Title of Icebreaker: “Trolleys”

 

Grade Level: 6-8

 

Creative Art: Movement

 

Modality: Group

 

Duration: 15 minutes

 

Materials:

-large classroom

-duct tape

 

Instruction (10 minutes):

1. Create two lengths of duct tape per group, and place the tape strips parallel on the floor, sticky side up. Depending on the group size, allow more/less tape.

2. Have all members of each group step onto their parallel tape strips.

3. The entire group must step onto the tape, ensuring that each group member has each foot on each of the two strips of tape, as if they were on skis.

4. The groups must travel from a starting point, to an end point without coming unstuck from the tape, without breaking the tape and without losing any group members.

 

Debrief (5 minutes): 

Discuss the activity, asking questions to help them understand what keeps them from moving forward in their lives, such as:

 

-When did they last appear to be moving forward better?

-What was different when they were moving better?

-How were they able to move forward, even a little?

-What skills do they have that can help them move forward?

-How were they able to keep from going backward (or getting worse?)

-How do their peer groups keep them stuck?

-How can communication prevent them from getting stuck?

-When the communication lines get broken, what happens?

-How can they repair the lines of communication?

-When was the last time they had better communication? What was different? How? What else?

-What was the student doing instead that made communication better?

 

 

 

adapted from:

Schonberg, A. & Fulthrop, K. (2013). Duct tape adventures. ASCA School Counselor, 51.

Retrieved from: http://schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/magazine/archives/septoct2013.pdf