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Intersect Activity Supplement
A Note To the Youth Leaders:
The Activities chosen for the Youth Nexus Curriculum are designed to interface with the content of each lesson. There will almost always be a reference to the activity within the Sorting it Out section of each lesson. If time allows, try to include the game each week. If for some reason the activity seems like it will not work for your group or for some other reason (time, etc…) be sure to cull out those questions in the Sort it Out time so as not to confuse the discussion.
Activities are identified by the title Commotion in the lesson and can be found here in the Activity Supplement.
This Activity supplement contains detailed rules for the Commotion activities which are listed in each lesson throughout the Intersect Curriculum. Each activity is printed on its own page(s) in order to make copying the rules for other leaders more convenient.
Introductions/explanations of the game are all worded in first person in order to help those who may not want to wade through a set of rules to figure out what needs to be said. Feel free to reword these or pick out the key points. Whatever serves your need best!
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Table of Contents:
Lesson Game Page #
Lesson 1.1 Pass The Story 4
Lesson 1.2 The Sentence Game 5
Lesson 1.3 Caricachurch 6
Lesson 1.4 What Can’t You Do 10
Lesson 2.1 The Race Race –or – I Am Who I Am 11
Lesson 2.2 Through The Hoops 15
Lesson 2.3 You Be The Judge 25
Lesson 2.4 Money Madness 29
Lesson 3.1 Under The Influence 32
Lesson 3.2 Reflections/ Avatars 34
Lesson 3.3 Team Scape 35
Lesson 3.4 Giving Tree/ Waste Not, Want Not 36
Lesson 4.1 Blind-folded Shoe Scramble 42
Lesson 4.2 What’s My Line 43
Lesson 4.3 Practice Makes Perfect 45
Lesson 4.4 Two Heads Are Better Than One 46
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Lesson 1.1 Formed with Intent
Activity: Pass the Story
Rationale for Use: A common exercise used in improvisational theatre groups for a warm-up, Pass the Story, helps people to listen well and to think on their feet. It also requires people to use what is given to them and build on the past. In this lesson and the entire section of lessons, we will be looking at the whole idea of Formation in our lives and discussing ways we experience input and how we assimilate that into our own formation as disciples of Christ.
Connections: Later in the Sorting it Out section, help students to think back to the game as they bring the concepts from this very ―fluid‖ game alongside the way they see their lives being woven together.
The Game: Pass The Story
Intro:
Today (tonight) we will be playing an improv game called Pass the Story. Now you’re going to have to pay attention during this game because part of the fun in it is that you never know when it is going to be your turn. Here’s how it works… I will point to someone who will begin to tell a story, after they have told a few sentences of the story, they will then toss the ball to someone else in the circle. They may toss it at any time, mid-word ( so they might say… ―and then they went to a bar…. ―And the next person might say ―Mitzvah… ― to begin their part of the story ), mid-sentence, at the end of a sentence, so you really all need to be listening so you can pick it up where they left off. You then take it in your own direction and continue it for a few sentences and then pass the ball to someone else, and so on. If the story comes to a natural end, a person can decide to not throw the ball and end it. We can then start a new story. (To the leader: Play the game…. Enjoy the game and don’t process the game. That happens later…)
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Lesson 1.2 Formed Inside and Out
Activity: The Sentence Game
Rationale for Use:
This lesson will be focusing on different types of spiritual disciplines which help to form us. This game will assist us in seeing how the things which we are exposed to may make us think in a certain way. When we only have partial information, we can make some fairly interesting (and sometimes scary) leaps in our thinking.
Later in the Sorting it out section, remind students of the game and the ways in which the sentences took form. What were some of the factors that formed it? How did personality and style affect it’s formation? How did the amount of time you had make a difference. Help students think about the ways in which they too are formed for good or bad by many factors in their own lives. What are some of those factors?
The Game: The Sentence Game
The Sentence Game has often been described as a cross between the games Pictionary and Telephone. It could just as well be described as a cross between a Rorschach test and a extemporaneous story.
Supplies:
Lots of pre-cut paper - 3‖ x 3‖ or bigger, enough to write a sentence or draw a small picture for a group of 10 people to play the game twice you will need 200 little papers.
Enough Pens or pencils for everyone.
Directions:
Players sit in a circle. Each person has a stack of small papers equal to the number of people in the circle.
Each person writes a short sentence at the top of their sheet of paper. (Often a completely abstract sentence makes for the most fun. )
Once everyone has written their sentence, they pass their stack to their right with their sentence on the top of the stack. The next person reads the sentence, moves it to the bottom of their stack of papers and then tries to draw a picture in what often ends up a futile attempt to depict the sentence.
Once everyone is done, they then pass the paper to their right again with their picture on top of the stack. The person next to them will then interpret the picture , place it on the bottom of the stack and then write a sentence that describes what they thin the person drew.
The process is repeated, alternating sentence and picture until all of the stacks have made it around the circle and returned to their owner. Once the paper has made it all the way around the circle (in a small group) or at least to 5 people (in a larger group), each person then reads their closing sentence or their closing picture depending on the number of people in the group.
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They then show the process that the stacks went through, with some pretty hysterical transformations. There’ll be lots of laughs and the revelation of some pretty bizarre thinkers!
Lesson 1.3 Formed by God’s People
Activity: Caricachurch
Rationale for Use:
The point of today’s game is to help students see that what their thoughts about the church really are utilizing the idea of caricatures.
Connections:
As students play this game and interact with the focal points and other materials in the lesson, help them to begin asking the question ―Do I really know what my church is about? Do I know the other people in my church? Often, due to the fact that youth can be ―siloed off‖ into peer- based ministry, it is easy for our teens to miss the rich resource of knowing other believers in the church and benefitting from the growth that these intergenerational relationships can provide.
This game challenges the students to confront their images of the church, and those that make it up, and to really struggle with how deeply rooted they are in the ―whole‖ body of Christ.
The Game: Caricachurch
Set Up:
Supplies:
- enough blank 8 ½ x 11 sheets of paper for everyone in the group. (If you can use some card stock, or at least construction paper weight, it may be easier to draw on and display later.) - Colored pencils or thin markers or art pencils (enough for everyone)
Ask students if they have ever been to a Fair or a Carnival or other event where people were doing Caricatures. Ask if anyone knows what they are and how they work?
If students don’t say this clearly, restate that a caricature is a picture or drawing of someone that accentuates a particular feature, often their most noticeable trait, so someone with a large nose may have a giant nose in the picture, or someone with a nice smile may have giant teeth in the picture, big ears…. Well you get the picture.
The person doing the Caricature doesn’t know the person and generally has never met them before, so they are just going on first impressions of the features on their face. What results is an often contorted picture of what the person really looks like. Show some examples by downloading and printing a few of these pics below or finding others on line.
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Hillary Clinton by Gary Varvel, the editorial cartoonist for The Indianapolis Star
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Excerpted from http://www.tomrichmond.com/home.php
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Today we are going to do caricatures of the church, not necessarily your local church, but the church as the followers of Christ. Christ calls us together to be a part of his church, but sometimes what the world sees, even what WE see, may be merely a caricature of the church.
I’m going to give you each a piece of paper and I want you to try your hand at drawing a caricature of the church. Here’s an example…
Maybe someone who thought the church was only asking for money may present a caricature like this.
When you think about the way that you view the church ( and again we are talking about the church of believers), or ways that others may view the church, what feature do you think they might accentuate? Go ahead and take a stab at some of the ways the church could be caricatured… Remember, this is not an art contest!
Give students 5 – 10 minutes to draw and then have an easel up front that some of them can volunteer and display their ―art.‖
Once students have finished, ask for some volunteers and ask them to describe what the view of the church is that their drawing represents and whether they agree with that perception or not.
After a few minutes of discussion about several caricatures, move on to the next section of the lesson and remember that there will be further time for connections from this activity in the Sorting It Out section later.
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Lesson 1.4 Formed to Transform
Activity: What Can’t You Do?
