Inevitably, as one year ends and another begins, reviews of the year gone by pop up along with 'Best of...' and 'Worst of...' lists. With so many big budget releases these days, the world of gaming now also has its own such lists and this lesson plan invites learners to examine articles about the best and worst games of last year and discuss their opinions.
Game: No games necessary.
Suitable for: teens and adults (intermediate and up); reading comprehension, discussion, offering opinions
Necessary materials: PC and projector/IWB, internet access and the following links/handouts:
Suitable for: teens and adults (intermediate and up); reading comprehension, discussion, offering opinions
Necessary materials: PC and projector/IWB, internet access and the following links/handouts:
- Online articles - The Best Video Games of 2013 and The Worst video Games of 2013 (alternatively, use the simplified versions of the texts listed below).
- Handout 1 (for Part 1 - The Best Games of 2013 and Part 2 - The Forbes Top 5)
- Handout 2 (for Part 3 - The Worst Games of 2013)
- Simplified Text (for Part 2 - The Forbes Top 5 and Part 3 - The Worst Games of 2013)
Lesson Outline: Part 1 - The Best Games of 2013 (Discussion)
Start by talking to students about games they purchased or played in 2013, and whether they were for PC, consoles or mobile devices (the discussion does not need to go beyond titles and platforms at this point).
On the board, list your 3 favourite games from 2013 along with a brief explanation of why you liked it. My top 3 would be like this:
On the board, list your 3 favourite games from 2013 along with a brief explanation of why you liked it. My top 3 would be like this:
Invite questions or comments about the games from the class and then ask them to compile a similar list, using Handout 1. Monitor and help students out with language when necessary.
Put the students into pairs and tell them to ask each other about their and note their partner's answers down (again, on Handout 1).
The students then report back to the class by sharing what their partners told them.
Put the students into pairs and tell them to ask each other about their and note their partner's answers down (again, on Handout 1).
The students then report back to the class by sharing what their partners told them.
Part 2 - The Forbes Top 5 (Reading)
Tell the students you are going to show them an article from forbes.com about the best games of 2013.
First, ask them to speculate as to which games they think will be on the list. Then show them the following image and ask them if they can name the games and whether or not they have played them:
First, ask them to speculate as to which games they think will be on the list. Then show them the following image and ask them if they can name the games and whether or not they have played them:
Next, show the students the Best Video Games of 2013 internet article and/or give them the simplified text (the article is quite long so this shortens it and makes the lesson more suitable for lower levels). Initially, they should skim the text for the titles of the games and note them down on Handout 1.The students should then read the introduction in more depth and answer the following comprehension questions (also on Handout 1):
- How did the authors decide on the best games of 2013?
- Why did they choose a Top 6 and not a Top 5?
The next task is to read the comments and reviewers quotes with each game and ask the students why those games have been chosen as the best from 2013. They should note down their answers in the chart on Handout 1 before going through them as a class.
The final reading stage focuses on the 'Runners Up' selection of games that didn't quite make the list. Ask students the following discussion questions:
The final reading stage focuses on the 'Runners Up' selection of games that didn't quite make the list. Ask students the following discussion questions:
- Which of the 'Runners Up' games have you played?
- Are there any games you haven't played or haven't heard of before? Which ones would you like to play and why?
- Are there any other games you would add to the Runners Up list?
- Do you agree or disagree with the choices for the Top 6 games of 2013? What would be you first choice?
Part 3 - The Worst Games of the Year (Discussion)
Having discussed the Best of 2013, tell students it is now time to think about the worst. Tell them about a game you bought or played in the last year that you really didn't like making sure you also tell the class why you didn't like it. My answer would be as follows:
Next, give the students a few moments to think about the worst game they played in 2013 and ask them to write down a few notes in the relevant section on Handout 2.
Once again, ask students to talk about their choices in pairs and note down their partner's answer and reasons before sharing with the class.
Next, tell the students you are going to show them another Forbes article this time showcasing the 5 Worst Games of 2013. Ask them to speculate about which games might be on the list and why they might be there.
Share the link to the article and/or the simplified text and at first ask the students if they have played or heard of any of the games. Next, ask them to read the introduction again more thoroughly and answer the following questions:
After discussing the answers as a class, wrap up the lesson with the following discussion questions:
Once again, ask students to talk about their choices in pairs and note down their partner's answer and reasons before sharing with the class.
Next, tell the students you are going to show them another Forbes article this time showcasing the 5 Worst Games of 2013. Ask them to speculate about which games might be on the list and why they might be there.
Share the link to the article and/or the simplified text and at first ask the students if they have played or heard of any of the games. Next, ask them to read the introduction again more thoroughly and answer the following questions:
- How did the author choose the Worst 5 Games of 2013?
- Do you think this was a better method of choosing the games than the one used in the Best Games list? Why/why not?
After discussing the answers as a class, wrap up the lesson with the following discussion questions:
- Was 2013 a good year for gaming?
- Do you think these Best and Worst lists are useful or not?
- "The best single player games are experiences." What do you think the reviewer means with this comment? Do you agree or disagree?
Optional Extra Activity
If you teach higher levels, ask the students to compare the simplified text with the original internet articles (this is best just done with the shorter Worst Games list to avoid overload!) Tell them to find the changes and try to explain the meanings of the words and phrases edited out from the original text.