Find the Sentence

This is a really quick post-reading activity with a very simple premise: using a series of illustrations from a known story, students find the sentence in the story which matches the illustration. This activity only lasts around 5 minutes, but I have found that it actually works very well in terms of re-delivering understandable messages from a known story.

Preparation

1. On a word processing document, create a 2x4 table (2 rows by 4 columns). I usually set the margins to 0.5 on all sides. There will be 8 frames total. Depending on the length of the story, I will create a 2x5 table if I need 10 frames.
2. Take 8 sentences from the story, and illustrate them OUT OF ORDER. Everyone can draw stick figures, regardless of one's drawing ability.
3. Make enough copies for each class.
4. Print up the story from which the illustrations came.

Classtime

1. Give each student a picture handout and a copy of the story.
2. Tell students that they will have 5 minutes to find the sentence in the story which corresponds to the picture. 
3. Students are to write the sentence in the target language in the frame.
4. After 5 minutes, go over the pictures.

Observations

1. I have found that 5 minutes sometimes is way too long. If students are very familiar with the story, it is quite easy for them to find the corresponding sentence, even in the target language!
2. Having to find the sentence in the story forces students to re-read the story to find the sentence. Depending on how familiar they are with the story, students may know exactly where in the story to look.
3. Though this seems like a forced way of getting students to write and even though they are copying down the sentence, students are still receiving and re-receiving understandable, comprehensible messages through reading the story to find the sentence and in writing it down.
4. This is another way for students to demonstrate comprehension, just in a reverse way from the good ol' standby Read and Draw.

Example

Story

Earl elephantum vult. Earl est tristis. Aliyah elephantum habet. Aliyah est laeta.

elephantus secretum habet. elephantus est tristis. elephantus Aliyahem non vult.

Earl crustulum habet. elephantus crustulum vult. elephantus crustulum consumit. elephantus Earlem consumit.

elephantus est laetus. Earl est tristis.