Activities Communication

Trinity College Dublin

Generic Skills Integration Project Interpersonal Skills

Exercise 1: The Blindfold Game* In this activity, blindfolded participants must rely on their partners to navigate an "assault course" successfully. Uses

This helps to improve communication and listening skills, and to build trust between partners. People and Materials •

Any size group works well in this exercise.

•

nough blindfolds for half of the participants.

•

A large, private room.

•

!urniture and other items that you can use as obstacles.

Time •

Around #$%& minutes.

Instructions

. 'catter 'catter furniture furniture and ob(ects ob(ects around around the room before before the activity activity begins. begins. )o )our course should be challenging, but still safe to navigate around. %. *ut team team members members into into pairs pairs and ask ask them to stand stand at one one end of of the room. room. +. ne person person from each pair pair should should put put on the blindf blindfold. old. -. The sighted sighted people people must guide their partners partners across the the room and give give instructions to help them avoid the obstacles. #. hen each team reaches the other other side of the room, partners partners should should switch switch roles and then repeat the exercise.

Exercise 3: Make a Team ith! In this activity, team members must act /uickly to form small teams based on instructions that you shout out. Uses

This activity strengthens communication skills. It also teaches team members how to think on their feet



•

Any number of team members.

•

A private room.

Time •

# minutes.

Instructions

. xplain xplain to participants participants that that they will have have to form a team team based based on the the instructions that you shout out. !or example, some instructions could include "0et into a team with people who have the same number of children as you" or "0et into a team with people who like similar types of music to you." %. 'hout 'hout out instructi instructions. ons. *eople *eople can shout out out or sit down down to signal signal that that their team is "complete." ncourage people to work as /uickly as possible. 1epeat the exercise as many times as you want.

Exercise ": #ust $isten This is an activity that encourages participants to communicate how they feel about a sub(ect. *eople get into pairs and one member talks about her opinions. 2er partner listens without speaking, and then, without rebuttal, recaps on what has been said. Uses

This activity strengthens your team members3 listening skills. 4istening is an incredibly important part of good communication, and it3s a skill that people often ignore in team activities. This activity also shows team members how to listen with an open mind. People and Materials •

An even number of team members, ideally.

•

ight index cards for each team of two. ach card should list one topic.

•

A private room.

Time •

%#$+& minutes.

Instructions

. 2ave 2ave your your team team memb members ers sit sit down down in pair pairs. s. %. 0iv

ch t

eight eight inde inde

rds



+. ne partner partner will will blindly blindly choose choose a card and and then speak speak for three three minutes minutes on how he feels about the topic. As he talks, the other person cannot speak 5 her goal is to listen. -. After three three minutes, minutes, the listener listener has has one minute minute to recap recap on what what her partner partner has said. 'he cannot debate, agree or disagree 5 only summarize. #. 6ext, 6ext, the roles roles switch switch,, and the the process process starts starts again again..

Nonverbal games Have you ever made an instant judgment about a person, without ever speaking to him or her? Can you tell when people are worried, afraid, or angry? Research suggests that very little of our communication is actually verbal. bout !"# of the information we give and receive is actually nonverbal. $hrough nonverbal nonverbal communication, we make make all kinds inferences and decisions%even though we don&t always reali'e it. (t&s important to be aware of nonverbal messages, so we can avoid sending and receiving unintentional messages. Nonverbal communication causes us to make many judgments and assumptions. $he e)ercises e)ercises that follow are designed to help you understand how much information we transmit with nonverbal communication. Nonverbal Activity 1: Wordless Acting

*. +eparate students into groups of two. . -etermine one student in each group as student , and one as student . ". /ive each student a copy of the following script. 0. +tudent  will read his lines out loud, but student  will communicate his lines in a nonverbal way. way. 1. 2rovide  with a secret emotional distraction that is written on a piece of paper. paper. 3or e)ample, student  may be in a rush, may be really bored, or may be feeling guilty. 4. fter the dialogue, ask each student  to guess what emotion was a5ecting the student6s partner student . Dialogue:



7 $he murder mystery. $he one you borrowed. 7 (s this it? 7 No. (t&s the one you borrowed. . ( did not9 7 :aybe it&s under the chair. Can you look? 7 ;<==just give me a minute. 7 How long are you going to be? 7 /ee', why so impatient? ( hate when you get bossy. 7 3orget it. (&ll >nd it myself. 7 8ait%( found it9

Nonverbal Activity 2: We Have to Move Now!

*. Cut several strips of paper. . ;n each strip of paper, write down a mood or a disposition like guilty, happy, suspicious, paranoid, insulted, or insecure. ". 3old the strips of paper and put them into a bowl. $hey will be prompts. 0. Have each student take a prompt from the bowl and read the same sentence to the class, e)pressing the mood they&ve picked. 1. +tudents will read the sentence7 8e all need to gather our possessions and move to another building as soon as possible9 4. +tudents should write down assumptions they make about each student as they read their prompts. Nonverbal Activity 3: Stack te Deck

3or this e)ercise, you will need a regular pack of playing cards and a lot of moving@around space. lindfolds are optional Ait takes a little longerB. *. +hue the deck of cards well and walk around the room to give each student a card. . (nstruct the students to keep their cards a secret. No one can see the type or color of another6s card. ". :ake it clear to students that they will not be able to talk during this e)ercise. 0. (nstruct students to assemble into 0 groups according to suits Ahearts, clubs, diamonds, spadesB using nonverbal communication. 1. (t6s more fun to blindfold every student during this e)ercise. 4. ;nce students get into those groups, they must line up in order of rank, from ace to king. D. $he group that lines up in proper order >rst wins9 Nonverbal Activity : Silent Movie



-ivide students into two or more groups. 3or the >rst half of class, some students will be screenwriters and other students will be actors. Roles will switch for the second half. $he screenwriter students will write a silent movie scene, with the following tips in mind7 *. +ilent movies tell a story without words. (t is important to start the scene with a person doing an obvious task, like cleaning the house or rowing a boat. . $his scene is interrupted when a second actor Aor several actorsB enters the scene. $he appearance of the new actorEs has a big impact. Remember that the new characters could be animals, burglars, children, salesmen, etc. ".  physical commotion takes place. 0. $he problem is resolved. $he acting groups will perform the scriptAsB. Fveryone sits back to enjoy the show9 2opcorn is a good addition. $his e)ercise gives students a great opportunity to act out and read nonverbal messages. http7EEhomeworktips.about.comEodEmindandbodyEaEnonverbal.htm C$CH $HF CH(Cnd her doing and help her out. . Gou6ll see some hilarious scenes in the room.



