Fun with Character: Handful of Responsibility

Grab a large double-handful of buttons, coins, or any other small item. Have the students pass the handful around the room. Do not pick up any that drop. Go around the room once with minimal instructions. Once completed, point out the items that have been dropped. (Make it a large handful so that it is not an easy task.) Explain how if one person “drops” their responsibility, it affects the whole group. Pass it around again and see if they improve. A variation of the game would be to have 2 groups that race each other. If there is a student who may have difficulty with the motor skills necessary for this game or one who has very small hands, point out that helping them, not making them feel inferior, is the responsible choice.

To process this activity, ask these questions:

• Was it hard to hold such a large handful?

• Did you feel responsible to the others if you dropped any?

• Did you help anyone who had difficulty with it?

• The next time you are part of a team, will you think about how your actions affect the whole team?