Activities to get your school year started

Again have your class pair off.  Each student will tell their partner three things about themselves — two that are true and one that is a lie.  For example, he or she might tell their partner about a hobby, a favorite class, a favorite food, their family, a place they’ve visited, etc.  These things can be ordinary or unusual, but remember — two of them must be true and only one of them should be a lie.

Make sure each partner listens carefully and maybe even takes notes.  The partner then tries to guess which was the lie.  After both partners have had a chance to share their two truths and a lie with each other, have the entire group get into a circle.  Each student introduces their partner to the rest of the group with the three “facts.”  Can the group guess which was the lie?

Picnic name game

The first student says their first name and then names something that begins with the first letter of their name that they will bring to a picnic:  “Hi, my name is Mel and I am going to bring mustard.”  The next student then says, “Hi, this is Mel (indicating the first student) and she is bringing mustard.  I am Joe and I’m bringing a javelin.”

This continues as long as you want.  I suggest not more than ten students before starting over, but you never know!  I always have at least two students who can name ALL the items and most of the names.  I let anyone who volunteers to try to do everybody, even if they can’t remember quite everything.  There’s always someone to help them out.  (If you really want to appreciate how much this exercise helps them get to know one another, review your “picnic” two weeks later.  You’ll be amazed what the students remember!)

Rhythm game

Have everyone sit in a circle.  Then start a rhythm:  two claps on the thighs (using both hands), two hand claps together, and then two snaps of fingers, right then left.  Practice this until everyone can do it.  Have the class number off.  Now comes the difficult part:  Have everyone start the pat-pat-clap-clap-snap-snap rhythm.  When the two snaps happen, the person with #1 says his or her number on the first snap and another student’s number on the second snap, say #5.  So on the next repetition of the rhythm, #5 says his/her number, and another person’s number on the snaps.  So then that person says their number and another number on the next round, and the rhythm continues.  The group needs to keep a steady rhythm, which means everyone needs to both remember their own number and listen carefully.

If you want, there are all sorts of variations to this game.  For instance, when somebody messes up, that person can then become #1, swapping numbers with the previous #1.  Now two people have to remember their new numbers.  Or you can play with names instead of numbers, though you wouldn’t switch names, of course.  To make it even more difficult, various other rules can be put into effect, such as you can’t call out a name or number of someone sitting directly next to you. 

Ten second objects

Have the class number off in groups of four and spread out through the room so each group has some space to work.  Name an object and give each group ten seconds to form a frozen picture — a tableau — creating the object.  If you want them to share their frozen pictures, have half the groups of four be the performers and the other half the audience.  On the next object, switch halves, of course.  Once your groups get good creating frozen pictures, try objects with movement.

To help students embrace their creativity and be willing to take risks, stress that this is problem solving with no specific right or wrong answer.  There may be a funnier, more intellectual, more serious, or more exciting way of solving the problem, but there is no “right” way. 

Personal commercial

A great first homework assignment for your students is for them to create a thirty-second commercial about themselves.  It can take any form:  a testimonial, a song and dance, a slice of life, multiple characters — anything — as long as it is in commercial form and does not exceed thirty seconds.