Electricity 2

Spatial Requirements: Classroom, with moderate space required
Activity Type: Group
Grades: 3-12
Group Size: 6+
Time: approximately 15 minutes, varies on size of group

Introduction: This activity is designed to represent how quickly we tend to react with our defense mechanisms in a pressure situation. The activity will demonstrate a chain reaction and how quickly one can respond when feeling pressure, but that in order to have control over our defense mechanisms we cannot make the negative choice or the easy fast track. It also illustrates that often times students will react in the same negative way as the other person when they are confronted in a stressful situation.

Materials: 

  • Any object easy to grab. A tennis ball or something equivalent works well

Activity:

SETUP: The group will make two lines starting at a table or desk. The lines represent two teams and they face each other. Each team needs to have an equal number of participants. The ball or soft object is placed on the table or desk at the end of the two lines, equal distance between the last person in each line.

INSTRUCTIONS: Each line will grab hands with the person next to them. At the head of the line the facilitator will position him or herself and take the hand of the starting person of each line. The last person in the line will have a free hand next to the ball or soft object. Participants will close their eyes. At some point the facilitator will squeeze both hands simultaneously and the participants are instructed to squeeze the hand of the person next to them the moment their hand is squeezed. When the last person’s hand is squeezed, he or she will grab the ball or object with the free hand. That team scores a point. If the team scores a point they rotate so that the person at the end moves to the front of the line. You can play to a certain number of points (5 recommended) or the first team to completely rotate their team. 

SPECIAL NOTE 1: Always warn the teams after a couple of rounds that any ‘false squeezes’ (or someone squeezing without you having started it) will result in you taking a point away.

SPECIAL NOTE 2: If you have an odd amount–you can select someone to take over your spot at the head of both lines that starts the hand squeezing. This is a great opportunity to surrender the one up to a particular student.

Processing the Experience:

  • What did you see happen in this activity?
  • How did you respond when someone squeezed your hand?
  • Instead of squeezing the hand next to you did anyone accidentally squeeze the hand that squeezed you?
  • What were you feeling during the activity? 
  • Why would this activity be called electricity?
  • What tie in can you make between how you react when you are squeezed in electricity to how students react when they are so called “squeezed” (name calling, put down, fight, embarrassed, etc) in real life?
  • Why do some students tend to react so quickly and negatively to pressure situations?
  • Were there any false squeezes?
  • If so, what would that represent about defense mechanisms and what can happen in pressure situations?
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