Puzzle and History Card

Puzzle and History Card
-(Language Game, More ESD Activities, Improve Listening and Observation)-

This is a simple game that can be used to tell about history (village, town, people history, etc). As an alternative, this method can also be use to learn English or local language. A group of participant, or single participant can play this game in approximately 5 to 20 minutes (it depends with difficulty level)

Objectives:
Participants are invited to understand more deeply about history and how history may affects the current conditions in the area
 
Time allocation: approximately 5-20 minutes
Tools and materials: some history cards (with picture and naration)

Step by Step:

• Write a history, divide it into 10-20 paragraph and put each paragraph in one card. You also can draw pictures in the card to make it cool. All of these cards, we call it "Puzzle and History Card Package".
• Facilitator gives participants a card package which has been scrambled.
• Facilitator tells participants to work together to arrange the pieces of card over the past five minutes into right sequence.
• After five minutes the facilitator asks participants to present their cards (to tell story based on card sequence). Facilitator may asks their opinion.
• After they expressed opinion, facilitator set the cards into right sequence, and re-tell the whole story again.

Facilitation Tips:

• Make story and translate it into 3 different language (example, I divide it into Indonesian, English and Sundanese (Indonesian local language) in one package of card. So participants will need more time to ask somebody (friend) who fluent in other language - and because of that they will learn other language or culture from different people.
•  Facilitators are expected not only re-read cards, but add the story outside the story cards so that participants get more informations.
• Don't forget to remember correct sequence before scramble the cards :) 

To see puzzle and history cards example, you can download  here

Devil Number Game

Devil Number Game

-(Improve Listening and Observation, Math Game, Ice Breaker)

Whooaaa... I am writing again. This time I will give you a simple game (I got it from Mr Agus Mulyana when he manage our strategic plan before).

To play this game, at least we need about 20 people. Make a circle, and start counting, so everybody get their number. After that, tell people to remember their own number.

The rule is simple: first I will shout a number. People that have this number will shout another number, and  this game will continue until somebody is make mistake (such as too long to answer). People who makes mistake are eliminated.

There are another rules:
1). Never mention the number in your right and left side. Example: people number 5 can not shout number 4 and 6.
2). Never mention the number people already gone. It's devil number.

So the game will depend on people concentration. Re-start the number after every mistake. After some mistakes, it will be more difficult to remember the devil number.

Play the game. It's fun and people always love it :)

Picture taken from purplenote.wordpress.com

Folding Paper

Folding Paper
-(Improve Listening and Observation, Facilitation Technique, Communications)-

This is a game that we can use to demonstrate that it easy for even simple instructions to be misinterpreted by the recipient, especially if ambigous words are used, or the recipient does not (or cannot) ask for clarification.

My friend Abdul Waheed Jamali from Pakistan used this method in a training held by ANGOC a year ago. My friend from Indonesia also used this method a couple years ago, so I think it is a universal game that has been played everywhere.

Needs
Several square / rectangle paper sheets

Method
- Give paper to all participants.
- Tell participants to obey these two rules: 1. each person must close their eyes during activity, and 2. they may not ask any questions
- Instruct them to fold their paper:

a. Fold in half and tear off the bottom right corner of the paper.
b. Fold the paper in half again, tear off the upper right hand corner.
c. Fold the paper in half again, tear off lower left hand corner.
d. Fold the paper in half again, tear off in the middle of paper.

- Instruct them to open their eyes and display the unfolded paper to each other and all the audience.

Discussion
There is a great probability that they will not all be the same. Use the following questions to start teh debriefing:
- What words in the instructions could be interpreted in different ways?
- How could the directions have been clearer to reduce the ambiguity?
- How can we encourage people ask for clarification when they do not understand something?
- Also relate this exercises with posibility that sometimes it is not instructor fault, but also depend with participants (community) ability to interprete instructions. Local knowledge, language barrier, experience also affect their action.

