Abilities of Animals Can/ Can’t Games

Abilities of animals can/ can’t games

Play the game(s) below that your teacher tells you to.

 

Can can’t random pelmanism

Spread the cards across the table (either face up or face down, as your teacher tells you). Take two cards and say something that both can do and something both can’t do, e.g. “They can swim. They can’t fly”. If your partner agrees and you haven’t repeated sentences that were used earlier in the game, you can keep the cards and score two points. If you can’t think of two statements, if your partner doesn’t agree with your statements, or you use the same sentence as someone has already said, then you have to put the cards back in (exactly) the same place and don’t score any points.

 

Can can’t brainstorming

Choose one of the cards and take turns brainstorming one positive sentence and one negative sentence about its abilities until one person gives up, e.g. “It can dive but it can’t live underwater” for “duck”. Continue until someone says something that isn’t true or repeats something that was said before in that round about that thing, then give everyone else in the group one point. Then do the same with other cards.  

 

Can can’t guessing game

Choose one of the cards and look at it but don’t show it to your partner(s). Say what that animal can and can’t do without saying its name until your partner guesses what you are talking about. If they can’t guess, you can give hints without “can” like “It’s (usually) yellow” and “It’s very big”. Your teacher will tell you if you can use the suggested verbs and/ or suggested sentences below. 

 

Designing animals game

After you play describing real animals games like those above, take turns describing your own and your partner’s imaginary animal/ monster/ Pokémon with similar “can” and “can’t” sentences, using both a positive and negative sentence each time. You should try to make your imaginary animal as powerful and interesting as possible, so only make negative sentences about small and unimportant things like “It can’t stand on one foot”. You want your thing to be better than your partner’s, so make positive sentences about small things and negative statements about big things when you describe your partner’s animal, such as “It can’t stand up” and “It can sleep all day”. You can’t change what was said earlier.

Your teacher will tell you if you should write down and/ or draw what you decide, or if you should just try to remember.

When your teacher stops you, someone from another group will judge which person in each group has the best animal.

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Animal cards

ant	bat	bee
butterfly	camel	cat
cheetah	cicada	cockroach
cow	crocodile	dog
dolphin	duck	elephant
fish	giraffe	goat
horse	kangaroo	monkey
mosquito	octopus	ostrich
panda	parrot	penguin
pig	rabbit	shark
sheep	snake	spider
tiger	wolf

Suggested language for describing the abilities of animals

You…

It…

A baby/ Babies…

bite

break

buy

carry

catch

change

chew

clean

climb

dig

do tricks

drink

eat

feed

fight (with its horns)

fly

give

have

hear

hide

jump (very far/ very high)

keep

kill

live

make (a loud noise/ eggs/ ink/ many babies)

play

punch

ride

run (quickly)

scratch

see

sing

sleep (upside down)

slide

smell

speak

stand up

stay (underwater)

stop

stroke

swim

use

walk

Suggested things to say about the abilities of animals

In alphabetical order by animal

Ant

It can carry a leaf

It can climb a wall

It can bite you

It can’t make a loud noise

It can sometimes fly

One queen can make so many eggs (millions of eggs)

It can’t swim

It can live underground

You can keep it in a fish tank in your house

It can’t live on its own

 

Bat

It can fly

It can fly at night

It can catch flies

Sometimes it can drink blood

You can see it flying at night

It can sleep upside down

It can “see” by making a noise

 

Bee

It can make honey

It can fly

It can eat from flowers

It can hurt you

It can’t bite you

It can kill some people

 

Butterfly

It can’t live for a long time

It can sometimes fly a long way

It can make eggs on leaves

It can’t eat leaves

It can eat from flowers

You can catch it in a net

It can’t make a loud noise

 

Camel

You can ride it

It can live in the desert

It can walk on sand

It can carry lots of things

You can see it in Egypt

 

Cat

It can clean itself with its tongue

You can keep it in your house

You can’t take it for a walk

It can scratch you

You can stroke it

You can’t give it a bath

 

Cheetah

It can run quickly

It can eat a zebra

It can’t eat an elephant

It can’t fight a lion

 

Cicada

It can make a loud noise

It can’t live in the winter

It can live in a tree

You can catch it

You can hear it in summer

It can’t live in cold countries

 

Cockroach

It can live in your house

You can catch it in a trap

It can climb a wall

It can fly (but it usually doesn’t fly)

You can kill it with a slipper

It can run quickly

 

