Details

This game helps your group establish common ground with the students all around them—some of whom they may have never met or rarely talked to. Simply understanding that we have more in common than we think with the people around us can help break down barriers and establish a foundation for future relationships. 

Each round presents three random categories. The goal is to find three students who all have something in common in all three categories. Set a time limit that is appropriate for your group dynamics, perhaps 1-2 minutes. Students should be encouraged to find a new “group” each round. In other words, the goal is not to play all 10 rounds finding things in common with the same three students. Each round essentially starts over.

There is an additional wrinkle to this game. Each slide also contains a “challenge” to layer on top of the activity. If the three students can also complete the challenge, they receive a bonus point. The challenges are: 

-Fastest: The first group to find their commonalities wins!
-Most in Common: How many different things can you find in common in the time allotted? The group with the most in common gets an extra point. 
-Most Obscure: Who can find the most random things in common using these categories? Appoint a judge to determine the winner.
-Only Favorites: Only use “favorites” to find your common ground.
-No Favorites: Do not use any “favorites” to find common ground.
-Different Grades: All three grades must be different!

This game is meant to stretch your students beyond their comfort zone and is a great opportunity to help them get to know each other and learn more about your group! 

This Resource Includes:

• Complete PowerPoint game file 
• Individual (10 rounds + instructions) game slides (jpeg files) 
• Title slide
• Document with examples and expanded instructions and vision for the activity. (Word file)