Plane Crash !!!
Minefields

Level Aims Grammar Time Materials
senior high school to Adult to get students creating their own English none 30 mins Item lists for each group.

Set the scene of the activity by telling the class a short story. Embellishment is fine, but basically they are on a flight between Tokyo and Toronto (or Belfast, or Spain, Moscow,...). Somewhere over Siberia (The North Pole, Alaska,...) the plane begins to loose altitude. An engine stops... . Suddenly the plane crashes IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE (a most terrible place). T he pilot is dead, but there are 10 survivors. You have no idea where you are, or how long it will be before you are rescued. You and the other survivors must decide what to do in order to stay alive. Remember it is freeeeezing cold, and you don't have much food.

Divide the class into groups, and hand out the list of items to each group. Tell them that these are lists of things they will need to survive. The groups must decide what 7 things will be of the most help. Everyone in the group must agree. The list of things from which they must choose is:

  1. Flares
  2. Can Opener
  3. First-aid Kit
  4. Mirror
  5. Flashlight
  6. Tins of Food
  7. Parachute
  8. Sumo Magazine
  9. Blankets
  10. Compass
  11. Russian Dictionary
  12. CD Player
  13. Gun
  14. Matches
  15. Salt


Hints and cautions:

* With a little drama, the plane crash story is easily understood.

+ This idea is only effective if you tell the groups that they must say WHY they chose each item.

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