english camps

English in Camp – Facilitator’s Guide

Report on English in Camp

Introduction

At the request of the District Language Officer I was asked to organize training for primary school teachers on how to run an English Camp for their pupils. This has now been conducted and this is the report about the training.

The course was conducted in the form of a real mini-English Camp with teachers as participants and using 10 other teachers as facilitators. These facilitators were chosen on the basis that they each had had previous experience at conducting English Camps.

Constraints

It was felt that this type of instruction warranted an extended period of time, more than is normally allocated by taking a morning or an afternoon before or after teaching. It was therefore decided that the training would take place on a working Saturday morning, when teachers would be in school, but could stay longer at the training as they would not have to rush to teach afternoon classes.

Preparation

DELC and facilitators met together two weeks prior to the event to discuss how the camp was to be conducted. During the discussion we came up with a number of different activities that can be conducted on English Camps and a general list was:

A. Worksheets B. Ice breakers C. Treasure Hunts

D. Artistic Creation E. Crafts F. Singing

G. Physical exercise H. Relay races I. Personal reflections

J. Group presentations – dramas etc.

K. Finding information L. Problem solving activities

M. Sensory Games N. Newspaper activities

From the above list it was felt that the only events that would be presented during the training were

A. Ice breakers B. Treasure Hunts C. Singing

D. Physical exercise E. Relay races F. Sensory Games

G. Newspaper activities

These items were decided on the basis that they could be presented relatively easily and quickly and thus allowing time for discussion and creativity on the part of the participants to think how these activities could be adapted to their own teaching context. Activities such as Crafts, Group Presentations and Personal Reflections were relevant only to long term camps spread over two or three days.

From this list it was decided that Ice Breakers, Physical Exercise and Relay Races could best be conducted with the participants all together, whilst the other activities were best done in small groups. A timetable was therefore produced as follows:

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Approximate Time Activity

0745 – 0830 Arrival – Registration and Breakfast

0830 – 0900 Physical Activities

0900 – 0930 Ice Breakers and Group Selection

0930 – 1010 First Round of Group Activities

1010 – 1045 Second Round of Group Activities

1045 – 1115 Snack Break

1115 – 1150 Third Round of Group Activities

1150 – 1230 Fourth Round of Group Activities

1230 – 1310 Relay Games

1310 – 1345 Conclusion – Prize Giving

Facilitators were then allocated one particular skill and instructed to come up with two alternative activities that would be a good example of that skill. For the small group activities there were two facilitators for each as there would be eight different groups visiting four separate stations, so two facilitators would be needed at each station.

Facilitators were instructed to present their activities to the group and then organize a small group discussion to consider ways that this particular activity could be changed, adapted or re-organised to suit their own particular teaching context. Each group was to be given several forms to write down details of their ideas. At the end of each activity these forms were to be collected by the facilitator who would then allocate a mark to the group based on their participation and original ideas recorded on the forms.

At the end of the camp all these marks were collected together and prizes would be given to the members of the winning group.

Facilitators then worked together to put their training and give a list of materials and required items to the DELC who then purchased them for the camp.

In our district we have 88 primary schools distributed amongst five zones. Letters of invitation for two teachers from each school were sent to 44 of the schools so that we would have 88 participants for the first session and then run a second session for the rest of the schools some weeks later. These sessions were held on 3rd and 31st July.

Prior to the training DELC prepared a short handbook which contained instructions about the training; points to consider when organizing an English Camp and some examples of activities they would be presented with.

A school was then approached and asked to host the camp. The school was chosen on the basis of having a wide open area where participants could gather as a large group and conduct games together. The school also had ‘shaded’ areas where stations could be set up for the group activities and in addition had a covered facility should rain prevent any outdoor activities.

The Training Days

On the training days all the teachers duly arrived and after eating a light breakfast were gathered together to be told the conduct of the camp. They were briefed as follows:

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a. Participants would be allocated into groups which would be decided during the ‘ice breaking’ part of the training

b. Each group would be expected to contribute to the training by thinking of their own ideas and exercises at each of the stations.

c. Groups would be assessed by the facilitators for their participation in each activity and their ideas at each station.

d. On completion of the training teachers would be expected to go back to their schools and conduct their own English Camps which were to be done at least once prior to the end of this academic year.

