Spontaneous Scatter Sheet is a simple ESL warmer for teens, young learners and adults. In this activity, students brainstorm vocabulary related to a topic and then explain the meaning of the words. This activity is a great way to see what students already know before starting a new topic.

Method

1. First, tell students a topic that you would like them to focus on e.g Work.
2. Students must then suggest words that are related to the topic.
3. When about 20 words are on the board (less for lower levels and young learners) have students explain any word they like to the other students in the class.
4. The other students must then guess what word the student is describing.
5. Continue with the next student until all the words have been described.