Fish Race is a game that can be inserted into just about any Spanish (or other subject) lesson plan. Students grades four and younger really like it. My third and fourth grade students ask to play often.
Let me begin by giving you the basic instructions, and then I will show you some examples of how I have used it to practice Spanish. First, you provide each team or student with a different colored fish like in the picture shown. If your group is really small, it is nice to let students play individually and decorate their fish before playing. Once you are ready with the fish, draw waves across the board to provide you spaces for moving the fish.
The game begins by giving a player or team something to say or do correctly to be able to move a space (wave) on the board. Go around taking turns moving fish as teams or players answer correctly. First team to reach the end wins. If you have a large group, you can have them answer things simultaneously. Players/teams get a small white board to write answers and show them at the same time. Each one correct moves one wave. This keeps everyone busy the whole time!
Some ways I have used this to practice Spanish are:
1. I show players a picture of a vocabulary word, and they have to say and/or write it correctly in Spanish.
2. I say a sentence in Spanish and players have to translate it to English. This works great when I want to practice a combination of things at the same time, like verbs, vocabulary, and grammar. To make it harder, I say an English sentence so they have to provide the Spanish.
3. I give a verb and subject in Spanish, and the players have to conjugate the verb. Examples: yo/abrir = abro OR we/comer = comemos.
4. I ask a question in Spanish, and they have to answer in Spanish. Sometimes I require them to answer in a full sentence, but other times, I may just require them to answer with a word or phrase just to show they understood the question. This is great for practicing all kinds of questions, easy questions like ¿Cómo te llamas? and ¿Cómo estás? to harder questions using verbs where they need to answer with the correct verb conjugation. Example: ¿Comes los tacos o la pizza? Como la pizza. For these questions, sometimes I also write the question on the board. Some students need the visual.
5. I also use this to practice or review various individual concepts. For example, when we are learning about telling time, I show a time on a clock with hands. Then the team has to say the time in Spanish. Or, if we have been practicing phrases that show location, I might place three vocabulary flashcards on the wall, like el libro, el papel, el lápiz. Then I would ask, “¿Dónde está el papel, entre el libro y el lápiz, o lejos del libro? The team says “entre”, if that is where el libro is.
The possibilities are endless. It is such a simple game, but it is a winner! Try it with your students. You will love it because it takes so little prep time, keeps the students engaged and thinking, and letʼs you review or practice so many things! ¡Qué se diviertan!
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Debbie Annett is the author of Spanish for You!, a curriculum for grades 3-8. Debbie is a
state certified teacher who teaches Spanish to homeschool students in classroom
settings for grades three through high school. She is a strong believer in keeping things
simple in education. She strives to provide academic excellence to her students and
curriculum users through skillfully designed, multi-sensory lessons that engage students
and effectively teach them through simple, inexpensive means. She seeks to save
parents, teachers, and schools money and time by creating streamlined lessons for use
with multiple grades at the same time using inexpensive, everyday materials. To learn
more about the Spanish for You! curriculum, visit www.spanish-for-you.net.
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