Aims:
- To help students talk about (and play!) card games
- To develop students’ reading skills
- To expand students’ vocabulary
- To develop students’ writing skills
Level: Low intermediate A2
Introduction
What card games do you know? Do you like playing games? In this lesson, students
read about how to play a card game called ‘Snap’. They practise expressions for
playing games and then have the chance to write instructions for a game. You need at
least one pack of playing cards for this lesson.
Procedure
Lead in
• Draw the following diagram on the board and ask the students to tell you the
missing word (cards). Give clues if necessary, e.g., ‘You use these to play
games with. You play poker with these…’
• Show the students a pack of cards. Can they identify the different suits
(diamonds, hearts, spades, clubs)? Can they identify the picture cards (ace,
King, Queen, Jack)?
• Show different cards and say the name, for example ‘The ten of hearts, the ace
of spades, etc’. Ask students to tell you the names of different cards and focus
on the correct weak form pronunciation of ‘of’ (/әv/).
Task 1: A description of a card game.
• Ask students to tell you about any card games that they know. Tell them that
they are going to read about a card game called ‘Snap’. Do they know this
game? Hand out Task 1 and ask students to do question A in pairs.
• Ask students to read the ‘Snap instructions’ text quickly to find the answer to
question B. Set a two-minute time limit.
Answers Task 1 A: two - players shout ‘Snap!’ when they see two cards with the same
number or picture, four - there are four suits, five – up to five people can play Snap
Answers Task 1 B: The players have to shout ‘Snap!’ when they see two cards of the
same number or picture.
Task 1: A description of a card game.
A) Read ‘Snap basics’. What do these numbers refer to?
one ____you need one deck of cards________________
two __________________________________________
four __________________________________________
five __________________________________________
Snap basics:
The game: Snap is a game for up to five players. You need one deck of cards to
play. Players have to pay attention and shout ‘Snap!’ when they see two cards with
the same number or picture. The winner is the player with all the cards at the end of
the game. This game is very noisy and very fast!
The cards: There are four suits: hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs. The highest
cards are aces, then Kings, Queens, Jacks, 10s and so on down to 3s and 2s.
B) Read ‘Snap instructions’. Why is the game noisy?
Snap instructions:
1 Shuffle the cards.
2 One person deals each player an approximately equal number of cards, clockwise,
one at a time and face down. Use all the cards in the deck.
3 Each player puts their pile of cards face down in front of them. Players must not
look at their cards.
4 The player on the left of the dealer goes first. He or she places the top card from
their pile face up in the centre of the table and says the name of the card, for
example, ‘The three of diamonds.’
5 The next player places the top card from their pile face up on top of the previous
cards and says the name of the card, for example, ‘The Jack of clubs’.
6 The game continues in the same way in a clockwise direction until a card number
or picture is repeated. If a player places a card on the pile that has the same number
or picture as the previous card, any player can shout ‘Snap!’, and quickly put his or
her hand on the pile and take the cards. This is the noisy part!
7 If two or more people shout ‘Snap!’ at the same time, the person with their hand on
the cards first wins the cards. This person adds the cards to their pile and the game
continues.
8 When a player uses all the cards in their pile, they are out. The player with all the
cards at the end of the game is the winner. Play again?
• Hand out Task 2. Ask students to look at the ‘Snap instructions’ in Task 1 and
match the words in italics in the text with the definitions in Task 2, question A.
students can work individually then compare answers in pairs.
• Ask students to cover the text before they do question B. They should try to
choose the correct preposition then look back at the text to check their answers.
• Students can do question C in pairs then discuss the answers as a class. Ask
the students to repeat the expressions after you and focus on intonation by
encouraging them to exaggerate the rising and falling (up and down) tone of
these expressions and to say them with feeling.
• Students play Snap in small groups. Each group needs a pack of cards.
Encourage them to read the instructions again and have a practice round
before they start playing. You could demonstrate the game to the class first by
playing Snap with a small group as the others watch. Help as necessary as
students play. Insist on English. Encourage students to say the name of each
card, ‘ten of hearts’ etc. as they put the card on the pile to maximise English
use.
• Invite students to tell you card games (and other games) and make a list on the
board. With weaker students you could vote to choose one game and write
instructions for that game as a class. A stronger class could write instructions
individually or in pairs.
Tip: Improvise if you don’t have playing cards. You can use any sets of cards (e.g.,
flashcards) with matching pictures, words or numbers.
Answers Task 2 A: 1 clockwise, 2 face down, 3 face up, 4 shout, 5 shuffle, 6 out, 7
deal, 8 pile, 9 goes first, 10 one at a time
Answers Task 2B: 2 on, 3 of, 4 in, 5 at, 6 at
Answers Task 2C: 2,3,4,5,6,7,11,13,14 (1- computer, 8 and 9 – a board game, 10 - a
console game, 12- football)
Task 2: Vocabulary, play and write.
A) Look at the words and expression in italics in the instructions. Can you write
them next to the correct definition?
1 Moving in the direction of clock hands
2 With the image covered
3 With the image showing
4 Say in a loud voice
Shuffle 5 Mix the cards
6 Eliminated
7 Gives out
8 A number of cards on top of each other
9 Starts
10 One, then another, then another…
B) Circle the correct preposition to complete these extracts from the
instructions.
1 Players must not look at in of on their cards.
2 The player at in of on the left of the dealer goes first.
3 The three at in of on diamonds
4 The game continues at in of on the same way
5 If two or more people shout ‘Snap!’ at in of on the same time
6 The player with all the cards at in of on the end of the game is the winner
C) Which of these expressions can you use in a card game? When could you use
the other expressions?
1 Click on the icon.
2 Don’t look at my cards!
3 No cheating!
4 I can see your cards!
5 I’m out.
6 I’ve won!
7 It’s your turn to play/deal/shuffle.
8 Move your counter.
9 Pass the dice please.
10 Press the green button.
11 The queen of diamonds
12 Two nil!
13 Snap!
14 Whose turn is it?
D) Are you ready to play Snap? Read the instructions again and play a game of
Snap. Use some expressions from exercise C.
E) Make a list of games with a partner. Can you write instructions for a game?
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© BBC | British Council 2011
