Thursday, July 20, 2017

Taboo

(TESOL Worksheets--Speaking, Any Vocabulary Set, Time Killers and Time Fillers)
Google: drive, docs, pub
The Rules: docs, pub
* Supplement 1: Life Intermediate: Unit 1 p.9drivedocspub
* Supplement 2: Regular Verbsdrivedocspub
* Supplement 3:  Q Skills for Success Listening and Speaking 5drivedocspub,
* Supplement 4: Reflect Reading & Writing 6docspub

Every ESL teacher has at one time or another created their own Taboo cards, so I guess I get no points for originality here.  But for whatever they may or may not be worth, here's my own contribution.
The resource center at my school has the original Milton-Bradley game, but the vocabulary is often too advanced for my pre-intermediate students.  Plus I thought it would be useful to have a version of this game in my files in case I'm ever at a different school in the future.  So I made my own cards.
I made up 60 cards.  More would have been better, but 60 was all I had time to create in the hour before class started.  (I may in the future go back and add to these.)
I also created blank cards for the students to write their own.
For anyone unfamiliar with this game, the rules are here or here.





DOG
pet
bark
cat
animal
wolf
APPLE
fruit
red
green
food
eat
EAT
mouth
food
chew
teeth
swallow
SCHOOL
teacher
student
study
learn
now
FAT
thin
big
weight
size
small
FISH
water
ocean
river
lake
seafood
MOUNTAIN
high
ocean
valley
hill
top
BANANA
fruit
food
yellow
monkey
eat
DOCTOR
job
hospital
sick
heal
people
NOSE
face
smell
eyes
mouth
head
TOP
bottom
high
mountain
tall
roof
ROOF
building
rain
snow
chimney
high
CHAIR
sit
legs
4
seat
stand
ELEPHANT
animal
big
trunk
grey
Africa
RED
flag
color
bright
blood
look
COLOR
red
yellow
blue
green
purple
FLAG
country
color
fabric
pole
nation
WHEEL
round
car
bike
tire
circle
POTATO
food
eat
mashed
baked
fried
NEW YORK
city
America
Statue of Liberty
Empire State Building
United States
CONCERT
music
audience
perform
sing
watch
OCTOPUS
ocean
sea
8
arms
fish
PHONE
call
text
message
talk
ring
FOOTBALL
soccer
player
goal
World Cup
score
CAT
dog
pet
animal
purr
meow
CASTLE
king
queen
old
building
Europe
MUSIC
sing
dance
play
instrument
radio
CONTEST
win
lose
prize
people
sports
WIN
lose
sports
game
prize
play
CROW
black
bird
fly
eat
animal
JOKE
say
tell
funny
laugh
comedian
BRAIN
head
think
organ
body
skull
SICK
feel
well
disease
healthy
hospital
GUM
bubble
chew
mouth
eat
food
PUMPKIN
Halloween
fall
vegetable
orange
food
PRESENT
give
get
birthday
Christmas
Santa Claus
HIKING
walk
nature
mountain
trail
feet
TRAIL
hiking
woods
mountain
nature
road
DOLPHINS
ocean
fish
swim
sea
grey
FARMER
farm
grow
cows
chickens
country
STOMACH
eat
food
body
inside
digest
STOMACH ACHE
hurt
pain
eat
bad
food
BROKEN
bad
hurt
piece
destroy
wreck
LEG
walk
body
foot
knee
run
NEST
bird
tree
sticks
egg
live
BEACH
sand
ocean
sun
summer
swim
BALL
throw
round
catch
play
circle
CLIMB
mountain
tree
up
go
dangerous
PIMPLE
teenager
skin
cream
oil
ugly
ICE CREAM
cone
milk
cake
dessert
delicious
DESSERT
eat
meal
sweet
cake
ice cream
PRINCIPAL
school
head
teacher
office
boss
OFFICE
sit
work
room
chair
desk
SCIENTISTS
study
experiment
earth
chemistry
stand
RESTAURANT
food
order
waiter
eat
cook
SHOW
see
look
watch
people
picture
TELL
say
talk
information
something
communicate
TALK
say
tell
communicate
mouth
sound
GIRLFRIEND
boyfriend
lover
date
kiss
boss
SISTER
family
brother
sibling
girl
daughter


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Taboo
Aim: The aim of this game is to get your team to guess the word on the top of the card without saying any of the 5 words below.
Procedure:
Cut up cards along the lines, shuffle, and stack into a deck. Divide the class into two teams, and position them on different sides of the room. Place two chairs at the front of the room. One person from each team comes to the front and sits in the chairs.  The player from team 1 is given the deck of cards first.  
Set a countdown timer for either 1 or 2 minutes (depending on the desired challenge level). During this time, the player from team 1 tries to describe the cards to their team.  They get one point for each card that their team guesses.  
The player must draw the cards from the top of the deck.  They are allowed to pass on a card, but then team 2 gets the point for that point.
While the player from team 1 is explaining their card, the player from team 2 is watching closely to make sure none of the taboo words are used.  If the player from team 1 says one of the taboo words, the player from team 2 can shout out “Taboo!” and get the point.
At the end of the time period, the points are totalled up, and then it is team 2’s turn.  
When both players have had a chance, they each return to their team, and 2 new players come to the front.  
Added challenge: use the blank cards to have students make their own cards.


This game can be used as a fun warmer with the generic cards, but you can also design your own cards to review vocabulary specific to the unit your students are studying.  

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