Spanish Level 4, Activity 13: Vocabulario Vibrante / Colorful Vocabulary (Face-To-Face)

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

Looking for the English Version of this activity to adapt for your language?  CLICK HERE

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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 in Spanish, follow the instructions below:

  • Google Slideshows:
    • To begin, go to File -> Copy to create an editable version of the slideshow.
    • Once finished with your changes, please complete the following steps to share:
    • Click on Share
    • Who Has Access
    • Ensure link sharing is on and allow external access.
  • 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. 

3. Adapt for Another Language:

  • See the linked English Version at the top of the activity (English Version may not be available for all activities)

Vocabulary Vibrante / Colorful Vocabulary Intermediate Mid

Description:

Students will play a game called "Colorful Vocabulary". Students will practice describing people, places, and items using a game. This will teach students how to describe multiple topics using different vocabulary words. 

Proficiency Level:

Intermediate-Mid

Keywords:

Vocabulary, practice, sentences, person, place, thing, review, game

Relevant ACTFL World-Readiness Standards:

  • Standard 1.1 Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
  • Standard 1.2 Students understand and interpret spoken and written Spanish on a variety of topics.
  • Standard 1.3 Students present information, concepts, and ideas in Spanish to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.

Relevant Idaho State World Language Standards:

  • 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.
  • COMM 3.1 - Present information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate on a variety of topics using appropriate media in the target language.

Relevant NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can describe a person, place, or thing using vocabulary I know 
  • I can share and be descriptive with my ideas 
  • I can think quickly when relating different topics  

Materials Needed:

"Change the theme cards"

"Deck of Words"

Google slideshow

Would you like to make changes to the materials? Access the template(s) below:

- "Change the theme cards" (Canva template, free account required) 

- "Deck of Words" (Canva Template, free account required)

Warm-up

1. Introduce the Can-do's for today's activity and opening up the Google Slideshow

2. Ask students to describe their favorite animal using only adjectives. 

"Describe tu animal favorito usando adjetivos."

3. Students will then take turns guessing each other's favorite animals based on the descriptions they give to each other. 

"Ahora adivina los animales favoritos de cada uno"

Main Activity

1. Students will play a game called "colorful vocabulary". The objective of the game is to work on our vocabulary and work on describing people, places, and things. 

“Hoy vamos a jugar al juego "vocabulario vibrante." El objetivo del juego es mejorar tu propio vocabulario y describir lugares, personas y cosas.
                
2.  Each student will take out a sheet of paper so they can write and keep their score. Each person will get a card that says "erase the topic". Students should mark an "X" every time they get a point. 
    1. “Cada persona va a sacar una hoja de papel dónde puedan escribir y anotar sus puntos.” 
    2. “Cada persona va a tener una tarjeta de "borrar el tema" para anotar puntos y escribir respuestas.

3. Students will take turns choosing a card that has a person, place, or thing. They will have 90 seconds to write down a few words that describe the topic. Students should use verbs, nouns, and adjectives. After 90 seconds, students will share what they have written and if another person has a mutual word, neither student gets a point. The goal is to be creative!

“Vamos a tomar turnos para escoger una tarjeta que tiene una persona, lugar o cosa. Van a tener 90 segundos para escribir tantas palabras como puedan pensar (como verbos, sustantivo o adjetivos). Después de 90 segundos van a compartir lo que escribieron y si tienen palabras en común, ningún estudiante gana puntos. ¡La meta es ser creativo!”

4. Use this model for an example: 
        Justin and I both have "perro" as a descriptive word for the topic. Therefore, neither of us receives a point. 
            Si Justin y yo tenemos la misma palabra, por ejemplo "perro", ninguno de nosotros ganamos el punto. 

5. If a student has a word that no one knows, doesn't understand, or is just more out-of-the-box, ask them to explain it to the group. The person that has to describe their word cannot say it in English, they have to find creative ways to describe it. 
    Si tienen una palabra que no entendemos o una respuesta más creativa, pueden dar una explicación al grupo. No puedes dar la palabra en inglés, ¡tienes que describirla!

6. The person with the most points is the winner!
    La persona que tiene más puntos es el/la ganador/a

Wrap-up

Ask students the following questions to finish the lab: 

¿Hay adjetivos que usaste varias veces?

¿Cuál fue el adjetivo más popular?

End of lab:

• Read Can-Do statements once more and have students evaluate their confidence. 
(Use thumbs up/thumbs down or download our student cards.) 
• Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation.
• Pay attention, and try to use feedback for future labs!

Relevant NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can describe a person, place, or thing using vocabulary I know 
  • I can share and be descriptive with my ideas 
  • I can think quickly when relating different topics  

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