Sight Word Jenga!

By Daniel S & David C

About Jenga:

Jenga is a game originated in Ghana. The word “Jenga” comes from the Swahili word “Kujenga”  which means “To build”. It was first commercially released in Harrods, and then Hasbro took it world-wide.

Classic Jenga Rules:

A classic Jenga game consists of 54 hardwood blocks. To set up the game, we used the included loading tray to create the initial tower. Stack all of the blocks in levels of three placed next to each other along their long sides and at a right angle to the previous level.

Once the tower is built, the person who stacked the tower plays first. Moving in the game Jenga consists of:

• Taking one block on a turn from any level of the tower (except the one below an incomplete top level), and
• Placing it on the topmost level in order to complete it.

Players may use only one hand at a time; either hand may be used, but only one hand may touch the tower at any time.

Players may tap a block to find a loose one. Any blocks moved but not played should be replaced, unless doing so would make the tower fall. The turn ends when the next player touches the tower, or after ten seconds, whichever occurs first.

The game ends when the tower falls — completely or if any block falls from the tower (other than the block a player moves on a turn).

The loser is the person who made the tower fall (i.e., whose turn it was when the tower fell).

Above mentions the classic rules used for Jenga. To take an educational approach towards the game, we have reinvented Jenga for an English Language Arts lesson on Sight Words. 

Sight Word Jenga!

We felt it would be fun to take the classic game Jenga and turn it into a Grade 2 English Language Arts lesson on Sight Words and sentencing writing. We decided to do this as we both work in the same International School and as many teachers from our cohort this week expressed, teaching ELL students or even ELA students possess its challenges when it comes to making lessons that drive critical creativity and fun. 

The school we are currently working at is British Columbia International School Bangkok and BCISB is a Canadian school that utilizes the British Columbia Curriculum. Inside the curriculum, one of the main pillars of the academic program are the BC Core Competencies. The Core Competencies allow us to take a holistic approach to social-emotional learning with our students. Therefore, we chose this English Language Arts lesson (in the game of Jenga) as we felt it would allow us to assess the student learning outcomes from both the ELA curriculum and also to assess one of the BC Core Competencies, which is being a Risk-Taker. 

We also thought it would be valuable to utilize an English Language Arts lesson as we have also learned in our discussion forums this week about PISA. In order to prepare students to effectively have the outcomes and expectations to write the Programme of International Student Assessment benchmark exam, which hosts a strong focus on Literacy. 

This lesson is an example of a Formative Assessment as students are learning to use the sight words and create sentence starters. 

Lesson: 

Sight Word Jenga

A sight word is a common word that frequently appears in texts. However, younger readers often need practice when it comes to recognizing these works to effectively read at their grade level successfully. To incorporate writing into this ELA lesson we will ask students to collect all of their words and create a sentence. By playing this game, it allows students to play in a gaming sense and through play they will be able to practice word recognition and sentence starters. Additionally, students will be able to incorporate the BC Core Competency of being a Risk-Taker as they will be working with new peers and playing a new game. 

Objective:

-Students will practice recognizing sight words and writing simple sentences by collecting as many blocks of words from the Jenga tower. Without tipping the tower over. 

Content:

English Language Arts, Grade 2 BC Curriculum

-Students can read common high frequency words based on word lists (Reading).

-Students can  produce simple sentences and common compound sentences (Writing). 

Assessment:

-Formative Assessment (type of assessment)

-Students will be given a post-it note to write their best sentence to submit as an exit teacher at the end of class. 

-Students will verbally call out the sight words (teacher will circle class to check for understanding). 

Materials:

-Jenga Tower

-Marker

-Sight Word List (we got ours from our ELA program) 

-Post-it notes for exit ticket

Instructions:

1). Write ONE sight word per block (this is prepared by the teacher!)

2). Ask students to assemble the Jenga tower

3). Students rotate taking the pieces out of the tower and getting a word

4). If they successfully gain a block, the student says the word verbally to group

5). Student keeps the block to later on make a sentence

6). Students play until the tower collapses

7) Student with the most blocks wins the game

8). Students use their blocks to create a simple sentence

9). Students submit the sentence to the teacher as an exit ticket to check for understanding

Course Application

After creating the game and lesson plan, it was time to apply the lesson to the 16 Principles of Learning (Gee, 2003). These principles helped us to reflect on the activity being presented. Throughout our reflection we were able to create an analysis on each principal. 

