Story dice are a set of small cubes with a different picture or symbol on each face. By rolling the dice, users generate a random combination of images—such as a ladder, a balloon and a bicycle—which they can then use as prompts to create a story. They are an excellent tool for the language classroom as they promote creativity and stimulate imagination. Additionally, story dice are available from a handful of websites.
Today I will explore ways to use story dice in the classroom in combination with the ChatGPT voice extension or the Android/iOS app for added elements of creativity, interaction and multimodal language use and practice.
We may have a set of story dice in the classroom –I do, and that’s what I would use- or otherwise we can easily find an online version by googling “story dice online”. Let’s use https://davebirss.com/storydice/.
I just “virtually” rolled the dice, and the screen showed these images: a set of pliers, a double-decker bus, a car, a snake and a mouse. We could ask our learners to tell or write a story that includes those elements (either in the given order or not). Let’s be a bit more specific. We could tell our students, in pairs, to come up with a story they can tell in about one minute that features at least 4 of those elements in any order. The story must have a premise and conflict. While the students are on task creating the stories, we can type this prompt into ChatGPT (or do it orally): Tell a suitable story for Intermediate learners of English featuring four of these elements in any order: a set of pliers, a double-decker bus, a car, a snake and a mouse. The story should take about one minute to read and must have a clear premise and conflict. The learners are adults, so the story can’t be childish. It should be a creative story that is useful in their quest to learn English.
So, after a few minutes, students can share their stories -first in groups of six (three pairs of students) to maximize speaking opportunities, and then in plenary mode. Now it’s time to listen to ChatGPT’s story (I would hide the screen view or ask students to look away or close their eyes).
The Unexpected Passenger
Daniel was riding on a crowded double-decker bus heading home after a long day. He found a seat at the back, next to an elderly man with a small toolbox on his lap. Suddenly, there was a loud scream from the front of the bus—a mouse had darted across the aisle, sending passengers into a panic.
As people tried to stand up, a woman shrieked, “There’s a snake!” and pointed to a green snake slithering under a nearby seat. Chaos erupted, with passengers scrambling to avoid the creatures.
Seeing the commotion, the elderly man beside Daniel calmly opened his toolbox, pulling out a set of pliers. With surprising precision, he managed to carefully grip the snake and move it toward the bus door, releasing it outside. The mouse soon followed, escaping out of the bus in the commotion.
With a chuckle, the man sat back down, and the bus returned to its usual calm. Daniel couldn’t help but admire his quick thinking. Sometimes, he thought, all you need is the right tool—and a bit of courage.
This story includes vocabulary like crowded, darted, commotion, and precision, introducing learners to descriptive language in a situation that’s both relatable and a bit suspenseful.
So we could ask ChatGPT (I would use the app version on my phone, connected to a set of speakers) to read the story again at a slower pace and have the students listen. I would play the story a second time. In pairs, students would briefly discuss the story they have just heard and see what they understood. Then, in plenary mode, I would ask the whole class about it, perhaps annotate key vocabulary and help fill in gaps in understanding so that everyone has a clear idea at this stage. Finally, I would get students to listen to the story a third time or read it from the whiteboard/IWB/digital panel at the front.
We could extend this activity by asking students whether this is a good story or not and how we could reframe the prompt to generate a better version. Personally, I would ask ChatGPT to remove the mouse from the equation and add more nuance to it. Here’s my prompt: Rewrite a version of this story but remove the mouse. Follow the same instructions given before, keeping the fundamentals, but provide more nuance and a more polished style this time. The newer version must take about one minute and a half to read.
The Unexpected Passenger
It was a typical, crowded Tuesday evening on the double-decker bus, with tired passengers packed tightly as they headed home. Daniel managed to find a rare seat at the back, next to an elderly man holding a worn toolbox on his lap. They exchanged a brief nod, and Daniel settled in for the ride, hoping for a quiet journey.
Moments later, a piercing scream shattered the calm. Daniel looked up to see a woman near the front of the bus pointing wildly and shouting, “A snake! There’s a snake!” A green snake, surprisingly large, was weaving its way down the aisle, its scales glinting under the bus lights. Panic rippled through the bus, and passengers began to shift in their seats, gripping their bags, eyes wide.
In the midst of the chaos, the elderly man beside Daniel remained completely composed. Without a word, he opened his toolbox and pulled out a set of long, sturdy pliers. Rising slowly, he shuffled forward, keeping his gaze steady on the snake as it continued to slither down the aisle. The other passengers watched him, their expressions a mix of curiosity and relief.
With surprising agility, the man carefully extended the pliers, gripping the snake just behind its head. He carried it gently, yet firmly, toward the front of the bus, where the driver held the door open. Stepping down, the man released the snake onto the pavement, and it slithered off, disappearing into the nearby bushes.
Returning to his seat, the elderly man closed his toolbox and gave Daniel a small, satisfied smile. The other passengers let out a collective sigh of relief, and the bus resumed its journey. Daniel couldn’t help but be impressed. Sometimes, he thought, what really matters isn’t just the right tool, but the calm and courage to use it.
This version adds nuance with vivid descriptions, builds a bit more suspense, and uses polished language to draw the reader into the scene.
Finally, we could ask a handful of students, one at a time, to read paragraphs from the story outloud, and we could highlight and explain selected vocabulary from the new version.
AI in ELT 