Concentric Circles

Topics and Competencies

Icebreakers

Grade Level

Middle Grades, High School, College/Adult

Subject Area Integration

None

Author(s)

Christy M. Byrd

Source

Program on Intergroup Relations, University of Michigan.

Date Created/Most Recently Revised

Unknown/February 2021

Time

5-10 minutes

Setting

Appropriate for in-person settings, may be adapted for online.

Type and Level of Engagement

Group Work, High Engagement

Accessibility

The activity requires participants to move between partners. Those with mobility difficulties should stand in the inner, stationary circle.

Learning Objectives

• Get to know each other

Materials

• None

Instructions

• Have participants stand in two circles, an inner circle and an outer circle. Each person should have one other participant standing in front of them. For uneven numbers, have a facilitator join in or create a group of three.
• Ask participants to discuss a prompt for 2-3 minutes. You might want to use a timer with an audible signal to keep everyone on track.
• At the end of the first round, ask the outer circle to shift over one person. Each participant should have a new partner.
• Introduce another prompt and have participants discuss.
• Repeat as many times as you like. If used as a warm-up, 3-5 rounds should be fine. You might also continue until each participant has had the chance to talk to everyone in the other circle.
• Example prompts:
  • What was your favorite meal growing up?
  • What were family dinners like when you were a child?
  • What is your favorite thing about [city/institution]?
  • What was the best thing to happen to you this week?
  • Why did your parents name you what they did?
  • What do you do for fun?
  • What’s your biggest challenge right now?
  • Where do you see yourself in five years?

Variations

• Prompts can also focus on conceptual questions, for example, to get students to react to content or have them reflect on their knowledge before learning new content.
• http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/inside-outside-circles
• http://www.movingbeyondicebreakers.org/includes/activity.php?video=concentricCircles
• https://www.literacymn.org/classroom-activity-concentric-circles
• https://blog.ioby.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Concentric-Circle-Activity.pdf
• http://techsavvyenglish.blogspot.com/2015/10/concentric-circles-ice-breaker-andor.html

Extensions

Assessments

Evidence of Effectiveness

Related Activities

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