This activity provides motivation for students to try new structures and vocabulary within a small group setting. It enables students to speak from another viewpoint, recall information, identify main points and prepares students for writing. While undertaking the tasks the students are more likely to notice their own language gaps and test their hypothesis and provide/receive feedback. The content should be material the students understand because they’ve already explored it in class. A Say It is usually positioned towards the end of a teaching and learning sequence. It may be used as a post-reading activity and the prompts based upon the text just read.
The teacher prepares a table/grid (usually 3 x 3, or 3 x 4) and writes one topic related prompt into each section of the table. Each prompt is usually asked from a different point-of-view. The prompts start with “You are …… say …” Each row and column in the table is labelled with a co-ordinate. (E.g. each column A, B, C …, and each row 1, 2, 3…).
Model the activity to the students. Put the students into groups of about six and choose one student to begin the Say It in each group. Allocate grid coordinates to that student (e.g. B3). The first student reads the text in the (B3) cell aloud and then carries out the short role play. They then choose someone from the group to go second and allocate a new set of coordinates (eg. A2) to that student. Students continue to play until all the cells have been role-played.
For example:
| A | B | C | |
| 1 | You are ….Say why … | You are ….Name 3 … | You are ….What did …? |
| 2 | You are ….How did … feel …? | You are ….Explain how … | You are ….Who was …? |
| 3 | You are ….In your opinion … | You are …. Talk about | You are …. Describe …. |
This video shows a year 11 geography class using a say it activity
Teaching and learning sequence planning example
Primary level:
Secondary level:
Published on: 18 Dec 2017
