Icebreaker Showdown Slides
First Day // Day One Vibe Check
Grade 11 & 12
Zero Boring Icebreakers.
No awkward sit-in-a-circle speeches. We're picking sides, cracking unsolved mysteries, and setting the tone for our space this year.
1
Defend your choice
2
Respect every hot take
3
No wrong answers
ROUND 1
PICK A SIDE • Stand on the Left or Right
Move your feet
LEFT SIDE
$10,000
Deposited in your hands right now, tax-free.
Instant payoff • Spend, invest, or save immediately
RIGHT SIDE
$100,000
Guaranteed deposit in exactly 5 years.
Delayed reward • 10x the money, but zero touch for 60 months
PAIR-SHARE (60 Sec): Tell the person next to you: What is the very first thing you're buying or doing with this money?
ROUND 2
PICK A SIDE • Stand on the Left or Right
Ultimate Skills
LEFT SIDE
Fluent in Every Language
Instantly speak, read, and write every language on Earth fluently.
Total global communication • Travel anywhere, talk to anyone
RIGHT SIDE
Master Every Instrument
Effortlessly play every musical instrument & produce hit tracks at world-class level.
Pure creative genius • Sell out stadiums, produce infinite tracks
PAIR-SHARE (60 Sec): Which one makes you more money, and which one makes you happier? Explain to your partner.
ROUND 3
PICK A SIDE • Stand on the Left or Right
Perception & Power
LEFT SIDE
Human Lie Detector
You instantly know when anyone is lying to you, 100% of the time without fail.
Zero deception • You always know people's real intentions
RIGHT SIDE
Master of Stealth
You can talk your way out of any situation, ticket, or problem with zero consequences.
Unstoppable persuasion • Ultimate smooth-talking get-out-of-jail card
PAIR-SHARE (60 Sec): Would knowing every lie hurt your friendships or protect you? Debate with your side.
4 CORNERS
How do you recharge your battery on Friday night?
Move to Corner 1, 2, 3, or 4
CORNER 1 (Front Left)
Solo Lockdown
Gaming, binge-watching shows, doom-scrolling, or sleeping 12 hours. Zero people around.
CORNER 2 (Front Right)
The Social Gathering
Out with the group, party, food runs, laughing until 2 AM with friends in the city or neighborhood.
CORNER 3 (Back Left)
The Creative Grind
Cooking, making beats, working on cars, drawing, working a side hustle, or building something.
CORNER 4 (Back Right)
The Late Night Drive
Aux cord connected, driving around with no destination, gym session, or walking outdoors with headphones.
Corner huddle: Find one person in your corner you haven't talked to yet. Share what music is currently on your heavy rotation.
4 CORNERS
The Squad Role: In a disaster, what is your job?
Claim your role
CORNER 1 (Front Left)
The Tactician / Leader
Makes tough calls under pressure, navigates routes, manages resources, and keeps the group alive.
CORNER 2 (Front Right)
The Engineer / Builder
Hotwires vehicles, fortifies shelters, fixes broken gear, and makes weapons out of scrap metal.
CORNER 3 (Back Left)
The Supply Scavenger
Fast, quiet, high stealth. Sneaks into danger zones to bring back food, medical kits, and intel.
CORNER 4 (Back Right)
The Morale / Medic
Patches wounds, de-escalates panic, tells jokes when things look dark, and keeps the squad bonded.
Quick Question: Which corner would be the FIRST to betray the team? Point across the room!
MYSTERY CASE #1
The Ghost Ship • The Mary Celeste (1872)
Partner Detective Work
The Discovery
In December 1872, the British ship Dei Gratia spotted the American merchant vessel Mary Celeste adrift in the Atlantic Ocean.
All 10 passengers & crew were gone. Never seen again.
Bizarre Crime Scene Evidence:
A
Ship was fully seaworthy: 6 months of fresh food, untouched personal belongings, and full sails up. No signs of struggle or blood.
B
Missing lifeboat & instruments: Only the single lifeboat, chronometer, and navigation papers were missing.
C
Cargo intact: 1,701 barrels of industrial alcohol were aboard. 9 barrels were empty, but untouched.
2 MIN PARTNER CHALLENGE
Work with a partner. Choose your theory: Pirate attack? Alcohol explosion scare? Seaquake? Mutiny? Prepare 1 reason why!
MYSTERY CASE #2
The Mid-Air Vanishing • D.B. Cooper (1971)
Only Unsolved Skyjacking in History
The Heist
On Thanksgiving Eve 1971, a man in a black suit bought a $20 ticket on a Boeing 727, handed a flight attendant a bomb note, and demanded $200,000 cash and 4 parachutes.
He jumped out the back stairs into a freezing storm at 10,000 ft.
The FBI Evidence File:
1
Zero trace of body or parachute: Massive military and FBI forest searches found nothing in the rugged mountains of Washington.
2
Unspent serial numbers: Not a single one of the 10,000 recorded $20 bills has ever entered circulation anywhere in the world.
3
1980 River Find: An 8-year-old boy digging on a Columbia River beach found $5,800 of the bundled cash, partially decayed.
PARTNER VERDICT
With your partner, decide: Did he survive the jump into the freezing forest, or did he perish? What happened to the rest of the $200K?
COMMUNITY NORMS
What makes this classroom actually work this year?
Our Deal
Your Time Matters
No busywork. Everything we do connects to graduation, real life skills, your career goals, or your independence.
Clean Slate Every Day
Whatever happened in the past or yesterday stays in yesterday. You get a fresh start every time you walk through that door.
Mutual Respect
You are treated as young adults. Speak your mind, ask questions honestly, and look out for each other.
INDEX CARD QUESTION: What is one thing you need from this class or your teacher to succeed this semester? (Only seen by teacher)
Ready for Launch
Let's Get To Work.
You made your choices, solved cold cases, and took your space. This year is yours to build.
Attendance Locked
Credits on Deck
Senior / Junior Goals
