S.W.A.G.

The Ubuntu Summit #livethedream, March 9th, 2013

Facilitation Guide Background/Prerequisites (Optional but recommended) Provide students with, or remind students of the City Year culture elements of challenge by choice and the freedom of a safe space. Students should be familiar with the definition and ideas surrounding body language, non-verbal communication and symbolism. Activity works best with a group that has already had some time for introductions and team building (not intended to serve as a beginning of the day activity). Preparation 1. 2. 3. 4. Prompt list of ideas and emotions Powerpoint with Introduction, Expectations and Prompt ideas/words/phrases Paper Writing utensils (if the students dont already have them)

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Step-by-Step Procedure Transition #1: Students will assemble as a group in the Civic Forum

I. Introduction & Warm-Up: Evolution (10 minutes)

Description: A short, active game where participants use rounds of Rock-Paper-Scissors to advance or devolve through 5 stages of Evolution (egg, chicken, dinosaur, human, super-human). The activity is designed to get students up and moving, loosen up, interact with each other, and start using their bodies in an expressive way. A Pre-session introduction will be used to refresh students on the expectations held for participation. Materials: Powerpoint slides Location: CYB Headquarters The Civic Forum Hello Leaders! Welcome to Image Theater! Moving into the next hour, we are going to have some opportunities to get up, move, create and share some ideas about emotions and how we communicate with others and express ourselves, sometimes without even using words. Before we get started, however, we want to very quickly review some of our expectations of one another while working together in these sessions: o Hands Up (Student can read slide): When the hands go up, it should take a matter of seconds to quiet this room, so that everyone can be more fully aware of whats going on. o NOSTUESO (Student can read slide): No One Speaks Twice Until Everyone Speaks Once; we understand that some of you may have a great deal to say about a certain topic or a certain activity, but we would like to hear from as many people as possible so that we dont have a small number of voices dominating the conversation

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Facilitation Guide o Safe Space (Student can read slide): What is being said or done during today does not leave today, so it is our hope and our expectation that everyone feels respected and comfortable enough to fully engage in the activity and discussion. o Challenge by Choice (Student can read slide): We would love for everyone to fully participate, but we understand that some things are very difficult to talk about, especially in groups; we just ask that you challenge yourself to participate to get the most out of todays events o Appropriateness (Student can read slide): this activity in particular is going to challenge you by having you do what you think is necessary to convey how you view certain things. With that said, remember that your actions must remain appropriate. o Finally, Respect (Student can read slide): Similar to creating a safe space, we ask that you respect yourself and that you respect your peers, as well as everyone and everything else within this environment. Great! So before we jump into Image Theater, we are going to play a quick game called Evolution. Heres how the game works: Who knows how to play Rock-Paper-Scissors? Good. You guys are already half way there. The next bit would be clearer if you demonstrate with another CM In this version of Rock-Paper-Scissors everyone will be starting the game off as an egg. CM shows what an egg looks like If you win a round of R-P-S you then evolve up to a chicken. For example: Demonstrate one round of the game If you loose, however, you stay in egg form. From there you can find another chicken to battle. If you win that round you become a dinosaur. But if you loose, you have to go back to being an egg. The next step is to become a human, and if you keep winning, you can evolve all the way into a super human. Here are some things to remember: o You can only battle someone who is on the same level as you. That is eggs and only paly against eggs and humans can only play against other humans. o If you loose a round, you go back to the pervious form. For example a dinosaur would go back to being a chicken. o Have fun! Dont be afraid to think about how an egg, dinosaur or even a superhuman might walk or talk. (Any Questions?) Everyone stand up and find a partner. When you read the buzzer, become an egg and let the battles begin!

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S.W.A.G. The Ubuntu Summit #livethedream, March 9th, 2013

Facilitation Guide Transition #2: Students and CMs move around room to play game

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After some kind of starter bell, students and CMs can start the game. Side coaching: What sound does an egg make? How does a dinosaur walk? What does a super hero do? Game runs for about 5-7 minutes, until an end buzzer or countdown. Great work everyone! By a raise of hands, how many chickens do we have? How about superhumans? Transition #3: Moving into main activity, still standing in pairs

II. Image Theater (30 minutes)

Description: Image Theater will look for the students to evaluate how they view powerful ideas and emotions. They will attempt to share their views with the rest of the group by positioning a partner in a position that they feel more accurately conveys their view of the given idea or emotion. Materials: Prompt list of ideas and emotions with matching powerpoint slides Location: CYB Headquarters The Civic Forum Facilitator: Nicole Smith & Eric Howell So, in order to move into our next activity, Image Theater, you will need to work with your current partner. Today, weve done some pretty intense activities, had some great in-depth discussions, and done some other activities that have been more lightheartednow were going to get back into a more serious activity, so be prepared. This event is called Image Theater and its meant for you all to really examine and interpret how you view certain emotions or ideas specifically through our bodies and without words. Were also going to be asking you to share these ideas with the group in a way, by using a partner as a living prop, a living work of art.

As I said, youre going to need a partner, so can everyone please take 1 minute to introduce yourself to your partner if you have not met yet and quickly decide who will be and A and who will be a B

Facilitators wait as students within their pairs delegate A and B Okay, lets get started! All As please form a large circle facing outward. Allow 30 seconds for the As to move into position

S.W.A.G. The Ubuntu Summit #livethedream, March 9th, 2013

Facilitation Guide All Bs please stand approximately 3 feet away from your partner, facing each other.

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Allow 30 seconds for the Bs to move into position The next activity is one that should not require our voices. (Wait for silence). In a moment, I am going to ask you to use you body to express an emotion. Remember, we are not using our voices at all. On three, please show what you think it looks like to feel this emotion. o 1, 2, 3 happy. With each new word use side coaching to help students. Side coaching: Our bodies should be expressing, not acting. What do your shoulders feel like? Where are your hands? How are our actions symbols? Do you really throw your arms up when you are excited? Or is that just a symbol for excitement? o Next words: lonely, angry, joyful, sad, tired, excited Alright, all of the As on the inside of the circle, you are clay. Bs on the outside, you are all sculptors. Dont worry about what you are right now, we are going to be trading off roles throughout the activity. In a minute, I am going to give you guys words or show you all pictures. It is your job to show me your representation / interpretation of this idea, emotion, image or phrase. You will have roughly 2 minutes to do so. o As are going to be the clay our sculptors will use to show these interpretations. As I said, you have to show your interpretation. You can position their arms any way you would like, have them frown, grimace. You can have them sitting down, laying on their back, etc. Whatever you feel like would most accurately convey, most accurately show your view or your interpretation of whatever it is, feel free to do so. Begin by saying the first idea/word/emotion, allow approx. two minutes for sculpting Okay, sculptors back away from your work. Now were going to look the different interpretations throughout the room. As remain frozen just as your sculptor has left you, Bs slowly walk around the room walking in a clockwise fashion *motion the direction with your hand* As the Bs are walking around, be sure to comment on the different interpretations of the common idea/emotion that exist throughout the space,

S.W.A.G. The Ubuntu Summit #livethedream, March 9th, 2013

Facilitation Guide have students pay particular attention and be able to identify and features of their sculpture or others that really struck them. Repeat the above steps with different words/ideas/emotions. Also be sure to alternate between A and B so that each sub-group has the opportunity to both act as a sculptor and as clay.

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III. Discussion and Debrief (15 minutes)

Description: Discussion as a large group about the activity: roses and thorns, overall reactions, potential implications, etc. Materials: None Facilitator: Nicole Smith

Alright SWAG, lets talk about what just happened: Did you like the activity? Did anything really strike you? Any of the prompts in particular that you thought were interpreted in an interesting way? Any prompts that were very easy / difficult to interpret? Why? Was this activity more external or internal? Was it meant more to tell the group how you viewed something, or was it more about looking within yourself to determine how you felt about a certain idea? What prompts might you have selected for this activity? They can be either from personal experience, or relevant prompts of which you think it would be interesting to see interpretations.

IV. Reflection (10 minutes)

Description: This activity was really about looking within yourself and reflecting on what you thought certain things meant to you, but it was decently quick. This is a more indepth introspection about what you did and why. Materials: Paper and writing utensils (if students dont already have them). Facilitator: Nicole Smith & Eric Howell This activity called for a lot of introspection, a lot of looking inside yourself to determine how you viewed certain things. However, with the two minute time limit, it was a bit rushed. Also, because you changed roles with your partner, and the prompts changed each time, it might have been difficult to really delve into specifics.

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Facilitation Guide So now, we want you to dive deep. When we say begin, we want each of you to really think about both the activity and the large group debrief. Having both of those fresh in your mind we want you to tell us your interpretation of the activity as a whole. If we say that this activity is about looking within, when you look within, what do you see? Write down your responses on the paper provided This is a silent reflection; there should be no discussions with your neighbor or with your partner. You can take this however you would like: if you want to talk about what youre feeling right now, or how you felt at a certain point during the activity, go for it. This reflection is all about thinking about what you just did and how it can benefit you now and perhaps more importantly, in the future.

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Follow-up

Along with Roses and Thorns section from the debrief, perhaps distribute a survey card to the participants.

Additional Extension Ideas N/A Follow-up Activities Have the students perform a Theatre / Gallery Walk at their school with the SWAG participants and CMs serving as co-facilitators. Resources and References Theatre of the Oppressed exercise, facilitated by Emily

Supporting Documents/Appendix