Moe!

Your 5th and 6th graders are going to love this.

There’s some exciting unpredictability, there’s some strategic planning, and there’s a whole bunch of laughter.

Devon and I recently presented this activity as part of a workshop at PEN (Primary English Teachers of Niigata), and my 5th and 6th graders have decided this is their new favorite game.

There are several variations. Start with this version.

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1) Divide your class into 2 teams and assign team captains. Play Eeney Meeney Miney Moe, and the team captains point to each student in turn.

2) At the end of the rhyme, “moe” will land on one student from each team.

3) These 2 students do Rock Scissors Paper with each other.

4) The winner returns to the team, and the loser sits down.

5) Repeat until all the students from one team are sitting down.

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Tip: You don’t need to spend much time teaching Eeney Meeney Miney Moe. You will play it so many times during this activity that the students will learn most of it automatically. Happy warning: you and the students will continue humming it for the rest of the week.

Stay tuned for variations on this activity!