Bippity, Bippity, Bop

This is, without a doubt, my student's favorite drama game.  We use it a lot.  As a warm-up, as an end of class get together, and as a language development activity.  Here are the basics.  

Students stand in a circle.  The leader points to a student and says one of many commands.  The video will show what it actually looks like

1.  Bippity, Bippity Bop: Students job is to interrupt the caller-responding with the word "Bop" before the caller finishes her/his sentence. (you know they love to interrupt.)

2.  Bop: Students job is to say absolutely nothing--remaining silent

3.  Surfer: Student who is pointed to mimes a surfer riding on a surfboard.  The students on the immediate left and right are to turn to the "surfer" and mime waves.

4. Elephant: Student who is pointed to mimes the "trunk" of an elephant.  Those on either side turn to the trunk and create huge ears with their arms.

5. Bowl of Jello: Student who is pointed to mimes that weird, semi liquid/solid gelatinous desert.  The students on either side turn to the "jello" and use their arms to create "containers", holding the jello in it's place.

6.  Haunted House: Student who is pointed to pretends to be a ghost (or other scary type creature that might be found in a haunted house) posing over a window, perhaps moving front and back over an imaginary window. The students on either side become the roof of the house, raising their arms above the person in the center and touching in the middle.

If  a student makes a mistake, they take a knee, and the game continues.  This means the next person remaining over must now participate in the tableaux of surfer, elephant, etc.  Sometimes I play it until only a few remain.  Sometimes I just play it for a period of time (say 5 minutes).  It really depends on my energy.  It is challenging for students to take on the role of leader, but it is possible.

This is the basic game.  Once these rules are established then you can use this to introduce and/or review vocabulary.  I have used it with my long term English Language Learners as well as newcomers.  In groups of 3, students use the basic format to create what I call Bippity, bippity, bop tableaux of target vocabulary.  I have used it for vocabulary from literature, as well as  concept words like freedom, oppression, you name it.  Groups will present these tableaux to the class and everyone learns them (just a few at a time, otherwise it is overwhelming) and we use it for review.