Running Head: GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 1

Group Design Project

Taylor Stretten, Jake London, Chris Cockwell, Sommer Patrella, Brittany Ste Marie
CAYW 214: Group Dynamics and Facilitation
Jillian Manning
November 27th, 2018
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Table of Contents

Introduction 3
Purpose 3
Membership 3
Orientation 4
Recruitment 4
Environment 6
Program Overview 7
Session 1: Introductions 9
Session 2: Problem Solving 13
Session 3: Boosting Self Esteem 17
Session 4: Building Relationships 22
Session 5: Body Language/Social Cues 26
Session 6: Communication 39
Session 7: Ending/Termination 47
Evaluation 53
Conclusion 55
References 56
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Introduction
This report will outline essential skills and abilities that are important regarding the topic
of social skills. It hits on key topics such as how to introduce yourself, problem solving in
groups, self esteem, building relationships, body language, and proper communication. Included
are many activities, discussion questions, and worksheets that can help a facilitator lead a group
that has a focus on social skills.

Group work is essential to healthy development for youth and their families. We feel
group is valuable because it first and foremost, allows youth and their families to recognize that
they are not the only people going through a certain situation. It gives insight into how people
handle situations differently and allows people to create bonds while working towards something
meaningful. Also, generally giving people the ability to work on the skill of collaborating with
others in groups is something they will be able to transfer to other aspects of their lives. We
decided to pick social skills in young adolescent youth because it a skill that many youth lack.
They are also in the stage of transitioning from elementary school to high school where they will
have to be around people they do not know, and having knowledge and practical experience with
social skills will make the transition less stressful and smoother for the youth.

Purpose
The purpose of our group is to teach essential social skills to youth who do not excel in
social situations. It will provide support and guidance for youth transitioning from elementary
school to high school. The end goal is to establish confidence in youth by assisting in the
development of life skills, thus; making the transition from one school setting to the other more
smooth.

Membership
The target population for this group is young adolescent youth between the ages of
twelve and fourteen. The group members can identify as any gender, should be between the ages
of twelve and fourteen, and can be of any ethnicity. The members that we think are ideal for this
group are youth who struggle in social situations. They could have social anxiety leading to
having a hard time making friends. Members could have autism or other learning disabilities that
hinder their ability to excel in social situations. We want members to have these characteristics
because it will allow for meaningful growth during group sessions.

This is a group focusing on the development of social skills. Members who wish to join
that do not struggle with social skills or in social situations (are popular, make friends easily, no
social anxiety) will hinder the group dynamics and therefore, can not be included. We want the
members to feel safe in our group, and allowing other members to join who do not have the same
struggles as they do could disrupt the overall dynamics of the group. We also feel these youth
would not benefit from the group, and therefore would waste their time if they were included.

Our group will be a closed group and have ten members. We chose this number because
it will allow the members to get introduced to working in groups and learning social skills in an
environment that will not be overly stressful for them. We chose a closed group because we
wanted to ensure the group as a whole stays positive and does not get disrupted. We believe that
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since the members are those who struggle in social situations, having people come and go as they
please would hurt the group dynamics and process.

Orientation
Our potential members will be screened when they apply to the group through the
website. Included in the application will be a screening questionnaire that will ask the youth
about themselves. When they submit the application we will be able to see their answers and
choose those who best suit the purpose of the group. The list of questions that will be asked
during this screening process include:
1. What is your full name?
2. How old are you and what grade are you in?
3. What school do you attend?
4. Reason(s) for joining: (Check all that apply)
o You struggle introducing yourself in new situations.
o You want to improve problem solving within groups.
o You want to revamp your self-esteem.
o You want to work on relationship building.
o You struggle with reading body language and social cues.
o You want to work on communication with others.
o Other (please specify).
5. How did you hear about our social skills group?
o Announcement
o Poster
o Friends or family
o Teacher
o Other (please specify)
6. What is your e-mail address?

