One of the things I truly enjoy during summer holidays is that I get the chance to “revisit” books I love and read them all over again. However, as with everything else in life, reading something seemily unrelated to teaching can inspire a new activity or make me see things in a new light. So, I was reading H.G. Wells’ “The Time Machine” the other day, thinking of the innumerable opportunities a time machine could offer when it dawned on me I can time travel with my students!
Of course, using a time capsule activity in class isn’t something new! We are all familiar with it as a way to inspire our class to set new goals or reflect on what they have accomplished during the year. However, I was thinking that it could also be a practical, yet magical :), way to revise throughout the year. That is because I feel that
establishing a revision routine makes it easier for students to consolidate knowledge and feel more relaxed when they are tested on what they know!
My idea is really simple but you can adapt it to your own classes’ needs. You need coloured paper/scrapbook paper or construction paper and an old jar. I’m thinking of using 3 colours next year which will represent 3 different categories, that is “Places”, “Dates” and “People’s names”. Once you have decided how often you will revise with your class, you can determine how many items each category will contain. After writing the words down, you should cut the words, fold them and throw them in the jar.
All you have to do now is tell your students you will travel in time and try to imagine what life is like in the past/future. Shake the jar, ask your students to choose 3 different pieces of paper every time and let your (and your students’) imagination unwind. The possibilities are endless! Once you finish, throw away the pieces you have used so that students will be excited every time you shake the glass!
