Activity: Analyzing Video Game Reviews

Desired Outcome: As I listen or watch, I can make notes and organize these to develop thinking, help retain and recall information, explore issues, and create new texts, using my own words as appropriate.

Level: Fourth Level (Scottish Curriculum)

Focus: Video Games

Introduction: 1. Begin the activity by discussing the popularity of video games among students and their impact on language skills. 2. Explain that in this activity, students will be analyzing video game reviews to develop their listening and note-taking skills, as well as their ability to organize information and express their thoughts.

Instructions: 1. Divide the class into small groups and provide each group with a video game review to analyze. You can either print out the reviews or provide them digitally. 2. Instruct the students to watch or listen to the video game review carefully, making notes as they do so. Encourage them to focus on key points, opinions, and any interesting information mentioned. 3. Once they have finished watching or listening, ask the students to organize their notes into different categories, such as gameplay, graphics, storyline, and overall rating. 4. Next, have the groups discuss the review and share their thoughts on the video game. Encourage them to express their opinions, agree or disagree with the reviewer, and provide reasons for their stance. 5. After the discussion, ask each group to create a new text summarizing the video game review using their own words. They should aim to retain and recall the information they gathered while adding their own thoughts and insights. 6. Finally, have each group present their new text to the class, explaining their understanding of the video game review and their own perspective on the game.

Extension: 1. To further develop their language skills, encourage students to write their own video game reviews. They can choose a video game they have played and apply the skills they learned during the activity to create a well-structured review. 2. Students can also explore the issues surrounding video game reviews, such as the influence of reviews on purchasing decisions, the role of reviews in the gaming industry, and the impact of reviews on game developers.

Assessment: 1. Assess students’ ability to make notes while listening or watching the video game review. 2. Evaluate their organization of information into different categories. 3. Assess their ability to express their thoughts and opinions during the group discussion. 4. Evaluate the quality of their new text summarizing the video game review, focusing on their ability to retain and recall information, explore issues, and use their own words appropriately.