Lesson Share: Exchanging information: Toilet paper information

Time

Varies depending on class size and amount of paper taken

Level

All (except complete beginners)

Materials

One roll of toilet paper

Procedure

• Meet students as they enter the classroom and ask them to take as many sheets of toilet paper from the roll as the think they'll need (do NOT explain what it 's for).
• Then when students are sitting down you take as many sheets as you wish (a minimum of three is needed to demonstrate what students have to do). Tear off one sheet and give one piece of information about yourself e.g. name, age, etc. and throw it away. 
• Do this with each sheet. 
• Ask the students if they have any questions to ask you. 
• Once you have answered all the questions, get them to tell the class one thing about themselves per sheet. 
• Tell the other students to listen to each student and think of at least one question they'd like to ask them. 
• When you have finished, ask the class to sit in pairs and try to remember all the details they can about the people in the class. 
• As feedback get the pairs to tell the class everything they can remember about the couple to their left.

The initial surprise of the students as they come into their first class to find their teacher offering them toilet paper makes for a fun and expectant atmosphere. The students are immediately interested in what's going to happen and you have a captivated audience.