The program then went into full swing as per the timetable written above and all involved went home tired, but satisfied that a good day seemed to have been had by all.

Comments from the first session:

At the conclusion of each training session all the participants were asked to complete a comments form detailing their opinions about the training and inviting comments to improve the training. On the whole all the participants were very positive about the training and none wrote anything negative about the sessions. Approximately half the participants just ticked the required boxes, whilst the other half also wrote comments in the space provided. These comments ranged from:

a. Ten people who wanted more time at each station to think of their own ideas, whilst ten others wanted more ideas presented to them by the facilitators at each station – which do you choose!!!

b. Twenty people commented that the training should be longer being at least a complete day and some suggested a nice hotel or holiday resort would be a better venue!!

c. A small number felt that holding the camp outdoors was not so good for teachers who would prefer doing things indoors, out of the sun and in relative comfort.

Changes in Second Camp

After the first camp a number of changes were made to improve the second session, detailed as follows:

a. Facilitators were given a distinctive cap to show that they were facilitators and not just participants. In a real camp this would not be necessary as teachers would stand out against pupils, but in this training the facilitators were encouraged to get amongst the participants (in the physical exercises, ice breaking and relay races) to encourage, help, hint and ‘cajole’ the participants to use English and follow the instructions correctly.

b. In the first session the relay races were conducted at the end, but after a hard morning’s training the participants were somewhat tired and not so enthusiastic about further physical activities. In the second camp this was moved to mid morning and was received and entered into much more enthusiastically.

c. The comment about holding the training in the sun was duly noted. (Personally, after the first session I too felt quite drained and exhausted and being in the sun I feel surely contributed to this fatigue.) The second camp was held in a place with plenty of shade and sufficient tables and chairs were made available at each station so that participants could sit and work in relative comfort.

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Reflections

On the whole I think both sessions went extremely well. All the facilitators prepared their activities well and nearly all the participants seemed to enter into all the activities with enthusiasm and genuine interest. Some of the ‘more senior’ participants began to wilt a little towards the end of the morning but still had smiles on their faces and were generally quite positive about the whole training.

I feel that the training could have been further enhanced by a period of instruction and discussion prior to conducting the activities on subjects such as the selection of participants, camp themes, formation of groups etc. All these are introduced in the handout given to participants, but I think should have been explicitly presented and discussed by the teachers together.

This type of activity could be carried out on a half day prior to conducting the camp or if a full day was available then it could be done at the beginning.

Michael J Hughes BEM MADistrict English Language Coordinator (DELC)Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah, Hulu Langat

5th August 2004

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Message from the District English Language Coordinator

Some of you may have already experienced English in Camp in your own schools or in others. You will know of the benefit and long lasting influence a day like this can have on the children who normally only see English as just another subject to study and to be the cause of lots of homework!!!

The way this training day has been organized is that you will be placed into groups and each group will then go round various ‘stations’ where you will be introduced to a number of different activities that can be carried out during English Camps. The facilitators have prepared several activities for you to try, but you will also be given plenty of opportunity to come up with your own ideas about how you can make similar games or activities. This camp is not designed to tell you what you must do, but one where we want you to contribute your ideas so that we all may learn together.

When the camp is completed I will collect together all your ideas and put them together in an instruction book which will be given to all the schools in the District. The quality of this book will depend much upon your ideas and input during this camp.

I honestly believe that the greatest resource that a teacher possesses is their imagination and creativity and during the numerous workshops I have conducted in the district I have seen this demonstrated over and over again by teachers. Our hope is that you will be able to take away with you numerous ideas on how to run an English in Camp Day.

Please enjoy yourself, but then share that joy with the other English teachers in your school and then to your children to help them in their ability to communicate in English.

I also wish to convey my sincere thanks to the Guru Besar and Staff at SK Dusun Nanding for allowing us to make use of their wonderful facilities. I hope that the inconvenience that we cause will be more than offset by the contribution the teachers taking part in the training can make to help their teaching become more effective and enjoyable.

