Moving to teaching on line has presented some new challenges and one of those has been how to convert some great classroom activities so they can be done on line.
One of those is a simple card game where in our foreign language classes, we help students learn new language by printing phrases onto card, cutting them up, then writing the answers on the back of the cards. They then place the cards on a desk and then go through the cards one by one, trying to remember the correct answer.
If they get the right answer, they continue to the next card (i.e. up the ladder), if they don’t, their partner has a go, always starting from the top again. Thus, to get to the bottom, they need to know all the correct answers, and most likely they will have had to repeat a number of the cards many times.
I’ve created a digital version this, using Google Sheets and some Apps Script in the background, which creates a web app to play the game.
HOW TO PLAY
The phrases and sentences that will appear on the cards, and the answers are stored in Google Sheets.
Each set of cards are on a different numbered sheet.
The sheet number is selected and then the game link is shared with the students, for example, via the Zoom chat box.
When the students click on the link, the following page is opened with the cards.
When they tap a card, it shows the opposite side with the answer. If they tap again, it returns it to the yellow side.
The objective is to get all the answers correct. The game is usually played in pairs to make it more communicative.
HOW TO SET UP THE GOOGLE SHEETS FILE
Make a copy of the Google Sheets template.
This will make a copy of the Google Sheets template on your My Drive.
The first time you use it you need to do two things:
- Authorise the app
- Get the game link
Open the Google Sheet file and go to Extensions > Apps Script
This is where the code for the game lives. In the script editor, go to Deploy > New deployment
Leave everything as is and click the blue Deploy button at the bottom.
This will open the authorisation dialogue box. Click on Authorize access.
Click on your account. This is the account that will run the game.
If you don’t have a Google Workspace account, and only a Gmail one, you’ll have to go through 2 extra steps. On the “Google hasn’t verified this app” screen, click Advanced.
Then click on “Go to Ladder Game (unsafe)” – Don’t worry it is safe.
Then click “Allow”.
Under Web app you will see a URL. Click Copy to copy it. Then click OK. Then paste it in your Google Sheet.
HOW TO MAKE NEW SET OF CARDS
Open the Google Sheet.
Find a numbered sheet that’s empty and paste/type in the text you want. The question side is in column A and the answers are in column B. Delete any blank rows, otherwise you will have some blank cards.
If all the sheets are full, duplicate the Blank sheet, rename it with the next consecutive number.
It’s ready to play!
If you want to learn how to make the app, see my post which explains the code behind it.
Want to learn more about Google Workspace and Apps Script? The books below are available on Amazon. Just click on a book! (Affiliate links).
a
