When teachers make an activity that we love we want to use it and reuse it. Why not? I mean we are proud of what we created and we don’t want it to sit in a filing cabinet or buried under piles of papers on our desks. So, when an activity or resource can serve more than one purpose, we are thrilled. I’ve recently started using Word Clouds in my Spanish classroom, and found many great uses for them. They can be used for games, brainstorming sessions, writing and speaking activities, and so much more. Here are 5 of my favorite uses for word clouds in the classroom.
Vocabulary Race
The Word Cloud has vocabulary terms scattered throughout. The students are seated in pairs. The teacher shows an image or definition that corresponds to one vocabulary word on the cloud. The students race to find the matching word as quickly as possible. Whoever points to it first, gets a point. This game can be used for different levels depending on the types of prompts the teacher shows (pictures, English translations, definitions, etc.)
Random Sentences
The Word Cloud has vocabulary words scattered throughout. Each student receives a word cloud. They close their eyes and point to a word (they will do this 3 times). Once they have three words selected, they must use those three words in a creative sentence (or paragraph).
To make this a more indepth activity, students could create stories. They choose one word, and write a sentence, then pass the paper to the next student. Now, they blindly choose another word, and must add another sentence to the new paper (and it must make sense in order!)
Brainstorming
On a piece of large paper or on the whiteboard, the teacher will write a word in the center. It should be a general word that encompasses a whole theme. For example: the environment, school, music, etc. Then, give students a few minutes individually to brainstorm a few words that relate to this topic. They can pair-share or discuss in small groups. Then each small group can add a few ideas to create a class Word Cloud.
Reading Comprehension
After reading a story or novel, students can create their own Word Cloud to describe different characters. They can use adjectives to describe their personality and physical characteristics, nouns to describe things/people that are important to them, and verbs to describe their actions in the story.
Verb Conjugations
The Word Cloud should consist of verbs in the infinitive (and could also be related to a theme). On the board, the teacher should write a subject pronoun and verb tense. Students will close their eyes and point to a verb. Then, they must use that verb in a sentence, conjugating it correctly. Then, the teacher gives a new pronoun and tense, and students continue. This could even be used to create a story. They must find ways to connect the sentences and make it one long story.