In addition, this camp would not at all be possible except for the dedication and contribution of time and effort of the facilitators who give of themselves willingly to help their fellow teachers to become better teachers; to them I express deep gratitude and admiration for their creativity and ideas which help us all.

Thank You,

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Michael J Hughes BEM MADistrict English Language CoordinatorPejabat Pendidikan Daerah, Hulu Langat

Instructions

At the beginning of the camp you will be assigned to a group of approximately 10 to 12 participants. You will stay in this group throughout the morning and visit four different ‘stations’ where you will be introduced to different activities. After the introduction you will then be asked to come up with your own ideas related to the activity you have been shown. Please cooperate together and use your imaginations to be as creative as possible and contribute new ideas and materials so that your fellow teachers can have a large bank of materials to use in their schools.

Training will be conducted in the courtyard at SK Dusun Nanding. In case of wet weather the training can be continued under a covered area adjacent to the courtyard or in the school library. Please do not leave the training area or change your group without the permission of the facilitators.

During the camp the facilitators will be making a constant assessment about each group’s contribution to the activities. At the end of the camp the assessments will be collected and a prize will be given to the winning groups

Timetable

Approximate Time Activity

0745 – 0830 Arrival – Registration and Breakfast

0830 – 0900 Physical Activities

0900 – 0930 Ice Breakers and Group Selection

0930 – 1010 First Round of Group Activities

1010 – 1045 Second Round of Group Activities

1045 – 1115 Snack Break

1115 – 1150 Relay Games

1150 – 1230 Third Round of Group Activities

1230 – 1310 Fourth Round of Group Activities

1310 – 1345 Conclusion – Prize Giving

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ENGLISH CAMPS

1. Pre-Camp Considerations

When organizing an English Camp there are several things that need to be taken into consideration when deciding the type of materials and activities to be done such as:

a. Number of participants Usually English camps involve a large number of students. This will have a great influence on the type of activities used and the availability of facilities.

b. Are they from the same class or strangers? If participants know each other, then ‘getting to know you’ type of activities will seem irrelevant. These types of activities, however, are suitable even for participants from the same school but from different classes or years.

c. Age range of participants This will influence the type of activities planned for the camp. The age range of the participants should not be so great as older students may feel the activities are childish and beneath them, whilst younger participants would find the older students activities too difficult and irrelevant to them. The camp, however, could use two contrasting ages with the older mentoring the younger.

d. Level of proficiency of participants The activities planned should be aimed at ‘slightly above’ the ability of the participants so as to give them a challenge which is achievable. If the participants are of extremely mixed abilities it should be decided how groups are to be formed, there are two: alternatives:

i. Mixed ability groups – where participants are able to help each other, the more able students assisting the less able ones. The advantage of this type of group is the scope for peer teaching and mentoring, the disadvantage can be that if the more able participants in the group dominate and ‘overpower’ those under them, not allowing them a chance to participate and promoting a negative motivation rather than a positive facilitating atmosphere.

ii. Homogeneous groups of the same ability – where groups are formed with students who have a similar ability. The advantage of this type of group is that students can carry out activities at their own level without feeling inferior or ‘overpowered’ by those more able than themselves. The disadvantage is that their progress may be slow as they are allowed to set their own pace rather than rise to the challenge of working together with more able interlocutors.

e. Number of staff available The ratio of staff to participants is variable. Older or higher ability participants may not need as much supervision and direction as younger or less able students. A suggested ratio should be one staff member to every 10 participants – but this is not always practical.

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f. Role of Staff English in Camps is a cooperative activity that cannot be carried out by individuals alone. It is essential that all staff participating in the camp work together to make the camp an ideal environment for learning which is enjoyable and efficient. The staff taking part in the camp should take on much more a role of ‘facilitator’ rather than the one who is teaching. What this means practically is that the teachers must be constantly among the students helping, hinting, ‘cajoling’ and generally assisting the students in their tasks and encouraging them to use English as much as possible. This is particularly important in large group activities such as relay races or ice breakers where the whole group is expected to do the same thing at the same time. One teacher will obviously coordinate this type of activity by using a sound system, but the other teachers should mingle amongst the participants.

