In pairs, one person is the Engineer the other is the Robot. The engineer gives the robot instructions. The robot does exactly what z is instructed to do, if possible in the spirit of "yes, and...". It is okay for the robot to fail to perform an action -- that requires the engineer to adapt the instruction. This will be most interesting if the instructions are creative: write a poem, pretend to eat ice cream, explain the meaning of life...
Variations:
Sound shiritori, joker is judge of sound match, uses silent way to help people find the right sound.
Play --> Ace (or eight...)
No words ending in -ing.
Can combine with sound color chart that shows letter combinations per sound, but point is more to get people to stop thinking visually (letters) and think aurally instead.
For centuries board games have been used for entertainment, propaganda, and education. Monopoly was based on the Landlord Game, which was designed by followers of Henry George to education people about Land Rent and the single tax. Coopoly is designed to teach the challenges of running a worker cooperative. Some Japanese sugoroku games present bildungsromans or cautionary tales.
Excellent guide to instructions for games:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gv1WqLwVWeagmJiWVuvOeXHbTA4MEpXGV2yV...
Work & Education, Past and Future Sugoroku Process Notes
Standing in a circle, a group of five to ten people. The joker hands the first player an index card with a word on it (or an object or picture). Player 1 has to ask Player 2 a question based on that word. Player two answers, then does the same for Player 3, etc.
Idea for an activity: in trios, one player is the couch potato, the other two are actors in a TV show. The actors improvise a dialogue. At any time, the couch potato can say, "mute!" as if hitting the mute button on a remote control. When s/he does that, the players continue their dialogue without any sound.
The players have to pay attention so that when the couch potato turns off the mute, they have something to say.
In pairs, person one greets person two. Person two has trouble understanding everything that person one says and asks for clarification twice or three times. Example:
1: Hi Yolanda! How are you?
2: I'm sorry, what did you say?
1: I said, "How are you?"
2: I'm sorry I don't understand.
1: How are you feeling?
2: Oh, fine. Thank you. How are you?
1: Fine.
2: What?
1: I said I am fine.
2: I'm sorry, I don't understand...
Do for a short time, two minutes or so, then switch roles.
Joker calls on people.
Go round.
Me --> You
Random distribution of playing cards, then go high to low, by suit...
One fun idea, use playing cards and have people with black suits (Spades, Clubs) tell the truth and people with Red suits tell a lie.
Gayatri Spivak says that Jacques Derrida told her one must always say "yes" to a text twice before criticizing.
In this activity, you write something from a point of view that you dislike, then find two positive things in what you wrote before criticizing...
Or you find something you don't like (song, art work, etc) and say yes twice....
Idea for an activity...
In pairs or trios, have one person perform/write/speak/etc.
Others have to observe carefully and identify what is going right.
The idea is to listen/read supportively and to place feedback on a positive foundation. Also, to practice saying yes twice to a text. (Derrida)
