unit 1 Time like the present

1 1.1 Global animal

Level
elementary –
pre-intermediate

Class size
bingo
Before class
Make one copy of one Bingo card (p.9) for each learner or each pair
of learners, depending on the size of the class.

In class
1 Explain to learners that they are going to play a game like bingo, which is
popular throughout the English-speaking world. The game here, however, also
involves learners asking questions. If bingo, or an equivalent, is played in your
country, you can tell learners about it.
2 Give each learner a Bingo card. On it there is a grid of phrases. Beneath the
grid is a sentence about an animal and three pieces of information about that
animal: what it has/has got, eats, likes doing, or where or how long it lives.
whole class During the game, each learner will assume the identity of the animal on
his/her card.
Language focus
present simple Have … got 3 The aim of the game is to be the first learner to cross off all the phrases on
questions about facts and his/her Bingo card and tell the class which animal each phrase referred to.
habitual actions 4 During the game, each ‘animal’ must introduce himself/herself. However, it is
very important that learners do not reveal any other details about the animal.
Pronunciation
On introduction, other learners in the class should pose questions to the
weak forms: do you /dju/
animal, based on phrases in their Bingo cards. For example, for the African
you /j´/
elephant, the following is written:
Preparation time Hello, I’m an African elephant: I have a small tail, I eat leaves and I’ve got
5 minutes relatives in India.
The learner introducing himself/herself says: Hello, I’m an African elephant …
Game time The other learners then scan their Bingo cards for any phrases that might
20 minutes
relate to the African elephant, and ask the elephant any questions that the
phrases suggest.

1 long grass leaves seals

sitting
A learner with these bingo squares thus might
bamboo sealsask: Do you eat leaves?
The Africandown
elephant answers: Yes, I do. (This is a detail on the card.)
BINGO

and all the learners who have this bingo square can cross it off.
Anotherlong
learner with these
grass same bingo squares
dancing queenmight ask: Do you eat
long grass?
The African elephant answers: No, I don’t (because this is not a detail in
front of him/her).
After a question from three or four different learners, move on to another
learner, who introduces himself/herself: Hello, I’m a polar bear, and so on.
5 If there is more than one African elephant etc. in the class, this simply
means that learners may ask the African elephant questions again.
8
 1.1 Global animal bingo
Bingo cards

✂
1 under small 2 relatives
grass Romania leaves
ice tail in India

sitting bamboo seals

down holiday queen group
BINGO

BINGO
long grass dancing queen longer than
zebras fish
people
Hello, I’m a pelican: I live in Romania, I eat fish and Hello, I’m an African elephant: I have a small tail.

✂
I like going on holiday. I eat leaves and I’ve got relatives in India.

3 China holiday longer than 4 grass dancing under ice

people

Romania long sleep seals flowers small birds long sleep

BINGO

BINGO

yellow and white

leaves fish zebras leaves
brown relatives
Hello, I’m a bee: I have a queen, I like dancing Hello, I’m a giant panda: I live in China, I eat
and I like flowers. bamboo and I like sitting down.
✂
5 long grass 6 relatives
holiday bamboo under ice China
in India

sitting
leaves small tail group small tail long sleep
down
BINGO

BINGO

white longer than

relatives grass small birds flowers people group

Hello, I’m a polar bear: I like swimming under ice, Hello, I’m a rhinoceros: I eat grass, I have white
I eat seals and I like a long sleep. relatives and I like small birds on my back.
✂
7 zebras long grass under ice 8 long grass dancing Romania

small sitting fish long neck relatives in grass

birds down India
BINGO

BINGO

relatives yellow and small birds

China queen seals
in India brown
Hello, I’m a tortoise: I live longer than people, Hello, I’m a lion: I live in a group, I like long grass
I have a yellow and brown shell and a long neck. and I eat zebras.
From The Grammar Activity Book by Bob Obee © Cambridge University Press 1999 PHOTOCOPIABLE 9