Utilizing the game “You’ve Been Sentenced!” as a classroom tool

Start with Helpful Downloads for Teachers:

You've Been Sentenced Poster for your Classroom

Other areas of our site you will find useful:

Quotes from teachers and customers about our games

Also, make sure to visit our Character Legend for backgrounds on historical figures featured on our You've Been Sentenced! cards.

LESSON PLAN

SYNOPSIS: During this lesson, students will use the game “You’ve Been Sentenced!” to: 1) practice producing grammatically correct sentences, 2) orally present those sentences to a peer group, and 3) orally defend the sentence's grammar and explain the sentence's meaning.

TEACHING LEVEL: Grades 6-12

APPROX TIME TO TEACH: 1-2 class periods

MATERIALS:
         3 copies of “You’ve Been Sentenced!”
         A copy of the latest rule version, (click here)

STANDARDS:

English and Language Arts Standard #1: Use written and oral English appropriate for various purposes and audiences.

English and Language Arts Standard #2: Construct, examine, and extend the meaning of literary, informative, and technical texts through listening, reading, and viewing.

Performance Indicators: Oral Communication
Speakers demonstrate oral language proficiency in formal and informal speech situations such as conversations, interviews, collaborative group work, oral presentations, public speaking, argumentations, and debate.

1. formulate a message
2. organize a message
3. deliver a message
4. respond to feedback
   

Performance Indicators: Written Communication
Writers will produce texts that exhibit the following textual features, all of which are consistent with the genre and purpose of the writing:

1. Development: The topic, theme, stand/perspective, argument, or character is fully developed.
2. Organization: The text exhibits a discernible progression of ideas.
3. Style: The writer demonstrates a quality of imagination and individuality, and a distinctive voice.
4. Word Choice: The words are precise, vivid, and economical.
   

Writers will produce texts that exhibit the following language conventions at all grade levels:

1. Sentence Formation: Sentences are complete and varied in length and structure.
2. Conventions: Appropriate grammar, mechanics, spelling, and usage enhance the meaning and readability of the text. Formal English conventions are to be followed unless otherwise called for by the purpose of the writing.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To utilize printed directions to correctly follow a procedure
2. To produce grammatically correct sentences utilizing a limited selection of words
3. To critically analyze sentence structure and grammar
4. To orally defend sentence structure and grammar to a peer group

PROCEDURES:

Determine the number of students that will participate in each game. If the number is too unwieldy for the number of copies of YBS you have at hand, consider dividing the YBS cards sets into 2 mini-sets to decrease the number of individuals per game. 5-6 students per game is a good number.

1. Go over the basic rules of grammar and the requirements of what constitutes a proper sentence.
   
   
2. Discuss the use of games as a teaching tool in the classroom.
   
   
3. Introduce YBS to the students.
   
   
4. Divide the class into the number of playgroups you have selected.
   
   
5. Instruct the students to read and follow the directions for the timed version of the game. Also instruct the students to write down at least one sentence they produce during the game.
   
   
6. Allow the students to play the game, monitoring the groups and mediating any rule questions or disagreements regarding sentence acceptance. Teachers may remind students of the proper rules for grammar and sentence structure upon request from the students.
   
   
7. Allow the game to continue as long as time will allow. You may allow the students to continue the game during the next class session if you are willing to record the current scores of the groups.
   
   
8. For wrap-up, have the students share their favorite sentences with the class. Discuss some of the challenges the students faced in producing a proper sentence using the limited selection of words they could use.

ASSESSMENT:

The assessment will involve a class discussion and/or written synopsis regarding the play of the game, focusing on any problems the students had with understanding the rules of the game, the “best” sentences they produced, and some of the challenges the students had in producing an acceptable sentence using a limited selection of words.

Lesson Extensions:

This lesson could be extended by having students choose their favorite sentence produced during the game and write a short story incorporating that sentence.

It can also be extended by having the students develop their own set of rules for a game using the cards from “You’ve Been Sentenced!”

Other Discussions:

"How can teachers use games to teach concepts in other subjects?"

“Can you think of any other times when a teacher used a game to teach a concept or subject?”

“Are games an effective and useful tool in the classroom?”
        

Educator and Customer Comments

"Educational fun with lots of laughs! I just purchased this game, and my Mom and I played for about an hour! This game is simple, lively and entertaining with no complex rules, no small pieces to loose, and yet is one of the funnest games I've ever played! It also teaches sentence structure, grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and overall language skills. I recommend this game to everyone!"
--July 2007, Amazon.com customer

Mr. Flynt
6th Grade Language Arts Teacher
Vero Beach, Florida

"I purchased four copies of You’ve Been Sentenced for my sixth grade Language Arts classes, and we (students and teacher) love it. The students enjoy the game because it gives them a creative outlet and allows them to have a fun time playing with their peers. However, I realize You’ve Been Sentenced is much more than just a game; I was utterly amazed to watch groups of sixth graders debate whether or not what they had created is actually a sentence (Well, if this is a sentence, what would the predicate be?) When I watch them play, and listen to their logic as they defend sentences, I know they are learning important skills about sentence structure.

What has me most excited is that every single student can be successful. I knew many of the advanced students would love the game, but I was not sure how it would go over with some of the struggling students. What would happen with the students who agonize over simple sentences in their writing? I was overjoyed to see them successfully create sentences. The pride on the face of one young man was unmistakable as he told me, “Mr. Flynt, I can make a sentence.” This was a student who had been struggling all year long and suffers from very low self-esteem. On the first day we played You’ve Been Sentenced he walked out of my classroom with his head held high. For one of the first times ever in a Language Arts setting, he felt success. I cannot thank you enough for enabling me to reach and to teach this young man.

We’ve played the game multiple times now. The students love it more each time. As I’m writing this letter, it is the last day of school before the Christmas Break. In the past, I’ve always been badgered with questions like - Can we have a party? Can we bring in a movie? Can we bring in our Ipods? This year those questions have been replaced. Instead I’ve been hearing for almost a week now, “Can we play the ‘Sentence Game’?”

I plan on brining this game with me when I travel to visit my family this Christmas. I am sure they will love it as much as I do.

Thank you for creating this game."