Last week I blogged about 10 Ways to Get Your Spanish Class Moving. Today I have one more to add to the list, 4 Corners (with a twist).
You can see a couple ways to play 4 Corners in Language Class below.
The basic idea is to have four options, one in each corner. Using the pre-made templates from Creative Language Class in your room, you could do this as an activity to fill in some extra time at the end of class.
We played 4 corners as a “who said it” activity after chapter 2 of Bianca Nieves y los 7 torritos, using four characters. I already had a list of who said it quote from the teacher’s guide, that I had set to come up on my google slideshow one by one (Slide > Transition > by paragraph). I quickly wrote the four characters I wanted to use on paper and posted them in the four corners of the room.
4 Corners Set up
- Have a list of who said it quotes, or items with choices.
- Post the four options in the four corners of the room (4 characters, 4 places, 4 emotions, etc)
- Explain the activity before letting the students move all over
My 4 corners signs that were quickly written during class |
4 Corners (traditional)
- Read the options and have students silently move to their choice. (Or you could just project them if you want to work on reading skills. I personally both read and project to make sure everyone understands).
- If you would like, have volunteers explain their choice in Spanish and try to convince others why they are correct.
- Repeat as long as high interest remains (about ten options).
The volunteer closes their eyes in the center of the room while others chose their corner |
4 Corners (With a Twist)
- Set up the activity the same with prepared statements on a slideshow that come up one by one and four options in the four corners.
- Have one volunteer stand in the middle of the room with their eyes closed.
- Read the statement and have everyone silently make their choice.
- Once everyone is in place, have the volunteer make their choice without opening their eyes.
- If the volunteer is correct, anyone who is at an incorrect corner is “out” (in my class, this means they must instead write the answers to the rest of the options)
- Keep reading statements until the volunteer is incorrect. If they are incorrect, everyone gets a free pass on that questions and a new volunteer is chosen to be in the middle with their eyes closed.
- Anyone who is left at the end and got them all correct could get a small prize or class token.
Allison Wienhold of Mis Clases Locas has a decade of experience as a #deptof1 secondary Spanish teacher in Iowa. She enjoys creating curricula using novels, films, and music. Allison provides professional development to World Language teachers, including being the keynote speaker at MALT and Comprehensible Iowa, and workshop presenter at dozens of state & regional organizations, school districts, AEAs, and virtual conferences.
Unknown says
In 4 corners with a twist, what do you mean by if the volunteer is "correct"? Are they guessing where others are standing or something?
For example of 4 characters, I read a statement that would apply to only one of the 4 characters. Everyone goes to that corner with the volunteer has their eyes closed. They then open their eyes and see if they and the others picked the correct answer.