Rationale for Use:
This game is used to illustrate the idea that not everyone can do everything, using a few simple tricks based on the idea of center of balance, etc. this exercise brings home the fact that there are just certain things that people can inherently do better than others.
Connections:
In the Sorting It Out section use these illustrations to help students connect the dots of God’s unique gifting of each of us, with the work he has in store for us to do. Remind them that just as there were things in these exercises that they may not be able to do, in the same way there are things that they can do which God has gifted them for in some amazing ways. A part of our formation is uncovering the way we have been made and how we can use that for the Kingdom!
The Game: What Can’t You Do?
Set up:
You will need a chair.
Instructions:
Go ahead and put your foot at the wall and take three stops backward. The steps should be foot to foot. Now bend over and put your head on the wall. I’m going to put this chair under you and then ask you to pick up the chair with your head on the wall and then stand up.
(Generally girls can do this and boys cannot. The thought is that the reason girls can do this and not boys because the center of balance for boys is in their shoulders and girl’s is in their hips.)
After everyone has had a turn, try rolling you R’s by having students say
Robin Roberts ran a running race, roundly romping readily the rest.
Write this phrase out, or another one that is Replete with R’s and ask students to try it, giving the example with someone who can roll each R very well.
Wrap up this section by reminding them that while each of us have innate abilities and talents, there are also those that can be developed as we continue to be formed by God, and prepare to use that formation to transform the lives of others.
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Lesson 2.1 Living Toward Racial Righteousness
Activity: The Race race
Rationale for Use:
This game works very well in a group that includes mixed gender, socio-economic and racial backgrounds. It is used to point out some of the advantages and disadvantages that people experience, some due to their circumstances of race and wealth and some due to the privilege which they may not even realize they have had. Note: if you are working with a fairly homogenous group, you may consider using the alternate activity (“I Am Who I Am” see below in this same section.
Connections:
During the Sorting It Out section, try to help students to be open-minded with ideas such as privilege. At times, those who have grown up in a privileged way may begin to feel very guilty and defensive. It is very helpful for the leaders to set some ground rules for discussion as you enter into this often emotional topic. If you are from a community that tends to be fairly homogenous in your make-up, ask students about their experience with other cultures, perhaps experienced through mission trips, trips to the city to visit relatives, etc.
The goal of this exercise is not to induce guilt, but instead to help students to broaden their perspectives and see more of the factors/challenges that come into play as each person seeks to take advantage of what life has to offer.
This game is also a good groundwork as ensuing lessons on Immigration, Justice and Poverty will often bring more questions than answers to the surface. These discussions also tend to be more emotionally-based and the way this game is processed may help to guide those conversations as well.
The Game: The Race race*
The race-race is adapted from “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh http://www.case.edu/president/aaction/UnpackingTheKnapsack.pdf.
Set Up:
(Note: This game can be most easily played in a large room like a gym, or outside to maximize on the observable differences in spacing)
Instructions for facilitators: For this exercise you’ll need: A roll of masking tape A bag of candy such as M&Ms, Hershey’s Kisses, or Starbursts. Hide the candy in a paper bag. (You’ll need to get candy that can be shared if the winner decides to - often times they don’t – which is a lesson in itself.)
Mark a line down the middle of the room with masking tape. One facilitator will be at the wall at one end of the room with the bag of candy and the list of questions. The other will be observing what goes on during the race and share his or her observations during the debrief.
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Group Instructions: We’re going to have a race. Line up on the tape line, all facing the wall where I’m standing. [Give them a chance to line up.] You’ll need to hold hands for this race. Now, before we start this race, we need to get you in position. In order to do that, I’m going to ask a series of questions. You’ll need to respond accordingly.
Note: During the questions you may need to tell the group that if they “must” let go of each other’s hands because the distance gets too great, that they may.
Questions:
1. If, as a child, you had a room of your own with a door, move one space forward.
2. If your parents spoke English as a first language, move one space forward.
3. If your childhood home had more than 10 children’s books and 30 adult books, move forward one space.
4. If you were denied a job or promotion because of your race, move one space back.
5. If your racial or ethnic group has ever been considered by scientists as “inferior”, move one space back.
6. If you were raised in a community where the vast majority of police, politicians and government workers were not of your racial group, move one space back.
7. If you were discouraged from pursuing activities, careers or schools of your choice by teachers or guidance counselors, move one space back.
8. If one or both your parents completed college, move one space forward.
9. If you have never been harassed or disrespected by police because of your race, move one space forward.
10. If one or both of your parents never completed high school, move one space back.
11. If you can easily find hair care products, skin care products and Band-Aids to suit your skin color and hair, move one space forward.
12. If you read thoroughly about the history of your race in K-12 school books, move one space forward.
13. If neither you nor your parents had to spend any amount of time on public assistance, move one space forward.
14. If you, as a child, were ever told you were dirty, shouldn’t touch someone’s food, or drink from the same glass because of your skin color, move one space back.
15. If you have ever lost a job, a promotion because you had to take considerable time off work to care for a sick child or parent, move one space back.
16. If, as a child, you were never told you must dress or act in a proper way because it reflected on your whole race, move one space forward. 12
17. If you have ever been asked if you were the secretary, maid, housekeeper, janitor or some other subordinate job, when you were the boss or homeowner, move one space back.
18. If you needed braces as a child but you did not get them, move one space back.
19. If you have ever been stopped or questioned by police or other people about your presence in a particular neighborhood, move one space back.
20. If you never had to wonder if you were hired to meet an affirmative action goal, move one space forward.
21. If your relatives of any generation were forced to leave ancestral lands, move one space back.
22. If you had a relative of any generation who was lynched, move one space back.
23. If you have seen the owner of a purse (or other valuable) close it, move it or clutch it tighter when you approached, move one space back.
24. If you have never been followed by the security guard in a store, move one space forward.
25. If, when you were growing up, you were regularly told you couldn’t eat all the milk or food you wanted because there was not enough, move one space back.
26. If you have ever owned a car, move one space forward.
27. If you or any relative was ever forced to live in an internment or relocation camp, move one space back.
28. If you or either one or both your parents could not legally vote for any period of your lives, move one space back.
29. If you went to a private high school, move one space forward.
30. If you were taken to art galleries or museums by your parent(s), move one space forward.
31. If you or a relative has ever been imprisoned, move one space back.
32. If you were rewarded as a child in school for being assertive and speaking your mind, move one space forward.
33. If you have an immediate family member who is a doctor, lawyer, professor or other “professional,” move one space forward.
34. If, as a child, you vacationed outside of the U.S., move one space forward.
35. If you commonly see people of your race in positions of leadership in business, the courts and government, move one space forward.
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Facilitator: Now that you’re in position, we’re ready to begin the race. When I say “go” the 1st person to reach me, wins the prize. On your mark, get set, GO!
Note to facilitator: Inevitably, you’ll have several white males that are up against the wall before it even starts. All they have to do is reach out and grab the prize. You may get several responses. Here’s some that facilitators have experienced:
1 – A white male will grab the prize and not share it (a great teaching moment). 2 – A white male will grab the prize and in turn share it with his community group or with the whole group. 3 – Everyone hesitates – the white men - realizing the privilege they have - don’t want to “win” and stand still. A woman or a person of color may run up from the back and grab the prize.
As you debrief, understand that this can be a very emotional exercise. Some may cry, some may get angry, others may retreat to their intellects. (E.g. “These questions are based on circumstances, not on abilities.”)
Alternate Activity for less diverse groups
Activity: I Am Who I Am
Rationale:
This activity is designed to have students get in touch with a bit of their heritage and to share that with each other. Even in groups that seem fairly homogenous, we often have different ancestry. Helping students to see that even though we seem the same, there are things that make us different can be as powerful as helping them to see that despite our differences we all have similarities as well.
Connections: During the Sorting it Out section, ask students to reflect on the game as they consider how their differences and similarities relate to the things discussed by Debbie and Ginny in the Focal Points section and to the scriptures which led off the lesson.
