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TitlePlaces for Pokestops: Where are they?
SourceCASLS Activity of the Week
Body

This activity can either function as a stand-alone activity or can be used as an extension of Pokemon Go Novice Activity 1, which appeared in last week's InterCom. In this activity, novice learners will use the Pokestop location vocabulary to describe characteristics of places in which Pokestops are located. Through these descriptions, learners will be able to note what common characteristics exist among Pokestops and will use that knowledge to produce, present, and justify an idea for a place to put a new Pokestop.

Objectives: Learners will be able to:

  • list various places around town and describe their locations.
  • discuss and defend their ideas with their peers.
  • give feedback to others.

Modes: Interpersonal Communication, Presentational Speaking, Presentational Writing

Resources: Completed Novice Activity 1 Resource Sheet, Novice Activity 2 Worksheet, Pokemon Go app

Procedure:

  1.       If an extension of Novice Activity 1: First, the teacher passes back the Novice Activity 1 Resource Sheet from the previous activity to learners and hands out the Pokemon Go Novice Activity 2 worksheet.

If a stand alone activity: Learners play Pokemon Go in groups for 30 minutes. Especially when working with novice-low and novice-mid learners, it is fine to play in the first language so that learners may gain familiarity with the game. As they play, learners should note areas that they went to in their city on their own sheet of paper.

  1.       Learners will form pairs or small groups to work with their Novice Activity 1 Resource Sheets (if used) and the Novice Activity 2 Worksheets. Learner groups will start by completing questions 1 and 2 on the Novice Activity 2 Worksheet together. Make sure to tell learners to use this time to get help with vocabulary they do not know and places they cannot describe. This help may be solicited from the teacher or other classmates.
  2.       Regroup as a class and discuss with students what types of places serve as  Pokestops and how the students have described them. Possible categories to discuss include community areas and busy or convenient places.
  3.      Next, students will complete question 3 individually and join their small groups again to share their answers.
  4.      Individually, have learners think of a new place to put a Pokestop  and write a description of why it would be a good place. This Pokestop can be in their town or another place that they have visited. Learners should be informed that the selection of a new Pokestop is a competition, and classmates will be voting on their favorite Pokestop proposal. Learners will organize their thoughts by filling out the back of the Novice Activity 2 Worksheet. They will also draw a picture, write the name of the Pokestop, and answer the related questions, but they should not write their names or fill out the comments section.  
  5.      As a class, the teacher and learners should brainstorm about how to give constructive feedback and how to defend ideas. Here are some questions to discuss with the class:
    1. How can we give helpful feedback? How do we make our feedback constructive?
    2. What is an example of unhelpful feedback?
    3. Teacher: “If I proposed a Pokestop location idea in the middle of a dangerous factory, very far away, how would you give me helpful comments in a kind way, to improve my idea?” Learners should brainstorm and answer.
    4. How can you defend or explain your ideas? Teacher can give the following examples.
      1. I chose X (the factory location) because Y (it’s different than all the other places).
      2. I like my idea because X (it’s an adventure for Pokemon Go players).
      3. You’re right, I will think about that. My idea might be X (too dangerous). Thank you.
  6.      Students will individually present their ideas for where they would put a Pokestop to the class (in larger classes, it is fine to have students collaborate and present in groups). Presentations should be 30-60 seconds each and should include some sort of explanation as to why the proposed Pokestop is a good one. Encourage idea communication above grammatical correctness, and have other students ask WH questions (questions that include who, what, where, when, why and how) about each presenter’s ideas. The presenters should be prepared to explain their reasons and defend their ideas a best as possible, staying in the target language as much as they can.  
  7.      Students will anonymously post their worksheets, back side up, around the class. They will all walk around and write constructive comments until each form has at least five comments written. Then, they will vote on three of their classmates’ suggestions by marking tallies on the bottom of the worksheets.
  8.      The teacher will collect the top three ideas, describe them to class, and the class will vote on them. The teacher may wish to provide a reward for the winning idea.
  9.      As a possible follow-up activitiy, students can potentially submit their idea for a new Pokestop if the place they suggested doesn’t already have one using https://support.pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/hc/en-us/articles/225375247

Note: Some areas have a much denser concentration of Pokestops than others; rural areas especially may lack Pokestops. If you live in an isolated area, you may need to take a field trip with your students to a larger population center.

Publishdate2016-09-12 02:15:01