!. fter all three volunteers have come into the room and the traininggame has continued for another minute or so, have the participants stop this communication game or training game. *I. eginning with the last volunteer ask her what she thought she was doing. +he6ll say something like 6cleaning the room6, while the second last volunteer will say she was 6looking for a lost object6. $he very >rst volunteer who walked into the room will say something like 6( was swatting a Jy ( think6. **. y this time the room is echoing with laughter at the responses. *. 3inally ask the the >rst volunteer what she was doing. 8hen she reveals that she was 6catching the chicken6, all the participants are in a split. *". 8hen they have settled down a little, lead them in a debrief of thistraining game. (n the debrief draw their attention to how it is normal for people to interpret the behaviour Anon=verbal communicationB of a person and respond to it rather than clarifying the communication. *0. Remind them that while the people inside were told not to speak or reveal in any way the training game that was going on, the volunteers outside were not restricted in any way. Get they chose not to ask anybody about what was going on, rather they jumped in right away and started imitating the leader. http7EEwww.e)periential=learning= games.comEcommunicationgames.html Kedi :ind $rick -irect participants to stand in a circle with one person in the middle. No one is allowed to talk. $he person in the middle wants to take the place of a person in the circle. 2eople in the circle want to e)change places without becoming usurped by the person in the middle. $o accomplish this, participants need to use eye contact and other nonverbal cues to communicate and negotiate a move. lphabetically $his activity challenges a group to say the letters of the alphabet in order without ever having two participants saying the same letter at the same time. ny seLuence can be usedM you may choose months, numbers or holidays instead. Copy Cat -irect participants to stand in a circle. sk each person to silently 







position of her leader. efore beginning, ask each person to close her eyes and assume a pose. Fyes should open on the director6s command, and position should not be changed e)cept to follow one6s leader. (n the end, everyone will be in the same position. 8ireless Communication +tart this activity by placing a rope on the ground. sk the group to select a listener. ring that person forward I feet and blindfold him. He is not allowed to speak for the remainder of the game, and he cannot move unless directed to do so. sk the group to select a communicator. ring that person forward *I feet and turn her so she faces the group, which should be standing on the starting line. $he communicator may not turn around to look at the listener. +he is the only person in the group allowed to speak. /ive the group a set of instructions involving the use of props. 3or e)ample7 -irect the listener to put the scarf on his head, the glove on his hand and take o5 his shoe. $he group must communicate these instructions to the communicator without speaking, so the communicator can tell the blindfolded listener what to do. -iscussion uestions 3ollow=up discussion is important for these games to be e5ective. +ome discussion Luestions will be speci>c to the activity7 How did it feel to be the one in the middle of the circle AKedi :ind $rickB. ;ther discussion Luestions are more general7 8hat nonverbal cues did you use to accomplish the task? How do nonverbal cues a5ect group dynamics and leadership? How can you use this information to communicate more e5ectively? n e)perienced team building consultant can help you get the most out of these games. 



http7EEwww.ehow.comEaboutO10"140Ononverbal=communication= activities=adults.html



INTERPERSONAL SKILLS MODULE Exercises & Handouts

Generic Skills Integration Project (GENSIP) Student Counselling Service & Staff Develo!ent "niversit# of Du$lin %rinit# College Co!iled $# %a!ara 'Connor anuar# **+


EXERCISES

Professional Skills Checklist Try Not to Listen

Listening Assessment Questionnaire

Non-Verbal Communication

One- and To- !ay Communication

Pro"iding #eedback $odelling %&ercise

'i"ing #eedback Checklist

Team Skills (e"elo)ment Checklist

(efinitions of a 'rou)

'rou) %&)eriences

'rou) Process Checklist

!orking in 'rou)s

'rou) *ole-Play

*ela&ation Techni+ues



Oral Presentation Checklist

HANDOUTS %ffecti"e Listening Skills

'uidelines for *ole-Play #eedback

#i"e !ays to Say ,.

'i"ing / *ecei"ing #eedback

Ten (os and (on0ts

'rou) !ork Plan

'i"ing a Presentation




*ate yourself on the folloing skills1 1

 am very poor at that skill

2

 am poor

3

 am sometimes good

4

 am usually good



 am al!ays good

21 ntroducing yourself

2

3

4

5

6

31 Listening - taking in hat )eo)le say

2

3

4

5

6

41 Listening - shoing interest in )eo)le

2

3

4

5

6

51 Communicating feelings

2

3

4

5

6

61 (ealing ith anger7hostility

2

3

4

5

6

81 *es)onding to )raise

2

3

4

5

6

91 *es)onding to e&)ression of an&iety

2

3

4

5

6

:1 *es)onding to negati"e feedback

2

3

4

5

6

Co)ing ith a)athy and e&)ressions of ;1 disinterest

2

3

4

5

6

2<1 Co)ing ith silences in con"ersations

2

3

4

5

6

221 A))reciating other )eo)le=s feelings

2

3

4

5

6

231 'i"ing information

2

3

4

5

6

241 Ad"ising on emotional issues7difficulties

2

3

4

5

6

251 Seeking clarification

2

3

4

5

6

261 Asking o)en-ended +uestions

2

3

4

5

6

281 !aiting for re)lies

2

3

4

5

6

291 Changing direction of con"ersation

2

3

4

5

6

2:1 %&)ressing su))ort

2

3

4

5

6

2;1 Self-disclosure as a))ro)riate

2

3

4

5

6

3<1 $aking a con"ersation more serious

2

3

4

5

6

32 $aking a con"ersation less serious

2

3

4

5

6



341 >olding someone=s interest and attention

2

3

4

5

6

351 #inishing con"ersations in a )ositi"e ay

2

3

4

5

6

361 Organising skills

2

3

4

5

6

381 Time management

2

3

4

5

6

391 Liasing ith others

2

3

4

5

6

3:1 *esol"ing conflicts

2

3

4

5

6

3;1 #inishing tasks

2

3

4

5

6



E"er#ise $ Try Not to %iste&

As' t(e stu)e&ts to *i&) a part&er to !or' !it(+ Ea#( perso& !ill ta'e it i& tur&s to tal' *or 2 mi&utes, a-out a&y su-.e#t t(ey li'e, !(ilst t(e ot(er perso& ma'es it #lear t(at t(ey are &ot liste&i&/+ Call t(em A a&) 0, so A tal's *or 2 mi&utes a&) 0 )emo&strates &ot liste&i&/ a&) #a&&ot say a&yt(i&/+ T(ey t(e& s!ap arou&) a&) it is 0s tur&+

(e& parti#ipa&ts try to tal' *or 2 mi&utes t(ey usually )ry up -e*ore t(e 2 mi&utes+ It is )i**i#ult to 'eep /oi&/ !(e& someo&e is&t ta'i&/ a&y &oti#e o* you+ T(is is a li/(t(earte) start to t(e a#tivity, so i* it )isi&te/rates i&to (umorous #(aos, it )oes&t matter, t(e poi&ts !ill &o&et(eless -e ma)e+