1). Identity

Students enjoy playing a game that gives them a sense of identity. As with Jenga it is an individual winner, it allows students the freedom to be a competitive individual. Allows students to use their creativity to build and develop. 

2). Interaction

Students interact with their peers by playing Jenga in either pairs of small groups and also helps promote fine motor skills. 

3). Production

Students are able to produce an amusing tower and at the same time they are able to verbally and through writing apply their skill sets for the Curriculum Standards. 

4). Risk-Taking (Core Competency)

Students are Risk- Takers by attempting a new game, and possible with new words and new peers to collaborate with. The principle of “Risk-Taking” is important to our lesson as it is one of our school’s Core Competencies. 

5). Customization

The game can easily be customized to allow for easier or harder levels of student academic ability. To make the game either less or more challenging or inclusive for students thay may have additional learning needs. 

6). Agency

The game allows for all students to form a sense of agency as they are playing as a solo player, they all want to see the tower be pulled apart as much as possible. 

7). Well Ordered Problems

With clear directions and ob adjectives, this game is easy to follow and to play for all students.

8). Challenge and Consolidation

Jenga promotes both challenge and consolidation as it is a challenge to pull the right blocks of the tower. However, when the tower does crash down, it allows for consolidation as students can simply re-built the tower and play again.

9). Just in Time and On Demand

Jenga allows for a quick and easy set up that can be played on demand in any area. 

10). Situated Meanings

Students understand the WHY in Jenga and the purpose of the game very instinctively. 

11). Pleasantly Frustrating

The game is indeed pleasantly frustrating and the gasps of laughter and shock will indeed be loudly heard when the tower crumbles. Although frustrating, this is also the fun part!

12). System Thinking

All players must think systematically in order for the Jenga tower to stay standing.

13). Explore, think laterally, and rethink

The lesson allows all learners to explore the game, use their voice and mind to say the words and to write them. It also allows students to engage by rethinking which blocks to pull from the location of the block on the tower.

14). Smart Tools and Distributed Knowledge

Students are given the necessary information, directions and support to effectively play the game. 

15). Cross Functional Teams

Students can have the opportunity to play other teams as the lesson progresses. Perhaps the winner of one round can play another winner, too. 

16). Performance before the game

The students will have played Jenga before or had exposure to the game before the class. Students at any academic level will be able to participate even if it is just success in playing the game with their peers. 

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Cross Application:

The 3 principles of UDL that were anyased and reflected upon in the lesson are engagement, representation and action and expression. 

1). Engagement

-Students have choices

-The game is relevant to the content/curriculum/competencies

-Creates opportunity for learners to move around the room

2). Representation

-Audio, the directions can be read aloud by the teacher

-Video, students can watch a video clip of how the video is played (like the one on our blog!)

-Hands on learning is taking place

3). Action and Representation

-Pencil to paper assessment (student writing a sentence as an exit ticket)

-Oral report (students calling the words aloud and teacher circulating to listen

Reflection/Conclusions

What are the barriers in the game?

The barriers in the game might include the setting. A classroom may not be large enough to host multiple students playing multiple towers of Jenga at the same time. Another barrier will be academic levels. It is critical that differentiation is done on each of the different towers to include lower ability learners and to challenge higher level students. The game can also be noisey and could be disruptive during the school day. 

Who might be excluded?

Students with physical disabilities may struggle to play the game. However, certain things can be done to make the game more inclusive. Players that may struggle to physically play the game by moving around and pulling the blocks could be assisted with another team mate. For example, the Jenga rule of only using one hand, will pose complications for students that cannot sit still. Students that may have sight problems could use a Jenga tower with the words written in Brail or have the assistance of a TA to support. 

How does the game foster creative and critical thinking?

The game fosters both creative and critical thinking in two ways. It allows students to think critically when choosing which block they will pull from the tower, it allows students to think creatively by structuring their sentences with the sight words they receive. 

What skills are being activated? 

Many skills are being activated through this lesson. Students must collaborate and work in a group, they must follow instructions, they must listen to each other and they are practicing two critical components to reading and writing in their Language Arts curriculum. Lastly, the BC Core Competencies of being a “Risk- Taker” is being activated as students try new things. 

How will I know if the learning is happening 

There are many ways to know the learning is happening throughout this lesson. During the game the teacher will circulate the room and visit each group to hear the students call out the sight word. The teacher will also be assessing the student’s exit ticket which will include a piece of writing from the student. In general, loud classrooms usually help us indicate student engagement and we know the students will be actively trying to construct/deconstruct the towers, allowing for more practice with the sight words.