Get to Know Each Other

Take notes and answer questions here.

Review

Share an experience where you were new to a class. How did you feel when you did not know anyone? Why is it important to get to know other students and feel comfortable as you meet together?

Learn

These activities will help you learn how to get to know other students better. They can also teach communication, leadership, and trust skills. Choose one activity to do together. If there is more time, do another activity. After you have completed an activity, discuss how you will help each other as you meet together. You can repeat an activity during later classes to help students get to know each other more.

Activity 1

1. Form a group of 8 to 12 students.

2. Have your group stand in a circle, shoulder to shoulder.

3. Put both hands into the circle to find two other hands to hold. Do not grab the hands of a person next to you.

4. See that your group is in a big human knot.

5. Your goal is to get back into a circle without letting go of each other’s hands.

   • Talk with each other to figure out where to start untangling.

   • As you are bending and twisting while untangling, you can change your hand grip, but do not let go.

6. As you form a circle again, some students may be facing in and out of the circle. That is OK. The important thing to remember is not to let go of each other’s hands for the entire activity. If your group is having difficulty after five minutes, the leader may allow you to unclasp and reclasp one set of hands.

illustration of group holding hands

Activity 2

1. Each student chooses a different letter of the alphabet.

2. Each student then thinks of as many words to describe themselves as possible that start with that letter.

   • For example, a person who chooses h could choose words like happy, helpful, hard-working, and so on.

3. After five minutes of writing these words down, each student should share their words with the group.

The player with the most words after everyone takes their turn is the winner.

Activity 3

1. Divide everyone into small groups of four to six people.

2. Have one person call out the name of an object.

   • Examples could be a car, food, clock, washing machine, fire, or church.

3. Each group should work together to try to form a shape that looks like the object described. Some people will be standing, others may be sitting, some may join hands, and so forth. The groups have only 20 seconds to make the shape.

This should be a fun activity as the students see the different ways the groups work together to make the shape of the object.

Activity 4

This should be a fun game to help students learn to work together.

1. Each student should have a partner. The two partners sit on the ground with their backs touching and their arms linked at the elbows.

2. Each pair of students should try to stand up together. This can be fun and a little silly as the students push against each other to try to stand up.

illustration of two young women linking arms

Talk with Your Family

When you go home, talk with your family and share who you met today, and show them how to do one of the activities you learned. Be prepared to share the next time you come to class.