The document provides instructions for several introductory activities teachers can use to help students get to know each other better at the beginning of a school year or when new students join the class. The activities include games like Name Duck where students say each other's names, The Blob Game where students find common interests and form groups, and Musical Chairs where students answer questions for their partner. Other activities involve students writing questions for each other and learning personal details about classmates. The goal is to build connections between students through fun interactive activities.

1. TEACHER TOOLKIT
Part 1: Introductory Activities

2. Tips for all
the slides in
the Teacher
Toolkit
Most slides are directions to show
the students (project on computer
screen, etc.)
Some directions are specifically for
the teacher. These are labeled at
the top of each slide.
You can download this document &
make changes as needed. This is a
great way to personalize the
directions for your students.

3. Tips for Part 1:
Introductory
Activities
All of these activities focus on
helping students get to know each
better.
These are my favorite activities for
when we have new students join
our class or at the beginning of a
new year.
You can also use these activities
any time during the year. They are
a great way to build deeper
connections.

4. Name Duck
Stand in a circle.
Introduce yourself.
One person stands in the
middle. He or she is “it.”
This person points to
someone in the circle.
That person ducks, and
the students on either
side need to say each
other’s name.
Whoever says the name
last is it and goes in the
middle. Repeat.

5. The Blob Game (Find things in common &
make groups) (Teacher directions)
• Call out or show a category like “eye color,” “number of siblings,” or
“favorite food.” First give an example of how to ask the question. Ex:
How many siblings do you have?
• The students mingle & ask each other the question. When they find
people with the same answer, they form a group. The group is called
a blob.
• For beginning students, show pictures to make it easier to
understand.
• This is a high-energy activity that’s good for getting to know each
other and finding out things in common.

6. Tally Questions
1) Write a yes/no question on a piece of scratch paper.
2) Walk around the room & ask everyone your question.
3) Make a T-chart with tally marks for yes & no answers.
4) Share your data with the class.
YES NO

7. Your Opinion: Part 1
Complete each sentence below on a piece of paper. Write something
that is NOT true for you. Be creative. 
1) I love to _____.
2) I want to _____.
3) I need to _____.
4) I hope to ____.
5) I like ____. (thing)
Examples: I love to wake up early. I want to go to Africa. I need to work
tomorrow. I hope to learn French. I like vegetables.

8. Your Opinion
• Everyone gets new papers.
• Read your papers.
• Are they true for you? Yes = keep the paper.
• No = Find someone who says yes.
Example paper: I like vegetables.
A) Do you like vegetables? A) (New person) Do you like
B) No, not really. vegetables?
A) Ok, thanks. B) Great! Here’s your card.

9. Find Someone Who: Part 1
•Write 5 “find someone who” statements.
•Examples:
Find someone who loves meat.
Find someone who sings in the shower.
Find someone who has 6 or more brothers and sisters.
•Exchange your paper with a friend.

10. Find Someone Who
Part 2
• Interview your classmates to find a match for each statement. Write
the person’s name next to the statement.
• Example interview for “Find someone who loves meat.”
 Hi, Sara! Do you like meat?
 Yes, I do!
 Great! How do you spell your name?
 S-A-R-A
 Ok, thank you!

11. Name Shuffle (Teacher directions)
• Students sit in a circle and write their names on large note cards.
• On the teacher’s prompt, “Shuffle ’em,” students switch cards with
one or more other players. They they hold the new one in front of
them like a name tag.
• A selected student stands in the middle of the circle and rearranges
the cards in the students’ hands as quickly as possible so that
everyone is once again holding their own name card. Repeat as time
allows.

12. Personal Questions: Part 1
1) Think of interesting questions to ask each other. Examples:
• Who is your best friend? Tell me about him/her.
• Did you ever lose anything important? What happened?
• What is something good that happened to you recently?
• What would you like to be doing 5 years from now?
2) Write 3+ questions on different pieces of small paper. Show
the teacher before putting in the box.

13. Personal Questions: Part 2
3) Draw (take) a paper from the box. Circulate with your
question. Ask someone your question. Have a short
conversation.
4) When you finish, return your paper to the box. Take a
different paper and find a new partner. Repeat.
5) Meet new friends and learn new stories about each other!