g. Length of Camp The length of the camp can determine the type of activities that can be carried out. During short half day camps the number and type of activities is quite limited. But longer sessions can have longer, on-going activities that can connect together for the whole camp.

h. Indoors or Outdoors The location of the camp will also influence the type of activities that can be arranged. If it is in the pupil’s own school then the participants will be familiar with their surroundings so that more detailed type ‘treasure hunts’ can be conducted, whilst if they are in a recreation park or camp then new things can be explored.

i. If outdoors is there a ‘wet weather’ provision? It is important that provision is made for a ‘wet weather’ programme so that the aim of the camp is not destroyed simply because of the weather.

j. Facilities available This would include availability of teaching aids such as drawing materials, tables and chairs, sound equipment etc.

2. Group Formations

One advantage that English camps have over normal classroom teaching is that they naturally lend themselves to small group activities which gives participants the maximum amount of language practice and enables individuals the opportunity to experience an atmosphere of cooperation within the group and competition with other groups.

a. Group size The size of each group will depend upon many factors such as the age of the students, their language level and facilities available to cater for a certain number of groups. It is suggested that no group should exceed 12 participants and ideally should consist of between 8 to 10 students. There should be sufficient members of each group to enable them to take part in ‘cooperative’ activities and yet small enough that each individual in the group can take an active part in most of the activities.

b. Group selection There are two main ways of selecting group members; these are either random or planned:

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i. Random – Groups are formed by a random selection of names which can be decided by such criteria as people who have birthdays in the same month, or whose surname starts with the same letter, or same height or any grouping criteria the organizers can conjure up.

ii. Planned – Groups are formed prior to the camp in terms of age, language ability, qualities of leadership etc. One way is to select older students with a reasonable ability in the language, and a ‘cooperative character’ to lead groups of younger students

Whatever criterion is used to select the groups, it is essential that each group be encouraged to act together as a team. One way to foster this atmosphere is to give each one a name, not just a number. The name can be decided on the basis of a theme – such as animals, countries, planets, plants or anything suitable for the theme of the camp. Participants can be asked to select their own names or allocated. One activity that can be planned is to ask each group to make a form of identification that is unique to their group so that they can be easily recognized. This can be in the form of making a special hat, armband, a flag, face painting or anything that the imagination can conjure up (within reason!!).

3. Camp Themes

Whilst the general theme of the camp is simply English, this can be made more specific and help with cross curricular studies by arranging all the activities around a particular theme, such as science, environment, geography, weather, health, national pride etc.

All the activities can then be centered on this theme.

4. Programme

Some activities lend themselves to being conducted by all the groups all at once, such as relay races, treasure hunts, physical exercises etc, whilst others can be done separately by each group one at a time. During a camp it adds much more variety and interest if small group and all participants’ activities are included in the itinerary.

An example could be in a camp which has ten different groups a typical programme for one day could be:

Arrival and formation of groups (by game or allocation)Whole camp activity – eg. Physical ExerciseFive separate group activities – eg competitions, problem solving activities, games etc.Whole camp activity – Newspaper activitiesLunchWhole camp activity – Treasure HuntFive separate group activities – continuation of morning programmeWhole camp activity – Relay racesConclusion – prize giving, singing etc.

Activities:

The number of activities that can be conducted in a camp are limited only by the organizers imagination and creativity. Whilst an important part of choosing an activity is that it should be fun, interesting and enjoyable please do not get distracted by conducting games just for the sake of having ‘fun’ and ‘entertaining’ the participants. Activities should have a pedagogic (educational) rationale behind them which may be directly or indirectly taught. For instance Physical Exercise games can be enjoyable and beneficial to the physical well

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being of the children, but when they are conducted in English, this allows the children to increase their listening skills.

The rest of this document gives examples and explanations about the following activities:

A. Worksheets B. Ice breakers C. Treasure Hunts

D. Artistic Creation E. Crafts F. Singing

G. Physical exercise H. Relay races I. Personal reflections

J. Group presentations – dramas etc.

K. Finding information L. Problem solving activities

M. Sensory Games N. Newspaper activities

A. Worksheets

Whilst any English Exercise can be used or made into a worksheet, it is suggested the worksheets used in a camp should be slightly different from the normal worksheets produced in classrooms in that they could have more illustrations or be based on a theme which is relevant to the camp. This is not to say that they should be any less difficult or challenging for the students, but they should not be perceived as being a boring interlude in an otherwise enjoyable atmosphere.

