Game Features
Based off the game Word on the Street, modified and revamped for classroom play
Game changes include a larger game board, inclusion of all consonants, can play with up to 24 students, added point system, and teacher bonus power ups
Set in the Minecraft world with easter eggs for Minecraft fans (i.e. items that match the consonant they represent and point values of items based on their rarity in the actual game)
24 pre-made categories simplified for language students, but can also edit as needed
How to Play
Split your students into two teams.
Depending on your class size, how you split your class into two teams is up to you. Here’s my recommendation: 2 to 6 students - 2 teams of 1, 2, or 3 students; 7 to 14 students - 2 teams, 2 groups on each team, 2 to 4 students per group; 15 to 24 students - 2 teams, 3 groups on each team, 2 to 4 students per group
When the game starts, one team chooses a random category.
That team has 30 seconds to write a word that fits the category (I give each team/group a mini whiteboard, marker, and eraser). However, the word must be spelled correctly, be singular (in most cases), and in the present tense (if a verb).
If you have multiple groups on a team, each group on that team writes a word during the 30 seconds.
If the word(s) is/are approved, each consonant in the word(s) moves an item one space toward that team’s inventory (see preview video above for a visual example). Also, duplicate words don’t count. So, if two groups on a team write the same word, only one counts to move their consonants.
As a bonus, the teacher also has a secret word. If a team wrote the same word as the teacher, they get a special power up!
Then it’s the other team’s turn. They follow the same steps.
The two teams are trying to take the same item for each consonant. So, if the other team uses some of the same consonants in their chosen word(s), those items move the other way toward the other team’s inventory (think of tug-of-war).
If an item reaches a team’s inventory box, that team has taken that item, and it can’t be moved back onto the game board. Teams can still write words that include consonants/items that have been taken, but the taken items are not moved.
When all items have been taken or time runs out, the inventory items are converted into points, and the team with the most points wins!
Here’s a video on how to play the original Word on the Street game if you need further examples of how this modified game works.
Variations
When moving items back and forth on the board, I skip the middle box with the letter (different from the original game). However, feel free to use it as an active game square in your game if you want to make the game longer.
If you want to add even more excitement to the game, consider changing some of the point values of items to be negative – but students won’t know which items are negative points until the end of the game!
If you want as many students to participate as possible at one time, you can have both teams write words at the same time for the same category. Then when revealing their words, alternate between the groups on the teams (ex. team 1 group 1 reveals their word, then team 2 group 1, then team 1 group 2, then team 2 group 2, and so on).
This game can also be played with just one student against the teacher.
Runtime
(NOTE: The runtime for this game can VARY depending on how long it takes teams to acquire items.)
No runtime information has been submitted yet for this number of students. If you have used it with your students and would like to share how long it took to play, please fill out the form on the last tab. It would be very much appreciated and would be a big help to other teachers like you!