Type: Warm-up, Ensemble Building
Purpose: A unique way to allow kids to get to know each other at the beginning of a semester.
Procedure:
1. Randomly divide the class into pairs.
2. Provide each student with a blank piece of paper and something to write with.
3. Instruct the students to silently think about items or objects in their lives that are important to them. For example, a student who loves sports might draw a football. Or perhaps there’s a special family item that has been passed down. Or maybe a musical instrument. The objects should reveal something specific about each individual.
4. Give the class 2-3 minutes to silently draw 5 of these objects on their piece of paper. If they can draw more than that, great.
5. Remind the students that drawing ability doesn’t matter at all, just to do the best they can.
6. After the drawings are complete, ask each person to take a turn at being a Detective and guessing as much as they can about their partner based on their drawing.
7. The partner should remain silent until the Detective is finished.
8. When the Detective is finished they can chat freely about what they got right or wrong.
8. Bring the whole group together and ask each person to introduce their partner to the class by saying what they have discovered about them.
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I love how my kids actually did this. I put paper on the table and coloring utensils and they drew themselves and there names… I was soo happy thanks!!
-Hailie Jonson