The Game: I Am who I Am
Set Up:
Material: Enough balls of yarn for small groups (4-6) Each group has one ball of yarn.
Instructions: Instruct students to gather in a circle in groups of 4-6 (ideally 5). Have them space out a bit so they can throw the ball of yarn a little distance. In their groups, the first person holding the yarn begins by completing the sentence: “What I like about being ______(naming their ethnicity) is…”
As each person finishes, they are to toss the yarn to someone else in the circle while continuing to hold on to their portion of the yarn. Once all groups have finished the activity, have them remain in their groups holding the yarn through the debrief (below).
Debrief with a few simple questions: What observations can you make from this activity? How hard (or easy) was this for you to do? If difficult, why? 14
Lesson 2.2 Immigration
Commotion: Through the Hoops
Rationale for Use: Oftentimes, we are limited in our understanding of a process by our experience. As adults, we have had enough of a chance to bump up against systems to know how difficult they can be to negotiate. As teens, our exposure is often more limited and our opinions about things such as the process of immigration may be overly simplified. The point of today’s game is to get students thinking about some of the factors which undocumented aliens may weigh as they determine whether it is worth it to go through the process of becoming documented.
Connections: This game is a way of helping students identify with some of the powerlessness and frustrations that may be experienced by those who are attempting to come to the United States as immigrants. It is important for them to understand that there are processes and laws which guide these processes, but that often there are many competing factors as people make decisions to do one thing or another. Sometimes, people can go through all of the right steps and are denied a visa based on a technicality and have to begin the process all over. At other times, avoiding the correct process may seem to be rewarded when people try to ―beat the system.‖ While this game is not intended to make judgment calls about what is right and wrong, it is intended to help students to consider a broader range of issues when they think of this topic instead of narrowing the realities of immigration down to a few stereotypical ideas.
The Game: Through the Hoops
Intro: Today we are going to play a game called ―Through The Hoops.‖ In this game, you are an undocumented immigrant who is trying to make decisions about coming to America and about what to do once you are there. All that you will have to help you make decisions is one coin. There are various stations representing each phase of this process. When you get to each station, you will flip the coin there. ―Heads‖ means that you will ask question #1 for that station, ―tails‖ will mean that you ask question #2. Use the pen at each station to keep track of which question you asked on your sheet.
After you ask your question, the I.C.E. agent will also flip the coin to determine your answer to that question. Once they have done so, the agent will place a slip of paper with your answer in the envelope, place a check mark for that station on the sheet and send you on to another station. Please go to any station that you have not visited and that has the shortest line. After everyone has gone through all of the stations, we will regroup. Don’t forget; do not look at your slips of paper in your envelope until you are directed to do so.
Set up:
You will need 6 adult/youth leader volunteers to man the "hoops" Supplies: 6 Hula Hoops (If you want this representation of Jumping through the Hoop…) 6 Coins 6 Clip Boards (to write on at the stations) Copies of Acceptence/Rejection responses for each station An envelope for each student. A Station List for each student 6 Signs which state the name of each station
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Station Order:
Station Home Question 1: Complete a Visa Accept: Heads – Completed 1 Country Application Correctly, Visa Approved
Reject: Tails – Error in completing form Visa Denied
Questions 2: Has a Criminal Accept: Heads – Have who is a relative connections, pay someone off, Visa Approved
Reject: Tails - Criminal History stops the process. Visa Denied
Station Immigration Question 1: How long will you Accept: Heads - Entrance to 2 be in the country and what is U.S. Approved. Welcome to the purpose of your trip? U.S.
Reject: Tails - Do not depart the airport and make reservations for the next Flight Home.
Question 2: Is Your Paperwork Accept: Heads – All in order? paperwork in order – Welcome to the U.S.
Reject: Tails – Missing key signatures, portions of paperwork – Return to home country. Station Housing Question 1: Live with relatives Accept: Heads - Relatives 3 who are documented. help you become documented.
Reject: Relatives can not house you for more than a month.
Question 2: Live with relatives Accept: Heads – Relatives who are Undocumented. able to keep you hidden and safe.
Reject: Tails – Relatives live in poor conditions. You get very sick.
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Station Employment Question 1: Fill out Accept: Heads – Able to get 4 application for job a fake S.S. number and get job
Reject: Tails – Fake S.S. # gets flagged, application rejected
Question 2: Raid on plant Heads: You were out sick that day and were not arrested.
Tails: You were detained when raid happened due to undocumented status. Station Healthcare & Question 1: Do I have health Heads: Your status as a 5 Public Insurance from work? documented worker allows Services you to have insurance through your job.
Tails: You are getting paid “under the table” and have no benefits
Question 2: I am in an Heads: My bill gets covered accident and I go to the under the hospital’s emergency room. What “indigence” policy. happens? Tails: I receive a bill from a collection agency for $10,000.00 Station Education Question 1: Can I register for Heads: Community College 6 Classes? allows a fairly simple application process and low fees.
Tails: You must produce a copy of your Visa to register, which you do not have.
Question 2: Can I get a loan? Heads: Your status as a documented alien allows you access to several student loan options.
Tails: You are unable to access loans due to your undocumented status.
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Station Travel Question 1: Can I Travel to Heads: Your visa allows 7 visit my family for the you to return to your holidays? country for purposes of visitation.
Tails: You came into the country in the back of a truck behind 500 heads of cabbage, what do you think?
Question 2: Can I get a driver’s Heads: You get your license license? easily because you have studied hard for the test.
Tails: You do not pass the test because you are unable to read all of the road signs. Station Family Question 1: Can I send money Heads: Because you have 8 to my family? had a good job and cheap housing, you are able to send your family a little money each month.
Tails: You barely have enough to pay your rent and for a few groceries for yourself.
Question 2: Can I save enough Heads: After scrimping and money to get my family to join saving, You are able to get me? your spouse and children here to the U.S. to join you.
Tails: You remain in the U.S. without the possibility of even visiting your family. Occasionally you can save enough money to call them when their phone service is not turned off.
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Basic Directions:
1) At the beginning of the game each student will receive a sheet with the Names of the stations and the two questions listed for each station. There are check boxes next to each station which will be checked by each I.C.E. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement )agent once they have been to that station. Additionally, each student will be given an envelope with their name on it.
Note: To save time, have students start at any open station and to keep track (by looking at the check boxes on their sheets) to be sure they have gone to each station.
2) Each student will go to every station. When they arrive at each station, the I.C.E. agent will give them a coin to flip. The side of the coin ―heads or tails‖ will determine their question. They look at the sheet and ask their question to the I.C.E. agent.
3) The I.C.E. agent will then flip the coin and, without showing the student whether it was heads or tails, will take one of the appropriate response slips for that question and put it in the student’s envelope.
4) The student then goes from station to station collecting responses in like manner, without looking at their responses.
5) After everyone has gone to each station, have the students sit in a big circle and open their envelopes and tally their positive and negative responses. Students with 4 or more negative responses are deported, students with 1 or 2 negative responses get to stay in the country, while students with three negative responses have to go to a hearing.
6) Have each student state whether they get to stay in the country, whether they were deported, or whether they have a hearing.
Discussion:
Coins- represent the fact that while we all have choices (for instance the choice to stay in our own country or take a chance and leave without all our paperwork in place) there are still many things that may be left to chance and out of our control.
At each station, there were also those chances, perhaps you may have an employer who has connections and ICE isn't informed of the location of these employees when they conduct their raids. This is represented by a coin toss.
Perhaps you have an advocate at school that knows you are undocumented but helps you negotiate the system. This is represented by a coin toss.
And so goes the game. But it isn't a game. There are enough holes in the legal system to allow people to come into the States and then enough holes that allow them to be here. Taking the chance to make a better life for themselves, to send money home to their families and to have some sense of accomplishment may seem worth the risk.
