Chapter 14: Be Worthy of Trust Exercise

This is an improvisation for older kids.

This is done with two participants who are going to “act out” a situation.

It is important that the remainder of the group observes exactly what happens in the scene, especially as far as emotions go.

Set up a chair or two and tell them to imagine that this is their living room.

Tell both that their relationship is either brother-sister, brother-brother as appropriate.

Tell them that they are very close and really trust one another and there is no one that they want to do better than their partner in this exercise. And that they both rely on each other to take care of their things while they are away.

Tell both that one, choose at this point which, is coming home from a big tournament, volleyball, etc., and their team won the “big game.” They are champs and this is the most important thing to ever happen to that person and telling bro of sis is what they have been waiting for.

Send that person, who won the tournament, to an adjacent room where he/she can’t hear what is being said.

Tell the remaining actor that while his brother/sister was away he left the gate open and his brother/sister’s dog got out and got hit by a car and is dead. He has to break the news knowing how happy he/she will be coming home but even so that you have to do this terrible duty.

Then have the person out of the room come back in and they play the scene. The other students shouldn’t say anything to give anything away, just watch.

The scene usually goes as you expect, most of the time with one very happy person coming in and one very nervous person breaking the news. It brings the happy one down and they often “synchronize” on an emotion, at least for a moment.

Let it play out to a good stopping point and then get applause and then ask the group what they observed. Steer the discussion towards emotions and point out that by leaving the gate open, violating trust, it had a strong affect.

This is a very entertaining exercise, usually best with older kids.

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