Workshop 2

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CHAPTER 2

Workshop’s duration// 45-50 min.
Location// indoor, in the classroom
Equipment needed// none

Learning objectives 

  1. Providing the opportunity to express and communicate personal needs and opinions/views

  2. Active listening and understanding of other people’s thoughts

  3. Explore the 3 different types of conflict resolution

  4. Managing negative feelings and big emotions

  5. Boost the acceptance of diversity 

Core competencies// self improvement (imagination and body activation), participation, self-control, cooperation, flexible thinking, problem-solving
Keywords// conflict resolution, collaboration, negotiation, win-win, win-lose, lose-lose 

Energizer (5 min.)

Different points of view Invite students to form random pairs and play rock, paper, scissor by
following the instructions below: 

  1. Each time the losing student of the pair goes behind the winner, touching his/her shoulders, creating a row and cheering the winner’s name.
  2. After several rounds among the winners, two final rows of students are formed. Each row has a big winner in front, followed by the losing players cheering his name. It doesn’t matter if they are not equal.
  3. Invite the two rows to stand facing each other, having a distance of 3 big steps between them. In this free space, place a piece of paper with the number 696 written on it.
  4. Ask the two groups which number they see. Each group reads a different number, 696 or 969. Which team is right? Which number is the correct number?

Preparation activity (10 min.) 

The 6 steps Guide for conflict resolution
The following steps will help the two groups to find a solution to the above conflict. First read and then apply each step to the previous problem: 

  1. Calm down and take 3 deep breaths
  2. Identify the problem. What is the problem?
  3. Listen to the other side. What number do they see?
  4. Present the 3 different types of solutions by using the happy/sad emojis from the additional material. If not, draw the corresponding emojis on the board to help students visualize the concepts. 
    –  lose-lose, solutions in which neither party benefits. Nobody is right, they can’t come to a mutually acceptable solution.
    –  win-lose, solutions in which only one party benefits at the expense of the other. One group takes for granted that is right and forces the other group to back down without a logical argument.
    –  win-win, solutions which allow both parties to benefit. They understand each other’s position and find a common agreement.
  5. Evaluate the solutions. Encourage the two groups to vote on the final type of solution that would satisfy everyone.
  6. Find a win-win solution. 

Tips:

  • If players have not yet considered switching to the other side and checking the number, you can encourage them to do so.
  • To support you, here is the answer for a win-win solution: Both groups accept that they have different views. When they change positions they realize that they were both right. In this way they agree that this particular number depends on which side you read it. 
  • If you don’t feel comfortable with the words win-lose feel free to use the words happy-unhappy. 

Main activity (20 min.) 

“On the way to the Olympics” scenario 
Your students have the role of athletes. They are members of the famous Olympic team called “Dreamers” and their mission is to travel by a bus to compete in the Olympic Games!

1. Ask them to create the bus, in the middle of the room, by forming pairs standing  behind each other. They only have 2 min. 

2. The journey begins. But the bus can only move to the sound of your clapping hands. 

So a clap means a step forward. At this point you can improvise for 2 min. by  clapping and changing the tempo. Gradually the bus slows down and stops. 

3. Time to create a problem: The bus ran out of gasoline! There is no signal to call for roadside assistance and it’s a rural road. The nearest gas station is 3 miles away and the athletes have only twenty hours to get to the Olympic stadium.  One of them has to walk that distance to get gas in time. But no one is willing to do 

that. The athletes know that the liters of gasoline are extremely heavy so they will not have energy for the races. 

4. The athletes together have to find 3 different solutions based on the 3 types of conflict resolution presented earlier. For each type they have 3 min. 

5. Then they should vote which of the 3 solutions they will follow. When they choose, encourage them to present it as a still image. 

Tips : 

  • We suggest that for each type of solution you encourage your students to vote for different options.  
  • Be open to your students’ suggestions as there are different alternatives that could work. To inspire you, below are some possible solutions: 
  • lose-lose: No one agrees to go to the gas station and so they lose the opportunity to participate in the Games. 
  •  win-lose: They randomly select only one athlete to carry the gasoline. This way everyone will be at the stadium on time and rested, except for that athlete who will run out of energy and miss the races. 
  • win-win: They find a way to share the gas weight/distance from the gas station to the bus. That way, no one runs out of energy and everyone arrives on time and competes in the Games.

Reflection time (10 min.)

Create a circle with chairs and ask your students to take a seat. The following questions will help you stimulate discussion.

  1. Do all people have the same point of view/opinion always? Is this useful?

  2. How have you made your team’s decision? What steps did you follow?

  3. In case you don’t find a solution in a conflict,how do you feel?

  4. In the last activity you all had to find a solution to satisfy everyone in the team. Did you feel your opinion was heard and respected?

  5. What type of conflict resolution do you prefer the most?

  6. Do you have any group decisions made in your class/family that made everyone happy in the end?

  7. If a solution is made by the majority of the members of a group and not all of them, do you think the minority still believes it is fair?

Conclusion ritual
Hands together in the center of the circle. Then all together scream “1,2,3 Olympic power team” by shaking hands.