Scattergories/Coffee Cards, ASL 201, Lab 08

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Amber Hoye, Delaney Lyon, Camille Daw, Mimi Fahnstrom

Please Note: Many of the activities on the Pathways Project OER Repository were created by upper-division students at Boise State University and serve as a foundation that our community of practice can build upon and refine. While they are polished, we welcome and encourage collaboration from language instructors to help modify grammar, syntax, and content where needed. Kindly contact pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu with any suggestions and we will update the content in a timely manner.  — The Pathways Project

About the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) Language Activity Repository

The activities provided by the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) serve as foundational activities which can be adapted by any language and scaled up or down on the proficiency scale. Many of these activities offer an English Version that is “language-agnostic” to provide language instructors from around the country a platform to remix these instructional materials, infusing them with their target language and culture! The activities within the Pathways Project OER Repository seek to help students solidify their interpersonal speaking and interpretive skills through task-based situations or communicative activities. These activities should be facilitated in the target language for approximately 90% (or more), per the recommendation of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

How to use the WLRC Repository’s Activities:

1. Use the Activity as is:

Before you begin:

  • Most activities are 30 minutes in duration, unless otherwise specified.
  • Be sure to read through the activity description, and review the list of required materials. You will notice that the activity materials are also highlighted in yellow throughout the activity instructions.

If you have any suggestions about grammar, syntax, and content, please kindly contact pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu.

2. Remix for Your Language Classroom:

When you are ready to begin remixing the activity, in order to adapt it for the needs of your language classroom, simply click the blue “Remix This Resource” button at the top of your screen. This will then take you to a screen with a NEW, editable version of this activity. The text provided in purple is a suggestion of what you might say to your students in the target language, and may be altered for different levels and age groups. All activities have “NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do” statements, a warm-up, a main activity, and a wrap-up.

Many of the activities include printable cards and other instructional materials such as Google Slideshows. If you would like to make changes to these materials for your classroom, follow the instructions below:

  • Google Slideshows:
    • To begin, go to File -> Copy to create an editable version of the slideshow.
    • Once finished with your changes, please complete the following steps to share:
    • Click on Share
    • Who Has Access
    • Ensure link sharing is on and allow external access.
  • Materials Saved as PDF: Please email pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu and we will provide you with an editable copy. Please allow up to two business days for a response. For YouTube videos and other websites, hyperlinks are provided. 

3. Adapt for Another Language:

  • See the linked English Version at the top of the activity (English Version may not be available for all activities)

Scattergories/ Coffee Cards

Description:

Students will play a game regarding a wide variety of topics to further their conversation skills. Students will describe objects using descriptors to work on fingerspelling. 

Proficiency Level:

Intermediate-High

Keywords:

Circumlocution, Scattergories, Vocabulary

NCSSFL-ACTFL World-Readiness Standards

  • Standard 1.1 Students engage in conversations and correspondence in American Sign Language to provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions. 
  • Standard 1.3 Students present information, concepts, and ideas in American Sign Language to an audience of viewers on a variety of topics.
  • Standard 3.1 Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through American Sign Language.

Idaho Content Standards for World Languages:

  • COMM 1.1 - Interact and negotiate meaning (spoken, signed, written conversation) to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions. 
  • COMM 2.1 - Understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard, read, or viewed on a variety of topics.
  • COMM 3.1 - Present information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate on a variety of topics using appropriate media in the target language.

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can express my characteristics/personality traits using proper ASL.
  • I am comfortable with my ability to explain a concept without the use of fingerspelling.
  • I can express opinions that relate to everyday topics.

Materials Needed:

Warm-up

1. Begin by introducing the Can-Do's for todays activity. Hand out pumpkin papers and wet erase markers.

2. Have students take a few minutes to write down personality traits they have corresponding with the word P-U-M-P-K-I-N

ex. P-positive U-unique M-motherly etc.

3. Once everyone is done, have them give some background, an example, or tell a story of why they think they have that characteristic/personality trait.

Main Activity

1. Lab assistant draws a Coffee Card and provides the sign

2. Students list on white board all of the things that come to mind based on that topic

 a.  Explain to students that each round the time will be getting shorter and shorter (30 seconds to start, by the end possibly only 10 seconds)

3. After time is up, students go around reading off their lists. 

4. If you have the same word written down as someone else, you cross it out.

5. Students earn points for the words they have that no one else has. 

a. Be sure to question words that don't seem relevant and students have to defend them.

6. After each round the lab assistant asks a question relating to the topic on the card to create a discussion

7. Each student will also have one “You’ve Been Creamed” card 

8. When a coffee card is presented, you have one opportunity to skip that topic by using your “You’ve Been Creamed” card during the allotted time 

Wrap-up

Ask the following questions to finish the lab: 

1. Do you feel comfortable explaining a sign that you don't know? Why or why not?
2. Are you confident in signing personality traits? Why or why not? 

End of lab:

• Read Can-Do statements once more and have students evaluate their confidence. 
(Use thumbs up/thumbs down or download our student cards.) 
• Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation.
• Pay attention, and try to use feedback for future labs!

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can express my characteristics/personality traits using proper ASL.
  • I am comfortable with my ability to explain a concept without the use of fingerspelling.
  • I am able to express opinions that relate to everyday topics. 

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