Show Not Tell Taboo

I am really excited about this new game idea!  I was teaching my students about “showing not telling” in their writing.  I explained to them that I wanted them to describe things and get their readers to infer and engage in their writing.  I told them, for instance, that instead of saying they were nervous, they could describe what they were thinking and/or what was physically happening to them because of their nerves.  When students started writing their “shows” for nervous, I noticed that many students used the words shaking and butterflies, so I challenged them to choose other words to be more original.   Then, a student said that this reminded him of the game Taboo.  Eureka!  I had my new reinvented game: Show Not Tell Taboo. 

You can play this as a whole group without points.  Otherwise, you can practice this as a whole group, and then play it in small groups/partners.  Two groups/partners would compete against another group/partners for points.  While one group is writing and then guessing, the other watches.  A time limit for the writer can be decided, as well. 

Materials: paper (for writing excerpts and scoring), pencils, timer, & game cards (can be done on index cards or paper)

Prep Work: Make a set of game cards.  The teacher can do this, or one class can make them for another class to use.  On each card, write down a common word/idea; you can use a sentence or one word.  Then, write a list of common words associated with the word (this list can be shorter or longer depending on how challenging you want to make the game). * Instead of making your own cards, you could use some of the Taboo cards if you have the game.

How to Play

1.) The writer selects and reads one card.  The card should be out of the writer’s partner’s/group’s view.  The opposing group/partner reads the card and later checks the writing.

2.) This student writes his/her “show”.

3.) The writer shares his/her work, and his/her partner or group has to guess the idea being shown.  The group/partner could be given one chance to guess or multiple tries.  Also, students can guess the word or a close synonym of the word.

4.) Then, the other group/partners take their turn.

You should determine total points for winning.  You may want to award 3 points if the word is guessed on the first try, 2 points for the second try, and 1 point for the third try. 

After the game is over, students could nominate well-written passages to be shared with the rest of the class.

Card Example 1:

 I was nervous.   OR   nervousness

 Words that may not be used:

                Butterflies

                Worried

                Shaking

                Anxious

 

Card Example 2:

Everyone at the funeral was sad.    OR   Sadness

 Words that may not be used:

                Crying

                Tissue

                Frowning

                Upset

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