Happy families
Overview
Purpose
To recognise and respond to questions in Spanish that include the use of titles.
Learning outcome
Students understand and use correct titles for people.
Skills
- Listening
- Speaking
Type
Group activity
Related units in ¡Sí! kit
- Unidad 1 ¡Hola!
- Unidad 5 ¿Cuántos años tienes?
- Unidad 7 ¿Cómo es?
Instructions
The object of this card game is to gain complete card 'families'. There are four cards in each family (mother, father, sister, and brother) and six families in the deck of cards. Four players is the ideal group size for this game.
Materials
To download the set of six templates for the card 'families', select from the following Word or PDF formats:
- Happy families cards templates for 'Happy families' activity (Word, 240KB)
- Happy families cards templates for 'Happy families' activity (PDF, 195KB)
One deck of cards (containing six family sets of four cards) is required for each group of four players.
Steps
- Cards are shuffled and four cards are dealt to each player. The remaining eight cards are placed in a stack in the centre of the table. Players take turns (moving clockwise) to ask someone in the group for a card that they need to complete a family, for example, "¿Tienes el señor Maradona/la señora Maradona/la niña Maradona/el niño Maradona?".
- Players respond "Sí" or "No". If the answer is "Sí", they must hand over the card. If the response is "No", play moves to the next student.
- Complete family sets are placed to one side and play continues.
- The winner is the player with the most family sets when all the cards are used up.
Tips
Encourage use of Spanish during the game with the rule that cards don't have to be handed over if they are not asked for in Spanish.
Note that these cards could also be used when students discuss and describe their own family in the ¡Sí! kit Unidad 7 ¿Cómo es?.
Variation
For a group of up to six students to play, or to lengthen the game, the playing deck needs to be increased. Students could be involved by designing playing cards of their own, using authentic Spanish family names.
Alternatively, the deck could be photocopied again and colours added to distinguish the new cards from the original ones.
Further learning
- Develop a set of templates of four objects, which students could colour in and use to play a similar game – instead of people forming the families, the aim would be to collect all four colours of a certain object 'family'. For example, the object 'families' could be suitcases, tables, books, and hats.
- Add the rule that if a card is not asked for in Spanish then it does not have to be given to the player.
- Instead of having responses Sí / No, ask students to reply in full sentences, for example, Sí, tengo el señor.../ No, no tengo el señor...
Language to use
- Buena suerte
Good luck - ¿Tienes...?
Do you have...? - Tengo una familia completa.
I have a complete family. - ¡Soy el campeón! (male)
¡Soy la campeona! (female)
I am the champion!