Give One Get One


Is a technique used to initiate physical movement to promote students to think divergently and to generate many ideas quickly.


The teacher poses a question and asks the students to record two responses. The teacher then asks the students to stand up and move around the room to make connections with other students’ responses. Each time a student “connects” with a new student, he needs to give the student a different idea and get another idea in return (new ideas should be added to student’s original list).  If both participants have the same ideas, they need to work together to generate a new idea. They then can continue their journey connecting with other students. The teacher provides the students with a goal for the number of different ideas to collect and a time limit within which they have to collect them. It is important that students are reminded to work with only one student at a time (before they move to another student). Students should not form small groups to collect ideas. The point of the strategy is for students to meet other students and to move from one person to another sharing and revising ideas.


1.  Teacher poses a question.

2.  Students generate two ideas.

3.  Teacher establishes a goal (number of ideas and a time limit - time to collect ideas).

4.  Students stand up and “connect” with another student only to give an idea and get a new idea.

5.  If they both have similar ideas, they need to brainstorm together to generate a new idea.

6.  Students return to their seats (they can share ideas in small groups and try to generate two or three additional new ideas).

7.  Teacher collects and records ideas to be examined and explored.


How is a leaf like a factory? Generate two ideas. Move around the room sharing ideas until you have given and collected six additional ideas in two minutes.

Source: Effective Teaching Strategies and Tools, Clayton County Public Schools