Teachers' resources

Story dice

October 4, 2022
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How to get students to be more creative?

Some classes are less creative than others, it could be the level, the ages, or just the students. Still, the main goal in most lessons is for the students to speak freely and hopefully about interesting topics or things. That’s why some classes or activities need a little push.

How?

I use story cubes, or story dice. They are basically the same thing, just from a different company. I personally have the story cubes in my ‘magic’ teacher’s bag for classroom use, but I do use the story dice website to project them to the class.

How to use them?

You can give the dice/cubes to a group of students and let them roll the dice. You can let them roll all 9 or less or you can give them even combine different versions and let them roll even more dice.
You can go to the website, project it on the screen and roll 5 or 9 dice for the whole class to use.
You can ask the students to take their mobiles and go to the website.
Next, I usually let the students select a few of the dice and not all (depending on the activity).
Next, the students use the dice/cubes as prompts to tell/write a story or answer questions.

How have I used it in the class?

I have used them for a free(r) speaking/ writing activity for a narrative tenses lesson. Where the students tell or write (alone/ or collaboratively) a funny/interesting story.
I have used it as a speaking activity were they use the dice and take turns telling a part of the story using 1 of the dice. The next student then continues the story with other dice.
I have used them for making questions about different grammar topics.
- Do you have a car? (present simple)
- Would you like to go to space? (would you like)
- Did you use an umbrella yesterday? (simple past)
- Have you had a goldfish (present perfect)
- ….
I have used them as a warmer, where they pick 1 and talk about it or use it in a sentence, depending on the topic of the lesson.

How long?

It depends on what kind of activity you want to do. If it’s a quick warmer it will take about 5 minutes. You want them to tell or write a story it will take a lot more time.

Who with?

They are suitable for all ages and all levels, from small children to teens, to adults, from elementary to advanced.

How to scaffold?

Make sure the students have the language to either ask the questions or tell the story. This means you might need to teach them some grammar first. Which grammar? That depends again on which activity you want to do with them.

So tell us in the comments below, how would you use the story dice/cubes in your class? Tell us how it went using them with your students?