Keep Playing!
Week 25
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Game of the Week
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Game of the Week
Pulse
This week, Playworks is featuring a fun game that will challenge students to work together to accomplish a task as a team.
Goal: Work together to help everyone on your team finish the relay race.
Goal: Work together to help everyone on your team finish the relay race.
Skill Focus
Teamwork
Working together to achieve a common goal.
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People to play:
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Best for ages:
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Setup time:
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Equipment:
Play In-Person
Play Virtually
How to Play
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Game leader selects a student to “start” the game.
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The assigned starter will select a rhythmic “pulse” that will be secretly passed by gently tapping their feet to all members of their team.
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When the game leader says the magic start word, the starter will begin tapping the rhythmic “pulse” on the foot of a classmate next to them.
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When that member receives the “pulse”, they need to quickly pass it to another member of their team by gently tapping their foot.
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After they pass the “pulse,” students should cross their arms on their chest to show the other students that they have already received the “pulse.”
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Students will continue to pass the “pulse” to each player or until all members have received it.
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The last student to receive the “pulse” must do an action, sing a song or touch an object to signal that their team has finished.
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Play at least 2-3 rounds and select new game starters or team leads each round.
Game Debrief
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Did your team change strategy from one round to the next? How did you decide on those changes?
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What were some challenges we faced in working together as a team successfully?
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What are some strategies we can use to motivate our team to work together?
Modifications
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Age Modifications:
For older students, play as a visual version of ‘telephone.’ Leader gives the first person on each team a word to draw. Those students draw the word and then show the second person in line. The second person then writes what they think the word is and show the next person.
Continue alternating, drawing, and writing until everyone has had a chance to go, then take a look at all of the words and drawings and debrief. -
Academic Application:
Pick a word or sentence that is related to something you’ve been learning in an academic subject, and play as a visual version of ‘telephone.’Prior to beginning the relay, the leaders should communicate that the secret word is related to that subject (ex. Math, Science, Language Arts, Social Studies, Art, Music, PE, Recess, etc.). -
Challenge Ideas:
Play as a time trial: Challenge all the whole group to stand in a circle and see how quickly they can pass the pulse around.
Keep track of the best times and work together to improve them.
Brain Break of the Week
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Brain Break of the Week
True or False
This week, Playworks is featuring a Brain Break called True or False. Save the free poster to refer to when you need it!
Free Resources
Get the Poster
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How to Play
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Before You Start: Have players stand either next to or behind their table/desk and prepare a list of true/false statements (“The capital of New York state is Albany”)
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Explain that you will be calling out a series of statements. If a player believes that a statement is true they will be asked to use one hand and show a thumbs up, but if they think that a statement is false they will be asked to use one hand and show a thumbs down.
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If a player is correct about the statement being true or false, they will continue standing and move on to the next round.
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If a player is incorrect about a statement being true or false, they will be asked to sit down until the game is finished.
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The game will end once there is one person left standing, or if there is no one left standing.
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Once you are finished, have everyone stand back up and try another round!
Modifications
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Try this Variation:
Arrange players in a circle. When a student is incorrect, they step away from the initial circle and form a new one as additional incorrect players join them.
Announcement of the Week
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Announcement of the Week
Email Template
Use the template below as you communicate with your team about the Game of the Week, Pulse and how it contributes to building teamwork skills.
Free Resources
How to Use it
Simply copy & paste the text below into your email.
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For the month of March we are focusing on the theme of relationship skills. Relationship skills help you navigate the complexity of relating to and building connections with others.
This week we are focusing on teamwork, which means that every person in a group has a voice and a hand in helping to achieve the group’s goal. Teamwork is an important skill that can help us develop our leadership, communication and creative thinking abilities, and it’s essential to our game of the week, Pulse.Teamwork and Pulse can be challenging at first, just remember to keep playing and working towards success. Teach students to play in class, and then empower them to lead the game and teach others!
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Games Library:
Quick Tips
Looking to build skills? We've got you covered.
Find games that support skill development
Select a skill focus from the list below, then copy and paste it into the search bar to see games that develop that skill.
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Accepting Help
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Accurate Self Perception
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Active Listening
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Appreciating Diversity
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Building Community
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Empathy
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Growth Mindset
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Identifying Characteristics
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Identifying Emotions
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Impulse Control
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Inclusion
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Integrity
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Perspective Taking
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Physical Self Awareness
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Resilience
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Respect
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Self Awareness
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Self Confidence
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Self Management
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Self Motivation
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Social Awareness
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Stress Management
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