Storytelling Exercise: Talk About This Topic For One Minute

Purpose

This exercise can be used both as an icebreaker when you intend to get people to know each better or as a storytelling exercise. You can bias the exercise based on your chosen topics. This exercise is also ideal for teambuilding.

Objective

Talk about a random topic given to you to the group for about one minute.

What You Need

• A series of topic cards. You need to prepare a series of topics that delegates will be talking about. Write or print these on separate cards so you can give them at random to delegates during the exercise. Examples of these topics are:
  • China has just announced that they have launched a manned spaceship to Mars that will land there within 8 months.
  • A diver was found dead on top of a tree while still wearing his diving suit.
  • A human is genetically cloned in secret and is now revealed to the world at the age of 10.
  • A computer game has been released to the market that has shattered all previous sales record in history.
  • One of the most famous actresses in the world has fallen in love with the president of France who happens to be single.

Setup

• You have two choices:
  • Divide the delegates to groups of three. This reduces the total time required to go through this exercise and also reduces the amount of pressure for people who might be concerned about talking on the spot about a random topic in front of an audience.
  • Go through the exercise as one group. This will take longer but it is ideal for courses on presentation skills or pubic speaking as delegates can practice talking to an audience.
• Distribute one topic card to each delegate.
• Explain that each person must talk about their topic to others for about a minute.
• Start the exercise and expect each person to tell their story about their topic.
• Continue until everyone has contributed.
• Bring back all delegates and follow with a discussion.

Timing

Explaining the Exercise: 5 minutes

Activity: 10 minutes

Group Feedback: 10 minutes

Discussion

How easy was it to come up with a story on the spot? Which story was the most impressive and why? What other topics would you have liked to talk about instead?