Activities for Any Class

Ice Breakers

That's Me! An ice-breaker game to introduce students and the teacher to each other. The teacher will make a statement, and if the statement applies to anyone they should raise their hand and say "That's Me!." The teacher is also a participant. Sample statements:
'went to the beach this summer'
'tried out for a fall sport'
'know that the school has a really strong theater and choral department'

Tips: Because you could have students that are in more than one class (such as both Algebra and Study), the questions should be different in different blocks. This is unscripted so no further documentation about the activity is included. The questions can flow depending on the answers. If no one ties out for a fall sport then I don't ask questions about specific sports teams; If I ask about specific sports teams I try to ask about each sport without skipping any.

Fact or Fiction Another ice breaker game. Students are put into paired using matching cards (a really good strategy for making groups). All students are given a small paper (about 1/3 of an index card). On the card each person should write down three things, in any order
  • The partners name
  • one true (fun) fact about their partner
  • one false fact about their partner.
Students are given a few minutes to talk with their partner, some of the true and false facts lead to interesting but quiet conversations. The teacher is often used as a match for a class with an odd-number of students; in that case it is good for the teacher's pair to start the next part of the activity.

Next, in-turn, each student will stand-up and introduce their partner (who can remain seated); then they will say both the true and the false statement about their partner. The rest of the class will then try to figure out (or guess) which statement is fact, and which statement is fiction.

Even for students that do not like to get up in front of other people this activity makes it a little easier in that what they have to say is not about themselves.

 
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