Recruitment
In our recruitment of members, we wanted to be progressive and use a technique that
would grab the attention of twelve to fourteen year olds. There will be a poster on a bulletin
board in community center in town (Boys and Girls Club). On the poster is brief information
about the group as well as a QR code and the link to our website. As another method of
recruitment, we will have announcements go out over the PA at local elementary schools to help
gain interest in the group. Those youth will be provided with our website where they can find
more information about the group. The announcement will be as follows:

“Attention all senior students. Starting next week there will be an opportunity available to
enhance social skill development. This workshop applies to any student that feels worried or
uncomfortable about transitioning into high school or feels like their social skills are lacking.
Please visit the poster in the main office for additional information and ways to sign up. There
are limited spots available.”

You can find the recruitment poster on the next page.

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Environment
The group will take place in a designated room at the community center. The room is
large enough for the youth to be able to move around comfortably but has ample furniture to
allow them to be comfy for the moments where they are sitting down. The room is equipped with
tables that will allow the members to have a space to complete written worksheets if they desire.
There are large windows in the room that will allow natural light into the space. Since the room
is located within a community center, all of the materials that we will require over the sessions
are readily available to us in the storage space provided.

There are other aspects of the milieu that we took into consideration when we were
searching for the best place to facilitate our group. The amount of light in the room was very
important to us, as lighting is one of the most important aspects of a milieu. Having a space with
not only natural light, but dimmable LED lights for when it is dark outside was essential. We
also wanted a space that the youth would find interesting and welcoming. We ensured that there
was a lot of colour and pictures in the space rather than boring plain white walls. We feel this
appeals to our age group and makes the space more intriguing to them. All of the aspects we
have included creates a positive milieu that we believe the youth will benefit from. The
following picture is what our ideal space would look like.

Our ideal room for our group sessions.

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Program Overview

Session 1 (Dec. 7th): Introductions/ How to Introduce Yourself

Session 2 (Dec. 14th): Problem Solving in Groups

Session 3 (Dec. 21st): Boosting Self Esteem

Session 4 (Dec. 28th): Building Positive Relationships

Session 5 (Jan. 4th): Body Language/Social Cues

Session 6 (Jan. 11th): Communication

Session 7 (Jan. 18th): Summarizing/Ending Group

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Session Outlines
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Agenda for Session One (Introduction to Group/How to Introduce Yourself to

People)

6:00pm Group begins

5 min. Introducing the facilitator

15 min. Hot Seat
30 min. Group think/role play
10 min. Closing discussion

7:00pm Group dismissed

GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 10

Detailed Session One Outline

6:00pm – (5 min.) – Members are greeted at the door and asked to find a seat in the room. The
facilitator introduces themselves to the participants. Facilitator will tell the group about their
hobbies, likes, why they are in the field, and why they are facilitating the group. The facilitator
will give a brief synopsis of the program as a whole. Deeper discussion comes later.

Transition: Have the youth put their chairs into a round formation, the facilitator stands.

6:05pm – (15 min.) – Warm up: Hot Seat. The group should be sitting in chairs with one less
seat than number of participants. (If there are ten participants, there should only be nine chairs).
The first round is a practice round to introduce the youth to the logistics of the game. The
facilitator is the first person in the hot seat. (See activity format for more information).

Transition: When Hot Seat ends, have the youth find a comfortable spot while staying in a round
formation.

6:20pm – (30 min.) – Main activity: Group think/role play. Members will be asked to identify
what makes meeting new people awkward, what makes meeting new people fun, what makes
introducing yourself hard, and what makes it easy. Once the brainstorming is finished, they will
make a script in dyads and triads and role play it out. (See activity format for more information).

Transition: Have the group find their way back to their chairs.

