Part One: Classroom Community

1. Getting to Know You This activity ocuses on stu!ents" getting to #now one
another. The $rst %art o the activity& stu!ents are as#e! to $ll in %ersonal res%onses
a'out themselves on a wor#sheet. Then stu!ents must get as many signatures rom
other stu!ents in the class that ha! the same res%onse as them. The goal is to get
as many signatures rom !i(erent stu!ents in the class while at the same time
getting to #now each other 'etter.
). *earning +ames an! Gaining ,normation ,n this activity& stu!ents will 'e
instructe! to write or !raw si- actsa'out themselves ater given si- s%eci$c to%ics.
.tu!ents will share the inormation on their %a%er with a %artner& an! then %ic# one
or two to%ics to share with the class.
/. .tar Perorming +ames The class orms a circle in the classroom. One stu!ent
at atime enters the mi!!le o the circle. Once insi!e the circle& the stu!ent must
state his or her name an! con!uct an action to hel% other stu!ents remem'er their
name. 0ach %erson in the class states his or her name an! com%letes an action
while other stu!ents re%eat the name an! action 'ac#. The i!eas to hel% everyone
learn names in a un an! interactive way.
1esign it The class is s%lit into two grou%s. 0ach grou% is given a 'lac# an!
white !esign o an o'2ect an! lots o %lain %a%er. The goal is or the grou%s to wor#
together to re%licate the !esign on the groun! using the %a%er given to them. This
lesson incor%orates teamwor# s#ills& an! hel%s stu!ents learn how to wor# un!er a
s%eci$c time limit. Grou%s must !eci!e whether the 3uality or 3uantity o their wor#
is more im%ortant.
4. 5ho .tarte! it6 The class orms a circle in the room. 7irst a guesser is %ic#e!
an! as#e! to stan! outsi!e. Then a lea!er is %ic#e! an! 'egins a movement that
the grou% must co%y. The guesser is 'rought 'ac# insi!e to watch the grou% rom
the mi!!le o the circle. The lea!er will eventually change the movements while
everyone else mimics the lea!er"s action. The guesser must guess which %erson in
the circle is the lea!er. This activity teaches stu!ents how to lea! an! ollow.
18. .cul%t it Out The class is s%lit into small grou%s. 0ach grou% is given a
s%eci$c category. The stu!ents in the grou%s must wor# together to $gure out how
to scul%t their 'o!ies to re%resent their s%eci$c category.
11. 9ntie the Knot ,n this activity& the class is s%lit into grou%s o aroun! ten.
.tu!ents orm a large human #not& an! must use colla'oration an! teamwor# to
untie themselves. The o'2ective is or stu!ents to learn to communicate& an! to hel%
stu!ents eel more comorta'le wor#ing aroun! each other. This activity can also 'e
use! as an energi:er.
1). The ;iggest .mallest Circle The stu!ents have the goal to ta#e u% the
smallest amount o s%ace using every %erson in the class. The class must 'e a'le to
hol! their %osition or at least 18secon!s. This activity can 'e use! as a un warm<
u% activity. ,t also hel%s stu!ents learn to communicate an! colla'orate with one
another.
=uilte! Together ,n this activity& stu!ents create a %a%er 3uilt that sym'oli:es
the stu!ents in the classroom 'eing 3uilte! together as one. The 3uilt !emonstrates
a sae classroom community an! %romotes goo! citi:enshi%. The lesson hel%s
stu!ents un!erstan! why creating a classroom where stu!ents are 2oine! together
an! su%%ort one another is im%ortant.
, *i#e You .tu!ents are re3uire! to write one com%liment a'out a s%eci$c %erson
every !ay. This activity %rovi!es stu!ents with the o%%ortunity to state something
a'out their classmates that they li#e or a%%reciate. > new stu!ent"s name is written
on a %iece o %a%er every !ay. .tu!ents must write one sentence a'out the
!esignate! %erson 'eore the en! o the class. Comments are share! with the
stu!ent at the en! o the !ay.
?. @a#e .omeone .mile .tu!ents %ic# sta( mem'ers on cam%us that they want
to ac#nowle!ge. They are given )8 minutes to ma#e a car! than#ing the sta(
mem'er or the sta( mem'er"s har! wor#. This activity gives stu!ents the
o%%ortunity to give than#s to others.
A. Perseverance Pu::les Grou%s o stu!ents com%ete to %ut together 3uotes on
%erseverance. =uotes on %erseverance are cut a%art 'y in!ivi!ual wor!s. 0ach
grou% is given the wor!s o the 3uote an! must %iece the wor!s in the correct or!er.
