Ideal Size
Up to 30.
Use For
Recapping a topic just covered, or to introduce a topic. For introductions, you’re looking for questions the students have, or areas of interest.
Time Needed
10-20 minutes is ideal.
Materials Needed
None.
Instructions
Determine a direction or route through the classroom. The group will create a rhythm together, and each student will take a turn offering words for the snaps.
Ask students to push back from their desks so they have access to their knees, or use the desktop for the slap. You could even have them stand if you want to get them up.
Using both hands together, slap knees or desktops twice, clap twice, snap the fingers on the right hand while saying a word, snap the fingers on the left hand while saying a second word. Repeat. The next person in line repeats the first person’s last word with the right-hand snap and adds a new word with the left-hand snap. Think of it as a variation on word association.
Example
If you’re teaching current events and talking about the election of Barack Obama, the first person might say on the first snap, “Obama,” and on the second snap, “president.” The second person will say, “president” on the first snap and “historical,” on the second. The next person will say, “historical” on the first snap and whatever comes to his or her mind with the second snap. And so on.
Debriefing
If you’re recapping, ask if everything you covered was mentioned. What did they miss? What did they stumble on? Which words were the most difficult to associate? Did anything tend to come up often? Why? Did the associations cause any surprises? laughter? frustration? Did the exercise help them to remember key points?
The Ice Breaker Forum
Share your favorite, or worst!, ice breakers in the Continuing Education Forum.
