About This Activity

Overview

Animal Cards is a simple game suitable for beginners that will allow for fun, repeated practice of common animal vocabulary.

Students can play this game after memorizing as few as 6 vocabulary words.

Currently, 3 different sets of 9 cards are available for this game.

As a deduction card game, players need to use their verbal skills to deduce which of the 9 cards laid out in front of them matches the "secret card" in their activity partner's possession.

 

Activity Presentation Phase Instructions

 

Animal Card Example

Card with a
bear, elephant & duck

 

Animal Card Example

Card with a turtle,
rabbit, monkey & octopus

 

Animal Card Example

Card with a turtle,
monkey, mouse & kangaroo

 

 

Download Game Materials

 

 

How To Play

Groups: This game is best played in pairs of two participants. One participant in each group will be the asker and the other will be the answerer.

Materials: Two identical sets of 9 Animal Cards are needed for each pair of two participants. This means two sets of Set A, two sets of Set B, or two sets of Set C.

Time / Game Round: 1-3 minutes

 

  • The asker should lay out one set of game cards in front of them and the answerer should draw one "secret card" from an identical set of cards. The "secret card" will therefore match one of the 9 cards laid out in front of the asker.

  • The answerer can look at the "secret card," but they aren't allowed to show it to the asker. The asker can only learn which animals are on the "secret card" by asking verbal questions.

  • The asker's GOAL is to narrow down which of the 9 cards in front of them matches the "secret card" possessed by the answerer.

    To do this, the asker can use the sentence pattern "Do you have a _________________?" and systematically insert different animals into the blank in the sentence pattern.

  • Based on the answerer's 'yes/no' answers, the asker can "eliminate" any cards that logically can't match the "secret card" held by the answerer. The best way to "eliminate" the non-matching cards, is to flip them over face-down. Then the asker can continue to ask more questions to further narrow down the remaining "face-up cards."

  • Each round of the game continues until the asker has narrowed down the cards in front of them to just one card. They can then ask the answerer, "Is this your card?"

 

For more detailed instructions for how to print, prepare, and introduce card-based deduction games like this one, click the blue button below.

 

Print & Prep Instructions

 

How To Play

 

 

 

Words to Learn Before Playing

The Core Vocabulary Words listed below are all words that students should learn BEFORE playing this game. Students will only need to learn the words listed for a specific set of cards to play this game with that set of cards.

 

Core Vocabulary Words Used in Activity
Card Set A (9 Cards) alligator, ant, bear, bird, cat, dog, duck, elephant, fish
Card Set B (9 Cards) kangaroo, octopus, monkey, mouse, rabbit, turtle
Card Set C (9 Cards) alligator, ant, bird, cat, dog, duck, fish, horse, lion, octopus

 

Important Notes: 

  • Currently, three different card sets for Animal Cards are available. For this game, each list of Core Vocabulary Words is only for one set and students don't need to learn the words from any previous sets to use that set.

    For example, students don't need to know the words from Set A to be able to play the game with Set B.

  • The sets are not arranged in order of difficulty. Rather, each set offers a different assortment of vocabulary words. Set A and Set B are complete different, but Set C has some overlap with both Set A and Set B.

  • It's entirely possible (and even recommended, once your students understand the game) to combine more than one set of cards together to create a more varied and interesting card deck. 

 

Words to Learn While Playing

The following words will be used to the play this game (with every available set of cards). However, these words don't need to be pre-taught. These words can and should be learned WHILE playing the game.

 

Vocabulary Best Learned In Context
Used With All Sets a/an, card, do, have, is, isn't, it, no, this, yes, you, your

 

 

Sentence Patterns to Use While Playing

The following sentences and sentence patterns are recommended for use while playing this game. The best way to teach these sentences, is to use them in context while introducing the game and demonstrating how to play it.

 

Standard Sentences and Sentence Patterns
Do you have a _________________?
Yes, I do. / No, I don't.
Is this your card?
Yes, it is. / No, it isn't.