5 x 5 Grid

Topic Progress:

This 20-minute jigsaw and pair work tandem helps students get over first-day jitters. The grid will have everyone positively bursting with student-generated, getting-to-know-you questions and answers.

Set Up

Break students into pairs.

Ask students to draw a grid with five rows and six columns in their notebooks. Click here for an example. On the far left column, number each row from 1 to 5.

Each pair of students will think of and write down five polite questions which are good to ask someone they do not know. Students might need some coaching here (e.g. major, interests, hobbies, food). Introduce the idea that some topics are not polite when meeting someone for the first time (e.g. money, politics, religion).

Students number the questions in their notebooks from 1 to 5.

Flow

Now comes the mingling. Each student walks around and interviews five unknown people in the class (they can’t interview their partner). Students conduct interviews by asking their five questions. They listen to answers and make notes in their grid. Encourage follow-up questions.

After completing five interviews, students return to their seats with the original partner. Each partner talks about the people they met and what they learned.



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