Stand Up & Sit Down
Participants respond to statements by standing (agree) or staying seated (disagree).
Form
All together
Phase
Activate
Materials
Not needed
Step-by-step instructions
5 steps
- The facilitator reads a statement aloud.
- Those who agree stand up; those who disagree stay seated.
- The facilitator lets a few participants explain their choice.
- Move on to the next statement — repeat until all are done.
- Close with a short reflection, e.g. “Did anyone change their mind after hearing others?”
Settings
- Statements — required. One per line. You can't start without at least one.
- Thinking time (seconds) — optional, default 30 s. Time to consider each statement before reacting.
Tip: generate statements with AI
Out of ideas? Ask an AI assistant (e.g. ChatGPT): “Give me 8 thought-provoking statements about [topic] for students aged [age], one per line.” Paste the lines into the Statements field.
Tips for the facilitator
Opinions made visible — fast, judgement-free
Opens discussion, surfaces assumptions
Start of a topic: explore standpoints
After the material: see shifted opinions
As an energizer with substance
Prepared statements in advance (verbal or on slides — enter when setting up the form)
A space where participants can stand up without getting in each other's way (let them know beforehand)
Suitable for all ages — adapt the wording of the statements to the level of the group
Standard variant: stand up = agree, stay seated = disagree
Raise or lower your hand (instead of standing up and sitting down)
With gradation using the hand: high up / halfway / down — three positions to express nuance
Blind variant: eyes closed → react → open eyes → see how the group is divided
With cards: show a green or red card simultaneously — prevents participants from copying each other. Give each participant two cards: one red and one green
Social studies: «Social media has more disadvantages than advantages»
History: «We cannot judge the actions of people in the past by today's standards»
Language and literature: «Loanwords from other languages damage the native language»
Biology: «Animals in captivity can never be happy»
Economics: «Higher taxes for the wealthy are fair»
Training and teams: «Making mistakes is part of doing good work»
Activity based on the values clarification technique, developed in the 1970s in the United States. Applied in cooperative learning as an activating conversation starter that makes opinions visible without judgment.
Pairs well with
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- Oksana AdminJul 9, 2026
Super makkelijk en dynamisch!