Cow

You can make leather from it

You can eat it

You can drink its milk

You can make cheese from its milk

You can make butter from its milk

You can see it on a farm

It can fight with its horns

You can make yoghurt from its milk

 

Crocodile

It can swim

It can eat you

It can hide in a river

It can eat fish

It can catch animals

 

Dog

It can do tricks

It can smell you

It can play soccer

You can keep it in your house

It can’t go into some parks

It can’t use a toilet

It can stop bad people coming in your house

It can eat meat

It can eat bones

It can’t eat chicken bones

It can make a loud noise

It can’t drink with its lips

You can stroke it

You can give it a bath

You can take it for a walk

You can eat it (but only people in some countries eat it)

You can buy big ones and small ones

 

Dolphin

It can speak with clicks

It can swim

It can jump out of the water

It can fight sharks

It can catch fish

You can see it in an aquarium

It can swim underwater, but it can’t stay underwater

You can swim with it in the sea

It can do tricks

 

Duck

You can eat it

You can eat its eggs

You can see it in a river

You can see it in a pond

It can make a loud noise

 

Elephant

You can ride it

It can drink with its nose

A lion can eat a baby one

You can make piano keys from it

You can see it in a zoo

It can live more than 100 years

It can carry a lot

It can break a tree

 

Fish

You can eat it

It can’t live on land

You can keep it in the classroom

You can keep it in a pond

It can live in the sea

It can stay underwater

It can make many eggs

You can eat its eggs

 

Giraffe

It can eat leaves from a tall tree

A baby can stand up and run

 

Goat

It can eat many different things

It can eat clothes

It can fight with its horns

You can make cheese from its milk

You can drink its milk (but it isn’t so yummy)

 

Horse

You can ride it

It can run quickly

It can jump

It can kick

You can feed it

 

Kangaroo

It can keep its baby in its pocket

It can jump (very far)

It can punch

It can live in hot places

It can’t fly

It can eat grass

It can’t eat meat

A baby can’t walk

 

Monkey

It can carry its baby

It can climb a tree

It can take your camera

You can see it in a zoo

You can see it in a temple in Thailand

You can see it in a hot spring in Japan

You can see it in Gibraltar

It can climb into your house

Mosquito

It can drink your blood

It can fly at night

It can’t live in cold places

It can make a noise when it flies

It can fly

It can make eggs in water

It can give you malaria

 

Octopus

It can make ink

It can live underwater

It can change colour

You can eat it

A big one can fight a whale

 

Ostrich

It’s a bird but it can’t fly

It can run quickly

It can make really big eggs

You can eat it, but you can’t buy it in a supermarket

 

Panda

It can stand up

It can climb a tree

It can’t eat grass

It can only eat bamboo

It can only live in China (in the wild)

You can see it in the zoo

It can’t eat you

Babies can’t walk

 

Parrot

It can speak English

It can live in your house

It can eat nuts

It can eat fruit

It can fly

It can bite you

It can make eggs

It can climb a tree

It can live in a cage

 

Penguin

It can live in cold places

It’s a bird but it can’t fly

It can only make one egg

It can’t sing

It can’t walk quickly

It can slide on the ice

It can swim (very quickly)

It can eat fish

A sea lion can eat it

You can eat it, but it’s not tasty

 

Pig

You can eat it

You can make ham from it

It can eat old fruit and vegetables

It can live in this country

A small one can be a pet

It can make many babies

It can get very fat

It can get very heavy

It can’t eat you

 

Rabbit

It can dig

You can have it as a pet

It can jump

It can run fast

It can make many babies

You can eat it (but people don’t usually eat it)

A dog can sometimes catch it

It can’t climb a tree

It can sometimes change colour to white in the winter

 

Shark

It can eat you

It can catch fish

It can smell blood

It can’t live outside the water

It can live underwater

 

Sheep

You make cheese from it milk

You make a sweater from its hair

You can see it in England

You can eat it

It can drink milk from a baby bottle

Snake

It can’t walk

It can’t fly

It can climb a tree

It can bite you

It can’t chew

It can catch animals

It can’t run

 

Spider

It can climb a wall

It can catch flies

It can bite you

It can’t eat you

It’s a bug but it can’t fly

 

Tiger

It can catch a deer

It can eat you

You can see it in India

You can see it in a zoo

It can hide in the forest

 

Wolf

It can make a very loud noise

It can eat you

It can live in a forest