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5.7
Practicing Collaboration with Others
Submitted by Evan Weissman
Three presenters pitch campus initiatives or community programs they want to keep, get rid of, or flirt with in order to create their ideal shared community. Participants discuss their own ideas while building a collaborative city out of LEGOs.
Learning Goal
Practice actively listening to and constructively incorporating diverse opinions, needs, or concerns when working towards a shared vision.
Instructions
Set Up: Prepare for the Activity
This activity can be used in a classroom or workshop. It can also be the basis of a community event. If designing this activity as a community event, review the Warm Cookies of the Revolution Event Checklists.
The main item needed for this activity is a set of LEGOs. Set up a large table (or group together multiple desks) and lay out the LEGOs in the center of the table with chairs all around.
Select a topic that is important to your discussion group, something they are passionate about. Alternatively, you could discuss existing programs or new initiatives that they would like to introduce.
If the group has done Activity 5.1 Identifying Your Civic Passion or Activity 5.8 Practicing Deliberation with Others, you could also use the issue or initiatives arrived at by the group in those activities.
Also, select three participants or invite three guests who will be presenting pitches for keeping, getting rid of, or “flirting” with initiatives or programs. These might be initiatives or programs for the proposed city that groups are building together.
Explain to them that they will have 5 minutes to describe what their proposal is and why they think it should be implemented.
Begin by introducing the learning goals of this activity.
Step One: Start Collaboratively Building a City out of LEGOs (10 min)
Have participants sit around the table and invite them to start building their version of an ideal city together using the LEGOs.
Explain to them that while they work on building this city, they will also listen to the three participants who were selected or guests present their pitches and then discuss the ideas as a full group.
As participants begin to build their city, introduce the goal of the event and the three people who will be pitching the campus, community or workplace programs they want to keep, get rid of, or flirt with.
Step Two: Present Three Pitches (15 min)
Invite each guest or participant to give their pitch, one at a time. Keep track of time and let speakers know as they get close to the 5 minute mark.
Step Three: Share Responses and Ideas in a Lightning Round (20 min)
When the pitches are complete, invite the rest of the participants to share their own ideas or responses to the pitches in 2 minute elevator speeches.
This is a lightning round meant to keep things fast, fun, and playful. Anticipate, perhaps, 10 elevator speeches or pitches.
Remind participants to keep working on building their LEGOs city together while listening to others share their ideas. Encourage participants to use “yes, and…” to build on each other’s ideas and collaboratively create a shared vision.
Step Four: Debrief as a Full Group (10 min)
Reflect on the ideas shared and discuss:
What were some common themes that came up in the three main pitches and/or the lightning round?
What kinds of features did participants build in their ideal LEGOs city?
What was surprising about the ideas that were proposed?
TIME
55
min
MODULE
Civic Collaboration
This activity can be completed by any discussion group.
This activity might be considered high energy or more playful than other activities.
This activity is best implemented with in-person learning groups, requiring hands-on techniques that may not be easily replicated online.
Tell us what you think. Rate and review this activity:
Have any helpful suggestions or modifications for this activity?
Share them in the comments below!
0 Comments
YD
November 29, 2022 at 1:57:35 AM
Activity 2.4 helps encourage bold, imaginative thinking and looking at the risks involved in both action and inaction.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 1:54:27 AM
Activity 2.3 uses mind mapping to flex your creativity in a fun and engaging way and apply it to developing innovative thoughts and solutions.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 1:50:37 AM
Activity 2.2 is another innovative and useful activity that helps us explore, engage, work with a topic that can be frustrating or difficult for many, i.e. contradictions in the world and ourselves.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 1:47:31 AM
Activity 2.1 provides useful information to develop and use curiosity not just in a discussion space, but also in your everyday life.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 1:44:34 AM
Activity 1.7 is provides a useful inventory of collaborative discussion skills. It can be used to bring awareness to your skill level as you begin and to keep track of your progress as you move through this toolkit of activities.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 1:41:05 AM
Activity 1.6 is very innovative. It helps demonstrate how the prioritization of different values we hold changes according to context.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 1:38:49 AM
Activity 1.5 helps look at discussions from a different lens, moving away from just right or wrong and taking a deeper look at the values that drive different perspectives and opinions.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 1:35:42 AM
Activity 1.4 is a fun activity that engages your imagination to explore your identity.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 1:34:01 AM
Activity 1.3 is a good activity that helps develop a sense of cohesion and psychological safety in the group.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 1:31:54 AM
Activity 1.2 is a fun and engaging activity making use of puzzle pieces to clearly demonstrate the importance of developing collaborative perspective.