Once the grou%s have the correct sentence& the grou%s must state what they thin#
the %erseverance 3uote re%resents.
B. 0veryone Preservers The name o each stu!ent is %ut into a 'as#et or 'o-.
0ach stu!ent %ic#s a name an! writes one sentence a'out how the %erson they
%ic#e! !emonstrates %erseverance. The sentences are %ut 'ac# in the 'o- an! rea!
out lou!. The class guesses the %erson ater each sentence is rea!. .tu!ents can
!iscuss the im%ortance o %erseverance in the lea!ershi% classroom.
4. Courageous Peo%le .tu!ents %ic# a amous %erson rom a list or come u%
with a amous %erson on their own. 0ach stu!ent must write a one to two %age
%a%er a'out how the amous %erson !emonstrates courage. .tu!ents e-%lore the
areas o the amous %erson"s lie in or!er to !iscuss an! i!entiy the characteristics
o a courageous %erson.
18. ;rave an! @ighty Poems .tu!ents will $rst !iscuss the conce%ts an! themes
o courage in small grou%s. Then& as a class& have stu!ents ma#e a list o all the
as%ects that !e$ne courage. >ter the !iscussion& give stu!ents aroun! an hour to
write a %oem a'out courage an! what 'eing courageous means to them %ersonally.
1. , >m a Tree 1uring this activity& stu!ents are re3uire! to 3uic#ly thin# o
themes geare! aroun! a s%eci$c to%ic. The lesson incor%orates creative thin#ing
into a classroom 'rainstorm& an! hel%s !evelo% stu!ents" 3uic# thin#ing s#ills.
). Col! the @i!!le The stu!ents are %aire! u%. 0ach %air must wor# together to
$n! a 'alancing %oint while %lacing their han!s together an! leaning towar!s each
other. The o'2ective is to teach conDict resolution& an! to !emonstrate the necessity
o $n!ing 'alance when wor#ing with %artners or in a grou%. The lesson also
teaches stu!ents to trust an! su%%ort other grou% mem'ers.
/. Pass it On The class is s%lit into two teams. The teams are each given the
same to%ic to thin# a'out. One %erson at a time on each team writes an i!ea on the
white'oar! a'out a given to%ic. The teams com%ete to write all their i!eas on the
white'oar! $rst. The o'2ective is to 'rainstorm i!eas or a %ro2ect or event& or to
evaluate a %revious %ro2ect or event. The activity also gives all stu!ents a voice.
E. .tac# it 9% .tu!ents are s%lit into !i(erent teams where they must
communicate with one another in or!er to com%lete the activity. 5hile 'lin!ol!e!&
one %erson at a time must crawl on the groun! an! stac# a set o cu%s into a
%yrami!. Teammates must %ractice their communication an! listening s#ills to
com%lete the race $rst.
F. *ego @ania 0ach grou% is given anassortment o *egos. The grou%s must
create something out o the *egos ater given a s%eci$c to%ic. .tu!ents must
communicate an! colla'orate with one another in or!er to com%lete this activity.
?. 7aces The class is s%lit into grou%s o our. 0ach grou% is given a %iece o
construction %a%er an! a %ac# o mar#ers. The grou%s have $ve to ten minutes to
!raw an! cut out two eyes& one mouth& an! one nose. The goal is or teams to
!esign the 'est ace 'y %utting their mouth& eyes& an! nose on a circle a !esignate!
!istance away rom them while 'lin!ol!e!.
A. Cow Cigh Can You .tac#6 .tu!ents are s%lit into teams an! each team is
given a%ac# o .tyrooam cu%s. Grou%s must communicate an! wor# together to
create the highest %ossi'le reestan!ing cu% structure.
B. Two<5ay Communication ,n this activity& %artners must ver'ally communicate
in or!er to transer a !esign rom one %iece o %a%er to another. One %artner must
give !irections to the other %artner on what to !raw on the %a%er. The !rawing
%artner is not allowe! to view the !esign. Can! signals may not 'e use! to hel%
communicate the !irections.
4. ;ac#<to<;ac# 0ye contact an! 'o!y language inDuence communication
'etween two %eo%le. This activity eliminates eye contact an! 'o!y language 'y
having %artners tell stories to one another while sitting 'ac# to 'ac#. .tu!ents will
!iscuss how eye contact an! 'o!y language hel% to e(ectively communicate.