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Undocumented Alien Checklist: *To the I.C.E. Agent : Check Box after Placing Response Slip in their envelope Station Q1:Heads: Can I Complete a Visa Application
Home Country Q2:Tails: 1□ What if I have a relative who is a criminal? Station Q1:Heads: How long will you be in the country and what is the purpose of your trip? Immigration 2□ Q2:Tails: Is my paperwork in order? Station Q1:Heads: Will you live with relatives who are documented? Housing 3□ Q2:Tails: Will you live with relatives who are undocumented? Station Q1:Heads: Can I fill out application for a job?
Employment Q2:Tails: 4□ What will happen if there is a raid on the plant I work in? Station Q1:Heads: Do I have health Insurance from work?
Healthcare & Q2:Tails: 5□ Public Services If I am in an accident and I go to the emergency room, what happens? Station Q1:Heads: Can I register for Classes?
Education Q2:Tails: 6□ Can I get a loan? Station Q1:Heads: Can I Travel to visit my family for the holidays? Travel 7□ Q2:Tails: Can I get a driver’s license? Station Q1:Heads: Can I send money to my family?
Family Q2:Tails: 8□ Can I save enough money to get my family to join me?
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Station Answer Slips: ( Copy enough for one for every person playing and distribute only the appropriate answers to the appropriate stations, clipped together, for each I.C.E. agent)
Station 1: Home Country
Station 1: Question 1:
Accepted: Heads – Completed Correctly, Visa Approved
Station 1: Question 1
Rejected: Tails – Error in completing form Visa Denied
Station 1: Question 2:
Accepted: Heads – Have connections, pay someone off, Visa Approved
Station 1: Question 2:
Rejected: Tails - Criminal History stops the process. Visa Denied
Station 2: Immigration
Station 2: Question 1
Accepted: Heads - Entrance to U.S. Approved. Welcome to U.S.
Station 2: Question 1
Rejected : Tails - Do not depart the airport and make reservations for the next Flight Home.
Station 2: Questions 2
Accepted: Heads – All paperwork in order – Welcome to the U.S.
Station 2: Question 2
Rejected: Tails – Missing key signatures, portions of paperwork – Return to home country immediately
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Station 3: Housing
Station 3: Question 1
Accepted: Heads - Relatives help you become documented.
Station 3: Question 1
Rejected: Tails- Relatives can not house you for more than a month.
Station 3: Question 2
Accepted: Heads – Relatives able to keep you hidden and safe.
Station 3: Question 2
Rejected: Tails – Relatives live in poor conditions. You get very sick.
Station 4: Employment
Station 4: Question 1
Accepted: Heads – Able to get a fake S.S. number and get job
Station 4: Question 1
Rejected: Tails – Fake S.S. # gets flagged, application rejected
Station 4: Question 2
Accepted: Heads- You were out sick that day and were not arrested.
Station 4: Question 2
Rejected: Tails- You were detained when raid happened due to undocumented status.
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Station 5: Healthcare and Public Services
Station 5: Question 1
Accepted: Heads- Your status as a documented worker allows you to have insurance through your job.
Station 5: Question 1
Rejected: Tails- You are getting paid ―under the table‖ and have no benefits
Station 5: Question 2
Accepted: Heads- My bill gets covered under the hospital’s ―indigence‖ policy.
Station 5: Question 2
Rejected: Tails- I receive a bill from a collection agency for $10,000.00
Station 6: Education
Station 6: Question 1
Accepted: Heads- Community College allows a fairly simple application process and low fees.
Station 6: Question 1
Rejected: Tails- You must produce a copy of your Visa to register, which you do not have.
Station 6: Question 2
Accepted: Heads- Your status as a documented alien allows you access to several student loan options.
Station 6: Question 2
Rejected: Tails- You are unable to access loans due to your undocumented status.
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Station 7: Travel
Station 7: Question 1
Accepted: Heads- Your visa allows you to return to your country for purposes of visitation.
Station 7: Question 1
Rejected: Tails- You came into the country in the back of a truck behind 500 heads of cabbage, what do you think?
Station 7: Question 2
Accepted: Heads- You get your license easily because you have studied hard for the test.
Station 7: Question 2
Rejected: Tails- You do not pass the test because you are unable to read all of the road signs.
Station 8: Family
Station 8: Question1
Accepted: Heads- Because you have had a good job and cheap housing, you are able to send your family a little money each month.
Station 8: Question 1
Rejected: Tails- You barely have enough to pay your rent and for a few groceries for yourself.
Station 8: Question 2
Accepted: Heads- After scrimping and saving, You are able to get your spouse and children here to the U.S. to join you.
Station 8: Question 2
Rejected: Tails- You remain in the U.S. without the possibility of even visiting your family. Occasionally you can save enough money to call them when their phone service is not turned off.
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Lesson 2.3 Justice
Commotion: You Be The Judge
Rationale for Use:
This game provides students with a lot of factual information in a rapid-fire format about the criminal justice system. In the process of judging whether the statements are true or false, students are provided with information which gives them a good overview of some of the statistics related to justice issues prior to thinking about what scripture has to say about the populations that are most affected by crime and punishment.
Connections:
Most of the information comes from research done for the Covenant’s Proposed Resolution on Criminal Justice which is due to be voted on at the 125th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church in June of 2010. Using this information also helps students understand that this issue is serious enough to merit a resolution on the part of our denomination. The full text of the resolution is available at, http://www.covchurch.org/cov/news/item7277 which is also listed at the end of the lesson in the resource section. Additional statistical resources were gleaned from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and www.deathpenaltyinfo.org
The Game: You be the judge
Set Up:
Items needed:
Whistle 2 Judges Mallets (can use meat tenderizers or other similar shapes kitchen implements) 2 two small wooden cutting boards. Podium for moderator Tally Board for team scores 2 Judges wigs (made from toilet paper tubes pinned or glued onto a white cap or hat) 2 Graduation robes/choir robes Prize
Set a Mallet on a cutting board on each side of the ―moderator.‖ Divide students into two teams. Place each team in a line, relay style. Tell students that they must listen to the entire statistic, and then put on and zip the robe and put on the judges wig. They then race to the mallet on the other side of the room. The moderator judges which student banged their mallet first . The moderator then repeats the statistic/statement and then the winning student answers true or false. Be sure there is someone keeping score, using tic marks on a whiteboard or chalkboard. Continue through the line until everyone has gone a couple of times. Try to keep things fast- paced.
Give fair warning for the ―last reprieve…‖ (a chance for the other team to catch up if you want to change the point value) or just the final question. Tally up the team scores and announce your verdict. The Innocent Team is the winner and gets the prize of your choice.
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Statistics and Statements for “You Be the Judge”
1) According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, as of 2007, there were
a) 847,000 b) 1.5 million or c) 2.3 million
state and federal prisoners serving sentences in the United States and another 35,000 in Canada.
2) More than
a. 1.7 b. 7.2 c. 3.6
million persons are under some form of correctional supervision (prison, jail, parole, or probation).
3) True or False:
Incarceration rates in the U.S. have soared over the past generation, from 501 prisoners in 100,000 in1980 to 139 prisoners in 100,000 in 2006.
(False – 139 in 100,000 in 1980, 501 in 100,000 in 2006…. Nearly a four-fold increase!)
4) In 1974,
a. 1.3 percent b. 4.25 percent or c. .5 percent
of adults in the U.S. had served time in prison, and by 2001 that number had risen to 2.7 percent.
5) True or False:
One of every seven victims of sexual assault reported to the participating law enforcement agencies were under age 6.
True
6) True or False:
A significant part of the massive increase of incarcerated individuals is from violent crimes and not from addiction related offenses.
(False: Eighty-two percent of those sentenced to state prisons in 2004 were convicted of non-violent crimes, including 34 percent for drug offenses.)
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7) True or False
Easy sentencing policies in the legal system tend to ease the difficulties in the lives of these people and reduce the cost on society as a whole.
