Brainstorming — various techniques Brainstorming

TEAM BUILDING
BOMB SHELTER


Materials: None


Aims: Role-playing, group decision-making, group interaction.


Procedure: Divide in groups of 8 - 10. Each group member adopts a specific role, usually an occupation, e.g. a doctor, an athlete, a teacher, movie-star, mother, housewife, etc. (These can be written out and picked from a hat). Tell groups they are in an air-raid shelter after an atom bomb has fallen, big enough and with enough air and food for only six people, therefore they must get rid of several members. Each group member must argue as to why he should be allowed to survive. A group decision must be reached as to who goes and stays: no suicides or murder allowed. Set a time limit for the decision. Later discuss how the group interacted making the decision, whether each person played an active or passive role, how satisfied each was with his role, etc.


Variations: Instead of an air-raid shelter, have a life raft or desert island or space ship. Add incidents, accidents, rituals, funerals, ceremonies.


ONE SPECIAL THING

This exercise is a good one to use early in the semester because it helps to build a sense of group rapport through the establishment of an environment for self-disclosure.

Divide the class into pairs. Instruct the students to carry on a normal conversation for five minutes, each person telling the other as much as possible about himself. Ask the students to pick those things about themselves that they think are important to share. After five minutes ask the class to come back together again as one large group (preferably in a circle). Then ask each student to introduce his partner by stating his partner's name and the one special thing that impressed him as most important about that person.

If you like, you can end the discussion by asking the group to talk about what it was like to talk to the other person and what it was like to be talked about in the group.

Every person needs recognition. It is expressed cogently by the lad who says, Mother, let's play darts. I'll throw the darts and you say `Wonderful.' "
Educator Handbook of Stories, Quotes, and Humor
M. Dale Baughman