(e& -ot( A a&) 0 (ave (a) t(eir tur&, as' t(em *irst o* all (o! it *elt &ot to -e liste&e) to a&) )is#uss a&) !rite up t(eir imme)iate rea#tio&s o& t(e *lip#(art or -oar)+

T(e *ollo!i&/ list represe&ts t(e a&s!ers t(ey are li'ely to #ome up !it(

• • • • • •

5rustrate) A&/ry6#ross6livi) T(at Im &ot importa&t (at I !as sayi&/ !as -ori&/ I #oul)&t /o o& $ I )rie) up I *elt i&si/&i*i#a&t+

T(e& as' !(at -e(aviours t(ey o-serve) i& t(e perso& !(o !as &ot liste&i&/ to t(em+


• • • • • • • •


Hea) -e&t )o!& 7loo'i&/ at *loor8 No eye #o&ta#t %oo'i&/ at t(e *loor6#eili&/ 5ol)e) arms6#rosse) le/s 0la&'6-ore) e"pressio& 9a!&i&/6!(istli&/6s#rat#(i&/ :reo##upie) No i&tera#tio&+

:oi&t out t(at t(e e"er#ise allo!e) *or e"a//eratio&s -ut, ta'i&/ t(e *irst list, t(is is (o! !e all *eel !(e& ot(ers )o&t liste& to us+ I& t(e se#o&) list, t(e ma.ority o* t(ese poi&ts apply to poor liste&ers a&) most o* us are &ot /oo) liste&ers+

5rom Stu)e&t Cou&selli&/ Servi#e 72;;28, Peer support training manual +



%ISTENIN< ASSESS=ENT >UESTIONNAIRE

Rea) t(rou/( ea#( o* t(e stateme&ts a&) t(e& ti#' a -o"+ 9ou may stro&/ly a/ree, a/ree, )isa/ree or stro&/ly )isa/ree !it( ea#( stateme&t+ 9ou may also i&)i#ate t(at you ?)o&t '&o! a-out a parti#ular item+ or' *airly @ui#'ly t(rou/( t(e stateme&ts )o &ot miss a&y+ 9ou may s#ore it -y usi&/ a s#ale !it( ?1 *or stro&/ly a/ree to ? *or stro&/ly )isa/ree+ Try )is#ussi&/ t(e results !it( a part&er or *rie&)+

1+ I #o&si)er mysel* a& e**e#tive liste&er+

Strongly Agree

Agree

(on=t ?no

(isagree

Strongly (isagree

Not Sure

Strongly (isagree

Not Sure

Strongly (isagree

Not Sure

Strongly (isagree

Not Sure

2+ I e&.oy liste&i&/ to ot(er people+ Strongly Agree

Agree

(on=t ?no

(isagree

41  find listening fairly difficult hen  am tired1

Strongly Agree

Agree

(on=t ?no

(isagree

51 $ost )eo)le can listen ithout any )articular training1

Strongly Agree

Agree

(on=t ?no

(isagree



61  can only listen to )eo)le  like1

Strongly Agree

Agree

(on=t ?no

(isagree

Strongly (isagree

Not Sure

81 t is im)ortant to listen to hat )eo)le @really0 mean hen they s)eak1

Strongly Agree

Agree

(on=t ?no

(isagree

Strongly (isagree

Not Sure



91 *eading )eo)le0s non-"erbal communication is as im)ortant as listening to them1

Strongly Agree

Agree

(on=t ?no

(isagree

Strongly (isagree

Not Sure

Strongly (isagree

Not Sure

:1  restate the s)eaker0s remarks from time to time1

Strongly Agree

Agree

(on=t ?no

(isagree

;1  try to ask rele"ant +uestions to encourage the s)eaker hen  am listening1

Strongly Agree

Agree

(on=t ?no

(isagree

Strongly (isagree

Not Sure

2<1  use )ositi"e non-"erbal body language hen listening1

Strongly Agree

21

Agree

(on=t ?no

(isagree

Strongly (isagree

Not Sure

Strongly (isagree

Not Sure

 a"oid interru)ting the s)eaker hen  am listening1

Strongly Agree

Agree

(on=t ?no

(isagree



231  need more )ractice in listening1

Strongly Agree

Agree

(on=t ?no

(isagree

Strongly (isagree

Not Sure



E"er#ise $ No&Ber-al Commu&i#atio&

T(is e"er#ise is )esi/&e) to i&#rease a!are&ess o* e"presse) *eeli&/s i& a &o&ver-al !ay+

Divi)e i&to /roups o* t(ree+ Rea) ea#( situatio& )es#ri-e) a&) list t(e possi-le *eeli&/s t(at may (ave -ee& -e(i&) t(e &o&ver-al e"pressio&+ Compare your a&s!ers !it( t(e ot(ers i& your /roup+

18 T(e ra)io is playi&/ i& t(e -a#'/rou&) !(ile t!o *latmates are stu)yi&/+ O&e o* t(em /ives a -i/ si/(, /at(ers (er -oo's a&) /oes to (er room+ (at mi/(t s(e -e *eeli&/ 28 T(e tutorial /roup is (avi&/ a lively )is#ussio& !(e& o&e mem-er, !it(out e"pressio&, su))e&ly #(a&/es t(e su-.e#t+ (at mi/(t (e -e *eeli&/ 4 Some friends are chatting1 As the chat continuesB one friend starts ta))ing her feetB drumming her fingers and shifting in her seat1 !hat might she be feeling



E"er#ise $ O&e  T!oay Commu&i#atio&

Stu)e&ts )ivi)e i&to pairs, sitti&/ -a#' to -a#'+ O&e perso& !ill -e t(e se&)er, t(e ot(er t(e re#eiver+ Ea#( se&)er /ets a #opy o* a )ia/ram similar to t(e o&e -elo!+ T(e se&)er )es#ri-es it to t(e re#eiver !(o must )ra! it as a##urately as possi-le+ T(e re#eiver may &ot as' @uestio&s or loo' at t(e )ia/ram+ T(e se&)er may &ot a&s!er a&y @uestio&s or /ive a&y rea#tio&s+ A*ter a *i"e) time 7appro"+  mi&utes8 allo! re#eivers to see )ia/rams a&) (ave pairs )is#uss (o! t(e messa/es #oul) (ave -ee& improve) to e&(a&#e t(e )ra!i&/s+ As a lar/er /roup #ompare strate/ies *or improvi&/ t(e se&)i&/ o* messa/es 7usually t(i&/s li'e /ivi&/ a& overvie!, #lear steps, et#+8+ I* time permits )o t(e e"er#ise a/ai&, t(is time allo!i&/ t!o!ay #ommu&i#atio&+





