Teach Inclusive Words with a Game!

It might seem like a very small thing, but the language we use can make a big difference in building respectful relationships with others. With growing awareness around diversity and equity, it’s more important than ever to teach our students that the words they choose can affect people in both positive and negative ways.

This matching card game has been designed by our team to help your students explore the differences between inclusive words and those that can make others feel excluded. The set includes simple sentences that students would likely use in their everyday conversations. Five key areas of inclusion are featured in the resource:

• Gender inclusion
• Ability inclusion
• Age inclusion
• Culture inclusion
• Socio-economic inclusion 

To play, students will match the less inclusive versions of these sentences with the more inclusive ones. Through this process, students will expand their vocabulary while also developing a sense of empathy and social equity.

This resource contains:

• Instruction page
• 36 matching cards
• Recording sheet
• Answer key

Read on to learn more about using this hands-on resource in your classroom.

Multiple Ways to Explore Inclusive Words in Your Classroom

These inclusion words matching cards are a versatile resource that can be used in a variety of ways to engage your learners. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Card Scavenger Hunt – Hide the cards around the room and have students find and match them in pairs. This adds movement and excitement to the activity.
2. Role-Play Scenarios – After matching the cards, have students choose one scenario to use in a role-play that features inclusive and respectful communication.
3. Class Display – After the students have played the game, create a class display featuring the inclusive sentence examples. Students could add additional examples, too!

Download This Inclusive Language Activity

Getting your hands on this matching activity is simple! Use the Download button above to access the easy-print PDF or editable Google Slides file. (Note: You will be prompted to make a copy of the Google Slides template on your personal drive before accessing it.)

We recommend that you print the matching cards on cardboard for added durability, then place them in a zip-lock bag or large envelope for safekeeping. This time-saving resource for teaching inclusive words is then ready whenever you are!

This resource was created by Kaylyn Chupp, a teacher and Teach Starter collaborator.

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