Groups – sorts (1)

1. A. In small groups (4 or 5 people), think of 3 different sorts of human groups and 3 different groups of things agree on which order you would like present your lists to the whole group, with the ‘most unusual’ at the top of each list agree on 1 person to speak for your group, and make sure she/he has something interesting to say about each example. Then as a whole group, discuss at least one example from each small group, aiming to agree on what is the most unusual group of all. (Don’t worry if this proves difficult: you may not even agree on what counts as unusual!) Groups – sorts (1)

2. A. As a whole group, discuss: Are there more sorts of human groups in the world, or more sorts of groups of things? 2. Do you have to know you are part of a (human) group to be part of it? (Give examples and reasons for your view.) Now make a list on the board of some of the most common sorts of human groups, and, if it begins to get quite long, see if you can ‘sort the sorts’ – in other words, find some sorts/groups that seem to fit well together Groups – sorts (2)

3. Privately, think about how many different human groups you belong to, and make a list of the 6 that are most important to you. In pairs, share and compare your lists, and agree on 9 examples taken from the lists. Then arrange them into 3 groups of 3: the 3 most important to you a middle group of 3 the 3 least important to you Groups - importance

4. A. As a whole group, discuss: 1. What do people ‘get’ from belonging? 2. Do groups have a responsibility to help people who want to belong to them? If so, how can they help? 3. Do individuals have a responsibility to help the group help them? If so, what should they do? B. After discussing these questions, individuals should consider how much they felt they ‘belonged’ to the group discussion, and write down one of the following: ‘very much’, ‘well enough’, ‘not much’, ‘not at all’. If the whole group (i.e. all individuals) are brave enough, there could be a further discussion about these judgements. Groups - Belonging

5. A. As a wholegroup, discuss: What differences there are between working in small groups of 4 or 5, and working as a large group in class? What are the ‘pros’ (= good things) and ‘cons’ (= bad things) about each sort of group in class? Do adults work in small groups (up to 6) more often than they work in large groups (30 or more)? (Examples and reasons are important in your answers.) B. From the examples you have found, or new ones, agree on 5 where the consequences would be very bad if people did not work well together. Working in groups

6. In pairs, discuss and divide the following list into two: (1) things that help groups to work well together and (2) things that hinder, or stop, them working well: a. talking too much b. giving reasons c. talking ‘across’ (interrupting) d. ‘putting down’ (‘dissing’) e. making suggestions f. not talking at all g. saying thank you h. reminding about agreements See if you can add 2 more examples of your own to each list. B. As a whole group, discuss and decide: What are the most important things to remember if people are to work well in groups? Group working – helps & hindrances