Demonstrative Pronouns: A Fun and Interactive Activity for ELA Students
Do you want to teach your students about demonstrative pronouns in a fun and interactive way? If so, you might want to try this activity that I created for my ELA class. It is called "Demonstrate This!" and it involves using gestures, pictures, and sentences to practice using this, that, these, and those correctly.
Objectives:
- To identify demonstrative pronouns and their functions
- To use demonstrative pronouns correctly to refer to singular or plural nouns that are near or far
- To practice speaking and listening skills using demonstrative pronouns
Materials:
- A set of flashcards with pictures of common objects (e.g., apple, book, chair, etc.)
- A set of flashcards with sentences using demonstrative pronouns (e.g., "This is an apple.", "That is a book.", etc.)
- A large space for students to move around
Procedure:
- Review the definition and examples of demonstrative pronouns with the class. Explain that this and these are used for near things, while that and those are used for far things. Also explain that this and that are used for singular things, while these and those are used for plural things.
- Divide the class into two teams: Team A and Team B. Give each team a set of picture flashcards and a set of sentence flashcards.
- Ask Team A to spread out in the space with their picture flashcards facing up. Ask Team B to stand on one side of the space with their sentence flashcards facing down.
- Explain the rules of the game: One student from Team B will pick a sentence flashcard and read it aloud. Then they will try to find the matching picture flashcard among Team A's cards by pointing at it and saying "Is this/these/that/those (noun)?" The student from Team A who has the matching card will respond by saying "Yes, this/these/that/those is/are (noun)." or "No, this/these/that/those is/are not (noun)." If they answer correctly, Team B gets a point. If they answer incorrectly or use the wrong demonstrative pronoun, Team A gets a point.
- Repeat the process until all the sentence flashcards have been used. Then switch roles so that Team B spreads out with their picture flashcards and Team A stands on one side with their sentence flashcards.
- At the end of the game, count the points for each team and declare a winner.
Assessment:
- Observe how well students use demonstrative pronouns correctly during the game
- Collect feedback from students about how they liked the activity
- Give students a worksheet or quiz on demonstrative pronouns after the activity
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Extension:
- To make the game more challenging, you can add more picture flashcards or use more complex sentences
- To make the game more fun, you can add gestures or sounds to go along with each picture or sentence
- To make the game more collaborative, you can have students work in pairs or groups instead of teams
Variations:
- You can adapt this activity for different levels by using different vocabulary or grammar structures
- You can adapt this activity for different topics by using different themes or categories for the pictures
- You can adapt this activity for different modes by using online tools or apps instead of physical flashcards
Reflection:
I found this activity very effective in teaching my students about demonstrative pronouns. They were engaged and motivated throughout the game and they showed improvement in their usage of this, that, these, and those. They also had fun interacting with each other and practicing their speaking and listening skills.
Notes:
This activity was inspired by some online resources that I found on teaching demonstrative pronouns. Here are some links that you might find useful: