Find the Fib (sometimes known as 2 Truths and a Lie) is one of my favorite activities to use and reuse in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms. It requires little to no prep, can be easily adapted for use in all subject areas, requires higher level thinking, and upper elementary students never seem to get tired of it.
No prep, endless fun, rigorous, and versatile? Why would you NOT want to try out Find the Fib in your classroom?
How Find the Fib Works
The concept is easy. Students write down 3 statements - two that are true and one that is a lie. After all of your students have finished writing, have them read their statements to a partner. Partners have to figure out which statement is the fib!
Students can complete this activity on a blank sheet of notebook paper or get a free, reusable Find the Fib printable here.
The goal for this activity will determine what sorts of statements students will write down. Read on for different ways to use this in your classroom - both for academic and team building purposes!
Find the Fib as a Back to School Team Builder or Ice Breaker
Find the Fib is a great ice breaker for back to school. Students can learn more about you and their peers.
Start by modeling this activity to your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade students. Write down 2 true statement about yourself and 1 fib (not necessarily in that order). Then, have your students try and guess the fib.
After modeling this, your students will be eager to write their own fibs. Have students write 2 true statements and 1 fib. Then, they can partner up with a variety of partners (check out these tips for partnering students up), share their statements, and figure out each other's fibs.
It's a fun way for students to get to know each other - and it gets students excited to do some writing! Use this throughout the year to continue building a positive classroom community. Have students write 2 truths and 1 lie about a variety of topics - favorite foods, hobbies, their family, etc.
Download a free Find the Fib printable here. Or, check out these other back to school ice breakers and team builders.
Other Ways to Use Two Truths and a Fib in the Classroom
This activity is incredibly versatile. Not only does it make a great back to school ice breaker, but it can easily adapted for any subject area or any topic that you are covering. Use the ideas below as inspiration:
ELA Find the Fib Ideas:
- 2 truths and 1 fib about events that occurred in a text
- 2 truths and a fib about character traits that describe a character or a student (find more character trait activity ideas here).
- 2 truths and 1 fib about the topic or main idea of an article or nonfiction text
- 2 truths and 1 fib about the text features found in an article or book (find more text feature activity ideas here).
Math Find the Fib Ideas:
- Students write 2 multiplication equations that are accurate, and 1 that isn't
- Draw 3 shapes - two that are quadrilaterals and one that isn't
- List 3 groups of numbers - two that are in order from smallest to largest, and one group that is not in order
- Write 3 fractions - two that are less than 1/2, and one fraction that isn't
- List 2 things that are about 6 inches long and one that isn't
Science Find the Fib Ideas:
- 3 statements - 2 that give examples of a chemical change and one that doesn't
- 3 statements - 2 that give examples of animal camouflage and one that doesn't
- 2 truths and 1 fib about the steps of the scientific method
- 2 truths and 1 fib about a topic you have recently studied (the solar system, the water cycle, butterflies, magnets, etc.)
Social Studies Find the Fib Ideas:
- After learning about a famous person, have students write 2 truths and 1 lie about that person
- 2 truths and 1 lie about what might be found in a map legend or key
- 2 truths and 1 lie about possible reasons for human migration
- 2 truths and 1 fib about a topic you have recently studied (American symbols, landforms, the Declaration of Independence, the Civil War, etc.)
The possibilities are truly endless. Even if you don't have copies of this free Find the Fib printable on hand, upper elementary students can always use paper and pencil or whiteboards and dry erase markers.
This is also a great activity to pull our if you have a surprise observation from your administrator or principal. Any rigorous activity that keeps 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students engaged, writing, and talking to each other always looks good to administration!
You might also like some of these other reusable, free resources.
Never Stress Over Sub Plans Again!
Make copies, find a fiction book, and you'll be ready for any emergency that comes your way!
Comments 3
Thank you so much! I have used 2 Truths and 1 Lie as an icebreaker but never thought about using it in different subject areas. My kids will love this!
Author
They will love it! It’s such a fun activity, and requires a lot of higher level thinking!
Thank you greatly!!!!