Since 3 Truths and a Lie is a game typically used for bonding, it is a great back to school activity! But did you know it can also be used to practice researching?
Although there are many tasks to check off the ol’ to-do list at the beginning of the year, of those items, building a safe, fun classroom culture ranks high above the rest.
You can always take the time to test math and reading levels later, but getting to know your students and making them feel safe needs to start right away.
I have so many ideas for creating a positive classroom environment in your elementary classroom, and I’ve outlined 5 of those back to school activities in this post! However, I did not cover them all…
Today, I’ve got another activity you can add to your repertoire, but this one is not just a back to school activity, it is also a great tool for researching practice throughout the school year!
The basics of 3 Truths and a Lie
In my classroom, I like to play a game called 3 Truths and a Lie.
If you are already familiar with the game, jump down to the next section for suggestions on how you can vary it for the classroom!
This game is pretty simple. Each student writes down four things about themselves. Of those four things, one of them must be a lie.
For example (about myself)…
- I have a red convertible sports car.
- I own 4 dogs.
- I once ate a raw snail.
- I have driven across the country and back 5 times.
From these items, three of them are true, and the other one is false.
Once students have their items written down, we read them out loud, and as a class, try to guess which one is the lie. In this case, the first statement is the lie. Ha! I drive a minivan!
Variations and Suggestions
Here are some suggestions for different ways you can modify, up-level, and direct the game in your classroom. Each idea will provide different results and ask the students to practice different skills.
Students can play in pairs or small groups and then report back to the teacher via a documentation sheet.- Ask students to create small posters with their four items and then have the class go around the room using dabbers or sticker dots to vote for the statement they believe is false on each poster.
- The game can be anonymous. In addition to guessing the lie, students have to try and guess which student wrote the statements.
- 3 Truths and a Lie can be a whole class activity that you complete all in one day or you can focus on one student a day for many days.
- You can create a handout or worksheet where students’ names and items are listed. Then the other students can read through everything their classmates wrote and circle the items they believe are not true for each student.
- You can have students use FlipGrid to explain their four items and reveal the answer.
- Use a Google Forms sheet to collect all the answers and create a quick spreadsheet for students to use during the activity. This is possible when you view the results of the Google form as a spreadsheet.
Truly, there are so many great options here, so I would highly recommend trying different versions and seeing which one you like best.
The value of follow up
When using this back-to-school activity to work on classroom culture, it is not enough just to complete the activity, guess at the lie, and move on. This activity is only as good as the discussion it creates. That is why I suggest taking time to discuss some of the topics brought up by the students.
In the example above, you could focus on the second statement about pets, and give students a chance to bring in pictures of their pets, or create a small narrative where their pet (or dream pet) is the protagonist of a story.
If you focus on the third statement on the list about an unusual food choice, you can ask students to share their favorite or unusual food choices.
Activities like this build awareness of others and help create a positive classroom culture through safely guided discussion.
Using 3 Truths and a Lie Resources to Practice Researching
In addition to using 3 Truths and a Lie for ‘getting to know you’ activities during back to school time, you can also use it as a way to study content.
I’ve created a whole series of 3 Truths and Lie digital activities that allow students to learn about popular topics while playing the game.
I like using 3 Truths and a Lie for other topics because the game promotes reading, Internet research skills, critical thinking, and constructed response.
Students read statements about high-interest topics and then sort out the truths and lies. Then, they will use their new knowledge to turn each lie into a truth and provide one more interesting fact about the topic.
In a world where information is thrown around willy-nilly and assumed to be true, this activity teaches kids the importance of research and seeking out truths in a sea of misinformation.
Of the topics we’ve created 3 Truths and a Lie resources for, some of my favorites are topics like…
- skateboards
- donuts
- Komodo dragons
- roller coasters
- …and so many more!
To check out all of our 3 Truths and a Lie topics and resources check out the store!
Introducing a new game as a back-to-school activity and then using the same game to do other activities throughout the year is an awesome way to create cohesion, reduce confusion, and get students to feel at home in your classroom from day one.
I absolutely love 3 Truths and a Lie, and I hope that it finds its way into your classroom this year too!
What is one of the craziest things you learned about your students from doing this activity? I’d love to hear about it. Leave a comment below to tell us about your experiences with this game.
