Functions - Vocabulary Grab Bag Game

Vocab Grab Bag is an interactive learning and review activity that focuses on academic vocabulary. This math activity can be a part of your sheltered instruction toolbox and is great for both ELLs and native English speakers.

Sheltered language strategies are teaching strategies that focus on teaching academic vocabulary at the same time as academic content. These types of strategies have been researched and shown to improve student learning, especially for ELLs. This Vocab Grab Bag game combines both academic vocabulary building and student interaction. When students participate in this activity, they are explicitly required to interact with both academic language and content at the same time.

This Vocab Grab Bag resource contains

-Vocabulary Cards; you will need one set of cards per group.

-”How to play vocab grab bag” text Instructions to project

-Cheat Sheet: Words and definitions

-Job cards for groups of 3, 4, or 5; you will need one set of job cards per group

-(Optional) Alphabetizing Mat; if you use this additional activity, print one mat per group.

-Answer Key for Alphabetizing Mat

You will need to supply your own bag, envelope, or container for the word cards.

How to play Vocab Grab Bag

1.Cut out the vocab cards and place one set of cards in each bag, envelope or container that you are using.

2.Organize students into groups of 3, 4, or 5. I have found that groups of 4 seem to be optimal.

3.Give each student one Job Card.

4.Students go in order, starting with Job 1 until they have completed one round. Do not return the used words to the container.

5. After each round, students rotate jobs, passing the Job Cards in the order you designate.

6. Continue until the teacher stops the game.

7. Alternate option #1: When all word cards have been used, transition to putting the words in alphabetical order, using the Alphabetizing Mat.

8. Alternate option #2: If all word cards have been used, return all the cards to the container and start over again.

Teacher tips

•Do not skip the praise step, it is important and surprisingly fun!

•If you have a student in the very early stages of learning English, consider letting them keep Job 1 or Job 2 for the entire game.

•Project the instructions at the front of the room for students to refer to while playing.

1 PDF file.