I love Flyswatter, but in light of Comprehensible Input, it is a rather limited vocabulary activity; we know that vocabulary is never presented as isolated words but rather in a meaningful context. Jason Fritze's version brings in the Comprehensible Input factor yet still preserves what makes Flyswatter an enjoyable activity for students. Instead of vocabulary words, you will use pictures from a story which the class has been reading.
NOTE - this activity takes a bit of prep work on your end.
- Take sentences from a story which you have been reviewing. These sentences need to be 100% comprehensible to students! I would not use sentences with which students are unfamiliar.
- On a piece of paper, draw four quadrants and in each quadrant, illustrate a sentence from the story.
- Repeat the same thing with 2-3 more sheets of paper with a variation of sentences
- With a document projector, project the pictures onto a screen. NOTE - you can also do this activity using a plastic overhead sheet and projector, but do those exist in the classroom any longer?
- Pick two student volunteers and give a flyswatter to each
- Explain that you are going to read a sentence aloud in Latin which corresponds to one of the pictures, and AFTER the sentence has been completed, the first one to swat the correct picture gets a point.
- Best 3 out of 5 wins
- Pick two new volunteers and repeat with a new set of pictures.
- Wow, what a great way to get in repetitions of the language in a VERY fun and meaningful context. Students are hearing the language and associating them with pictures.
- Students LOVE this activity due to being able to "swat" the board. I only do this activity though a few times a semester in order to preserve the novelty.
- It is another great way to review a story in a completely different modality.
Here is an example of a story which used for Sentence Flyswatter.
1) Marcus duos filios habet
2) unus filius est bonus, sed unus filius est malus
3) bonus filius dicit, "mihi placet esse bonus!"
4) malus filius dicit, "mihi placet esse malus!"
5) bonus filius dicit, "mihi placet currere in silva!"
6) malus filius dicit, "mihi placet currere in urbe nude!"
7) bonus filius dicit, "mihi placet pulsare malos iuvenes"
8) malus filius dicit, "mihi placet pulsare senes!"
9) bonus filius dicit, "mihi placet consumere crustula!"
10) malus filisu dicit, "mihi placet consumere infantes!"