Inquiring Minds

Purpose: Build communication skills, enhance self-esteem, and develop relationships.

Materials:

1. 1 piece of paper or 3x5 card for each participant

2. 1 pen or pencil for each participant

Activity: Each participant is asked to write 1 question on a piece of paper. The questions should be open ended (can’t be answered with a yes or no). The questions should ask something about the person’s life so the person would have a chance to describe something about the way they live, feel, or think.

Have every participant find a partner. The partners take turns asking each other the question on their card. When responding to the questions, each partner should talk about 30-60 seconds. After both participants have finished answering a question, the partners exchange questions and find a new partner. Participants will now ask their new partner the question on their card or paper. After this rotation, the partners exchange questions again and find a new partner. This process should continue until the group facilitator stops the activity. The group facilitator should circulate around the room before starting to glance at the questions to make sure they are appropriate.

Processing:

1. How hard was it to create a question?

2. How hard was it to answer the questions that were asked of you?

3. How did you feel about asking someone else’s question?

4. Which question did you hear that was really interesting to you?

5. What did you find out about someone that you didn’t know before today?

6. Do you feel that you know people better now than before the activity? Why or why not?

7. When you meet new people are these the kinds of questions you ask them? Why or why not?

8. How well do you think your partner listened to you? Explain.

9. What kinds of body language gave you the impression that they were interested or not?

10. What are some of the ways that we can show our interest in what others have to say by our body language?

11. How can this activity help us as we go through our daily lives?

12. Is it important that we know about people who are around us? Why or why not?

Activity taken from: More Activities that Teach, Tom Jackson