6:50pm – (10 min.) – Discussion/Rules/Processing. The facilitator informs the group of how the
rest of the program will look like. They will outline the topics of the following sessions and tell
them that the two rules of group are: Try every activity and don’t give up and treat everyone with
respect. The facilitator then asks the group a few closing questions to end the session including:

o What is the part of the session you enjoyed the most today?
o Do you agree to comply with the rules of group?
o Do you feel there should be any other rules included for group?
o Do you understand the purpose and know what to expect to get from group?
o Reminder of meeting next week.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 11

Name: Hot Seat

Purpose: The goal of this activity is to have the participants get up and moving while
having fun and getting to know their peers. This will help break the ice and
introduce the youth to other members who they may have things in common
with.

Age and Size: This activity is best suited for youth aged eight years and up. This activity
can be played with as little as eight members to as a many and thirty.

Materials: Ten chairs.

Instructions: Move all of the chairs into a circle. Have the youth sit in the chairs, you (the
facilitator) start the game standing with no chair. The person who is standing
is in the “hot seat”. They have to say a statement such as, “Hi my name is
_____ and I have a Twitter account”. Anyone who also has a twitter account
has to stand up and find a new seat. The person who does not get a chair, is
now in the hot seat and continues the game by saying a statement.
Introductory statements could include: “and I have a cat”, “and I have a
birthday in July, and “and I wear sweaters”.

Cautions: A major thing to look out for is the possibility of collisions between
participants. Youth with anxiety and other mental health conditions could
feel worrisome about coming up with a statement on the spot in front of new
people.

Variations: This game can be played with a younger group by using specific categories
such as favourite colours, favourite animals, and eye/hair colour.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 12

Name: Group Think & Role Play

Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to have the participants become aware of what
exactly makes for an awkward interaction and what makes an interaction
successful. This allows the participants to use their imagination and
creativity to come with a script to role play with a peer.

Age and Size: This activity is best used for youth aged six and older and requires a
minimum of two participants.

Materials: Poster paper, marker, 10 sets of cue cards, 10 pens.

Instructions: Begin the activity by asking the youth questions about introducing
themselves. This could be, “what do you think makes new situations
awkward”? Once you have asked the group as series of questions, ask them
to divide into dyads or triads and give them all their own cue card and pen.
Have them come up with a script on introducing themselves to each other
and role play it out within their group. Other questions to ask could include:
o What makes new interactions fun?
o What is the first thing you notice about someone when they talk to you?
o What is something you find respectful during a conversation with someone?
o What is something you find disrespectful during a conversation with
someone?
o What is something you have noticed that you do and want to change?

Cautions: Be aware of members not participating in the role play. Some members may
know each other and want to play around. Be aware of participants who are
already friends and challenge them to pick a partner they do not know.

Variations: For younger participant’s, have them line up in a single file line rather than
splitting into dyads or triads. Have each participant come up to the facilitator
and introduce themselves using the skills they just discussed.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 13

Agenda for Session Two (Problem Solving in Groups)

6:00pm Group begins

5 min. Welcome group to the session.

5 min. Go over schedule for the session
20 min. Marshmallow Tower Building
20 min. Lego Man Replication
10 min. Processing/debrief/ending

7:00pm Group dismissed

GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 14

Detailed Outline for Session Two

6:00 - (5 min.) - Welcome the youth back to the group. While sitting in a comfortable circle, ask
about their thoughts on the first session. Allow them to give feedback on what they felt was
effective and engaging, and if there were any areas in which they did not enjoy.

Transition: Members are to stay where they are.

6:05 - (5 min.) - Go over the agenda for the evening with the group. Ask for scenarios in which
they have had to solve problems with others in order to achieve a common goal. Ask the group
why they believe problem solving as a group is an important skill to have.

Transition: Have the youth spread out around the room in groups of two or three.

6:10 - (20 min.) - Marshmallow Tower Building. An activity that requires teamwork in order to
build the tallest tower. This activity will exercise the participants’ ability to collaborate ideas
with one another in order to achieve their goal. (See activity format for more information).

Transition: Have the participants break into two teams of five.

6:30 - (20 min.) - Lego Man Replication. This activity will further stress the importance of
working together as a unit to achieve their goal. More specifically, it requires the participants to
communicate effectively with one another, otherwise it will not be done correctly. (See activity
format for more information).

