Garbage Man for Reading

(TESOL Ideas--Activities that Can Be Used with Any Reading Text)

Sample: docs, pub

I've actually talked about "Garbage Man" before on this blog--see this post HERE--when I was preparing a workshop on activities that can be used for any grammar point.  But I've since discovered that it can equally be used for reading activities.  

As a reading activity, it's essentially a variation on the "scanning race game".  That is, it's primarily suited for questions that require the students to quickly scan through the text and find the answer.  It's less suited for questions that require detailed analysis of the text or inferencing skills.

The procedure works essentially the same as it does for the grammar version.  

Design a worksheet with several different strips of paper.  Each strip contains a question from the reading text that can be answered by quickly scanning through the text.  Photocopy the sheet onto different colored paper.  (If possible, a different color for each team.)  Cut up and shuffle.  Divide the class into teams.  Put each teach at a different table. Assign each team a different color.  

Scatter the colored strips randomly around the room.  When the game begins, each team runs, finds a strip of paper with their color, and brings it back to their table.  The teams are only allowed to pick up one question at a time.  They must bring it back to their table, work out the answer together, and write the answer on the strip.  Then they have to call the teacher over to their table to check it.  The teacher walks over, and checks to make sure that the answer is correct.  If it's not correct, they are told to check again.  If it is correct, they are allowed to run and find another strip of paper for their color.  The teacher checks to make sure it is right.  Then the team runs and gets another strip off the floor.  The first team to collect all their sentences up off the floor is the winner.

 In my experience, some careful vigilance is necessary to ensure that the teams are not cheating.  (Students often try to collect all of their colored strips at once, but according to the rules they should only pick up one strip at a time.)  Also, in my experience, this game can be a little bit fast paced, so it helps if the teacher can tell at a glance whether or not an answer is correct.  I either make sure I memorize all the correct answers in advance, or keep the answer sheet with me at all times.  (Or both.)

Variation:

 Some teachers have been known to play this game in reverse.  Each group starts off with all the strips on their desk, and then crumple them up and throw them on the ground as they complete them.  The last team to finish all their strips is then designated the “garbage man” and must go around and clean up all the strips off the floor.

The sample activity I've included is from Unit 6 Reading 1: From Student to Employee p.155-160 from Q: Skills for Success: Reading and Writing 5 (Second Edition).