And hey, don't forget to clean all the paper after finish doin all this thing ^_^

Source : Participatory Learning and Action, A Trainer's Guide by Jules N Pretty, Irene Guijt, John Thompson, Ian Scoones - modified by Indra N Hatasura 

Five Wind Directions

Five Wind Directions
-(Nature Game, More ESD Activities, Facilitation Technique, Discussion, Communication, Enhancing Group Dynamics, Improve Listening and Observation, Analysis )-

This is a very interesting game we played about a year ago in ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) training in Bogor. This is a method that we can play again and again for many topics because its flexibility with issues.

Mr. M Saleh from JPL (Jaringan Pendidikan Lingkungan) / Indonesian Environment Education Network show us this game and we do a lot of discussion in this game regarding some hot issues.

This "Five Wind Direction" (sorry, I rename this game cos I don't know its real name) I think is one of the game that very effective to share information between participants.

There is no conclusion in this game since the goal of this game is to collect information and to brainstorm participants

Needs
About 15-50 participants (advance level)

First you must tell a story, and ask questions. Let say:
"In Bogor (where they lived), particularly in Pamoyanan village (where most of them have school), there is a plan about building a big factory complex. Many people feel happy cos they think it will open many opportunities for people who seek job, and the other thinks the opposite: it will pollute the river, destroy the small forest near the village and damage water reservement"

Ask participants
- Who agree (>75%) with factory complex build stand in north point
- Who disagree (<25%)>
- Who "kind of agree" (>50%) with factory complex build stand in west point
- Who "kind of disagree" (<50%)>

After first step ask someone who wants to give opinion about their stand. Facilitate other participants to give other opinion and let them exchange information and discussion.

Participants can move and stand in other direction after some opinions (let say, after every 5 opinions given, or every 3 minutes).
You will see that there is some change about their stand after some opinions being talked.

As facilitator you can give some new information while the discussion happened. Ask key questions to participants when they give opinion.

Don't worry... yes, maybe it can be a hot discussion between participants... keep be a good facilitator ^^ ! Don't forget to do some hand shake between participants after this game...

Ah yes, why I name this game: five wind direction, because sometimes there are participants who become extremely poled, or a participant who didn't choose any direction (always moving every time) - that's the fifth wind direction: extreme pole, or as a wanderer (joke ^^)

Draw and Stick the Interview

Draw and Stick the Interview
-(More ESD Activities, Diagramming and Evaluation, Facilitation Technique, Improve Listening and Observation)-

We have played this activity in July 09 when we facilitate some teenager from TOTAL E&P INDONESIE, when we held a Green Camp for their family.

First, we divide participants into a group consist 4-6 teens. We facilitate them to make a discussion with the villager. Each group had different topics, that is health, culture, education, economic and environment issues.

We told that although they have different issues, they may ask anything, because a lot of things are related and the info should help them make a better understanding about the situation.

We gave them this question:
1. What is the situation there? Is there any problem?
2. Which people / stakeholder is involved in this situation?
3. If the situation is not ideal, can you give us the ideal situation?
4. What is the reflection / insight for yourself regarding this situation?
5. Is there anything that you can do to make this situation better?

Notes: this questions are replaceable. We gave this key question only to help them understand better. The use of this question is not in the interview process, but in presentation activity.

After that we split into groups and for some couple hours the kids stay with villagers.

The presentation needs a large paper with some glue, scissor, decoration paper, spidol, or crayon.

The rules are simple: only one kids in a group can draw, write or stick something in large paper while their friend only can watch the working one. After 1 or 2 minutes we may blow the whistle and number 2 will replace number 1 draw, write a poem, stick leaves or anything that can describe the situation they catch from the interview / discussion.

After the whistle blow, number 2 is replaced by number 3 and so on. Back to number 1 again after final number.

Hints:
- You also can make number 3 and 4 go together with special rules (modification). The order is like this : After next whistle, 2 kids will go together.
- In final minutes, lets make them stand together... "after next whistle, all do the draw..."

