This is a free-writing exercise in which the students are given one minute to write down their thoughts and feelings on a particular subject. The writing does not have to be grammatically correct and can be creative or informative. At the end of the minute, each student can read what he came up with and the class can discuss that point of view.
Give the class an entire class period to meet in groups to discuss a certain topic. Have them come up with a short paragraph of what they, as a group, believe or disagree in. This allows the students to learn the point of view of other members of the class and find out why others think the way they do. This is an easy activity for the class and allows the teacher to take a break from constant lecturing.
The icebreaker is best used at the beginning of a class. For this activity, you do not necessarily have to use topics related to the area of study. Instead, the topic can be something as silly as "name what would your superpower be, if you had one," or something as serious as "name the most important person in your life." This type of activity relaxes the class and gets them used to one another and also clues you in a little bit on who they are underneath the essays and pop quizzes.
Another similar activity to the icebreaker, this game asks students to sit in a circle and tell three facts about themselves; two of them true and one of them false. Then, the rest of the class tries to guess which one is false. This is another game that can be used to relax students and give you an idea of who they are. It is also a good activity in criminal law or justice classes to show students how lies can be mottled in truths.