Listening Activities, Tools, Ideas, & Resources

Bingo (Link to Generator)

I will be honest here- I first did this as an undergrad student in college when a certain professor was known for his unusual phrases that he'd utter throughout lectures. After a while, other students began to write down his quirky comments and eventually, Bingo Boards were discreetly passed out amongst students in class. We'd listen for him to say his words/phrases and we'd quietly mark up our bingo boards with our pencils.

If we got a Bingo during class, we'd stretch our arms up high and snap once. However, now that I'm in education myself, I can see this as a fun listening activity.

By clicking on the above link, you will be taken to a Bingo Board generator. It provides up to 30 free Bingo Boards. You can customize your board by theme, add in words/phrases/entire sentences, and print! You don't need to set up an account or pay for anything. The possibilities are endless!

 Listening Guide or Note-Taking Doc

    - You can set up a Cloze activity, a Thinking Map, a graphic organizer, or a bulleted outline for students where you have half of the content (like certain headings/subheadings/bullets) already filled in.

Anticipation Guide

    -This is a tool that can not only help to identify prior knowledge but also prepare students to listen for specific ideas, words, or phrases.

	Anticipation Guide Statements	True	False
1.	INSERT STATEMENT FROM YOUR  MINI LESSON/VIDEO HERE
2.	INSERT STATEMENT FROM YOUR MINI LESSON/VIDEO HERE
3.	INSERT STATEMENT FROM YOUR MINI LESSON/VIDEO HERE

Opinion Survey

-This is another tool that can help students activate any prior knowledge, but also provide specific things to listen for as they engage in a mini-lesson, video, or conversation. This helps students identify their own thoughts and opinions on a topic and also allows students to revisit their thinking after they learn more about the topic.

Before the lesson	Statement/Question	After the lesson
Yes No	1. Do you like bugs?	Yes No
I would run away or scream. I would get closer to have a better look.	2. What might you do if you saw a rare spider outside?	I would run away or scream. I would get closer to have a better look.
Tarantulas are large and kind of furry. Tarantulas are an important part of the food chain.	3. How would you describe a a tarantula?	Tarantulas are large and kind of furry. Tarantulas are an important part of the food chain.

Sketchnotes are another powerful way for students to construct meaning of their listening. This link by Melissa Kruse features a blog post, videos, and a few samples. I've learned a lot about Sketchnotes from my fellow Teach Better Ambassador, Educator, and Author BreAnn Fennell (Follow her on Twitter @PlayYay)!

Butcher Paper Note Catcher

Lay out butcher paper across tables/desks along with fun markers, pens, or crayons. During the mini-lesson or video, have students take notes, draw pictures, catch words or phrases, or design Sketchnotes across the paper. You may even wish to set parameters up depending on what they're doing/the purpose, like "only record questions today," or "try to capture 1 sentence, 3 phrases, and 5 words today." BONUS: This butcher paper can double as an instant bulletin board later!