E"er#ise  =o)elli&/ 5ee)-a#'

Simulate a *ee)-a#' sessio& releva&t to your #lass+ 5or e"ample, it #oul) -e provi)i&/ *ee)-a#' to a stu)e&t o& a& essay, a ma&a/er /ivi&/ *ee)-a#' to a& employee, a peer )is#ussi&/ !or' *rom a /roup, a supervisor to a trai&ee, et#+ Demo&strate t(e various strate/ies *or provi)i&/ #o&stru#tive *ee)-a#'+ 9ou #oul) use a& evaluatio& *orm 7*or e"ample see Assessment of Presentation8 as a starti&/ poi&t+ Alter&atively, (ere is a& e"er#ise *rom Ro--i&s  Hu&sa'er 71F, p+ GG8

A #lass lea)er is to -e sele#te) 7eit(er a volu&teer or someo&e #(ose& -y t(e i&stru#tor8+ T(e #lass lea)er !ill presi)e over t(e *ollo!i&/ )is#ussio& a&) per*orm t(e role o* a)mi&istrator i& t(e *ee)-a#' sessio&+ T(e i&stru#tor is to leave t(e room+

Resear#( (as i)e&ti*ie) seve& per*orma&#e )ime&sio&s to t(e #olle/e i&stru#tors .o- i&stru#tor '&o!le)/e, testi&/ pro#e)ures, stu)e&ttea#(er relatio&s, or/a&iatio&al s'ills, #ommu&i#atio& s'ills, su-.e#t releva&#e, a&) utility o* assi/&me&ts+ T(e lea)er is to use t(e #lass as a resour#e i& (elpi&/ (im or (er provi)e *ee)-a#' to t(e i&stru#tor o& ea#( )ime&sio&+ T(e lea)er (as up to *i*tee& mi&utes to /et i&put *rom t(e #lass a&) to prepare (is or (er rati&/s+ 7T(e lea)er s(oul) ta'e &otes *or perso&al use -ut !ill &ot -e re@uire) to /ive t(e i&stru#tor a&y !ritte& )o#ume&tatio&+8 A*ter t(e *i*tee&mi&ute perio) is up, t(e lea)er s(oul) i&vite t(e i&stru#tor -a#' i&to t(e #lassroom+ T(e stu)e&ts o-serve a&) a*ter *ee)-a#' sessio& all parti#ipa&ts )is#uss pro#ess+



#eedback can also be )racticed in grou)s of three here one )erson gi"es feedbackB one )erson recei"es feedback and the third acts as an obser"er using the Guidelines for ,ole-Pla# .eed$ack 1



Com)lete the folloing checklist based on a recent e&)erience of )ro"iding feedback to a colleague or )eer1 Take time to consider if you ould do it differently and hat ays you might go about im)ro"ing the ay you gi"e feedback1



Di) I *i&) out i* t(ere !ere a&y spe#ial issues my #ollea/ue6peer !a&te) to *o#us o& i& t(e revie! sessio&



Di) I *o#us o& spe#i*i# -e(aviours



Di) I ma'e sure t(e -e(aviour is #o&trolla-le -y t(e re#ipie&t



Di) I t(i&' a-out (o! I mi/(t *eel re#eivi&/ t(ese #omme&ts



Di) I use &o&.u)/eme&tal la&/ua/e



as my *ee)-a#' timely a&) i& #o&te"t



Di) I state !(e& my *ee)-a#' !as su-.e#tive rat(er t(a& o-.e#tive



Di) I provi)e *ee)-a#' o& my #ollea/ue6peers stre&/t(s a&) a##omplis(me&ts as !ell as !ea'&esses a&) errors



Di) I avoi) overloa)i&/ my #ollea/ue6peer !it( too mu#( *ee)-a#'





Di) I *i&) out i* my *ee)-a#' !as u&)erstoo)



Di) I )emo&strate support *or my #ollea/ue6peer



Di) I i&vite my #ollea/ue6peer to #omme&t o& my *ee)-a#'



Team Skills (e"elo)ment Checklist

#rom 'ibbsB '1 D2;;61 /earning in tea!s0 1 tutor guide1 O&fordE O&ford Centre for Staff (e"elo)ment1

The folloing checklist may hel) you diagnose here to focus your attention to de"elo) your students0 teamork skills1

-o students feel the need to become better at working in teams? re students given advice about working in teams? re students given e)amples of how e5ective teams work? re students given initial training in teamwork? re students given a chance to practise working in teams? (s the practice PsafeQ for students so that they can e)periment Ae.g. not assessedB? re students encouraged to e)periment with new ways of working? (s attention paid to the emotional climate within which learning to work in teams operates? -o students get feedback on their team skills? -o students get the chance to work in di5erent kinds of team on di5erent kinds of task? re students encoura ed to follow a Preci eQ in



E"er#ise  (at is t(e 0est ay to De*i&e a
#rom FohnsonB (1!1 / FohnsonB #1P1 D3<<<1 oining toget2er0 Grou t2eor# and grou skills3 4 t2 ed5 GostonE Allyn and GaconB )1 2:1

Ra&'

De*i&itio& A grou) is a &um-er o* i&)ivi)uals !(o .oi& to/et(er to a#(ieve a /oal+ A grou) is several i&)ivi)uals !(o are i&ter)epe&)e&t i& some !ay+ A grou) is a &um-er o* i&)ivi)uals !(o are i&tera#ti&/ !it( o&e a&ot(er+ A grou) is a so#ial u&it #o&sisti&/ o* t!o or more perso&s !(o per#eive t(emselves as -elo&/i&/ to a /roup+ A grou) is a #olle#tio& o* i&)ivi)uals !(o i&*lue&#e ea#( ot(er+ A grou) is a #olle#tio& o* i&)ivi)uals !(o are tryi&/ to satis*y some perso&al &ee) t(rou/( t(eir .oi&t asso#iatio&+ A grou) is a #olle#tio& o* i&)ivi)uals !(ose i&tera#tio&s are stru#ture) -y a set o* roles a&) &orms+



E"er#ise 
1+ %ist t(e 'i&)s o* /roups you (ave -ee& a mem-er o*+ 7T(is #oul) i&#lu)e !or', sport, so#ial, *rie&)s(ip, *lat8

2+ Ho! )o you te&) to -e(ave i& /roup situatio&s

3+ Ho! !oul) you li'e to -e(ave, i)eally, i& /roup situatio&s

4+ (at is t(e most e&.oya-le or satis*yi&/ /roup you (ave -ee& a mem-er o*, a&) !(at ma)e it so /oo)

+ (at is t(e least e&.oya-le or satis*yi&/ /roup you (ave -ee& a mem-er o*, a&) !(y !as t(e e"perie&#e a &e/ative o&e



