First Impression Mad Libs, Intermediate-low, ASL 201, Lab 01

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Amber Hoye, Delaney Lyon, Camille Daw, Mimi Fahnstrom

Please Note: Many of the activities on the Pathways Project OER Repository were created by upper-division students at Boise State University and serve as a foundation that our community of practice can build upon and refine. While they are polished, we welcome and encourage collaboration from language instructors to help modify grammar, syntax, and content where needed. Kindly contact pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu with any suggestions and we will update the content in a timely manner.  — The Pathways Project

About the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) Language Activity Repository

The activities provided by the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) serve as foundational activities which can be adapted by any language and scaled up or down on the proficiency scale. Many of these activities offer an English Version that is “language-agnostic” to provide language instructors from around the country a platform to remix these instructional materials, infusing them with their target language and culture! The activities within the Pathways Project OER Repository seek to help students solidify their interpersonal speaking and interpretive skills through task-based situations or communicative activities. These activities should be facilitated in the target language for approximately 90% (or more), per the recommendation of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

How to use the WLRC Repository’s Activities:

1. Use the Activity as is:

Before you begin:

  • Most activities are 30 minutes in duration, unless otherwise specified.
  • Be sure to read through the activity description, and review the list of required materials. You will notice that the activity materials are also highlighted in yellow throughout the activity instructions.

If you have any suggestions about grammar, syntax, and content, please kindly contact pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu.

2. Remix for Your Language Classroom:

When you are ready to begin remixing the activity, in order to adapt it for the needs of your language classroom, simply click the blue “Remix This Resource” button at the top of your screen. This will then take you to a screen with a NEW, editable version of this activity. The text provided in purple is a suggestion of what you might say to your students in the target language, and may be altered for different levels and age groups. All activities have “NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do” statements, a warm-up, a main activity, and a wrap-up.

Many of the activities include printable cards and other instructional materials such as Google Slideshows. If you would like to make changes to these materials for your classroom, follow the instructions below:

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  • Materials Saved as PDF: Please email pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu and we will provide you with an editable copy. Please allow up to two business days for a response. For YouTube videos and other websites, hyperlinks are provided. 

First Impressions Mad Libs

Description:

Students will work in pairs/small groups to get to know everyone. They will guess certain aspects of their lives (major, name, hometown, pets) and then present their answers in the target language.

Keywords:

Introductions, Mad Libs, Games, Sentences

NCSSFL-ACTFL World-Readiness Standards

  • Standard 1.1 Students engage in conversations and correspondence in American Sign Language to provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions. 
  • Standard 1.2 Students comprehend and interpret live and recorded American Sign Language on a variety of topics.
  • Standard 1.3 Students present information, concepts, and ideas in American Sign Language to an audience of viewers on a variety of topics.
  • Standard 3.1 Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through American Sign Language.

Idaho Content Standards for World Languages:

  • COMM 1.1: Interact and negotiate meaning (spoken, signed, written conversation) to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions. 
  • COMM 2.1: Understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard, read, or viewed on a variety of topics.
  • CLTR 1.3: Function appropriately in diverse contexts within the target culture.
  • CONN 1.2: Relate information studied in other subjects to the target language and culture.

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can present personal information about myself, using simple sentences.
  • I can exchange information related to areas of mutual interest.
  • I can ask for and provide information about specific events.

Materials Needed:

Warm-up

1. Introduce yourself! Using the *picture card* you created say your name,  major, what year you are in school, anything about yourself that you're comfortable sharing with the other students. 

"Hello everyone! This is going to be you lab group for the semester, so let's get to know each other. One by one we're going to introduce ourselves, include your name, name sign (if you have one) majors/minors, and anything interesting you'd like to add on!"

Each student will introduce themselves:

- Name

- Major

- Hometown

- Hobby

Main Activity

First Impression Mad Libs

1. Students will be introducing each other without knowing each other.

2. Put students into pairs and give them the Mad Lib cards and Expo markers. Give them a minute to take in their first impressions of the person they're paired with and to write down their guesses.

3. Students are given the cards with phrases like “My name is _________, I grew up in _________, my major is _________, and I had __________ animals in my life”.

4. Students will come back together as a group and introduce their partners based off their first impressions of their partner. Their partners will then tell the group what the real answers are.

Wrap-up

Discuss how students are feeling about their new ASL class or classes in general. Answer any questions that may come up. 

Lab Assistant Notes: Remind students to take a picture of their lab sheet before they leave in case they lose it! If they do lose it and don't have pictures of their lab sheets, we can't sign a new one for them.

End of lab:

  • Read the Can-Do statements to check in ... "Where are we at?" 
  • Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation.
  • Pay attention, and try to use feedback for future labs!

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can present personal information about myself, using simple sentences. 
  • I can exchange information related to areas of mutual interest.
  • I can ask for and provide information about specific events.



Where are we? Rate yourself on the weekly Can-Do Statements using this scale: I get it!, I got it!, I kind of get it..., I don't get it...
Where are we? Rate yourself on the weekly Can-Do Statements using this scale: I get it!, I got it!, I kind of get it..., I don't get it...

Where are we? Rate yourself on the weekly Can-Do Statements using this scale: I get it!, I got it!, I kind of get it..., I don't get it...


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