Transition: Bring the group back together in a circle.

6:50 - (10 min.) - Debrief on the skills utilized in the session. Ask the group what strategies they
used in order to effectively work together. Allow them to elaborate on why these strategies
worked. Also ask them what issues/problems they encountered, and how they were able to solve
these problems. Lastly, thank them for participating and say goodbye.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 15

Name: Marshmallow Tower Building

Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to stress the importance of collaboration when
it comes to fulfilling a common goal/objective. The participants will need
to work together in order to create a solid structure.

Age and Size: Appropriate for youth between the ages of ten to eighteen. The group size
should be at least six participants.

Materials: 100 toothpicks and 100 marshmallows.

Instructions: Firstly, separate the participants of groups no larger than three. Have the
groups spread out around the room. Each group will then receive twenty-
five toothpicks and twenty-five marshmallows. They will then have five
minutes in order to work together and attempt to build the tallest tower. This
should be repeated at least once, but twice if time permits. The participants
will be encouraged to try a different strategy each time they attempt the
challenge.

Cautions: If the participants choose to eat marshmallows after the activity, ensure that
all of the toothpicks have been fully removed from the marshmallows. If a
toothpick broke in a marshmallow, it cannot be eaten. Ensure that the
participants are clear on the rule of no poking each other with toothpicks, as
well as not throwing any of the materials in any form.

Variations: If the participants wish for a greater challenge, separate them into two equal
groups and provide each group with fifty marshmallows and fifty
toothpicks. This will allow for taller, stronger towers - as well as enforce
further teamwork. For fun, the participants may also do a round where they
all work on one ginormous tower. This will require seventy-five toothpicks
and seventy-five marshmallows.
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Name: Lego Man Replication

Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to develop effective communication and

teamwork skills. The goal is only attainable given that the participants are
able to work cooperatively with one another.

Age and Size: This activity can be run with youth as young as ten, but the difficulty is
easily modified to fit participants up to the age of eighteen+. The group size
needs to be six participants minimum.

Materials: Each group will require two identical sets of Lego, with twenty-five pieces
of varying size & colours. In total, at least 100 pieces of Lego will be
required.

Instructions: Each group will choose one person to be their “designer”. The designer will
then be moved out of sight from the group and given the task of building
any structure they would like with their set of twenty-five pieces. The
remaining group members will then nominate a “spy” who will have three
chances to look at the “designers” structure. The “spy” will then relay the
information to the final members of the group who are the “builders”. The
“spy” cannot place any pieces, but must effectively communicate to the
“builders” where to put the pieces. This activity is not a race, and if a group
finishes quickly, they are encouraged to switch the roles among the group
and restart.

Cautions: As long as the participants are aware they are not to be throwing the Lego
or breaking one another’s structures, there are no cautions to keep in mind.

Variations: If competition is required/wanted, you can designate one person to be a

“designer” for all of the groups. The same rules will apply as before, with
the exception that it is now a race to see which group can correctly recreate
the structure.
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Agenda for Session Three (Boosting Self Esteem)

6:00pm Group begins

5 min. Welcome group to the session, small talk between members

10 min. “I Am…” Activity
20 min. Flipping the Negatives
15 min. Accentuate the Positive
10 min. Processing/discussion/ending

7:00pm Group dismissed

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Detailed Outline for Session Three

6:00 - (5 min.) - Welcome back the members of the group. Check-in question: Did anyone utilize
any of the skills worked on from the last session throughout the week?

Transition: Have the participants find a comfortable spot on the furniture.

6:05 - (10 min.) - “I Am...” activity. In this activity, the participants will be given a sheet of
paper and a pen. They will have to think of at least three personality traits/personal skills that
they like about themselves. Once everyone has their list, we will share one at a time. (See
activity format for more information).

Transition: Members stay seated where they are. Hand them a new sheet of paper.