F+ 5rom your e"perie&#e to )ate, !(at s'ills )o you (ave t(at may #o&tri-ute to !or'i&/ su##ess*ully i& a /roup

G+ 5rom e"perie&#e so *ar, !(at /roup s'ills )o you t(i&' you &ee) to !or' o&

A)apte) *rom =as'ill  Ra#e 71F8, Personal and professional development for sientists! Unit " , pp+ 4+



E"er#ise $ or'i&/ i&
21 Students to form grou)s of 5-61 >a"e students s)end 2< minutes listing all the ays to sabotage a grou) assignment Dnegati"e brainstorming1 'ather together as a larger grou) and com)are res)onsesB )utting them on a fli) chart or board1 >a"e the grou)s reform and )roduce a 6-2< )oint contract ith agreed guidelines for the conduct of grou) ork1 The idea is to try to turn the negati"es into )ositi"esB so they ant to come u) ith ideas that ould )re"ent or o"ercome hat they listed initially1

31 A grou) consists of )eo)le ith a range of differing abilities and )ersonalities1 The benefit of orking in a grou) is to a"ail of the "arying skills and e&)ertise of members1 >a"e students think about the strengths and eaknesses of "arious members of a grou)1 >o could each offer something useful !ould it be better to ha"e members ith similar characteristics or a range of different ty)es

41 Take fi"e minutes to brainstorm ideas on the theme ,>o could  reck grou) sessions and make sure they are an ordeal for the grou) and the tutor. ?ee) a list1 Then take fi"e minutes to brainstorm ,f that is ho  reck a grou)B ho can  make it ork. #rom this a list of ground rules for grou)s can be generated1

51 Team treasure hunt1 >a"e students form teams or else assign to a team and ha"e them com)lete some sort of treasure or sca"enger hunt Dthis could be based on disco"ering the college cam)us for ne students1 Once com)leted each grou) discusses rele"ant issues like team de"elo)mentB ho they ent about the taskB hat ty)e of decision-makingB ho teamork might a))ly to their careersB etc1



%&ercise I 'rou) *ole-Play

This is a grou) role-)lay acti"ity from $askill / *ace D2;;8B Jnit 3B )1 221 The actual tasks can be altered to suit the subKect matter1 %ncourage structured feedback after the role-)lay

Presu!e t2at #ou are t2e advisor# anel for a large international co!an# 62ic2 2as recentl# taken over a s!aller 2ar!aceutical co!an#5 %2e 2ar!aceutical co!an# is develoing t6o !ajor ne6 drugs0 Drug A offers to intending arents t2e ossi$ilit# of c2oosing t2e sex of t2eir c2ild5

Drug # !ig2t ostone t2e aging rocess $# *7 for t2ose over t2e age of 8*5

$ask *

The company can only afford to develop one of these drugs. As a team, you have to advise the company on the following7

aB 8hich of the two drugs should the company develop and why?

$ask 

As a team, design an innovative logo and choose a new name for this pharmaceutical company.



%&ercise I *ela&ation Techni+ues

-eep reath or uick Release of $ension

!hene"er you feel an&iousB )anicky or u)tight 

21 Let your breath go Ddon0t breathe in first1

31 Take in a sloB gentle breathB breathing in through your nose1

41 >old it for a second or to Dcount to four1

51 Let it goB sloly ith a leisurely sigh of relief out your mouth1

61 $ake sure your teeth are not clenched together1

81 *e)eat 5 times1

This e&ercise forces your shoulders don and eases the abdomenB both sources of tension1 t also gi"es you a short break to think some )ositi"e thoughts and get back in control1



E"er#ise $ Oral :rese&tatio& C(e#'list

ASS%SS$%NT O# P*%S%NTATON *ate the s)eakerDs on the folloing items here 2 is minimal and 5 is ma&imum )oints1

S)eaker7'rou) NameE MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Aims clearly )resented

2

3

4

5

*ele"ant to to)ic7audience

2

3

4

5

Structure clear / logical

2

3

4

5

Groken into key elements

2

3

4

5

Ade+uately e&)lained7argued

2

3

4

5

?e)t to time

2

3

4

5

$i& of in)uts7aids

2

3

4

5

*ele"ant7clear "isual aids

2

3

4

5

A))ro)riate for to)ic7audience

2

3

4

5

>eld audience interest

2

3

4

5

Shoed confidence

2

3

4

5

ProKected "oice7self7content

2

3

4

5

(ealt ith +uestions

2

3

4

5

2

3

4

5

$aterial

(eli"ery

O"erall assessment


CommentsE




Eﬀe ct i v eLi s t e ni ngSki l l s

Non=Serbal behaviour

•

Took at the person @ use eye contact

•

+mile and nod in agreement

•

se open, positive posture

•

-isplay interest

cceptance

•

•

+uspend judgement @ listen with unbiased and open mind 3ocus of attention on listener, not on your ideas or opinions

Understanding

•

•

se probing in a helpful way to follow up 2araphrase and summarise to let the



'uidelines for *ole-Play #eedback

T(ere are usually t(ree parti#ipa&ts i& a roleplay situatio&



1+ :erso& i& t(e ?(ot seat $ as'i&/ t(e @uestio&s, )oi&/ t(e i&tervie!, o**eri&/ (elp, /ivi&/ *ee)-a#', et#+ 2+ :erso& re#eivi&/ 3+ O-server

A*ter a roleplay situatio&, ea#( perso& s(oul) (ave t(e opportu&ity to re*le#t a&) )is#uss t(e e"perie&#e+ Some su//este) @uestio&s *or ea#( are liste) -elo!+

:erso& 1

(at !ere your t(ou/(ts a&) *eeli&/s a-out t(e e"perie&#e (at )o you t(i&' !e&t !ell (at !ere you less please) a-out (at !oul) you )o )i**ere&tly (at (elp or su//estio&s )o you !a&t

:erso& 2

(at !ere your t(ou/(ts a&) *eeli&/s a-out t(e e"perie&#e (at )i) you *i&) use*ul (at !as less use*ul

:erso& 3

5rom !(at o-serve), !(at )i) you t(i&' !as positive (at )o you t(i&' t(ey mi/(t )o )i**ere&tly



"ive ways to say #$% n P(Q message can include any or all of the following >ve parts. $he more you include, the more e5ective your message.

*. ;bservation. -escribe the facts @ the indisputable, observable realities. $alk about what you @ or any one else @ can see, hear, smell, taste, or touch. void judgements, interpretations, or opinions. (nstead of saying, Pyou&re a slob,Q say, PTast night&s lasagne pan was still on the stove this morning.Q . 3eelings. -escribe your own feelings. (t is easier to listen to P( feel frustratedQ than PGou never help me.Q $alking about how you feel about another&s actions can be valuable feedback for that person. ". $houghts. Communicate your thoughts, and use caution. eginning your statement with an P(Q doesn&t Lualify it as an P(Q message. P( think you are a slobQ is a PGouQ judgement in disguise. (nstead, say, P(&d have more time to study if ( didn&t have to clean up so often.Q 0. 8ants. Gou are far more likely to get what you want if you say what you want. (f someone doesn&t know what you want, he doesn&t have a choice about helping you get it. sk clearly. void demanding or using the word need. :ost people like to feel helpful, not obligated. (nstead of P-o



#rom %llisB (1 D2;;51 9eco!ing a !aster student3 4 t2 edition1 *a)id CityB S(E >oughton $ifflin CoB )1 3581



Giving and Receiving Feedback

&iving 'onstructive "eedback (eceiving

/ive feedback on others& behaviour, not personality.

/ive descriptive, not judgemental feedback.

/ive feedback on others& actions in a speci>c situation, not in the abstract.

/ive feedback on immediate behaviour, not on the past.

"eedback 'onstructively

sk for feedback on your behaviour, not personality.

sk for descriptive, not judgmental feedback.

sk for feedback about your actions in a speci>c situation, not in abstract.

+hare your perceptions and feelings, not advice.

sk for feedback in the immediate situation, not in past situations.

/ive feedback only when other people ask you to.

sk for perceptions and feelings, not advice.

-o not give people more feedback than they can understand at the time.

-o not let people force feedback on you.

3ocus your feedback on

;nly receive as much feedback as you can



;nly reJect on feedback on aspects of yourself you can change.

3rom Kohnson, -. 8. AIIIB. Reaching out: Interpersonal efectiveness and sel-actualization, 7th edition. oston7 llyn and acon, p. 4*.

“Ten ‘ Dos’and‘ Don’ t s”f orStudent sWorki ngi naGr oup D):

! "ontribute to the group b# putting or$ard ideas and getting involved in discussion %! "ooperate $ith other &e&bers o the group! '! (elect speci)c roles or ever# group &e&ber *e!g! (pokesperson, +eader, i&ekeeper, (cribe etc! .! ake on #our given role or the group! /! 0rganise &eeting ti&es and stick to the&! 1! (hare the $orkload e2uall#! 7! Respect the values and opinions o others! 3! "o&&unicate and share ideas $ith each other! 4! 5ncourage others to speak! 6! alue diversit#

D) N)*: ! %! '! .! /!

(it back and do nothing! hink that others $ill do the $ork! ake the lead and ignore others! 8e araid to speak! 59pect all #our o$n ideas to be used!

1! +eave people out o the discussion! 7! 8eco&e distracted ro& the subect! 3! 8e aggressive, interrupt or criticise unnecessaril#! 4! Ignore other &e&bers o the group! 6! ;llo$ one person to do&inate!

Compiled using comments made by >rst year /eography undergraduates at Tiverpool Hope niversityM see Kackson A*!!!B, Geograph# or the ne$ undergraduate .

Group
&oals and outco+es needed:

"inal Deadline:

Sub,tasks needed to acieve grou- goals and outco+es:

*. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

* OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

+ub=task *7 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

/roup :ember Responsible7 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO -eadline7 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

+ub=task 7 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


+ub=task "7 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


+ub=task 07 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


GI VI NG A PRESENTATI ON

PLANNIN$ AND PRESENTATION



:2at are t2e goals of #our resentation; ?noing this ill hel) you to determine hat information to include and ho you might format the )resentation1



:2o is #our audience; dentifying this ill hel) you to kno hat le"el to )itch the informationB hat +uestions might be asked and ho to kee) your audience interested1



Ho6 !ig2t #ou structure t2e resentation; #ocus on a fe main ideasB de)ending on the time a"ailable1 (i"ide your talk into three sectionsE ntroductionB Gody and Conclusion



T(e I&tro)u#tio&1 This includes a thesis statement or o"er"ie1 Try to get the attention of the audience ith an interesting factB a +uestionB something humorous or an eye-catching "isual aid1 The first fe minutes are critical



T(e =i))le1 This )art of your talk co"ers the main )oints Dremember the ?iss )rinci)leB ,?ee) t Sim)le Stu)id.1 This is here you de"elo) your )osition1 Try to link your ideas coherently so the )resentation flos and makes sense1



T(e Co&#lusio&1 This is here you briefly sum u) your talk by restating the main )oints and )resenting your conclusions1 $ake sure to thank )eo)le and ask for comments7+uestions1

Tell t(em !(at you are /oi&/ to tell t(em+

%ell t2e!<



Preare resentation aids5

$ake sure "isual aids are clearB sim)le and uncluttered1 f using o"erhead trans)arencies or slidesB limit the te&t using as large a font as )ossible D351 ou can also use fli)chartsB "ideosB dis)laysB etc1 >a"e back u)s 

Practice giving t2e resentation5

This gi"es you a chance to correct things you don0t like and it gi"es you confidence1

DELI%ER&



f )ossible check out the room to ensure e"erything orks and you ha"e an idea of the layout1



Try not to ,read. your talk1 Jse cue cards to )rom)t your memory1 On an inde& card list a key )oint ith se"eral ords to remind you of hat you ant to co"er or an e&am)le1



Jse a con"ersational tone1 $ake sure you are s)eaking loud enough to be heard1



Ge aare of your body language i1e1 try to maintain eye contact and kee) your hands under control Done ay is by holding your cards1 #ace the audience and try smiling occasionally



Try to be enthusiastic1



Jse "isual aids only hen making that )oint and remo"e hen finished1 Try not to turn your back to the audience hile using "isual aids1



$ake sure to )ause beteen )ointsB indicating to the audience a change and hel)s to slo don your )ace1

DEALIN$ 'IT( NER%ES



Pre)aration and )ractice are the best medicine



Gecome familiar ith the "enue1



Try imagining the room and gi"ing the )resentation in a successful ayB )laying it o"er and o"er in your mind0s eye1 This ill gi"e you a feeling of confidence and control1



Jse )ositi"e thoughts1



Antici)ate hat might might go rong rong and )re)are )re)are aheadB aheadB i1e1 a glass of ater ater in case your mouth mouth goes dry1



Take a dee) breathB inhaling through the nose and e&haling through your mouth to relie"e tension I no one can see you do it

$n,class activity .or inter-ersonal co++unication: nonverbal This is a version of the improv game called 'ilent Take. Take. I save this for the end of the semester when the students know each other well and it consistently shows up on my evaluations as the students8 favorite activity. It is a little complicated to explain, but here is how it works7 works7 •

•

•

•

reak the students into small groups A=" is bestB. Gou will need an even number of groups % for e)ample, a class of I is perfect because it breaks into *I groups of . (f you have an odd number of students, someone will have to go twice or you will have to jump in. HT3 of the groups get a slip of paper that describes a simple scene that can be acted out by =" people, like a hypnotist rela)ing a patient or chefs taping a cooking show. $he other half of the groups do not get a scene. Fach group who got a scene will come to the front and brieJy act it out. $he catch is they :G N;$ +F 8;R-+ when acting out the scene. ( do encourage them to use gibberish Alike blah, blahsB to give the other group some paralinguistic clues. $his group never tells any of the other groups what they are doing. fter the group with the scene >nishes, one of the other groups Athose who did not get a sceneB comes up and copies the actions from the prior group but -- $HF 8;R-+. $hey have to make their best guess of what the >rst group was doing.

