Using Images

You in pictures

1) Choose 5 of the pictures that most represent you and write why. Dont pre-teach any vocabulary as the pictures should represent what they want them to represent, e.g. balance or libra or justice. If the pupils ask you for vocabulary, then tell them. 2) Handout the worksheet and pupils do the same as you. 3) Tell their partner what they chose and why tell pupils to listen carefully to the answer. 4) Take the pupil on the left of the class and place him/her next to the pupil on the right of the class. The pairs will now be changed. Tell your new partner about your old partner. 5) Feedback

Mammoth memory

1) Youre going to get a picture of a town scene. What do you think will be on it? (People doing stuff, school, church, bank etc) Youre going to look at the picture for 2 mins only. After that time, I will ask you questions about what is happening in the picture. 2) Handout worksheet. After 2mins, pupils turn over and answer the questions on the back. Do not check the picture! 3) After they have their own answers, check with their partner and fill in more answers. Do not check the picture! 4) Now, check answers as a class. Do not check the picture! 5) Finally, check the picture.

Reveal a picture

1) Show pupils a picture of a famous person covered in post-it notes. Pupils ask you yes/no questions about the person. If you answer yes, take off a note. If no, then move on to the next question. 2) Slowly reveal your chosen famous person. Once done follow this up with a reading or a listening about the person, or a song of theirs if a musician.

Guess the picture

1) Youre going to discuss with your partner what you think is missing in the picture. (Show a half covered picture and pairs discuss.) Man (babys missing); Boy on a beach (boy jumping off a jetty)

Dictadraw 1) Divide pupils into groups of 3 if possible. Each group nominates 1 artist who will draw. Give them a felt-tip pen and stand them in front of an A3 piece of paper stuck on the wall. 2) The remainder of the group stand behind them. Give them a picture of a person (old man, young girl, posh woman, and punk). They must describe the person to the artist who draws them as they describe. Make sure they take turns describing the person so a dominant group member doesnt take over. 3) Once finished, show the original picture to the artist and stick it next to the drawing. Pupils laugh. Walk around the room and look at each others work. Laugh. Family album

1) Demonstrate this activity to class. Imagine you are having a cup of tea with a friend and youre showing them your family album. Choose one photo and explain who the people are in the picture, their relationship to you, what they are doing in this picture etc. 2) Handout pictures of family photos and ask pupils to do the same in pairs. Explain that if they get a picture of someone from a different culture to them it IS possible to be related.

Note: this activity perfectly demonstrates how students can distance themselves from the picture. That is, they do not have to talk about their own actual families. Some students may not want to talk about their family and this is a great way of depersonalising a personal topic. Picture collage 1) Demonstrate this to the class. Pick a collage and tell the pupils about your LAST HOLIDAY. Use the pictures to prompt you to make up the story on the spot. You do not need to use all the pictures. 2) Handout the collages to the remainder of the group and participants talk about their last holiday in pairs. They may need a minute to think about it before they speak.

Thinking outside the postcard

1) Choose a postcard (picture) from the packet. Stick it on the board or use a visualiser if you have a larger class. I use one with the couple sitting on the beach. Ask pupils whats happening to the left in the sky, to the left on the ground, to the right etc and I draw what they describe. We have brainstormed a scene from my holiday. Pupils would now write a postcard of what is happening on their holiday as if they were there. Or, pupils could be given another postcard which they think outside of in pairs and they then write a post card about their own pictures.

Dancing dialogues

1) Place Dancing Dialogue pictures face down on the floor in the centre of the room. Tell students that you will play some music (I use Madonna) and as they listen they must dance around the room. When I stop the music they must stand next to a picture with another person. If you have an odd number of students, youll need to join in. 2) Then, students pick up the picture and have a conversation with the person they are standing next to as if they were the people in the picture. Explain that their voice, pitch and language may change depending on if they are royalty, elderly etc. 3) Play and enjoy!