(False: Harsh sentencing policies in the legal system tend to exacerbate the difficulties in the lives of these people and deepen the cost on society as a whole.)
8) If recent U.S. incarceration rates remain unchanged, an estimated
a. 1 of every 15 persons b. 3 of every 15 persons c. 1 out of 100 persons
(6.6 percent) will serve time in a prison during their lifetime.
9) True or False:
Lifetime chances of a person going to prison are higher for men than for women.
True
(11.3 percent for men, 1.8 percent for women)
10) True or False:
Lifetime chances of a person going to prison are higher for whites than for blacks or latinos.
False:
for blacks (18.6 percent) Latinos/as (10 percent) for whites (3.4 percent).
11) In 2008— 54% of incidents of violent crime occurred during
a. between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. b. between 6 p.m. and Midnight c. Between Midnight and 6 a.m.
12) Based on current rates of first incarceration, an estimated
a. 12 percent b. 22 percent c. 32 percent
of black males will enter state or federal prison during their lifetime, compared to 17 percent of Latinos and 5.9 percent of white males.
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13) In too many cases, crime and punishment become a recurring cycle in the lives of offenders and their families. Among those released from state and federal prison, an estimated a. 45 percent b. 67.5 percent c. 81 percent
are rearrested within three years for a felony or serious misdemeanor; and 46 percent of jail inmates had an incarcerated parent.
14) True or False:
Among victims of violent hate crime, 7% listed their attackers as relatives or friends, 38% as acquaintances and 26% as strangers.
True
15) Since 1973, over
a. 29 people b. 87 people c. 130 people
have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence. (Staff Report, House Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil & Constitutional Rights, Oct 1993, with updates from DPIC). From 1973-1999, there was an average of 3.1 exonerations per year. From 2000-2007, there has been an average of 5 exonerations.
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Lesson 2.4 Poverty
Commotion: Money Madness
Rationale for Use:
This activity will let students work together, use some intuitive learning and understand some of the realities of living within a budget based on one’s monthly income. As students are confronted with some of the realities of money in their own lives, they can compare these to some of the real issues discussed concerning poverty and wealth in our Focal Point sections later.
Connections:
Students will have the opportunity to see how difficult it can be to balance a monthly budget based on restricted available income. While this income was gathered in some way by chance (they didn’t know the amounts in the balloon) they were able to make some choices (learning the pattern could be equated with getting more education) that affected their outcome (more educational opportunity can result in getting a better job…)
Students may also conclude that there are times when it feels that finances are out of your control, even when your needs are very simple. However, living simply is always a possible choice as well, as discussed in the Praxis section of today’s lesson.
The Game: Money Madness
Set Up:
Buy 4 bags of latex balloons in 4 different colors…. (you can find these at a card and party store bagged by color)
Make about 30 – 40 slips of paper with dollar amounts written on them (depending on the number of balloons and the number of folks in your youth group). Dollar amount should fall in the following categories.
Multiples of $100.00 ranging from 100 – 900 Dollars Multiples of $50.00 ranging from 50 – 500 Dollars Multiples of $25.00 ranging from 25 – 250 Dollars Multiples of $10.00 ranging from 10 – 100 Dollars
Make a decision about which color you want to associate with each value range,
For example:
Blue – 100’s Red – 50’s Yellow – 25’s Green – 10’s
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Place a slip of paper with the different amounts into the balloons according to color, but be sure and mix some of the amounts up so that when students begin to see that the overwhelming majority of blues are higher numbers, they will pick blues. When they pick one that happens to have $10.00 in it, they will be disappointed and rethink their approach.
Blow up the balloons, tie them and scatter them around the front of the room.
Playing The Game:
Divide into teams of 4 (smaller for smaller groups, larger for larger groups). Have each team sit together on the floor.
Have the balloons scattered on the gym floor or mounted on a board with tape, depending on your space.
Taking turns, have each team send a player to the front to grab a balloon, they can only take one balloon at a time, return to their team, pop the balloon and determine their dollar amount. Then the next team takes a turn. (Note: It is important that teams have time to do the whole process as you want the teams to be able to observe each other and have time to intuitively learn things about the process and hone their guesses about which balloons have the higher amounts.) Teams should either have someone who keeps track of their slips of paper or who writes them down as they come in on a blank sheet of paper.
After each team has picked 7 or 8 balloons, give the following instructions:
I am going to hand out a sheet of paper which contains the bills for an average family of four. Your job is to figure out how to spend the money you have just “earned” and choices that you will have to make based on the amount of money that the family just brought in this month. In a few minutes we’ll talk about the choices that you had to make.
Hand out the attached page of bills, see what happens…
Let students know that they can “Call” the customer Service Rep from various companies to ask questions about their bill. And have leaders play this role and be available to answer questions like:
What happens if I don’t pay this bill right now and wait until next month? Why is my bill so high? Can I get an extension? Are there any other options for how I could pay this?
The answers to these questions should be realistic based on your own experience with customer service, with the important thing not being the exact answer, but getting students to think about the process that they would have to go through as they try to bide time when they are stretched thin to pay.
Once they have had sufficient time to do the task, remind students that there will be time to integrate their thoughts about the game later in the session.
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Family of 4 Basic Monthly Budget
Groceries $400.00/month Gas for Car/public transport costs $120.00/month Electric Bill $ 90.00/month Gas/Heating Bill $ 105.00/month Rent $850.00/month Medical Insurance $100.00/month Phone/basic tv $100.00/month Clothing/shoes for 2 adults, 2 kids $50.00/month Cash: internet use, school fees/supplies $20.00/month
Total for this budget: $1835/month (if you stay within budget)
The amounts that teams have to spend could be as high as $4200.00 a month and as low as $280.00 a month depending on how strategic the teams were with the balloons.
This total budget is based on actual US poverty rate numbers for a family of four. If a household makes $22,050 a year (according to Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines, ‘08-’09) they are considered to have adequate money for their budget and do not need any assistance (such as low income housing, medical cost support, food stamps, etc.) That is $1,837 a month. How do these numbers compare to your own team’s “balloon income?” Do you think you could manage life for a family of four on $1835 a month?
Some other questions for later in the session:
How did you wrestle with not having enough money?
What were your options? Get more balloons (another job)? Don’t have a phone or tv, etc.
Some jobs (balloons) paid more than others? What are the realities about getting jobs like this? How is that effected by finances? (e.g. better schooling equals more money for college, etc.)
Do you think it may get overwhelming to have to face these realities every day?
Think about how you think this basic budget compares to your own family’s budget, or others you know; in many ways the poverty guideline numbers represent a bare-bones, month to month budget for four people. Note that there is little to no extra money anywhere for saving, paying off debt, big purchases (like furniture or bikes/cars), or any back-up money for these “essentials.” Think about how much you or others you know might spend outside of this budget – where do things like Starbucks, medicine for a sick kid or extra doctor visits, travel, books or movies, eating out, conferences or classes, education training, uniforms or equipment for work, etc. – fit in?
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Lesson 3.1 Caring For God’s Image Within
Commotion: Under the Influence
Rationale for Use:
The purpose for this activity is to get your youth thinking about the ways that media, social networking, peer pressure and other factors play into their own self-concept. The adolescent time of development is very precarious as frontal lobe development is not yet complete and limbic development is in full gear. This leads to a great deal of emotional decision-making and risk-taking behaviors that is not yet guided by well-developed reason and maturity. Making youth aware of the influences in their life is one step to helping in the process of maturing, but even with the ―knowledge‖ of these factors, there is still a lot of guidance needed as youth ―grow into‖ their mature selves.
Connections:
As you begin to talk about self-image and what makes for a healthy one, try to tie in the many scriptural concepts about who we are in Christ with the realities that we are often influenced by many other factors as we assess our worth. Am I too fat (according to whom)? Too thin (Can anyone ever be)? Do I wear the right clothes, make the right statement? What are the reasons this matters so much and who else do we need to worry about other than the audience of one?
