Version: February 2017 Beth Bartel, Outreach Specialist, bartel@unavco.org

Improvisation Games for Science Communication A few select games for team and skill building Thefollowinggamesareactivitiesgearedtowardimprovingcommunicationskills.Thesegameswerenotdevelopedby,buthavebeenusedby,UNAVCO.AListeningChallenge

• Participantsinpairs(standingorsitting)• DefineParticipantAandParticipantB• Facilitatorasksaquestion.Itdoesn’thavetohaveanythingtodowithscience;itcouldbe,“Whatwas

yourfavoritethingaboutyesterday,andwhy?”• AasksBthequestion• AmustthenONLYLISTEN.Theycannodandmm-hmmandgiveotherphysicalindicationsthattheyare

listening,buttheyarenotallowedtosayanything,noteventoaskafollow-upquestion.• Switch,withthesamequestionoradifferentone• Reflect:Howdidthatfeel?Howdidyouknowwhethersomeonewaslistening?

Thiscanfeelcontrivedanddifficult,butisintendedtoexploretheideathatlisteningisaskill,anditcanbeharderforsomeofusthanotherstodoitanddoitwell.WhatAreYouDoing?

• Participantsinacircle,standing• Pickwhogoesfirst(A);theystartimprovisinganactionoftheirchoosing,e.g.fishing• Thepersontotheirleft(B)asks,Whatareyoudoing?• Arepliesbystatinganaction,e.g.collectingrocksamples• BthenactsoutA’sstatedaction,e.g.collectingrocksamples• ThepersontotheleftofBasksB,Whatareyoudoing?• Theprocesscontinues,movingclockwisearoundthecircle

Thisgameismainlyforfun,breakingtension,practicingthinkingonyourfeet,andlistening.It’sagoodwarm-uptoothergames,orsimplyawaytomovealittleafterasessionofclassroomsitting.What’sintheBox?

• Participantsinpairs,sittingorstanding• DefineParticipantAandParticipantB• AssigneitherAtobethekeeperofabox• InviteAtodefinetheirbox’ssizeandshapewiththeirhands• InviteBtoaskaboutwhatisinthebox

o Thechallenge:Bmaynotaskanyyesornoquestions• AinventsanswerstoeachofB’squestions• Switch

Version: February 2017 Beth Bartel, Outreach Specialist, bartel@unavco.org

• Reflect:Whattypesofquestionsworkedwell,andwhichdidn’t?Thisgameexploresquestionsthatleadtoconversation.Italsoallowsthebox-holdertopracticethinkingontheirfeet.Asavariation,havethebox-holderaskthequestionsaboutwhatthe“visitor”thinksorfeelsaboutthebox,oranyactualprop.Again,noyesornoquestions.Thisallowstheexplorationofquestionsthatencourageinquiryandconnection.(Ingeneral,questionsstartingwithWho,What,How,Why,andWhereworkwell,whilequestionsstartingwithDoareoftenadeadend.)Mirror,Mirror//FollowtheLeader

• Participantsinpairs(standing)• DefineParticipantAandParticipantB• AssigneitherAorBtolead,theothertofollow• Inviteleadertomove,followertotrytomirrormovements• Afterthegamestarts,informleaderthattheirgoalistohavethefollowerbeabletofollowthem(does

thischangehowtheymove,e.g.,howquickly?)• Switch• Reflect:Howmightthisapplytosciencecommunication?

Weoften“lead”differentlywhenwewantsomeonetobeabletofollow;manyleaderswillstartbymovingquickly,totryto“beat”theirfollow.Withtheintentionofwantingsomeonetobeabletofollow,leaderswithslowdown,andpaymoreattentiontotheirfollower.AskanExpert//Multi-headedExpert(FollowsMirror,Mirrorwell)

• Participantsingroupsof3-4• Warm-up:HavethegroupsdoMirror,Mirror,above,butwithnoleaderandnofollower;everyoneleads,

andeveryonefollows,withthegoalofbeinginsynch(ithelpstomoveslowly)

RESESSinternstrysimultaneouslyleadingandfollowing,asagroup.

• Twogroupsstandfacingeachother,eachinaline,shouldertoshoulder(linkingarmsoptional)• Facilitator(orifthere’sanothergroupsittingout,the‘audience’)asksonegroupaquestion

Version: February 2017 Beth Bartel, Outreach Specialist, bartel@unavco.org

• Eachgrouprespondsasoneindividual,whospeaksbyeachparticipantsayingonlyonewordatatime,inorder

Thisgameispureimprov.Nooneknowswhat’scomingnext.It’salsoveryhilarious,foreveryone.Thesentenceisdonewhenthesentenceisdone.Thisworkspeople’sactivelisteningskills,bothforcontentand‘feel’(whenisthesentencedone?).Thefacilitatorcontinuestoaskboth‘scientists’questions,moderatingadebate.Thefacilitatorcanchoosehowmuchinformationtoprovidetothescene.Forexample,thefacilitatormaystartoffbysaying,‘We’dliketowelcomeeveryonetotoday’sdebateonthebestwaytomakepickles.’Variation:Insteadofspeakingonewordatatime,each‘scientist’mustspeakwithonevoice,everyoneontheteamspeakingsimultaneously.Nofollowers,noleaders.Thiscanbeverychallenging,especiallyforpeoplewhoreallywanttolead.Listeningandpatienceandbeingwillingtogowherevertheteamtakestheansweriskey.Notonlydoesnooneknowwhatwordiscomingnext,butoftennooneknowshowawordwillend!

RESESSinternsdescribehowtomakespaghetti,inaunifiedvoice.Werecommenddoingbothvariations,intheorderdescribedhere.OntheshowDrewCarey’sImprov-a-Ganza,thisgameisplayedinpairs,withbothvariationsrepresented:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7YS8JbbqyQ Have fun!