6:15 - (20 min.) - “Flipping the Negatives”. This activity requires the participants to list down
mistakes/regrets that they have made in their lives. Then, we will share our list amongst the
group. The group will then offer alternative perspectives to look at these “mistakes/regrets” as
positive lessons learned. (See activity format for more information).

Transition: Split the group into two equal pods. Have them spread out.

6:35 - (15 min.) - “Accentuate the Positive”. In this activity, the participants will be split into two
equal groups. Each group will then individually focus on one person, and list as many positive
things they can about said person. Hearing positive things said to you by people you are
beginning to form relationships with is very helpful in becoming self aware of your worth. This
activity also strengthens the participants’ skill at giving and receiving compliments. (See activity
format for more information).

Transition: Come back together in a round formation.

6:50 - (10 min.) - Debrief on feelings towards the session. Ask how the group felt expressing
these positive things about themselves, as well as if they perceive their “mistakes/regrets”
differently. Encourage them to use these positive perspectives in their daily
challenges/frustrations. Lastly, thank them for participating in another session.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 19

Name: I Am...

Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to have the participants think critically about
their strengths; whether that be a personality trait or a personal skill, and
how it makes them valuable.

Age and Size: The most suitable age for this activity is youth aged twelve to fourteen. A
group of at least five participants is best.

Materials: Each participant will require a pen and a sheet of paper. This will total ten
pens, and ten sheets of paper.

Instructions: Have the participants sit in a circle as a group, and hand out the paper &
pens. They will then be tasked with writing down at least three things that
they like about themselves. These should be more in depth than something
such as “I am pretty/handsome”. The youth will be encouraged to think of
personality traits or personal skills that make them unique and valuable.
Once everyone has their list, they will go around the circle sharing a few of
their points wit the group.

Cautions: Nobody should be stating any negative things about the person sharing, as
these can be sensitive topics to be sharing.

Variations: You may also have the participants rank their statements in their list.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 20

Name: Flipping the Negatives

Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to have the participants think critically about
their strengths; whether that be a personality trait or a personal skill, and
how it makes them valuable. The others in the group will then assist with
changing their perspective on the issue.

Age and Size: This activity is recommended for youth above the age of ten. This activity
can accommodate a large group and should be played with no less than eight
people.

Materials: Each participant will require a pen and a sheet of paper. This will total ten
pens, and ten sheets of paper.

Instructions: Have the participants sit in a circle as a group, and hand out the paper and
pens. They will then be asked to write down some of the substantial
mistakes/regrets that they feel have impacted their life negatively. Once
each person is content with their list (should be at least two to three points),
ask if someone is willing to volunteer to share their list first. The others in
the group will then assist in changing that person’s perspective on their
issues. For example, if the person shared, “I failed my math exam and will
not pass the class.” the other participants will be “flipping the negative” into
a positive. An appropriate response to the example given would be, “Since
you were unprepared for the exam, you will focus on studying harder next
time”. Going around the circle, have each participant list at least one
mistake they have made, and allow the group to flip it into a positive
experience.

Cautions: There can be no judgment from the group as one person is sharing their
mistakes. It may take lots of courage for that person to share their story, so
it requires the others in the group to be supportive in changing their
perspective.

Variations: If the participants are uncomfortable with sharing their mistakes/regrets, go

through made-up scenarios and have them practice flipping it into a positive
collaboratively.

Example scenarios include:

o “I once stole snacks from a convenience store”

o “I used to start fights with my classmates”
o “One time I swore at my parents”
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 21

Name: Accentuate the Positive

Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to have the participants offer genuine
compliments to one another in order to help with their self esteem.

Age and Size: This activity is suitable for youth aged five and older. There should be a
minimum of eight participants.

Materials: Each group will require one sheet of paper per member and one pen, for a
total of ten sheets of paper and two pens.

