From my treasure trunk: WARMERS for 2012

Next week, I'm starting my classes for 2012 and we always want to start the new year with fresh ideas.

I've put together a LIVEBINDER with fantastic resources picked throughout the web.

Warmers and Ice breakers 2012


These are someactivities I learned from Shelly Terrell last week:

• Alphabet Race: 2 lines of students, teacher says a topic (Ex: verbs, emotions, animals) and the first student from each line says a word in that category starting with the letter A, then the second with the letter B. As soon as each student says a word they should run to the end of the line. When the first student once again comes to the beginning of the line, that group wins.
• 30 Second Debate: 2 lines of students facing each other, teacher suggests a topic, line A has to talk about his opinion in 30 seconds. The teacher blows a whistle at the end of the 30 seconds and student B has to refute the argument. Ex: If student is FOR, student B has to be AGAINST it. The teacher can keep changing the topics.
• Yes, and ..... or Yes, but: 2 lines of students sitting down or standing. Student A starts the conversation with a sentence, then student B continues starting with "Yes, and ...." , then Student B continues with "Yes, and ....."  . The same can be done with the prompt "Yes, but ....." . Watch a video demonstration.

• Show and Tell: Teacher asks students to select a picture from their cell phones and put the device in a bag. The teacher then, shows the device and the image to the class and students try to guess who the cell phone belongs too. Then, the owner of the phone talks about the photo chosen.
• Chain story: Groups of 3 or 4. Students have to create a chain story and use their mobiles to record it. Then they have to send it to the teacher.
• Guess the picture: Students go round the school with their cell phones and take a close-up  picture of any thing at the school. Then, after returning to class, the teacher collects the phones and passes the phones around the class for students to guess what object it is and where it is located.