A handy PDF guide to the sections, modes & activities in the SentenceBuilders activity menu

For many SB Premium resources the activity menu consists of 3 sections:

  1. Vocab chunks
  2. SB Sentences
  3. Paragraphs

N.B. For many other SB Premium resources, plus any resources that users create for themselves, the Paragraphs section is not available.

Within each of these sections there are multiple "modes".

Within each "mode" there are multiple activities.

Each activity has a different focus depending on the mode.

This post aims to provide a handy guide to the various modes and activities. If you scroll down to the bottom, you should also find all of this info on a 1-page PDF, which you can view or download as you wish.

VOCAB CHUNKS

Modes

  1. LISTEN & TRANSLATE TO ENGLISH: L2 aural prompt >> interaction with L1
  2. READ & TRANSLATE TO ENGLISH: L2 written prompt >> interaction with L1
  3. LISTENING (DICTATION): L2 aural prompt >> interaction with L2
  4. TRANSLATE TO L2: L1 written prompt >> interaction with L2

Activities

  1. Flashcards: Presentation and self-testing
  2. Chunk match: Choose the correct match from 12
  3. Million: Choose correct match from 4 (x15)
  4. Memory (1 player): Match up 6 pairs as a memory game
  5. Memory (2 players): Match up 6 pairs as a memory game (2 players on one device)
  6. Matching pairs: Match up 6 pairs

SB SENTENCES

Modes

  1. LISTEN & TRANSLATE TO ENGLISH: L2 aural prompt >> interaction with L1 
  2. READ & TRANSLATE TO ENGLISH: L2 written prompt >> interaction with L1
  3. LISTENING (DICTATION): L2 aural prompt >> interaction with L2
  4. TRANSLATE TO L2: L1 written prompt >> interaction with L2
  5. SB CONTEXT: no prompt >> interaction with L2
  6. TRAPDOOR: no prompt >> guessing L2
  7. DELAYED DICTATION: L2 aural prompt >> 3 second delay >> interaction with L2
  8. DELAYED COPYING: L2 written prompt >> 10 second delay + remove L2 writing >> interaction with L2

Activities

  1. Word gap (click): 1 word missing, click to choose from 10
  2. Word gap (type): 1 word missing, type in the word
  3. Chunk gap (click): 1 chunk missing (defined by SB), click to choose from 10
  4. Chunk gap (write): 1 chunk missing (defined by SB), type in the chunk
  5. Word by word: Rebuild the sentence 1 word at a time. Options based on actual sentences containing your "sentence so far"
  6. Chunk by chunk: Rebuild the sentence 1 chunk at a time. Options based on actual sentences containing your "sentence so far"
  7. Word jumble: Click the words in the correct order
  8. Chunk jumble: Click the chunks in the correct order
  9. Sentence match: Choose correct match from 12
  10. Find the word gap (click): 2 step gap-fill: identify the location of the gap, then choose from 10 options to fill it
  11. Find the word gap (type): 2 step gap-fill: identify the location of the gap, then type in the word
  12. Find the chunk gap (click): 2 step gap-fill: identify the location of the gap, then choose from 10 options to fill it
  13. Find the chunk gap (type): 2 step gap-fill: identify the location of the gap, then type in the chunk
  14. Spot the intruder (only available for some resources): Click the word that shouldn't be in the sentence
  15. Space (separate the words): Click to separate the words in the sentence
  16. Type all (SB clues): Type out the sentence. Clues based on actual sentences containing your "sentence so far"
  17. Type all (letter soup): Type out the sentence. Clue shows whole sentence with spaces removed and changes as you type
  18. Type all (no vowels): Type out the sentence. Clue shows whole sentence with vowels removed and changes as you type
  19. Type all (initials): Type out the sentence. Clue shows whole sentence with all but initials letters removed and changes as you type
  20. Type all (word shapes): Type out the sentence. Clue shows whole sentence with all letters removed (showing only word shapes) and changes as you type
  21. Type all (no clues): Type out the sentence. No clues provided
  22. Bad dictation / translation / copying?: Correct any mistakes in the sentence or click OK if it's correct

PARAGRAPHS

Modes

  1. COMPREHENSION (parallel L2): Rebuild the English text with reference to the L2
  2. REBUILD THE L2 TEXT: Rebuild the L2 text with reference to the L1

Activities (most of those from SB SENTENCES above, plus the following)

  1. Find the French / Spanish etc.: Select from the text the bit of L2 that matches the L1 prompt
  2. Million rebuild: Rebuild the text by choosing each time from one of the 4 options (x15)
  3. Jigsaw rebuild: Rebuild the text by choosing from the 12 blocks. Blocks reshuffle after each click.

As I said above, each activity has a different focus depending on the mode. The mode determines the type of prompt as well as the language of the interaction (i.e. whether or not the student has to do something with the L1 or the L2). The activity determines the type of interaction.

Here's the same info on a PDF: