GROUP GAME with VALUE

Photographs of Student Knot
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OBJECTIVE
 In playing this game you will untangle a knot of arms made by a group of friends.
If you are sitting around at a party with the girls on one side and the boys on the other,
this is a fun game to break the ice.

GROUPS
Circle(s) of 8-10 students (larger circles are difficult, but challenging)

VALUES
Perseverance, organization, listening, cooperative planning

GAME -- The Group Knot -- one person reads the directions
  1. Stand in a circle with 8-10 students, HOLD HANDS.
  2. Let go of hands, reach into the circle with your right hand.
  3. Take the right hand of another student.
    -- DO NOT take the hand of the person next to you.
    -- If an odd number of students, have the person left over take someone’s left hand.
  4. Reach into the circle with your left hand. Take the left hand of another student.
    -- DO NOT take the hand of the person you are already holding
    -- DO NOT take the hand of the person next to you.
  5. Now get untangled without letting go of the hands you are holding.
    -- Stress, DO NOT LET GO. PERSEVERE!!
  6. The result will be a new circle like in step 1.
    -- The order will be different and some people may be facing outward.

Computer Science involves understanding programming language concepts and how these are applied to problem solving. The essential elements I want my students to learn in CS are all practiced in the Group Knot:

QUESTIONS
  1. Could your knot be untangled?
    -- Some knots cannot be untangled, but those are rare.
    -- Knots can result in a chain.
  2. Did your group persevere and solve the problem?
    Are perseverance and patience essential skills in problem solving?
  3. What happened if you were day dreaming or talking and did not listen to the directions?
  4. Why are organized, specific, descriptive instructions important?
  5. Did one uncooperative person in the group ruin the ability to solve the problem?
  6. If your group gave up and started a new knot, what did you do differently the second time?
  7. Which groups were the fastest?
    Did those groups have a leader who took charge, saw a solution to the problem
    and gave directions to other students on where and how to move to get untangled?
  8. Did you meet a new friend? Would this be a good party game to get people communicating?
  9. What is the relationship of the group knot to the steps in problem solving?

This is a common group dynamics lesson.
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