It is suggested that worksheets are not given to each individual to complete, but that they be given out one sheet between at least two participants. The reason for this is that if worksheets are given to individuals they tend to simply work on the sheet by themselves without reference or communication to anyone else in the group, whereas when they have to share a worksheet they have the opportunity to cooperate and communicate with each other about the content of the worksheet.

If the worksheets are to be used as part of a competition then it is suggested that different worksheets are given to different members of the same group, ie, if there are twelve members of a group then prepare six different worksheets and the competition is which group can complete all the sheets in the fastest time.

Numerous worksheets can be downloaded from websites for free. Examples are:

www.enchantedlearning.com www.english-to-go.com www.genkienglish.com www.teachervision.com www.in2edu.com www.learningpage.com

along with hundreds of others

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http://www.learningpage.com/

http://www.in2edu.com/

http://www.teachervision.com/

http://www.genkienglish.com/

http://www.english-to-go.com/

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/


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B. Ice breakers

These are the sort of ‘get to know you’ games that can be as simple as finding out each others name, school, age, interests etc to fun games like matching pairs or describing people or objects. Typical activities are:

i. Separate into different Groups Instruct the entire camp to arrange themselves into different categories such as:All from the same provinceAll from the same housing estate / road (for a school of local children)All who were born in the same monthAll who have the same number of siblingsAll who like the same sport, colour, pets, pop stars, films, songs etc

ii. Finding information This can be as simple as pasting some information on the backs of the children and each must go around asking each other one question about the information they cannot see with the objective of guessing what is written on their back. The information could be the name of a famous person, or an animal, a colour or anything. This can be varied by having pairs of words (or opposites) and the object is to find not only your own information, but also a partner whose information completes the pair.

For more advanced students this can be extended to finding out more detailed information on a worksheet. A small number of questions should be used, and can be selected from the following:

Is there someone in the class who..?

has a birthday this month is taller than you are has a pet

has never missed a day of school

was born in the same month as you

has a tooth missing

wears glasses does not like durian can whistle

has been camping is the only child in the family has been outside of Malaysia

ride a bicycle can swim walks to school every day

is left handedhas more than 3 brothers

and sistershas seen the same movie at

least 3 times

rides a bike to schoollikes to eat western food

more than Malaysianlives in an apartment

iii. Pair work interviews Students can be divided into pairs and asked to find out more specific information about each other. This can be in the form of a worksheet which can find out facts or opinions. An example of opinions is ‘Tell me about the best / worst:

movie food show on TV

gift you have received thing about school song

place I have been to sport toy

thing about being a girl thing about being a boy thing about Saturday

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C. Treasure Hunts

This type of activity can be divided into two main types, indoors and outdoors. It can consist of physical objects that have to be collected, or information that has to be found out. Depending upon the English ability of the participants the treasure hunt can be made more challenging by introducing clues rather than the actual names of objects. For example:

This activity can be conducted either indoors or outdoors.

Find the following articles and when you have collected them all, bring them to the teacher. This is a race – the team that brings ALL the articles the fastest will get the most points

Description Article

A piece of round decorative metal

A time machine

Something to protect the left foot

Something made of glass or plastic to make things look clearer

Something with wood and carbon (known also as lead)

A writing object that can make things blue

Some papers with words on them

A piece of round metal used to buy things

A piece of string used to secure footwear

A piece of cloth used to protect the feet

A sharp object used to join cloth together

An object used to measure short distances

A book that tells you the meaning of words

A container for writing implements

A treasure hunt to find information such as

What are the words written on the Park bench located next to the statue?How many windows are there on the south side of the main building?What was the name of the Head Teacher in 1935?What is the date of the school opening?

These types of questions will obviously be made locally and once again can vary in difficulty depending upon the level of the participants.