•

fter each set of scenes, ask what clues the second group relied on in order to guess the activity and ascertain whether they got it correct.

This takes some time 9appx. %& minutes with %& students:, but the students have a lot of fun with it and even those who are not exactly right will often be very v ery close. It does a great (ob of illustrating how much information we get from nonverbal clues. 6ote7 )ouTu )ouTube be has many examples of improv groups performing this activity 9without 9without the gibberish:. 'earch for ;'ilent Take< Take< if you want to see one.

%um&er of Participants: %$+& Time: &$# minutes 'cti(it) $e(el: 4ow 5 =oderate Props: >lindfolds, Throwables, >uckets, 1ope?Tape for barrier &+ecti(e: !or every member of the team to place a throwable into the bucket. ,et Up: @reate a large circle barrier with the tape or a rope. *lace a bucket bucke t in the middle of the circle. Toss Toss the throwables randomly inside the barrier.

epending on the amount of people in the group, ask the participants to get into teams of #$B people. Ask the participants participants to stand in a single file line and place their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them. All participants will be blindfolded except for the person standing in the very back of the line. This is a no$talking activity, but allow the group to take $% minutes to pre$plan. The person in the back of the line will guide the participants around the circle barrier by simply tapping the shoulders of the person in front of them, who will tap the shoulders of the person in front of them, and so on, until u ntil the person in the front of the line will move towards a throwable. hen a throwable is approached, the person in the front will grab the throwable and then be guided to the bucket where they will drop the throwable. hen a participant drops the throwable into the bucket, they will then remove their blindfold and move to the back of o f the line and become the sighted team member. The person who was in the back of the line then puts on a blindfold. @ontinue this process until all team members have placed a throwable into the bucket. If there is more than one team, the first team to finish is the winner and then should encou rage the other teams until they are finished. If the teams are un even, the team with the least amount of members

will continue to rotate until they have dropped as many throwables into the bucket as the largest team would have to drop into the bucket.

1- 'rm .ross / 0o ahead and cross your arms. If you are in a room with other people ask them to do the same. @hances are great that you cross your arms the exact same way every single time.

The interesting thing is that most of the human population is completely split on this matter. !ifty percent of you will cross with your right hand on top, #& percent of you will cross with left on top. Cse this to split a group in halfDand talk about comfort zones if time allows. 0- Bu&&le Gum / This team split re/uires a handful of your favorite 9and no t so favorite: pieces of gum. The more variety the better. 0ive each participant a piece of gum and give them a chance to chew to their heart8s desire. !eel free to even have a bubble$blowing competition. 'plit the group depending on color, size, or flavor. Eiola, you have a minty fresh split for your group. 3- .lumps / !ourF 'evenF levenF *rovide the group with a number and encourage the large group to divide into smaller groups. )ou can do this as a high$energy or low$energy activity. *erhaps even medium energy if you are feeling frisky. ur good friend =ark @ollard explains this activity very well.

*>ou can learn &ore o these activities ro& ?ark on 2laymeo  "- .olor ,ort / 0o through the office and grab things of different sizes and colors. If you have loads of extra money buy some colored pencils, paint swatches, or pipe c leaners. 4ay these items on the floor or table. Invite the participants to grab a color they prefer or particularly en(oy. 0roup up by color.

- .ore Groups / @reate core groups at the beginning of the day by any desired criteria 9experience, age, location, sizeDactually don8t do it b y size:. Invite the core groups to create a handshake and?or symbol for their group so they can find each other later. 2- r- Pepper / The easiest splitting on the list. Instead of doing the classic ;, %, , %, , %< split, assign each participants as either a r. or a *epper. octors go to one side of the room, *eppers go to the other side. >oom. one. 4- 5ull 6ouse / 0rab an old deck of playing cards. *ass them out to the entire group. I en(oy throwing them all in the air ;#% @ard *ick Cp< style. 'plit the students by suit, nu mber, or color. 7- 6and .lasp / This group split re/uires audience participation. 0o ahead an d clap your hands together and keep them in that position. 4ook at your thumbs. hich one is on topG =uch like

the Arm @ross split, typically this will split the entire group in half. 1ighties go on one side, lefties on the other. 8- Mix or Match / )ou have probably seen this one before at a conference, meeting, or camp. >efore the event begins, place different symbols, letters, colors, or numbers on a name badge to separate the group later. )ou can also do this on name tents, folders, or foreheads. 19- ,ho Me ;our ,i
hile the group is groaning in anxiety I then let them know their sole mate is the individual in the group whose sole of their shoe most closely matches the sole of your shoe. That person is indeed your sole mate. If the participants are struggling to find their sole mate, I encourage them to settle and match up with whoever is left.

/rincess0 nigt (ider The *aradigm 'hift team (ust returned from a two we ek long leadership camp adventure in three states and with over +&& hundred high schools students. These students always had a ridiculous amount of energy, and we wanted to play a few activities that reflected their level o f enthusiasm. ur ;go$to< activity to burn some energy was *rincess, Hnight, 1ider. These students couldn8t get enough of the game, and anytime we had free time they were playing it themselves. I honestly can8t remember where I learned this activity, it must be one of the countless we8ve picked up from other facilitators, students, or game enthusiasts.

%um&er of Participants: &$#&& Time7 #$& minutes 'cti(it) $e(el: 2igh Props: 6one &+ecti(e: o not be the slowest pair to show off your movesF escription 7 'tudents will pair up in groups of %. It is each group8s (ob to become either a beautiful princess, a chivalrous knight, or a gallant rider as the facilitator calls out each scene.The facilitator will call out one of the following + words, and the participants must not be the last group to strike the pose, or else they are eliminated and must sit down. Princess: ne participant must (ump into the outstretched arms and stay there until the next word is called. =niider: ne participants must ride sidesaddle on the o ther student8s back until the next word is called.

