Caption This! English game to be adapted to any language

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Amber Hoye, 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)

Caption This!

Description:

This activity allows students to practice describing pictures. Based on level, students will either describe what the image is showing, create a caption for the image, or tell a story behind the image. 

Proficiency Level:

Describing pictures: Novice

Creating a caption: Intermediate

Telling a story: Advanced 

Keywords:

caption, image, photo, story, picture, description, 

World-Readiness Standards:

  • Standard 1.1 Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
  • Standard 1.2 Students understand and interpret spoken and written target language on a variety of topics.
  • Standard 2.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of target language cultures.
  • Standard 3.1 Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the target 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.
  • CLTR 2.1: Analyze the significance of a product (art, music, literature, etc...) in a target culture.
  • CONN 1.1: Compare and contrast information acquired from other content areas.
  • CONN 1.2: Relate information studied in other subjects to the target language and culture.

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can describe visual images in detail
  • I can create a story about an image
  • I can provide a caption to an image
  • I can express opinions based on images

Materials Needed:

Photo Cards

Season Cards

Food Cards

Warm-up

1. Begin by introducing today's Can-do statements. 

2. Based on level, ask students the following questions: 

Novice: 

-How would you describe images? 

-What shapes can you describe? 

- What colors do you know? 

- How do you describe people? 

Intermediate: 

-How would you describe a caption to someone? 

-What are some popular captions? 

-Would you use a specific caption for different photos? ex. Professional v. Personal

Advanced: 

-What stories interest you the most? 

-What type of story is your favorite? Why? 

-Do you like telling stories? Why or why not? 

Main Activity

 Based on proficiency level, have the students: 

Novice: 

Have students find a partner

1. Students will pick one of the cards from their stack. 

2. Students will describe the picture on the card to their partner without showing it to them. Their partner will have to guess what the picture is. 

3. Have students swap roles and continue until they finish all the cards in their stack. 

Intermediate: 

Students will work as a group. 

1. Students will pick one card from the stack. They will show the picture to everyone. 

2. Each student will come up with a caption for the photo. 

3. Then, as a group, the students will vote on which caption is the best. 

4. Continue until the end of the lab, or until all the picture cards are gone.

Advanced : 

Students will work as a group. 

1. Divide students into small groups. 

2. In their groups,  each student will pick a picture card. 

2. Based on the photo they picked, students will create a story in a small group. 

3. Students will present their stories to the group. 

Wrap-up

Ask students some of the following questions to finish the lab: 

1. What photos were your favorite? Why? 

2. What photos were describe to use? Why? 

End of lab:

  • Read can-do statements and have students evaluate their confidence with 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 describe visual images 
  • I can create a story about an image
  • I can provide a caption to an image
  • I can express opinions based on images
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