18. Gemem'ering the 1etails This communication activity allows %artici%ants to
assess listening s#ills. 5ithout giving away the intent o the activity& the instructor
will rea! a short story to the class. Once the story is over& the stu!ents must write
!own the answers to several 3uestions a'out the story. .tu!ents will analy:e
whether or not they ha! goo! listening s#ills !uring the activity.
11. The .truggles o *ong<1istance Gelationshi%s The %hysical !istance 'etween
%arties in a conversation im%acts the overall communication e(ectiveness. ,n this
activity& two volunteers will 'egin a conversation only a ew inches a%art. >s the
conversation %rogresses& the volunteers will 'e as#e! to s%rea! urther a%art until
they are on o%%osite en!s o the room. .tu!ents will !iscuss the !i(erence 'etween
the conversation that too# %lace u% close an! %ersonal to the conversation at
o%%osite en!s o the room.
1). ,t"s >ll in the 0-%ression ,n this e-ercise& stu!ents will rea! the same
sentence while %ortraying an emotion or !is%osition %ic#e! rom a container. This
lesson !emonstrates how statements can 'e inter%rete! !i(erently !e%en!ing on
how the statement is sai!.
1/. > 7amily o .uits This activity allows stu!ents to %ractice their non<ver'al
s#ills. 0ach stu!ent is given one %laying car!. Then& without tal#ing& stu!ents must
get in grou%s accor!ing to the suit o their car!. Once in grou%s 'y suit& the stu!ents
must arrange themselves in numerical or!er.
1E. .ilent @ovies .tu!ents are %ut into small grou%s an! each grou% must write
a scene or a silent movie. The silent movie scene shoul! ta#e aroun! three
minutes. .tu!ents shoul! have %lenty o time to write an! %ractice their scene
'eore %resenting to the class. This lesson hel%s stu!ents !evelo% their non<ver'al
communication s#ills.
1F. ;uil!ing Communication Partners sit 'ac# to 'ac# on the groun!. 0ach
%erson has the same amount o 'uil!ing 'loc#s or materials. One %artner 'uil!s
something out o the 'loc#s an! then ver'ally communicates to the other %erson
how to create what he or she 'uilt. The %artners cannot loo# at each other"s wor#
until 'oth %artners eel they have create! the same thing. The e-ercise orces
stu!ents to use communication in or!er to e(ectively wor# together to accom%lish
the same goal
Strand Two: Personal and Social Responsibilities.
1. .tan! Together& 7all Together ,n this activity& stu!ents o'serve a
!emonstration o an aluminum colla%ses un!er too much %ressure. The activity
%ortrays what ha%%ens when the trust an! loyalty o a grou% are 'ro#en.
). Goal .corers Two or three stu!ents are as#e! to throw ta%e 'alls into a
trashcan. The volunteers %ic# a !istance rom the trashcan where they are
sometimes successul an! sometimes challenge!. This activity allows stu!ents to
%ractice setting goals that will stretch them as lea!ers.
/. Trust 5al# This activity hel%s 'uil! grou% !ynamics an! increases stu!ent"s
inter%ersonal s#ills. The classormsa line 'y 2oining han!s. 0ach %erson must close
his or her eyes e-ce%t or the %erson in the ront o the line an! the %erson at the
en! o the line. The lea!er o the line ta#es the grou% on a wal# aroun! the room or
outsi!e. 1irections must 'e %asse! !own the line so no one gets hurt an! everyone
#nows what to !o.
E. > Penny or Your Thought This activity hel%s stu!ents learn something new
a'out their classmates. ,t also increases %ositive grou% !ynamics an! 'uil!s
stu!ents"sel<esteem. 0ach stu!ent is given one %enny with a !ate on the %enny
rom the stu!ent"s lietime. .tu!entsthin# o something memora'le that ha%%ene!
in their lie !uring the year !ate! on the %enny. .tu!ents can $rst share their story
with a %artner 'eore sharing in ront o the whole class.
F. .te%<;y<.te%& 1ay<;y<1ay ,n this activity& stu!ents are a'le to ma% out
e-actly what they %lan to accom%lish each !ay& wee#& an! month. .tu!ents are a'le
to esta'lish their vision an! set goals to reach their vision.
?. Create Your Own >ssignment .tu!ents are %ut in grou%s o $ve to si- an!
assigne! a s%eci$c lea!ershi% to%ic or theme. The grou%s must wor# together to
!esign a lesson 'ase! aroun! their s%eci$c lea!ershi% conce%t. The activity re3uires
stu!ents to communicate& thin# creatively& colla'orate with their classmates&
manage their time& organi:e& an! set goals as a grou%. This lesson can 'e s%rea!
out over a cou%le wee#s.