Classroom Web

Classroom Web

Objectives

Ice breaker to get to know each other to help everybody contribute to the first class

Kind of activity: Ice-breaker
Aim: to get to know each other
Level:intermediate/upper-intermediate
Number of Students: up to 15-16 students
Ages: Teenagers/Adults
Time: one hour
Materials: Ball of String

Step 1

Activity

Making a Web with a Ball of String

Sit with your students in a circle. It's a good idea to sit on the floor.

1. Take the ball of string. Hold the end of the string, tell you students something about you and throw the ball to a student, who does the same: holds the string, gives personal information, throws the ball to somebody else. The activity is repeated until everyone has spoken at least twice (you included). A sort of string web is formed in the middle of the circle.
2. Conduct a short discussion on what the web can represent.
3. See how much factual information they remember about each other.

Game Diagram

Tip: You can pick up relevant information related to the group pay attention to the way each student reacts, how they hold the string, the way they throw the ball. Don't make comments on that.

Step 2

Activity

Writing notes

Number the students. You can do this just by distributing numbers or by asking them to make a line ordered by their birthday dates or the distance they live from school, etc.

Tip: If you choose the second option, be ready for some noise and disorder. However, your students will have fun and you too. It is important that you include yourself in the line.

1. Student one writes a short note to student two. Student two to three. Three to four. They have to give some relevant information about themselves, just a couple of sentences. (Remember you are part of the group.)
2. They answer the notes they have received commenting on the information and adding something personal, too. So this time four writes to three, three to two and two to one.
3. After students have read the answers, collect them and distribute them at random. Students write answers to the person who signed the note they have received.

Step 3

Activity

Making a Web with a Ball of String

Get them together in a circle again. By now they have collected quite a lot of personal information.
Give the ball of string to the student (St.1) on your right, ask the group what they know about St.1, the one who speaks gets the ball and gives it back to St.1, if another one remembers something else, repeat the procedure. Remember students have to hold the string before throwing the ball.
Conduct a discussion comparing this web with the first one.