ETA Matt Poissant tried out a new activity with class XI MIA 2 at MAN Demak. The previous week students were studying cause and effect conjunctions. That study continued into this week so Matt developed this activity to help them both practice their creativity and their use of cause and effect conjunctions.

To begin the activity Matt divided the students into five groups. Then he wrote the first half of a sentence on the board, with the example being- “I am late…”. Matt tasked the groups with writing as many reasons for that statement as they can in three minutes using cause and effect conjunctions. Then students were directed to discuss with their group and choose the best sentence from their list.

Matt explained that best could mean the funniest, or the most realistic, or the best structured or anything. Once they chose their sentence groups had to send a student to the board to write that sentence along with their group number. Matt then read out all the sentences written and the groups had to decide which sentence on the board was the best, other than their own. After giving them a minute to decide Matt directed the groups to raise the number of the group they thought had made the best sentence so he could give a point to the chosen group for each group that chose them as the best. Most students interpreted “best” as “most funny” so this activity turned out much more fun than Matt thought it would be. In the picture you will see some of the responses the student groups came up with.

Matt Poissant is currently teaching at MAN Demak, Central Java