This method aims to set the tone of the event and connect people to the larger theme of the workshop. Additionally, it can help establish trust and connection in small groups.
Warm-up questions can be answered individually, in pairs, or as a group in this activity. Effective warm-up questions help participants connect to the larger purpose or theme of the workshop and/or the upcoming activities. For example, if the workshop is about evoking more-than-human perspectives, a warm-up question could be: “Name an animal that you feel connected to and one word that comes to mind when you think of that animal”. Or if it is about change agency, an example could be: “Name an environmental hero you admire, it can be someone famous or a person from your daily life”. To make the exercise more creative, you can ask people to share an intuitive association: (e.g. “Say the first word that comes to mind when I say ‘river’”).
Invite people to move around the room and ask the warm-up question to 1-3 people they don’t know. The master facilitator gives each duo 1-2 minutes per duo. This facilitates physical movement and networking. It can be done in plenary or at coffee breaks at any point in the event.
If answers are written down: sticky notes/paper and tape, pens.
Social Priming: Molden (2014). Understanding Priming Effects in Social Psychology: What is “Social Priming” and How Does It Occur?
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