"Stand Up If" Icebreaker

"Stand Up If" is a common name for an icebreaker that I utilized during an introductory presentation. I preplanned a number of general statements that could either apply or not apply to the students, and the statements all begin with the phrase, "Stand up if." For example, "Stand up if you play an instrument or sing." Thus, the students to whom the statement applies must simply stand up from where they are sitting. My follow-up question was to ask what instruments the students play. Another example is "Stand up if you have a pet." Again, a follow-up question could be to ask what kinds of pets the students have. The most engaging statement I had was "Stand up if you like pineapple on pizza." This sparked a brief, but fun debate between those who do and do not like pineapple on pizza. The statements are easy to invent. This activity can also be used with other lessons, in which case the statements would be more topic-specific. For an introductory presentation, general statements sufficed. The activity successfully "broke the ice" with my students, and it helped me get to know them a little bit.