Fortune Cookie Icebreaker

Description: In this icebreaker, quotations magnify central themes and raise issues that result in lively debate and discussion. They can be light-hearted or serious, authentic or fabricated.

Instructions:
1. Identify quotations that are appropriate for your target audience. Use the education-related quotes on the next page, or find quotations at quotations.about.com. You can also pen your own quotations under a pseudonym to add humor to your session.

2. Use the "Print this page" link on the right to print the Quotes on Education, Teaching and Learning from this site, or use a word processor to assemble your own selection of quotations in a format that makes it easy for you to cut them out into individual strips.

3. Insert the quotations in fortune cookies (or tape them to the cellophane wrapper). You’ll find that tweezers work well if you need a tool for removing and replacing fortune cookie scripts. If time is limited, simply fold the strips of paper and place them in a container.

4. Distribute the fortune cookies (or strips of paper) to individuals, pairs or teams.

5. Provide 10-minutes for participants to reflect and formulate a response (e.g. agree/disagree and/or relevance of the quotation).

6. Debrief - display each quotation on a flip chart, whiteboard, or PowerPoint slide in turn to ensure everyone can reflect on the quotation.

Extension: ‘One-minute Paper’
Invite participants to take a minute to record their thoughts that came to mind while reflecting on the quotation.

Next page > Quotes on Education, Teaching and Learning