Instructions: Firstly, split the participants into two equal groups and have them form a
circle, sitting in chairs. Next, each group will choose one person to be the
“recorder”. If nobody wants to, they can rotate the job throughout the
members. Now, starting with one member to focus on, everyone will offer
genuine compliments to that person’s character. These compliments should
be in regards to the person’s personality, qualities, skills, abilities etc. This
will demonstrate to the person of focus what positive traits they exhibit due
to the fact that the members have only known each other for three weeks.
As everyone is giving their compliments, the “recorder” will make a list for
that one person. Once everyone has offered their compliments, rotate
around the circle to the next person of focus. The members are encouraged
to take the list home with them as a reminder of all of their unique, positive
traits that make them who they are.

Cautions: Watch out for negative comments being made by group members. This
could hurt the feelings of the youth.

Variations: If there is extra time after everyone has shared their compliments around
the group, the members are encouraged to decorate their list of positive
characteristics in order to personalize it.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 22

Agenda for Session Four (Building Relationships)

6:00pm Group begins

5 min. Welcome group to the session, small talk between members

10 min. Dyads. Define what positive and negative indicators look like.
15 min. Group activity: role play
5 min. Process role plays
15 min. Listen up activity
10 min. Processing/discussion time

7:00pm Group dismissed

GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 23

Detailed Session Four Outline

6:00pm – (5 min.) – Welcome the members to the session. The group gathers in their chairs and
the facilitator discusses the topic of the session. The members are able to utilize small talk while
all of the members arrive.

Transition: Members are asked to get into groups of two to four and to grab a sheet of paper and
markers.

6:05pm – (10 min.) – Warm up: Defining positive and negative indicators. Members are asked
to write down positive indicators of building relationships and negative ones on the paper they
grabbed. They do this in their pairs/groups.

Transition: Have the members move to separate parts of the room in the groups they are in.

6:15pm – (15 min.) – Main activity: role plays. The members stay in the groups they made
previously and brainstorm a role play based on positive and negative relationship building skills.
They will use their ideas they brainstormed and create a script on cue cards for a positive
interaction and a negative interaction. They role play within their groups. (See activity format for
more information).

Transition: Have the whole group come back together on the comfortable furniture.

6:30pm – (5 min.) – Process the role plays. Ask the group for their input on the previous
activity. Questions to asks include:

o How did you enjoy the activity?

o What did you learn about relationship building?
o What is one thing you used to do that you may stray from now after gathering new
information about building relationships?
o Give me one indicator of a positive relationship.

Transition: Have the participants gather in a circle in the middle of the room in partners.

6:35pm – (15 min.) – Cool down: Listen Up. The members blindfold their partners and guide
them through the obstacle course using only their voices and directions. No hands. Allow for a
switch between roles. (See activity format for more information).

Transition: Have the youth come back to their chairs.

6:50pm – (10 min.) – Processing/discussion. Ask the youth if it was harder than they thought it
would be. Once they all answer, ask them if they have a better understanding of the importance
of working together. Then move into ending discussion. Ask the following discussion questions:

o What is your biggest take away from todays session?

o How did you feel when you were completing the activities?
o What do you believe is the most important aspect of building positive relationships?
o Remind of session next week.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 24

Name: Indicators Role Play

Purpose: The purpose of this specific role play is to inform the group about what are
positive and negative relationship building skills/techniques. It will better
educate the group on how trust and respect are vital aspects of a relationship.

Age and Size: This activity is suitable for youth of at least ten years old. There is a
minimum of eight participants needed.

Materials: Poster paper, markers, cue cards.

Instructions: Members will brainstorm and write down their ideas of positive and
negative relationship building skills that they have previous knowledge of.
They work as a team to brainstorm new ideas. For every negative point there
should be two positive. They are to focus more on the “do’s” rather than the
“don’ts”.

Cautions: Some youth may be uneasy and nervous about presenting. Building
relationships may be a trigger topic of some youth which could cause
disrupting in the dynamics of the group.

Variation: To make this activity suitable for younger children you could ask more
leading questions such as:

o Think about your very best friend… what do they do that you like?
o What is your favourite thing to do with your friends?
o What would you do if a new student came to the school and didn’t
have any friends?
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 25

Name: Listen Up!