The Activity: Under the Influence
Set Up:
There are a number of ways to approach this activity. The key idea is to bring images, phrases and music together in ways which can illustrate the sometimes subtle, sometimes not-so-subtle influence of all of these various media.
If you want this to be a more organic, let your group look through magazines and put together a collage or just cut some pics out beforehand and discuss what these ads are telling us, that is a fine approach. Be sure that you use pictures which reflect the make-up of your group. If you use all pictures of thin women, the guys will think that this is not an issue about them, be sure to find a good balance of pics, phrases which ―inspire‖ and other ways in which the media tries to move us in a direction. If you use this approach, playing some songs in the background which also give us messages about what is important to look like, be, etc. can be a great discussion starter. Ask students to listen to the lyrics (or print them out if they are hard to hear…) and comment on how they feel about these messages.
If you enjoy a more technological approach, a power point or Video presentation may be more your style and can nicely bring a lot of these elements together. This definitely will be more upfront work on your part, but may be a better match for your group. You decide…
Below are a number of resources to utilize in your preparation additionally, your own google search of ―Self-image in the media‖ will likely yield many more results.
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Song Possibilities:
Janice Ian’s ―Seventeen‖ TLC – ―Unpretty‖ – slight language Silverchair – Ana’s Song (Open Fire) – Anorexia Alanis Morissette – ―That I Would Be Good‖ Indie Arie – ―I am not my hair‖ Video http://www.vevo.com/watch/indiaarie/i-am-not-my-hair/USUV70600537?w=nolyrics
There are tons of others…
Magazine pictures or phrases or advertising campaigns
Dove Self Esteem Ads: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3661096822405362235#docid=8691758632162545868 http://www.metacafe.com/watch/71409/dove_self_esteem_fund_2006_superbowl_commercial/ http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3661096822405362235#
Article from Media Awareness Network: http://www.media- awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/women_beauty.cfm?RenderForPrint=1 http://www.media- awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/handouts/body_image/tpoh_advertising_and_image.cf m?RenderForPrint=1
Magazine Photos and Ad campaigns are also helpful here. Consider finding copies of the following magazines for some self-image fodder…
Self Men’s Health Muscle or Lifting Magazines Vogue Glamour Cosmo/ Cosmo Girl
Note: Be sure to drag all of the information from this activity forward into the Sorting It Out section as you process it with the thoughts from scripture and the Focal Point articles.
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Lesson 3.2 Caring For God’s Image in Others
Commotion: Reflections
Rationale for Use:
A throw back to the Mirror exercise used in many acting classes, Reflections gives your students the chance to note how they can carefully reflect the movements and actions of another. While it is easy to see this as we concentrate on copying someone intentionally, it can be harder to recognize that sometimes in our efforts to fit-in and belong, we can become inauthentic along the way.
Connections: In the Sorting It Out section, focus some time on how we may sometimes conform to another image as we figure out how to feel good about ourselves. If we are actually all made in God’s image and all different, how are we better when we are ourselves, vs. trying to conform or fit in, or look like someone we aren’t?
The Game: Reflections
Set Up:
Have each student pick a partner. Have the pairs decide which one of them wants to take the lead first. Tell students that their task is to mirror the person who is leading as accurately as possible. Tell them that you are going to be giving them each 3 minutes or so to mirror the other person.
When you say time, they should swap roles, with the other person now taking the lead.
This game can either be played in a big group with pairs, or in a small group, you may want to give the partners a chance to ―perform‖ their mirrored roles in front of the entire group. You know who the ―performers‖ are in your group!
Alternative Game: Avatars
Set Up:
Describe the use of avatars in certain video games and social spaces. Avatars can be a representation of who we are like a caricature might be, or it may be a way to recreate ourselves the way we want others to see us or to try out something different.
Give each student a piece of paper and have them draw an Avatar to represent themselves. After 5 minutes, go around the circle and ask each person why they picked the things they did to be represented in their avatar.
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Lesson 3.3 Caring for God’s People, The Church
Activity: Team Scape
Rationale for Use:
It is often too easy to see the church as an add-on, or an ―ought to‖ in our lives. The idea behind this activity is to have students explore how they can be better together, and by this extrapolate how we can also be better together as the church.
Connections:
During the Sorting it Out section, help students to make the link between how their Team Scape painted a bigger picture of who they were than any picture of any of them individually could have captured. Ask questions like, how do you think this may also be true of the church? What are ways that you may be able to bring some different gifts to the body, as the youth group, as individuals? Remind them to be encouragers of each other as they may time-to-time struggle with discouragement with the church or their seeing the value of their contribution.
Supplies:
You’ll need: sheets of butcher paper or a roll of butcher paper to cut them from Markers, Colored Pencils, etc… enough for each team.
The Game: Team Scape
Divide into teams of 4 or 5 Give each team a large sheet of butcher paper and Lots of markers, pencils, crayons, whatever is available in the church cupboards!
Instructions:
Today we are going to take a few minutes to make a Team Scape.
Who has taken Art? What’s a landscape? When you view a landscape, the first thing you notice is the unified whole. As you study it more, you may notice individual elements, a strong tree at one side, a quiet stream, a grassy meadow in between, but the composition of the whole landscape is united by the lighting, the color scheme, etc.
So knowing what a landscape is, a Team Scape is a way of portraying your team as a unified whole instead of just a picture of each one of you individually. Your team is going to work together for the next 10-15 minutes to thinking about what your strengths and weaknesses are as individuals, and ways to illustrate that in the form of one ―being‖ or person.
After you finish your drawing, you can tell us a little about what everything represents.
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Lesson 3.4 Caring for God’s Imprint on Our Planet
This week’s lesson has two options depending on your group. While each option is different, they all are geared to have students think about their feelings on the topic of Caring for Our Planet. Often, despite much education around living ―greener‖ lives at school, there can be students who have
The Activity Options:
Activity A: The Giving Tree: The Giving Tree, which is listed in its entirety below and referenced in the resource section of the lesson, can be read fairly quickly, or a video (approximately 5 minutes) can be accessed on line and projected at the following link through the Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi1596654105/
There is also the possibility of using readers from within your group and having a couple of your drama-types act out the script.
Script:
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Once there was a tree..... and she loved a little boy. And every day the boy would come and he would gather her leaves and make them into crowns and play king of the forest. He would climb up her trunk and swing from her branches and eat apples. And they would play hide-and-go-seek. And when he was tired, he would sleep in her shade. And the boy loved the tree...... very much. And the tree was happy.
But time went by. And the boy grew older. And the tree was often alone. Then one day the boy came to the tree and the tree said, "Come, Boy, come and climb up my trunk and swing from my branches and eat apples and play in my shade and be happy."
"I am too big to climb and play," said the boy. "I want to buy things and have fun. I want some money. Can you give me some money?"
"I'm sorry," said the tree, "but I have no money, I have only leaves and apples. Take my apples, Boy, and sell them in the city. Then you will have money and you will be happy." And so the boy climbed up the tree and gathered her apples and carried them away. And the tree was happy.
But the boy stayed away for a long time... and the tree was sad. And then one day the boy came back and the tree shook with joy and she said, "Come, Boy, climb up my trunk and swing from my branches and be happy."
"I am too busy to climb trees," said the boy. "I want a house to keep me warm. I want a wife and I want children, and so I need a house. Can you give me a house?"
"I have no house," said the tree. "The forest is my house, but you may cut off my branches and build a house. Then you will be happy." And the boy cut off her branches and carried them away to build his house. And the tree was happy.
But the boy stayed away for a long time. And when he came back, the tree was so happy she could hardly speak. "Come, Boy," she whispered, "Come and play."
“I am too old and sad to play," said the boy. "I want a boat that can take me far away from here. Can you give me a boat?" 36
"Cut down my trunk and make a boat," said the tree. "Then you can sail away...... and be happy." And so the boy cut down her trunk and made a boat and sailed away. And the tree was happy.... but not really. And after a long time the boy came back again.
