A Fun Activity to Try: 4 Corners Activity & Group Skits

One activity that I have adapted and developed over the past few years is a four corners activity to introduce the themes of Romeo and Juliet. I have posted it to my blog, but here is a brief overview below:

1.      Review 4 Corners: Each corner of the room will be labelled “Agree” “Disagree” “Strongly Agree” or “Strongly Disagree”. The teacher will read a statement aloud, such as “it is possible to fall in love at first sight” and students must choose a corner to stand in based on their personal opinion. No one is aloud to “sit on the fence” or not have an opinion.

2.      Discussion: Standing in their corners, the teacher will lead a discussion in which students must justify their reasoning for their opinion. Students are encouraged to provide personal and real world examples.

3.      Skits: After going through all of the statements, the teacher will choose one statement (one that generated a lot of discussion/class was divided on) and students will work in their groups to create a short 3-5 minute skit that emphasizes their opinion. After having time to prepare and practice, they will present their skits to the class.

Statements for Romeo and Juliet:  

Children should always obey their parents.

A young woman’s top priority should be to find a suitable husband.

It is possible to fall in love at first sight.

Being loyal to your family is more important than following your own desires.

Love is the most important thing in life.

When you know what you want, it is okay to do anything it takes to get it.

You should keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

I like this activity for a number of reasons. Firstly, it gets students up and out of their seats. I also find that students love to share their personal experiences, ideas, and opinions, and the statements are open and general enough that students of al levels can respond confidently. Because there is no right or wrong answer, the activity is not intimidating to lower level students who may not usually want to participate or answer questions in class. It is also a great way to get to know your students on a more personal level, as they often share interesting stories or memories. The skits are an element I have added more recently as an extension to this activity. Because we do some scene performances in the unit, it is an easy way to get the students up in front of the class with their peers to practice their oral communication skills without the pressure of been assessed. I also like this activity because it can be easily adapted to other units of study or courses. All you have to do is change the statements to fit the themes that will be discussed in that unit. 

I would definitely recommend trying this activity and adapting it to fit the needs of your class in any unit this semester...it is a lot of fun!