14. Speed Friendship
• Skills (applicable to jobs): speaking, impromptu sharing, listening
• Prep: Students or teacher writes 15+ open-ended questions. Ex:
Why do you want to learn English? What do you like to do in your
free time?
• Sit with two lines facing each other.
• You and your partner draw a question. Read it together and
respond. Extra time? Continue talking.
• Rotate when you hear the timer.

15. Portraits: Part 1
• Draw 6 rectangles on your paper. Draw your picture in one of
the frames. Do NOT write your name.
• Pass around the papers. Draw your picture on each paper.
Choose a random order.
• Talk to your classmates to find out who drew each picture.
Write each person’s name under their picture.

16. Portraits: Sample Dialogue
• A: (Pointing to the portrait) Hi! Is this you?
• B: Yes, it is.
• A: What’s your name?
• B: Tom
• A: (Writes “Tom” below the portrait.) Hi Tom, my
name is Fatma.
• B: Hi Fatma, nice to meet you.
• A: You too.

17. Line Up By (Teacher directions)
• Get students moving and talking with this simple but
energetic activity. Give them different categories. They have
to make a line according to the category.
• See the next slide for categories. You can either show the
slide to the audience or say the categories out loud.

18. Line up by…
•Tallest to shortest
•Oldest to youngest
How old are you?
When is your
birthday?
•Favorite color
What is your favorite
color?
•Brothers and sisters
How many brothers
and sisters do you have?

19. If you have the ball, say your name.
Same someone else’s name and toss the
ball to that person.
Repeat.
Try to make it all the way around the circle
in the same order.
Repeat, but this time go in a random order.
Name Circle
Materials needed: soft
ball or other object to
throw

20. Musical Chairs
Preparation: Set up room with pairs of chairs.
• Move with the music.
• When the music stops, find a chair.
• The teacher will roll the dice.
• With your partner, answer the matching question.
• Have fun!

21. Musical Chairs: Questions
1) Share a favorite childhood memory.
2) What is your favorite food? Favorite music? Share other
favorites, too.
3) If you were an animal, which would you be? Why?
4) Share an embarrassing story.
5) If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and
why?
6) Name one superhero power you’d like to have and share
why.

22. 3-2-1
• Choose a partner.
• Do basic introductions.
• Find three things you have in common, two things that are
different, and one goal you both have for the class.
• Fill out the form on the next slide.

23. Same
1)
2)
3)
Different
1)
2)
Goal for the class
1)
3-2-1 Form

24. 3-2-1 Question Examples
• What is your favorite ___________ (song, place, singer, movie,
food, etc.)
• What do you like to do?
• How do you feel right now?
• Do you like _________ (arepas, English, math, chocolate, etc.)?
• How many _______ (children, brothers and sisters, etc.) do you
have?
• Why do you like English?

25. Two Truths & a Lie
• Write two statements that are true.
• Write one statement that is a lie.
• Mix them in any order you want.
• Share with the class.
• Your classmates guess which is the lie.
• Be prepared to share your stories with the class!

26. Introduction Circle
• The first student says, “Hi. My name is ________. I am
from _____________.”
• The person to the left says, “Hi. My name is
____________. This is ____________, and he/she is from
____________.”
• Repeat! Listen carefully. 

27. ID Cards (Teacher directions)
• I usually give students 3 or 4 papers or 3x5 cards each.
Students write their facts (see next slide) on each card, and
then I collect them and read a few at a time. The class
guesses who wrote each one.
• For a big class, I might stretch it out and do it over a week or
two. Students love the anticipation. I adapted it for an online
version by having students email me their examples.
• Next slide = student directiosn

28. ID Cards
• Write a true sentence about yourself on each card. Also write
you name. It’s a secret so don’t show anyone! Give your cards to
the teacher.
• Examples:
I love to ski.
One time I ate ....
I have 5 children.
I make a really funny noise when I laugh.

29. True/False Storytelling
• Give each student a piece of paper that says TRUE or FALSE.
• Each student should tell the class a story that is true or false,
depending on which word they received, and the class must
guess whether it’s true.
• The other students ask questions to help determine if they think
the story is true or false.