- In the classroom, to encourage students to talk to each other, play a game of Who Am I? The teacher puts a famous name on the back of each student. This can be done with a simple self-sticking name tag. To make the activity more appropriate to the class, the teacher can use names relating to her subject: A history teacher might use famous people from history while a literature teacher might use author names or well-known characters, such as Tom Sawyer. Each student is only allowed to ask two yes or no questions of any other student. This encourages them to mingle and talk to everyone. From the answers, the student must deduce the name on his back. Play continues until everyone has figured out their name.
- This activity may need to be done on the student's own time, either before or after school or during lunch breaks and passing periods. To help familiarize the student with his new surroundings, require he collect digital pictures of people and places. Perhaps he must get a picture of the principal or the nurse's office or the main gym where pep rallies will be held. Maybe she must get a picture of football player in his jersey. The list is practically endless.
- Randomly assign the students into groups of three. Have each group draw a basic Venn diagram of three overlapping circles. Each circle represents the interests of one of the students in the group. Each group must fill the diagram with things about themselves that are alike and different. Those things they all have in common go in the section where all three circles overlap. Where only two circles overlap students write things that only those two students have in common. Things about the individual students that are different and unique go in the parts of the diagram that do not overlap at all. Compare the various Venn diagrams from one group to the next. Consider making new groups and repeating the activity.
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