I’ve been playing “Would You Rather?” with my middle-schoolers, to break up the monotony of textbook-learning (and, let’s be honest, because it requires no preparation). It has been supremely entertaining. Here were some of the questions and common responses:

Would you rather eat a worm or spend all night outside in a storm?

-The sensible kids that they are, most chose to catch pneumonia and freeze nearly to death than swallow the world’s most vile creature.

Would you rather spend five more years in high school or live with your parents for 15 more years?

-With one simple question, a dichotomy in Zorroza Middle School: the kids who will stay in school, attend university, and go on to become doctors and scientists; and the kids who see only positives in 15 more years with the parentals– namely, mom does the cooking and laundry.

Would you rather cut off your hand or your foot?

-90% said hand. Because how could you play soccer without a foot???

Would you rather never eat meat again, or never go to a party again?

-This question caused such distress that some of the students had to be reminded that this was just a game, and no one was really going to have to choose between a dripping pork chop and a night out in Anaconda discoteca.

Would you rather not have Whatsapp (the Smartphone app for free texting, used by everyone from infants to geriatrics here) or not have the Internet?

-The only two things that matter in this generation. Looks of horror.

Then there were those questions that opened a can of worms:

Me: “G…would you rather have a date with Miley Cyrus or win 5,000 euros?”

G: “Well, I have a girlfriend, so I wouldn’t want a date with Miley Cyrus.”

Me: “Oh, nevermind then.”

G: “But between my girlfriend and the money, maybe the 5,000 euros…..”

(It remains to be seen if the formerly happy couple is still together.)

Then the tables were turned, and the students had to ask me questions. This being Would You Rather, things went downhill quickly:

“Jenny, would you rather date L (student to my right) or I (student to my left)?”

“Jenny, would you rather your father or your mother?” (Still a bit of a language barrier. The lack of a verb, in this case, seems extra important.)

“Jenny, would you rather never get to travel again, or date F (my 45+ year-old married and balding colleague)?”

All in all, a successful lesson plan, though anyone over the age of 11 has a knack for turning the game very dirty, very fast.

About The Author

Jenny

Jenny Marshall studied Language, Culture, and Society at the University of California Santa Barbara, and now teaches English in Spain. Here she writes about the intersection of language and culture, and lives a life translated by travel.