"I am sorry, Boy," said the tree, "but I have nothing left to give you. My apples are gone."
"My teeth are too weak for apples," said the boy.
"My branches are gone," said the tree. "You cannot swing on them.”
"I am too old to swing on branches," said the boy.
"My trunk is gone," said the tree. "You cannot climb."
"I am too tired to climb," said the boy.
"I am sorry," sighed the tree. "I wish that I could give you something------but I have nothing left. I am just an old stump."
"I don't need very much now," said the boy. "just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very tired."
"Well," said the tree, straightening herself up as much as she could, "Well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting. Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest." And the boy did. And the tree was happy.
While the story may not have been intended to be illustrative of our relationship with nature, there are many good questions that can be asked which do relate to our present struggle with consuming our resources.
Potential follow-up questions to use in the Sorting It Out section of the lesson:
What are the themes that you hear in this story? Is this only a story about aging, outlining the natural flow of life? Is it possible to consider the power that the boy/man had over the tree and the powerlessness that the tree had to do anything but give? Could this be it a story about nature being useful to a point until we use up all our resources? If this story had been written from a naturist point of view, and the old man came back with his grandchild, how may the ending of the story have been different? Would the tree have been “Happy?”
Activity B : Waste Not Want Not ( A quiz competition game)
Rationale for Use: This competition helps get students thinking about some facts and figures related to conservation and recycling. This week’s lesson brings into focus our relationship with the earth as believers. Often the divergent points of view on issues of stewardship, recycling and conservation are pretty amazing, even within our own youth groups. This game will serve as a kick-off for other discussions around these issues.
Connections: During the Sort It Out section, there will be several questions designed to integrate this game with the focal points and this week’s scripture. It sometimes comes up that students feel that the little bit they do doesn’t really amount to much. Feel free to bring some of these pertinent facts and figures back out to help students gain perspective. 37
The Game: Waste Not, Want Not
Items needed:
White board or chalkboard Dry Erase Markers or Chalk Several strips of poster board for team names Markers to design team names 2 Rubber Duckies with squeakers (or two tin cans that they can squeeze to make that scrunchy can sound) Prize (if desired) You could give out boxes of recycling bags, or some other theme-oriented prize.
Set Up:
Divide the group into two teams. Teams of 5 or 6 people are probably a good size. If your group is large, go ahead and have more than two teams.
Set up two podiums (desks, or marks on the floor to stand can be easy substitutes). Have each team pick a name related to an environmental theme and design a quick placard for their podium (eg. ―The Earth Savers,‖ or ―The Planet-5,‖ etc.)
Use a White Board or chalkboard to keep score providing a prize for the team with the highest score.
Buy a couple of cheap rubber duckie with squeakers for the teams to ―buzz in‖ to give their answers. (Alternately, you can use tin cans that can be squeezed lightly to make the sound)
Remind teams to listen to the whole question and all choices before ―buzzing in.‖ Have one person from each team come to the podium and ―compete‖ to be the first to answer the question. Score 1 point for each answer that is correct. If the team is wrong, other teams may ―buzz in‖ to give a second try.
Award a prize to the winning team if you would like.
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Waste Not Want Not Questions:
1) Energy saved from recycling helps the environment by reducing energy-related air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. For every ton of paper recycled, how much electricity do we save? a) 4,100 kilowatts of electricity b) 10,000 kilowatts for 2 years c) 5000 kilowatts for 1 Day d) None, you can’t turn paper into electricity
2) Half of what household material in the U.S. is made from recycled plastic (PET)? a) Television Sets b) Kitchen Appliances c) Polyester Carpeting d) Waste Paper Baskets 3) Which products produced in the U.S. can contain at least 50% of recycled content? a) Paper Bags b) Bottles c) Aluminum Cans d) Plastic Bags
4) One way to save water in the kitchen is by turning off your faucets. By turning it off you can save: a) 1 gallons of water a minute b) 2.5 gallons of water a minute c) ½ gallon of water a minute d) 1 quart of water a minute
5) Which uses less water, a dishwasher or washing dishes and rinsing them by hand? (A dishwasher uses 11 gallons of water per use. Each time you wash dishes by hand and rinse them under running water, 35 gallons of water is typically used.)
6) Styrofoam is NOT recyclable, no matter what anyone tells you. Each year American throws away how many Styrofoam cups? a. 15,000,000 b. 25,000,000,000 c. 174,000,000 d. About 1 billion (Note: for after answer is guessed: This amount is enough every year to circle the earth 436 times.)
7) Most bottles and jars contain at least what percent of recycled glass. a. 5% b. 10% c. 80% d. 25%
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8) Every day, Americans recycle about how many glass jars and bottles. a. 450,000 b. 13 million c.1.5 million d. 7
16) Americans throw away enough aluminum every three months to rebuild: a. An entire 747 b. The Twin Towers c. Yankee Stadium d. Our entire commercial air fleet.
17) Annually, recycling steel saves enough energy to: a. Run a fleet of 5 electric cars for a year b. Power the empire state building for a year c. supply the City of Los Angeles with almost a decade worth of electricity. d. Power the night-game lights at all major league baseball stadiums for a season 18) Recycling 1 ton of paper saves a. 1 tree b. 3 trees c. 17 trees d. 80 trees 19) To produce an aluminum can from bauxite needs a lot of electricity. How much energy is saved when recycled aluminum cans are used? a. 10-15% b. 30-35% c. 70-75% d. 90-95% 20) To produce paper a lot of water is needed. How much water can be saved if recycled paper is used instead of shredded wood? a. 20% b. 40% c. 60% d. 80%
21) Paper recycling is really important! Recycling the print run of a single Sunday issue of the New York Times would spare: a. 850 trees b. 1000 trees c. 5000 trees d. 75000 trees
22) A refrigerator built 20 years ago uses how much more energy than today's energy-efficient models: a. 10% b. 20% c. 70% d. 30%
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23) In a lifetime, the average American will throw away how many times his/her adult weight in garbage. a. 25 times b. 89 times c. 600 times d. 12,000 times
Hint: If you add it up, this means that a 150-lb. adult will leave a legacy of 90,000 lbs of trash for his/her children.
24) Almost half of the average home's energy consumption is used for: a. Lighting b. Heating c. Trash compacting d. Water 25) The junk mail Americans receive in one day could produce enough energy to heat a. Walmart b. 250,000 homes c. The White House for 6 days d. A can of Soup 26) If every household replaced its most often-used incandescent light bulbs with CFLs, electricity use for lighting could be cut by: a. 10% b. 20% c. 50% d. 75% 27) The average bathroom faucet flows at a rate of two gallons per minute. Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth in the morning and at bedtime can save up to: a. 5 quarts a day b. 3 gallons a month c. 25 gallons a month d. 240 gallons a month
Sources: Worldwatch Institute, Pulp & Paper International, International Institute for Environment and Development , Weyerhaeuser , The EarthWorks Group Recycler's Handbook The Recycler's Handbook National Polymers, Inc. http://www.oberlin.edu/recycle/facts.html http://www.keepbanderabeautiful.org/bearspringsblossom/recycle.html
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Lesson 4.1 What is a Call?
Activity: Blind-Folded Shoe Scramble
Rationale for Use:
Our lesson focuses on understanding what a call is and how to discern what we are called to. In order to create some connecting points, this game will cause students to use some other skills and abilities which they normally do not to locate and put on their shoes.
Connections:
After the game, during the Sorting It Out section, students will have the opportunity to discuss this experience, considering such things as: What were some of the clues you looked for or skills you used in order to find your shoes? What did it feel like to not be able to use your eyes(or the way you were used to identifying your shoes) to figure out this problem?
