Today I’d like to share a couple of games inspired by graded readers that can be played live in class with no prior material preparation. All we need to do is type a prompt into ChatGPT (or copy and paste it from a Word or online document). I can guarantee maximum student participation and engagement.
Extensive reading offers many benefits: it boosts vocabulary development, fosters learner autonomy, and provides a rich source of grammar input. In this case, I will be designing these activities aligned with graded readers that an entire class reads together –mostly outside of class hours- to be discussed collectively in class. Of course, learners should also have the freedom to make their own choices and read just about whatever interests them.
In our case, let’s assume our Intermediate class has just finished reading a graded reader version of Roald Dahl’s Matilda. We can use ChatGPT (or a similar Gen.AI tool) to create a quiz game based on this novel.
This is a possible prompt: Create a quiz based on Roald Dahl’s novel Matilda for my Intermediate students of English, who have just finished reading the graded reader version. Design a 10-question quiz, starting with three easy questions and gradually increasing the difficulty level. Present the questions one at a time. When I type “OK”, provide the answer. Continue this process for all 10 questions.
Question 1 (Easy):
- What is the name of Matilda’s teacher, who becomes her friend?
When you’re ready, type “OK” for the answer! 😊
- ok
ChatGPT said:
- Answer 1: Miss Honey
- next question, please
ChatGPT said:
Question 2 (Easy):
- What is the name of Matilda’s headmistress, who is very mean?
- ok
ChatGPT said:
- Answer 2: Miss Trunchbull
- next question, please
ChatGPT said:
Question 3 (Easy):
- What special power does Matilda discover she has?
- ok
ChatGPT said:
- Answer 3: Matilda discovers she can move objects with her mind (telekinesis).
We could set up groups of students competing against each other. Groups would be given a few seconds to write an answer, and then the teacher would type “ok” on the class computer for the answer to be revealed.
Here’s another game that ChatGPT can easily create for us on the fly. Now we are going to ask it to remove words from conversational exchanges in the book for students to guess.
This is the prompt: Create a game called “Guess the word” based on Roald Dahl’s novel Matilda for my Intermediate students of English who have just finished reading the graded reader version. Design a 10-question quiz starting with three easy questions and gradually increasing in difficulty. The questions should consist of two to four line conversational exchanges from the novel, separated by bullets, and the students have to guess the missing word. Use dotted lines for the missing word. Present the questions one at a time. When I type “OK”, provide the answer. Continue this process for all 10 questions. If I type “give me a clue” before typing “OK, you must give me a clue that will help me guess the missing word.
Question 1:
- “I think you’re a very _____ child,” said Miss Honey.
- Matilda stared at her.
- “But I’m not special!” Matilda said.
- “Oh yes, you are, Matilda,” Miss Honey replied.
What is the missing word? (It’s a compliment.)
Type “OK” for the answer!
ok
ChatGPT said:
The missing word is “special.”
Here’s the next question!
Question 2:
- “You’re a _____ girl, Matilda!” said Miss Trunchbull, looking at her closely.
- Matilda smiled.
- “I am not afraid of you,” she said.
- Miss Trunchbull scowled at her.
What’s the missing word?
Type “OK” when you’re ready for the answer!
ok
ChatGPT said:
The missing word is “brave.”
Here’s the next question:
Question 3:
- “You mean you actually ________ all the books yourself?” asked Miss Honey.
- Matilda nodded proudly.
- “But you’re only five years old!” Miss Honey exclaimed.
- Matilda grinned.
What’s the missing word?
Type “OK” when you’re ready for the answer!
ok
ChatGPT said:
The missing word is “read.”
Here’s the next question:
Question 4:
- “You can’t be serious!” cried Miss Trunchbull.
- “I’m perfectly serious,” Matilda said calmly.
- “But this is ________!” Miss Trunchbull shouted.
- “Not at all,” replied Matilda.
What’s the missing word?
Type “OK” when you’re ready for the answer!
give me a clue
ChatGPT said:
Here’s your clue: The missing word describes something that is completely out of the ordinary or absurd, especially in a way that suggests it shouldn’t be happening.
Let me know when you’re ready for the answer!
ok
ChatGPT said:
The missing word is “preposterous.” This word means something that is completely absurd or unreasonable, which fits with the context of Miss Trunchbull’s actions.
Let me know when you’re ready for the next question!
These quizzes are based on content from books, but we could also use movies that the students are familiar with as a source of content. We could even set up a ChatGPT-powered quiz based on any reading material. If we have a digital version of the students’ book that we can copy and paste into ChatGPT, the students could take a quiz based on a reading passage from it. I will be using this reading passage as an example from the British Council website, which can be accessed HERE.
Here’s the prompt: Create a quiz based on the reading passage that I will be copying and pasting for my Intermediate students of English who have just finished reading. Design a 10-question quiz, starting with three easy questions and gradually increasing in difficulty. Present the questions one at a time. When I type “OK”, provide the answer. Continue this process for all 10 questions.
Question 1:
What is one reason wild animals come into cities?(Please type “OK” when you are ready for the answer.)
ok
ChatGPT said:
The answer is: Wild animals usually come into cities to look for food.
Now, let’s move on to the next question.
Question 2:
What problems do baboons face when they come into Cape Town?(Please type “OK” when you’re ready for the answer.)
ok
ChatGPT said:
The answer is: Baboons face several problems in Cape Town, such as getting hurt in car accidents and suffering from the sugar in human food, which can be bad for their teeth.
Question 3:
What is the city council in Cape Town doing to help the baboons?(Please type “OK” when you’re ready for the answer.)
ok
ChatGPT said:
The city council in Cape Town has a team of Baboon Monitors whose job is to find baboons in the city and return them to the countryside. This helps keep the city safer for people and ensures the baboons’ health.
Question 4:
Why are wild pigs entering the city of Berlin?(Please type “OK” when you’re ready for the answer.)
ok
ChatGPT said:
Wild pigs enter the city of Berlin in search of food. Warmer winters have led to an increase in their numbers, and they dig in gardens, damage plants, and cause traffic accidents. Although some residents feed them, the city council is concerned about the accidents and has taken steps to prevent the pigs from entering the city by installing fences and asking people to stop feeding them.
Question 5:
What did scientists discover about the wild dogs in Moscow in 2010?(Please type “OK” when you’re ready for the answer.)
There are many other types of tasks based on reading material that ChatGPT can create for us. We could equally disguise them as games. For instance:
– generate true and false statements about the book´s plot or reading material for students to identify.
– create jumbled sentences for students to reorder.
– provide the first or last words of sentences for students to complete.
– create lists of key characters, animals, cities, objects or places from the book, and reveal them once the students have provided their answers.
– present situations from the narrative for students to predict what happens next.
– provide a scene from a novel or play for students to quickly act out.
AI in ELT 