Aim of the Game
The aim of the game is to encourage learners to find questions which will promote the given answers as quickly as possible in order to score points.
The team with the most points at the end of the game are the winners. The game may end after a stated period of time (e.g. 10mins) or number of questions (e.g. fifteen).
Procedure
Split the class into two teams (black and grey, or they can make up their own names).
Explain the time limit relation to the scoring system of basketball (as explained in the aim of the game above).
Make the length of the game clear to the teams before you begin play (i.e. fifteen questions).
Do one or two examples as a class on the whiteboard before beginning the game so that everyone is clear about how to play the game (e.g. Write your name on the white board and ask the students what question this is the answer to (i.e. what’s your name?) - accept any suitable questions suggested. Then write the city you are in on the whiteboard and elicit the question ‘Where do you live?’
Toss a coin to see which team goes first.
Play the game, writing answers on the whiteboard and letting learners work out the question in their teams. As they work, count the seconds as they pass from 1 up to 24. A fun way to do this is to count ‘one basketball, two basketballs, three basketballs etc. Hearing the seconds tick away adds pressure and urgency to the play.
If the team come up with a suitable question to which the given answer is an appropriate response within ten seconds, award them three points. If they take longer than ten but less than 24, award them two points. If their question is incorrect or they run out of time, they score no points and the turn moves to the other team.
Keep score on the whiteboard as the game progresses.
When all the questions have been asked or the time limit is up, declare the team with the most points as the winner.
Variations
In reality, the court is merely there to add a feel for the game, the most important part of the format are the time limits set and these need to be strictly adhered to, to keep the pace of the game high and challenging.
If you want, use a ball of blu tac as the basketball and use it to show which team is in possession. For example, when the black team is in possession, place the ball in the right hand side of the court, since they are attacking the grey basket. And when the grey team are in possession put the ball in the left hand side of the court.
If learners speaking L1 during the game becomes a problem, you can award ‘free throws’ to the other team to discourage it. Stop the game, move the ball to the free throw line and explain why the team has committed a ‘foul’. In order to score a bonus ‘free throw’ point, the non-offending team has to translate what was said in L1 into correct English.
Other ‘discipline’ problems like shouting out an answer out of turn or not paying attention to the game can also be ‘punished’ by the award of free throws to the opposing team.