Prove It

This activity gets students to mingle and ask one another questions using the “Can you…” structure.

Preparation

Very little preparation is necessary. The facilitator could prepare a list of physical tasks that could be performed in the classroom.

Procedure

1. Write on the board a list of physical tasks that are difficult to do (i.e., cross your eyes, roll your tongue, kiss your elbow, touch your toes, say hello in four languages, etc.). 2. Number the list. 3. Tell the class that they need to find out whether their classmates can do these things. 4. On a piece of paper, they will number the lines (if there are ten actions on the board, they will number ten lines on their paper). 5. They must then go around the room and ask each other, “Can you…?” 6. If the person says “yes,” they must ask him/her to “prove it.” 7. If the person proves he/she can do it, the student will write that person’s name next to the number on his/her paper that corresponds to the action. 8. A student wins when he/she fills every line with a name.

When to Use It

• To practice oral fluency • To promote class rapport • To energize the class

Level

Skills

Practice

Materials

None

Preparation Time

5 minutes

Activity Time

10–15 minutes

Variation

A different list can be drawn up if the class is outside (dunk a basketball, kick a goal, do a cartwheel, stand on your head, etc.).

Sample List

Touch your toes Say “How are you?” in five different languages Do five push-ups (on your toes) Cross your eyes Imitate an animal Curl your tongue Snap your fingers on both hands Whistle Write your name in cursive with your non-dominant hand Text “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” in less than 60 seconds