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Surprise Box

Goals: to practice vocabulary; to practice using descriptive language

1. A surprise box can provide a lot of fun while reviewing vocabulary. If your students are learning the names for shapes, put a plastic circle or triangle in the box. If you're working with classroom objects, put in a crayon, a pencil, or a piece of chalk. When you're talking about food, use a carrot, a banana, an apple, or an orange.
 
2. Use a large cardboard box with a top on it. Cut a hole in one end. The hole must be large enough for a student's hand to go in, but not so large that he or she can see the object inside. (If you prefer, use a bag or a large sock.)
 
3. Put an object inside the box and fasten the cover. Let individual students reach inside the box, feel the object, and try to guess what it is.
 
4. As students learn more English, ask them to describe the object before naming it.
 
For example:
'It's little. It's square. It's an eraser.'
 
Students might also describe the object and ask the rest of the class to guess what it is. An alternative would be for the class to ask questions of the student at the front to try to guess the object.
 
5. As students become more proficient at identifying items, place more than one in the box.

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