Spatial Requirements: Classroom with moderate space or gym/outdoor space required
Activity Type: Movement/group
Grades: K-12
Group Size: 8 or more
Time: 5-10 minutes

Introduction: This activity will demonstrate to students that their actions often directly affect others.

Materials:

• None
  
  

Activity: 

It is preferred that you use a wide open space for this activity, though it can be done in a classroom.  

Each participant should silently pick two people in the group, not disclosing who the two people are.  When you say, “Go,” the participants must move so that they are standing between those two people, keeping an equal space between both of them. Play background music as this is going on. When the movement stops, turn off the background music.  Move one or two people from the group into another area and tell them they are not allowed to move from that general area. Then ask the participants to move so that they are equally spaced once again.  (This will clearly illustrate the effect that one or two people can have on an entire group.)

Processing the Experience:

• What made this activity difficult?
• How did the actions of others affect where you were standing?
• How was the entire group affected when a few people were asked to move?
• What kind of impact do you have on your friends?  What kind of impact do they have on you?
• Do the decisions of your friends more often help you stay out of the pot or drag you in?