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An example of a Treasure Hunt used at SK Taman Rakan, Cheras

Number of pupils: 5 – 6 in a group

Station: Around the school compound

Pupils are given a list of items and questions that they have to find and answer. Pupils will have to search for the items around the school compound. They are given 45 minutes to complete the task. The group that manages to answer the questions correctly and find the most objects required will be the winner.

Questions:

1.How many coconut trees are there in the school compound?

2.How many cars are there in the school compound that belongs to the teachers of SKTR?

3.What is the colour of Pn. Zuraidah’s car and who is she?

4.What is the colour of the headmaster’s car and what is the cars plate number?

5.Find 4 different types of leaves around the school and name the plants. Leaves must be shown to the teacher in charge at the end of the game.

6.Find 4 hoops which are yellow, red, blue and green in colour.

7.Find the teacher who is in charge of “Bilik Rawatan”. Ask for her name and signature. (Clue: she teaches in 1 Tabah.)

8.Find a piece of paper with Pn. Lily’s name written on it.

9.

Name a plant that can be found in “Taman Sumber Sains” that can be used as a traditiona medicine. (Clue: It’s good for people with high blood pressure)

10.Count the number of fish in the “Taman Sumber Sain” pond?

11.Name the type of fish in the “Taman Sumber Sains” pond

By Lily & Nur Yasmin

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D. Artistic Creation

This type of activity is best done on longer camps when there is sufficient time and resources to allow the students to make a good quality product. This particular activity is also best used when the camp has a specific theme, such as Pollution, Integration, Crime etc.

Designing your own poster

Topics:

Do not litter Beautiful Malaysia No Aedes, No DengueAnti Drugs English Camp is fun Teacher’s Day CelebrationGreen and Clean is beautiful National Day Celebration Vision 2020Don’t start smoking Safety in School Safety at home

Design your own uniform / logo / banner etc for your group

E. Crafts

This is similar to Artistic Creation but includes such things as making models or using skills to make handicraft objects such as clothing, jewelry, trinkets, souvenirs etc.

F. Singing

The variety of songs available for camps is enormous and can range from simple little rhymes to singing modern pop songs. The songs chosen should have some relevance to the theme or activity that is being practiced. There are two main types of songs that can be used in camps, the first being ‘silly songs’ or ‘action songs’ that the children can easily pick up and enjoy singing or the second type are songs which may be no less fun, but have meaning and significance in the lyrics.

Examples of songs are:

‘Silly songs, nursery rhymes and action songs: Meaningful songs;

The wheels on the busHead, Shoulders, knees and toesThe little green frogOld Macdonald had a farm The Hokey Pokey

We are the WorldIt’s a Small WorldThe Happy WandererI have a dreamOh Malaysia

A useful website for songs for children is www.onestopenglish.com

Other than specific songs designed to teach grammar, such as ‘Jazz Chants’ songs are not very useful for teaching communicative English as the words and grammar are usually chosen not so much for their linguistic accuracy but how they fit into the tune.

Songs can be presented by giving the words to the participants and then singing them together, or can be presented as a puzzle for the children to work out the words.

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http://www.onestopenglish.com/


G. Physical Exercise:

Aerobics and stretching exercises, where the instructions are given in English.

Language needed is mainly

bend cross face hold jog jump lielift move place pull push reach runsit stand stretch swing touch turn walk

a. Pair Activities:

Tug of War – face each other, cross legs and join hands then pull each other over.

Gladiator – face each other, cross legs and hands at the back and push each others shoulders.

Scorpion – stand back to back with legs spread forwards and backwards. Hold each others hands at the back and pull the opponent forward.

Anchor leg – stand back to back with one leg entwined round the opponents leg. Try and pull each other.

b. Group Activities:

Circle – hold hands and face in one direction and then tell them to face the other direction without letting go of hands

Spaghetti – small groups of 8 to 10 who stand in a circle and entwine their hands together so as to make a complicated knot. The task is to undo the knot without letting go of each others hands.

