Ice breakers and warm up exercises are designed to build rapport among participants and to get them in the mindset to start learning. The following exercises are time-tested techniques that have been adapted for this curriculum and trainers are encouraged to tweak them and bring in their own exercises where appropriate. These exercises can also be used at the beginning and the end of lessons to either warm up the class or to recap on topics learned in class that day. 

1. Pass the Ball (10 – 15 mins)

This exercise encourages group participation and allows those who are nervous about speaking in public to focus on passing the ball instead of just waiting for their turn to talk. Pass the ball can also be used at the end of a session to recap what students have learned.

2. Speak about… (20 – 25 mins)

This activity helps learners focus on what they want to learn over the training session and to share those goals with others. This activity also helps to build rapport between group members over shared experiences. 

This extra activity is a role-play designed to talk about the risks associated with meeting sources

Instructions for trainer

• One role card per person
• Worksheet

1. Part one
   Put the participants into groups of three. Tell the students that they are going to be given a role card and that they should read it and highlight relevant parts of the text. Give out the same role card to each person in the group, for example, a group of three editors. Participants read and make notes. The group works together to answer the questions on the role card. Tell them that they should each take notes as they will be put in different groups to discuss their answers. The journalists can use the extra worksheet to help them with the task. 

2. Part two
   Move the participants so they are in a new group of three, each one containing an editor, a journalist and a source. Participants should tell the other members of the team what their role is and what they have been asked to do. One or two members of the groups give feedback to the group on their answers.

3. Part three
   Wrap up the exercise by having an editor, a journalist, and a source give feedback to the class on their answers. Write up their answers on the whiteboard. Ask the class one thing they have learned from the activity.