Game
Responsibility Game: Don't Drop the Ball https://sites.google.com/site/valueslessons
Materials
Per team of 5-8 students: a length thin rope or thick string, 6-7 meters long and tied into a loop and a small beach ball, balloon or soccer ball.
Instructions
Each person grabs onto the loop with two hands. The team members count off so that they know who is team member #1, team member #2 etc.
Then each team arranges the loop to form a net, passing the rope across to each other until a web is formed that will support the ball.
Place a ball in the middle of each team’s web. The teams work is to keep the ball from falling down from the net as they move around a circuit.
Place a chair or pole at each end of a large space.
How to PlaySpread the teams around the course. Ask the teams to practise moving around the 2 chairs in a figure 8 and back to their original position without dropping or touching the ball. It is not a race, although teams may overtake if they don't interfere with any other team. 1st Lap. Ask them to do the same course but with team member #1 letting the rope go as the team goes around the back of each chair. Ask 'What happened to your team when #1 decided to not fulfil their responsibility and let go? How did you feel about it? Why is important for each member of a team to stay committed and pull their weight? 2nd Lap Now ask them to do the same course but with #2 taking too much of the responsibility, by pulling twice as hard on the rope as the team goes around the back of each chair.
Ask 'What happened to you team when #2 took too much responsibility by pulling too hard? How did you feel about it? Why is important for each member of a team to co-operate together and not try to take over?
3rd Lap Ask them to do the same course but with #3 and #5 pretending to be angry with each other by pulling against each other on the rope as the team goes around the back of each chair. Ask 'What happened to you team when #3 and #5 had a tug of war? How did you feel about it? Why is important for each member of a team to accept the others and get along together? 4th Lap Now ask them to do the same course but with #4 leaving the team as they go around the back of a chair, and barging into another team as they go around the back of the second chair. Ask 'What happened to your team when #4 ditched you? How did you feel about it? What happened when a new team member joined in without being invited? Why is important for each member of a team to stay loyal until the job is done? What is the best way to get included in a new team?
5th Lap
Now ask them to do the same course but with #6 keeping his eyes closed from the back of the first chair to the end.
Ask 'What difference did it make with #6 blind? How did you feel about them? Did your attitude towards them change at all? Would you have been better off without them on the team, or were they still a help?
6th Lap
Now ask them to do the same course but with all the team criticising every little mistake as the they move around the circuit.
Ask 'How did that lap feel compared to the others? How do you feel about being on your team? Why is important for each member to be tolerant of those who make mistakes?
7th Lap
Lastly, ask them to do the same course but with the team smiling and encouraging and praising each other as the they move around the circuit.
Ask 'How did that lap feel compared to the last one? How do you feel about being on your team now? Why is important for us to encourage each other?
Discussion Question
What principles have you learnt about how to be a responsible team member?
Source: http://tastycupcakes.org/2014/10/team-responsibility-game/ Images souce: http://www.markuswittwer.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IMG_6846.jpg; https://d2gg9evh47fn9z.cloudfront.net/thumb_COLOURBOX8560869.jpg