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H. Relay races

Using relay races can be a way of involving the entire camp together and adding to the competitive element and fun. The relay race can be a physical activity such as running, either as a straight race or with obstacles or tasks to be completed on the way. They can be fun races with dressing up or moving in a funny way. They can equally be mental as well as physical with word games or sentence puzzles where words have to be passed around until the problem or sentence is solved. The variety of races is limited only by imagination

Rank things in alphabetical order – forwards or backwards!!Put words into different grammatical categories – nouns verbs etc.Match opposites, comparatives, superlatives etc.Make correct grammatical sentences out of a series of words.Spell words with individual letters

I. Personal Reflections

This is not so much a part of the group competition but participants can be given an opportunity to make a journal or write down things they have learned or experienced at the camp

J. Group Presentations

This can be in the form of short dramas or sketches which the group should be given time to work out. This could be used, for instance in conjunction with the poster activity where they could be asked to produce a 30 second TV commercial to accompany their poster campaign, or it could be a short drama illustrating the theme of the camp

K. Finding Information

This can be as simple as looking up dictionaries or reference books to examining time tables, flight information or working out a tourist itinerary.

L. Problem Solving activites

This can be in the form of giving groups different scenarios and asking them what they would do in such situations, or can be puzzles or logic problems that the group has to solve together

Groups can also be asked to come up with solutions to hypothetical situations such as:

What would you do if:

You discovered a fire in the schoolYou were approached by a stranger to go with them in their car.You saw your friend stealing candy from a shopYou were being bullied by older and bigger boys at school

An example of a good problem solving worksheet is as follows:

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M. Sensory games:

a. Kim’s Game:

A traditional memory game where the participants look at a number of common objects (usually around 20) for one minute and then attempt to recollect all the objects they have seen. This can be varied in the following ways:

Traditional way: Show 20 objects for one minute and each individual has to write down as many objects as they can remember

Group Game: The number of objects can be more and the group as a whole has to try and recollect the names of the different objects. In the event of a tie with two or more groups finding all the objects, the quickest time can be declared the winner.

An alternative to using real objects can be simple pictures or just words in English. This is especially useful if the camp is centered around one theme such as animals, environment etc where the objects would be too big and impractical to bring to the camp.

A further alternative can be not just to remember the articles presented, but to remove some and work out which ones are missing.

b. Feel / Smell / Taste / Listen / Smell

This is similar to Kim’s game except that participants use other senses to determine the names of the objects. Once again this can be conducted on an individual basis or as a group. Objects used can be plastic animals or similar toys which are models of larger items.

N. Newspaper Activities

Lots of different activities can be carried out with newspapers such as creating a collage of information or creating their own newspaper.

Examples are:

Scavenger Hunt

Using a Newspaper, find the following items and cut and paste them on to a piece of paper:

1. A city outside Malaysia2. A local singer3. A headline story that is good news4. A telephone number5. A job6. Something that you can see in a classroom7. A picture of a Malaysian leader8. An athlete in action9. Something you can ride in (picture or word)10. Your favourite TV show.

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Jobs

1. Turn to the Appointments page in the newspaper

2. Cut and paste the names of 5 different jobs as advertised

3. Next to each, write what a person does in the job. Eg. Chef – cooking

4. Write what job you would like to do when you grow up.

Paper Chase

Find the following items in the newspaper. It could be a word, phrase, a headline, picture, advertisement, a cartoon etc and it can be anywhere in the newspaper. When you have found the item, cut it out and paste it on a big sheet of paper.

A city outside Malaysia A local singer A headline that is bad news

A foreign actor A team sports result A place you like to visit

A picture of a happy person An expert in something Conflict in a foreign country

An article about the police A job in construction A comic strip with an animal

A number written as a word A word with 4 N’s A health issue

A word with 12 letters A country in Africa A musical instrument

Something that :

moves uses electricity is hot

you can smell is sticky is sweet

is slippery is soft is smooth

is round you can find in a the jungle you can see in school

tastes good that you can read is made of wood

People Places and Things

Take three sheets of paper. Label one PEOPLE, another PLACES and the third THINGS

Look through the newspaper.

Cut out 5 pictures that show different kinds of people. Paste them on your PEOPLE paper

Cut out 5 pictures that show places. Paste these pictures on your PLACES paper.

Cut out 5 pictures about THINGS. Paste these pictures on your THINGS paper

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english camps

Documents