You will be amazed how good their presentation will be. Still first they must describe their writing, drawing, poems, etc and we can use the key qestioner to help them explain better about the situation, their feel and their ideas to the people.

Well, social analysis topics can be fun and colorful too, right?

Nature Color 2

Nature Color 2
-(Nature Game, Improve Listening and Observation)-

The idea is to collect something from environment that can describe color gradation from red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, to purple. This rainbow color is just for example: the idea is not to stick just for this rainbow color, let the kid decide what is beautiful for them.

They things they collected must be a wood, rock, sand, leaves, seed, flower or something natural (not plastic or other artificial things).

Read "Nature Color game" in this site and you will more understand how it work.

Needs
Hard paper, glue or double sided tape

In this activity, we can bring the children to the garden or outdoor environment. Give them 30 minutes to one hour to collect things and arrange it to show color gradation.

Hints
- Don't stay in basic rules, just to fill box with rainbow color. I think the box in the paper is not necessary at all. I only show you because it make you easier to imagine. It is good to see there are pale brown, oak brown, light brown, dark brown, chocolate brown and more...
- Or you can make a topic : like one group collecting red and green, and other group collecting grey and purple things.

Discussion
- Discuss about the things they foung, like seeds and tree biology, geology (if they found sand and rocks), economy (if they found some plant/fruit that being use to be a natural color for some handicraft)
- Talk about how they should pay more attention to the nature if they want to become an artist, because they can get a lot of inspiration from the nature ^^

Message In a Row

Message In a Row
-(Nature Game, Improve Listening and Observation, Communication)-

Message in a row is is a communication skill game, that can be modified into "a more nature game". The game is quite fun and easy to play too. I got the old version from my friend M. Yasin in RMI, and I modified it to discuss about reproduction, genetics, mutation and environment issues.

Needs
Nothing, 10 participants or more (better)

The game is simple. We must send a message from behind to the front of our group by tapping in our friend back / shoulder. No words are saying or we will get disqualified. For the front man, they will tell the message saying by do some move (we will learn the move later).

For 20 participants or more, we can make a competition between groups. Divide participants into groups of 10 people.

After children / adults make a fine row, they will face to the front. For a competition game, make a distance between groups. Then you tell them the orders (remember the move! Demonstrate the move )

3 taps : front man will do a sit up
4 taps : front man will shout "HEY !!!" loudly (to one of their opponents if this is a competition game)
5 taps : front man will stand in a chair and do salute (you also provide a chair in front of the front man)
6 taps : front man will do attack mode (like ULTRAMAN attack mode, you decide what it's like)
7 taps : front man will stand up in a chair and pose like a body building model ( ^_^)

After they repeat the order by themselves (so they will remember the move), the game will begin. First, you go to the back, tell the last man the number by writing (then you go to the front again, and in your order, let the game begin). Don't forget to tell them, there are no sound beside the clap sound.

After the first man (the man in the first row) do a move you are agree with, you ask to the group, is the message correct? Do some rounds (5 to 8 round) to look is there any change in their strategy. For the competition game, speed and correct answer will decide which group is the winner.

To relate this game to environment topics (well, beside communication we also can relate it to other topics) you can ask :
- If the process describe us about living creature reproduction (breeding, etc) and genetic's, try to relate it with mutation...
- What is mutation ?
- Try to find nature factors that can increase mutation probability
- Try to discuss evolution and mutation topics
- What is the benefit and disadvantage of the genetic code modification by human?
- You go on... try to relate it with another issues...

Picture taken from http://1.bp.blogspot.com

Guess My Name

Guess My Name
-(Nature Game, Facilitation Technique, Improve Listening and Observation, Enhancing Group Dynamics, )-

This activity is a nature game. It is fun and we can do it in a class room or an open area. Our purpose is to know different kind of animal, plant diversity (or something else if we want to develop and relate this game more : like in social issues - city name, village, tribe,...), so we can always practice environment issue with biology, social, geography with this kind of game.

