Fortune teller
Overview
Purpose
To recognise and respond to questions and instructions in Spanish.
Learning outcomes
Students are able to:
- communicate using days of the week and numbers
- communicate about personal information
- use and respond to simple classroom instructions
- communicate about relationships between people.
Skills
- Listening
- Speaking
- Reading
Type
Pair activity
Related units in ¡Sí! kit
- Can be adapted to suit all ¡Sí! units
Instructions
The objective of this activity is to use the fortune teller to prompt students through a full conversation.
Students play in pairs, using one fortune teller between them. They should speak only Spanish throughout, including greeting their partner at the beginning, and saying thank you and goodbye at the end.
Materials
To download the template for the fortune teller, select from the following Word or PDF formats:
- Fortune teller template for 'Fortune teller' activity (Word, 93KB)
- Fortune teller template for 'Fortune teller' activity (PDF, 112KB)
Note that this template needs to be printed and copied in colour. You need one copy for each pair of students.
Making the fortune teller
Give each pair of students a copy of the fortune teller template, and tell them to cut it out. To fold it, give them the following instructions as they do it.
- Fold the template along the outer set of dotted lines, so that the numbers and colours fold over to the back of the page.
- Fold only the numerals back over – that is, fold the four new corners back into the centre. All you now see are the colours on one side and the numerals on the other side.
- With the number side up, fold along one diagonal line (between numerals 2 and 20) then unfold. Fold and unfold along the other diagonal line (between 10 and 12).
- Again with the number side up, fold and unfold along the other two crossing lines (between numbers 20 and 10, and between 12 and 11).
- Put a thumb and forefinger under two of the colour flaps. Put the other thumb and forefinger under the other two colour flaps. Use the forefingers and thumbs to push the fortune teller out into four pyramid shapes (as shown in the diagram on the fortune teller template).
Steps
- Student A holds out the fortune teller closed up (that is, only the colours are visible) and asks Student B to choose a colour.
- Student B replies with the colour name and then spells the word.
- Student A asks Student B to choose a number.
- Student B replies with the number and then counts from one up to that number.
- Student A turns out the number corner and asks Student B the question underneath the chosen number.
- Student B replies, using a full sentence.
- Student A then asks the adjacent question.
- Student B replies, using a full sentence.
- Student A says a version of 'thanks and goodbye'.
- Student B replies.
- Students swap roles and repeat the process.
For a model of one of the possible conversations, see 'Language to use' section below.
Tips
- Practice run making a fortune teller before the lesson, so that you know how to do the folding.
- This activity can also be used in a learning centre.
Variations
Adapt the fortune teller for use with other units by:
- simplifying the questions for use with earlier units
- making the questions more difficult for use with later units.
Further learning
- Students create their own questions to write into the fortune teller template, then share with rest of class, or add to learning centre resource.
- Ask students to create a rhyme in Spanish to go with opening and closing the fortune teller, as in done in the traditional version of the game.
Language to use
| Student A: | Buenos días/Buenas tardes/Hola Gidday/hello |
|---|---|
| Student B: | Buenos días/Buenas tardes/Hola Gidday/hello |
| Student A: | ¿Qué color quieres? Which colour do you want? |
| Student B: | Azul, A–Z–U–L. (Student B spells the colour.) |
| Student A: | ¿Qué número quieres? Which number do you want? |
| Student B: | Tres. Uno – dos – tres. Three. One – two – three. (Student B counts up to the chosen number.) |
| Student A: | ¿De dónde eres? Where are you from? |
| Student B: | Soy de Mangakino, Nueva Zelandia. I am from Mangakino, New Zealand. |
| Student A: | ¿Cuándo es el cumpleaños de tu madre? When is your mother's birthday? |
| Student B: | El cumpleaños de mi madre es el trece de abril. My mother's birthday is 13 April. |
| Student A: | Gracias/Adiós/Hasta luego/Hasta pronto Thanks / Goodbye / See you soon |
| Student B: | Gracias/Adiós/Hasta luego/Hasta pronto Thanks / Goodbye / See you soon |