magic box activity

modifying this technique

  • Magic Box is a useful game for ELL classrooms. It’s a fun way to learn new vocabulary and concepts. It’s especially useful because it activates kinesthetic learning, which helps students understand and retain material.
  • This game is also great for special needs classrooms, or any classroom that has students who struggle with speech. Magic Box gives students the opportunity to be expressive, without putting any verbal pressure on them.
  • Magic Box is a tool that can be applied to many different lesson objectives. Consider how you can modify it to meet different subjects' content. For example, you can pull Chinese artifacts out of the box for a social studies lesson on Chinese history. You can pull prime numbers out of the box for a math lesson. You can pull vocab words out of the box; the options are endless.

skill breakdown

SCAFFOLD THE ACTIVITY
As always, break the activity into clear steps, and practice each step before moving on to the next. Make sure students understand the previous step before introducing the next step.

  • Why? Scaffolding activities is a way to make sure no one is left behind.

STEP ONE: RETRIEVE THE BOX
To begin this activity, retrieve the Magic Box from a special hiding spot in the classroom. (Make sure you put it back there when the lesson is over!)

  • Notice: Dianna makes this reveal dramatic. She makes the Magic Box look heavy, and she sings a special “Magic Box song.” Whatever you choose to do, keep it consistent every time you play this game.
  • Why? Any time that you can add theatricality to an activity, you help young learners engage and stay engaged.

STEP TWO: INTRODUCE THE BOX
Explain that this box is magical because it contains “anything we can possibly imagine!”

  • Notice: Dianna says this line with a lot of emotion, and she asks the class to repeat it with "let’s all say that."
  • Why? Every time you ask students to repeat an expressive or emotional phrase, you are modeling emotions that they can add to their social-emotional toolkit.

STEP THREE: GIVE A CATEGORY
Every time you introduce the Magic Box, make sure to specify the category of object that you are pulling out.

  • Why? “Anything we can possibly imagine” is too broad. Dianna chooses “things we use in the morning.”
  • Notice: Dianna moves on quickly from here, but you can spend time brainstorming objects that fit in that category. You can use this lesson to support spelling by writing the objects up on the board. You could also practice miming the objects before pulling them out of the box.

STEP FOUR: OPEN THE BOX
When Dianna opens the box, she clearly pantomimes the key and lid with distinct sound effects. She makes sure that the students repeat those expressive gestures by using "let’s all say that."

  • Why? By modeling expressive physicality, Dianna is warming up the students' mime and sound effect skills.

STEP FIVE: DEMONSTRATE AN OBJECT
A classroom teacher should be the first person to take an object out of the box. This is your opportunity to model how to expressively demonstrate an object. Be sure to include sound effects; you want to give as many context clues as possible.

  • Notice: Dianna specifies that she is “using” a hairbrush. She isn’t “showing" a hairbrush. This is an important distinction. Showing the object in use gives important context clues. Consider how similar a banana, a hairbrush, and an ice cream cone can look if you didn’t show them in use.
  • Why? Miming an object is actually a useful literacy skill. When you mime an object you are learning how to present knowledge in a way that other people will understand. You’re also building fine and gross motor skills.

STEP SIX: MAKING INFERENCES
Ask the students to hold their guesses until you’ve been able to demonstrate the object for a minute or two. When they guess, ask them follow up questions: “Why do you think it is a hairbrush?” “What sounds or gestures made you think it was a hairbrush?” “Is there anything else that it could be?”

  • Why? You aren’t just playing charades, you are asking students to make inferences and present evidence.
  • Notice: When the object has been correctly identified, Dianna asks the whole class to mime a hairbrush with her. She's keeping the activity engaging!

STEP SEVEN: PUT THE OBJECT BACK
If you took a hairbrush out of the Magic Box, make sure you put it back!

  • Why? This game is most engaging when you keep the magical rules consistent.
  • Notice: In the video, Dianna only demonstrates one object. In class, you should give two or three examples before moving on.

STEP EIGHT: STUDENT EXAMPLE
Ask a student to pull an object out of the Magic Box. One of the biggest challenges with this game is helping students demonstrate their objects clearly. For example, you’ll notice that virtually every food looks identical when mimed by early learners.

  • Tip: The second video, “Magic Box With Food,” provides a great example of how to coach a student whose object is unclear. Courtney asks clarifying questions until the other students can identify the object.
  • Notice: She doesn’t ask questions that need verbal answers. She asks the student to answer the questions physically.
  • Why? She’s keeping the rules consistent; this is a nonverbal game.