Needs:
Handkerchief (optional), some game card (we create it)

First, for teachers, we have to make some game card related with our topics (is it about knowing animals? Is it about knowing plant diversity ? - (more advance: is it about local tribe knowledge ; or is it about city/village social knowledge)? This game is very flexible.

Cut a nice picture for the card. You can make it big enough, so the children can see it clearly. This is some example about what things we can do with this card
Animal diversity: deer, jelly fish, pig, worm, shark, sea snake,...
Plant diversity: tomato, chilly, coconut tree, banana tree, other tree,...
Profession: farmer, teacher, ...
Social knowledge: city, village, country name, tribe
Tools : computer, knife, paper map

The game we played needs some participants. We divide kids into 2 groups (each about 3-5 kids). Then we give the cards to them. In round one, one group try to guess what card that the other group have. They can ask about 10 time, which the other groups answer is one of this answer : yes, no, yes-no, or not sure. Not clear answer means that the first group must ask a more clear question

The facilitator only give the first clue like : living creature, profession, country, or more speciall clue like : it can breath (for monkey), or it can be from wood (paper map).

The example for kids that guessing a Banana Tree is like this:
Facilitator: It is a living creature
Q1 : Is it an animal? A1 : No
Q2 : Is it moving? A2 : Yes - No
Q3 : Is it a plant? A3 : Yes
Q4 : Is it have a fruit? A4 : Yes
Q5 : Is it a tropical plant? A5 : Yes
Q6: Is the fruit have a hard skin? A6 : No
Q7: Is their fruit have a green skin? A7 : Yes - No
Q8: Is their fruit consist a lot of water in it? A8 : Not Clear
Q8 : We mean, when we eat it, there is a taste a lot of water in it? A8: Not sure, but Yes
Q9 : Is the fruit flesh is generally red? A9 : No
Q10 : Is the fruit flesh is generally white / yellow? A10 : Yes

Facilitator : Ok, let guess !
Answer : It's a manggo tree (wrong answer). Then the other group show the picture of Banana Tree. 0 - 1 to the answering group!

Some example of animal topic card

For beginner, play with more question limit (maybe 15 question or you can make a time limit (example 5 minutes, rather than 2 minutes). Remember, you can also play this nature game with modifications:
- Play with single player versus groups (as who will guess or answer the question). If the single player play as the "guesser" he/she can stand in opposite direction with the picture in his/her back.
- Play with more topics, like geography, profession, science, and still you can make relation with environmental issues (or not). Just keep the first clue "environmental friendly" ; like "this thing can make you easier doing your environmental proposal" (answer: computer) ; or "this tribe have local knowledges in farming method" (answer : Dayak Tribe in Borneo).
- Even you can play this game with local languange to integrate it with your culture
- Have fun, integrate this environmental education into a sustainable development issue :) !!!

Meet the Tree

Meet The Tree

-(Nature Game)-

When we walk through a forest, or maybe a garden we see many trees around us. Sometimes they look very different one to another, and sometimes we didn't.

To make children and adult know better about tree characteristic, we can do this game. It's a fun game, you can make contest between 2 teams.

Needs
Handkerchief

Try to do this game in a place where there are many trees. First pick one volunteer. Use the handkerchief to make sure the kid can't see anything. And then you guide the kid - take his/her hand and walk, wandering all around the place for about 1 to 2 minutes to make the kid lost orientation.

Don't forget, all other kids have to keep quiet, because this can make first step failed.

And then pick one tree. Make sure he/she feel the root, the surface of the tree skin, and how big is the tree. Then after 1 to 2 minutes, we will be back to the group, oh course not directly walk to the group because then it will be easy for him/her to guess.

As you already know, after the kid came back to the group and open his/her eyes, he/she must guess corectly which tree he/she meet. They must guess only 1 time without came back to the tree. But after the answer, they can check the tree directly to make sure they have the right answer.

For a larger group you can pick up more than 1 volunteer, holding hands together while walking.