The Game: Blind-Folded Shoe Scramble
Set Up: Blindfolds – enough for everyone in your group An Ipod to run through your music system with a fun ―shoe‖ song ( like Elvis Presley’s ―Blue Suede Shoes‖, or Nancy Sinatra’s – ―These Boots are made for Walkin’‖, if you like the oldies or Emma Roberts’ ―New Shoes…,‖ Run D.M.C. - My Adidas, …whatever you think would work for your group…. you get the picture!) A Whistle A prize if you want
Divide the youth group into two halves if you have a big group. (*If you have a small group, just ask the group to make a big circle and sit in a circle)
Have the two groups sit at opposite ends of the room from each other. Ask everyone to take off their shoes and put them into the middle of the room.
Pass out blindfolds for everyone and make sure they are tied so people can not see. After everyone is blindfolded, have one of your volunteer leaders mix all the shoes up really well. (They can make sure they are all tied as well to make it a bit trickier).
Tell people that the game starts when they hear the music. Explain to them that they have to locate their shoes without looking (peeking) and then they have to put them on and tie them, lace them, buckle them, whatever.
When the whistle blows, the teams count up how many people were able to find their shoes and get them on. The team with the most correct shoes on the correct people wins.
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Lesson 4.2 Burning Bushes
Commotion: What’s My Line
Rationale for Use:
A Take-Off on the retro 60’s game show, this game allows students to test their skills at guessing what a person’s line of work is. The ―guests‖ are assigned various lines of work to Celebrity status and then the ―contestants‖ must ask a series of questions to determine what their ―Line‖ of work really is. This activity begins to get students thinking a bit about the kind of questions they would ask to determine what it is that someone does.
Connections: In the Sorting It Out section, take some time to ask a few questions about this activity. What types of questions were asked? How did students hone in on which direction to move as they tried to figure out what the person did? How might this be like the way we answer these questions about call, career and future for ourselves? What questions do we need to be asking? In what ways do the Focal Points writers point to some of these same resources for discernment?
The Game: What’s My Line
Set Up:
A Folding Table 3 Chairs A podium An overhead projector -or- a chalkboard/whiteboard Slips of paper with professions or famous people on them, then folded in half A hat or bowl to draw the names from A scorekeeper ( can tally ―no‖ answers on the white board as well) Prizes if desired
Have the table and chairs set up in the front of the room facing the group. Behind the table either set up a chalk board, white board or a screen to project from an overhead projector. ( If Using the overhead projector use transparency film with a white board marker which can be erased and re-used.) Be sure to have the slips of paper with some fun occupations and people on them. The fun of the game lies in the uniqueness factor of the jobs!
Set the podium to the side for use by the ―Guest‖
1. Select 3 people from your group to be the panelist contestants. Seat them at the table with their backs to any of the above writing implements and tell them not to turn around and ―Peek‖ or they will be penalized. 2. Choose a person from the group at random to be the ―Guest.‖ Have them pick a name/occupation from a hat or bowl. 3. Instruct the group that the Contestants will be asking yes or no questions to try and determine the occupation of the person (or name if it is a celebrity). Further explain that each contestant can ask a follow-up question if they get a ―yes‖ answer to their first question. Once the contestants get 10 ―no‖ responses between them, the game is over and the ―guest‖ wins. 43
4. Remind the contestants not to look at the board. 5. Have the ―Guest‖ sign in with their occupation or name (if famous) 6. Begin the game.
For an example of how the game is played, here is a ―You Tube‖ link to an episode of the 60’s show…
You’ll see in the ―Mystery Celebrity‖ clip that the panelists are blindfolded. This obviously won’t be necessary as your students will be pretending to be these famous people (unless of course you want to costume them to look like the people!)
Celebrity Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw5SLhDvbR8&feature=PlayList&p=0FE015FD2EB6B6F0& playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=8
Job Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3xJoLh0SNY
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Lesson 4.3 Dry Runs
Commotion: Practice Makes Perfect
Rationale for Use:
This game uses a relay race format to get students moving and to give them a chance to do some things that they may not necessarily be good at. In the process of trying these things, students will be faced with the reality that those who have actually had time to ―practice‖ these things are better at them. This game works best if you know your group and can adjust the skill sets for the race to be ones which will accent strengths and weaknesses.
Connections:
Our experiences help us both to find those things at which we excel and to get better at some of the things which come naturally. Equally, experiences help us to rule out those things which just are ―not us.‖
The Game: Practice Makes Perfect
Set Up:
This game works best in a gym or large room setting. Have all of the instruction slips and supplies at one end of the room. Line up your teams relay style at the other end of the room.
Have one Staffer with a whistle to send the team off to the front. Have another person be the judge up front, who makes the call as to who did the best job at the task.
When the whistle is blown, one person from each team races to the front and one grabs a slip of paper containing a challenge from the hat. They read the slip and then each takes turns performing whatever skill it says.
Examples could be:
Play your best song on the piano Do your 3 best ballet moves Pretend to be a mime that is stuck in a box Sing the Star Spangled Banner Do a Handstand Say something that you memorized in a foreign language Juggle a soccer ball for 1 minute Play a song on the clarinet Play a song on the violin (use a cheap one that you don’t need to worry about….) Do a river dance/clog dance Recite a poem that you memorized Do a back walk over Etc.
Have enough slips and challenges so that each person can go twice (since they are competing against each other, that would equal 1 slip per person in the group)
After each person goes, the judge picks the winning team for each challenge and gives them a checkmark on the scoreboard. The winning team gets a prize.
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Lesson 4.4 Seize the Opportunity
Activity: Two Heads Are Better than One
Rationale for Use: This game is intended to point up some thoughts related to partnering or collaborating. Partners are required to do a number of tasks in relay race style which make them focus their efforts as they work together. During the Sorting it Out section, later in the lesson, be sure to engage in conversation around some of the ways that being linked to another person was helpful, frustrating, give students time to laugh and remember the disasters that may have occurred as well.
Connections:
We will always find times in our lives where we will work together with other people. Taking the opportunity to know ourselves well and to understand what the challenges of working together are for us will enhance those experiences in the future.
The Game: Two Heads Are Better Than One
Items needed:
Two pairs of larger size jeans –Can be purchased at a thrift store Two oversized shirts (double XXL) – Can be purchased at a thrift store (Large sweatshirts can be substituted for button shirts if desired) A large headband made of a piece of cloth, large enough to go around two heads.
2 Large Marbles 4 small plastic cups of water 2 balloons 2 jump ropes 4 Pieces of bubblegum
A prize if you would like
Set Up: Divide the group into two teams and have each person pick a partner on their team.
Have the teams line up in pairs. The first pair stands next to each other while their team mates help them get dressed. They must put on the pair of pants by each putting the leg closest to their partner into the jeans and then zipping them up. (This will obviously end up with a bunchy awkward look) They then put the shirt on backwards with their outside arm going through the sleeve and the team mates can button the shirt in the back (if it reaches) Team mates then have the pair hold their heads together and put a headband around their heads and tie it off (not over the eyes!) The headband should be tight or they will be conking heads together while trying to do their task. This may be more easily accomplishes if the pair put their inside arms around each other…)
The Object of the Game is to be the first team to complete all tasks successfully.
The task for the first pair is to get a balloon from one end to the other and back by blowing it into the air. (if it falls to the floor they must toss it back up and keep blowing it from below)
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The task for the second pair is to get on their hands and knees and push a marble across the floor with their nose (either nose) across the line and back.
The task for the third pair is to jump rope across the line and back
The task for the fourth pair is to have them walk to the line at the other end, and have each pick up a cup of water and help their ―opposite head‖ to drink the entire cup. Then return to the start line.
The fifth pair is to run to the opposite end, pick up two pieces of bubble gum, unwrap them chew them and blow a bubble before returning to the start line. If you have a group that like to get grossed out, just use one piece of gum per pair and have one head chew the gum and the other head blow the bubble.
If there are more people than 10 per team (5 pairs), consider dividing up into 3 teams.
Each time a pair returns, the team must help them get the extra clothes off and then help ―dress‖ the next team.
The first team to get all their pairs back across the finish line wins. If you have a prize for the team, let them know what it is!
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