The game continues on and groups are eliminated until there are % groups left. At that point, sudden$death round begins, and a champion will emerge. >e sure to try out a few practice rounds before the game actually begins. ?uestion: 2ave you participated in an activity like *rincess, Hnight, 1iderG 2ow did you facilitate the activityG

/o-corn  An ngaging and ntertaining $cebreaker 2osted on Kanuary I, I*0

4et8s be honest, sometimes we need a fun time$filler that will keep our groups engaged w ithout keeping them bored. *opcorn is (ust the kind of activity you are looking forDit is fun, it is fast, and it is engaging. 'tephanie >olen, one of the wonderful *aradigm 'hift consultants, explains the instructions for *opcorn in this /uick video.

'ince I know some of you are visual learners and want to read the instructions, here are the written details of *opcorn. escription 7 1ound the group into a circle. Teach the participants how to pop like popcorn kernels. This is done by hopping into the air while simultaneously clapping your hands and yelling ;pop.<

Take a few minutes for the group to try and pop as loudly or /uietly as possible, as low or as h igh to the ground as possible, or even as /uickly or slowly as possible. hen you think they are ready for competition ask them to try and pop without popping at the exact same time as someone else. veryone will come to the center and act as if they are operating a microwave. >e as creative with your microwave operating as possible. As soon as the popcorn is in the microwave the participants will try to pop without popping at the same time as someone else. If two participants pop at the same time, both take a seat and cheer on the other kernels. This game is played on the honor system. If you even think you popped at the same time as someone else, you should take a seatF 4ast popper 9or two poppers: popping is the winner and then the group can play again. )ou can download a *! of the activity explaining the instructions here.

*rasball  A 4eadersi- *ea+ 5uilding Activity "ocused on $ntegrity 2osted on Kuly "*, I*" 2ave you ever had a group find the ;gray area< of the rulesG A group that tries to skirt around the edges of the activity to get a competitive advantageG I come across groups and teams like this all of the time, and it always comes back to integrityD doing the right thing when no one is watching. This activity is perfect for processing and encouraging integrity within a group. on8t give the group any instructions except what is written below, and then let them play. 4et the play go on longer than they expe ct, and then call it when things get intense. Typically I have groups who will continue throwing even after I ask them to stop. It is after this when I can discuss integrity and following the rules with the team. Try it out and let me know what you thinkF

Trash&all %um&er of Participants 7 #$B# Time: #$& minutes 'cti(it) $e(el: 2igh Props: Throwables, >oundary 4ine &+ecti(e: To get as many pieces of trash in your neighbor8s lawn as possible. escription: ivide the group into two teams and scatter an e/ual amount of throwables on their side of the boundary line. Tell them that the other team is up to no good and keeps throwing trash on their perfectly manicured lawn.

Their goal is to throw as much trash from their lawn onto their neighbors before the end of the activity. on8t tell them how much time they have to complete this activity. The issue is that the neighbors dislike each o ther so much that they have placed a %&$+& foot tall fence in between the two lawns, and the teams must throw the trashballs over the fence to get to the other side. ,ources: The >ottomless >ag Again by Harl 1ohnke 5 pg. B+.

hat types of integrity activities do you use with your groupG 2ave you ever played TrashballG

2osted in (cebreakers, (nitatives U $agged (nitiatives U I Comments U

'icken Noodle 'ircle  A &reat Way to (ound 6- a &rou2osted on Kuly *D, I*" 2ave you ever had a hard time getting your group into a circleG e all know that circles are the best way for a group to communicate, and sometimes we need the group to get into different sizes of circles depending upon the activity. I picked this fun way to circle up a group on a day at the ropes course at 'C utdoor Adventure. I typically will introduce this activity as an opportunity for the group to learn a valuable tool in group communicationDforming a circle. I will introduce on circle, prac tice it a few times, and then introduce a new circle. ach time we playfully form the different circles until the group has learned the different ways to circle up. .hicken %oodle .ircle

The most common and effective way to organize your group is to round them into a circle. Cse this /uick and fun activity to help your participants learn how to efficiently circle up. %um&er of Participants 7 #$B# Time: # minutes

'cti(it) $e(el: =oderate Props: 6one &+ecti(e: To get into a circle /uickly and effectively. escription: Teach the participants these five circles7

*. 'icken Noodle: sk your participants to get into a circle PChicken Noodle +tyle,Q which is a shoulder to shoulder circle Athis is a small circleB. . 'icken Wing: $he participants place their hands on their hips and elbows out as they imagine being a chicken wing. $he participants will touch elbows around the circle. A$his is a medium circleB ". 'icken in "ligt: 2articipants spread out for this large circle by stretching their arms out wide, standing on one foot, and leaning over like a chicken Jying through the air. A$his is the largest circleB 0. "ree (ange 'icken: Fveryone >nds their own spot in the room, sticks their hands straight out to their sides, and spins in a circle. (f they have enough room to spin without touching another person, they have oVcially became a free range chicken. 1. *e &reat 'icken *urnabout  Fveryone stands in a Chicken 8ing circle, and at count of three everyone turns around and faces the outside of the circle. Ask the participants to learn the five circles, and then randomly challenge the group to get into the circles as /uickly as possible when you yell out the type of circle. At any point in the d ay you can ask the participants to get into any of the types of circles depending on the needs of the group. I have seen a couple different types of @ircle Cp activities in different books. @heck them out for new ideas and references. The 2undredth =onkey by 6ate !olan and friends 5 @ircle Cp pg. #1aptor and other Team >uilding Activities by 'am 'ikes 5 The 0reat 1oundup pg. &+ o you have any circle up activities that work with small 5 large groupsG

2osted in (cebreakers U $agged (cebreakers U * Comment U

Avalance  A /er.ect Way to Mi7 6- a &rou- During *ea+, 5uilding 2osted on Kune 4, I*" I work with teams of all ages and backgrounds from many different cultures, and I find that all groups do the same thing7 line up next to their friends while standing in a circle. This activity is a fun way to break up cli/ues without the participants realizing that it was your ulterior motive.

'(alanche

%um&er of Participants: # and up Time: %$+ minutes 'cti(it) $e(el: =oderate$2igh Props: 6one &+ecti(e: !or participants to find a new spot in the circle. escription: Anytime the group is in a circle, and the facilitator yells, ;Avalanche,< all of the participants find a new spot in the circle. 2owever, the participants find the new spot in the most creative way possible.

xample ways to move around the circle7 •

Riding a 2ogo +tick

•

2ushing a +hopping Cart

•

8alking cross a alance eam

•

Rolling on the /round

•

E)e&all Ta<

•

6ot all tag games are e/ual, and yeball Tag is my all$time favorite. This game does not need athletic prowess and /uick hands to be successful, but rather great timing mixed with courage and bravery.

%um&er of Participants: #$%# Time: #$& minutes 'cti(it) $e(el: =oderate Props: @hairs &+ecti(e: To make eye contact with another seated participant and then switch seats without the person in the middle sitting in your chair.

Activities Communication

Recommend Documents