Purpose: To help group members build trust within each other and learn that is okay
to trust new people. The relationship also touches on commutation skills
which will be a lead in to an upcoming session.

Age and Size: The youth should be at least eight years of age. The most suitable size for
this activity is at least eight participants.

Materials: Rope, hula hoops, pylons, chairs, hack sacks, blind fold.

Instructions: The obstacle course will be set up according to the participants age (the
higher the age the more complicated it can be). The members will have a
partner and they can decide who is going to be blindfolded first. The other
partner who is not blind folded then has to guide the blind folded youth
through the obstacle course using on verbal cues. “Go left. Take five steps
walking straight. Sit on the ground and roll on your back.” The blind folded
partner needs to trust that the other member will not let them hurt
themselves and also need to listen carefully to what their partner is saying
to complete the obstacle course.

Cautions: The youth who have the blind fold on could get hurt by tripping, falling,
colliding etc.

Variations: To make this activity suitable for younger participants the obstacle course
can be simplified. The youth can use their hands to guide if needed. To make
it more challenging and competitive, you can put a time restriction.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 26

Agenda for Session Five (Body Language and Social Cues)

6:00pm Group begins

5 min. Define body language and social cues

5 min. Emotional Charades
5 min. Process activity
25 min. Role plays
5 min. Body Language Breakdown
5 min. Summarizing worksheet
10 min. Closing discussion, processing

7:00pm Group dismissed

GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 27

Detailed Session Five Outline

6:00pm – (5 min.) – Welcome youth back to the group. Gather the group into a round. Take a
brief moment to introduce the topic of the session, body language and social cues. Ask group
what they believe the terms body language and social cues mean. Have the group brainstorm one
or two words each that they believe represent the topic.

Transition: After everyone has shared their ideas on what represents body language and social
cues, split the group into two separate pods and have them stand on opposite sides of the room.

6:05pm – (5 min.) – Warm up: Emotional Charades. The group should be in two separate teams.
They work as a collaborative team to guess what emotion their team members have pulled from
the hat; based on how the person is presenting with their body language. The teams get points of
they guess correctly within three guesses. If they do not guess the right emotion within the three
guess limit, they do not get a point and the other team takes their turn. This is a quiet activity
focused solely on body language. No talking! (See activity format for more information).

6:10pm – (5 min.) – This time is allotted to processing the warm up activity. The purpose of this
time is to help the youth begin to gain understanding into how people express feelings and
thoughts with their bodies. This is where the facilitator introduces the importance of being aware
of ones’ body language.

o How do you think you did in guessing the emotions?

o Was it harder than you thought it would be? What was the most challenging part?
o Did you realize bodies could express so much without the use of voice?

Transition: Have the group come back together in a round formation. They can sit on furniture
for this activity, as long as they are in a round or semi-round formation.

6:15pm – (25 min.) – Main Activity: Role Play. This is where the group will get their main
content from. The youth do role plays in pairs while the rest of the group observes. The first time
they do the role play, bad body language and not listening to social cues is used. After the pair
finishes the role play the facilitator asks the group to give input on what they feel could be
changed to improve. Once the group has had some dialogue, the role play is redone using some
of the feedback provided from the group. *It is important to understand that these are not meant
to be perfectly executed. The most important part is the dialogue after each role play. It gets the
group utilizing their minds to think of better ways to present themselves in social situations. This
is done five times; everyone does one role play. (See activity format for more information).

Transition: Keep the group where they are. Hand out worksheet “Body Language Breakdown”
and a pen to each participant.

6:40pm – (5 min.) – Cool Down: Body Language Breakdown. The group fills in their sheet with
an emotion for each of their peers. They observe their peer’s posture, facial expression etc. to
deduce how they are feeling. Once done, the sheets are handed in to the teacher. This activity is
to have them implement what they have learned during the session and try to present themselves
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 28

with positive body language. Introduces practical skill of regulating their body language even in
situations that may make them uncomfortable. (See activity format for more information).

Transition: Give youth the final worksheet of this session “The Do’s and the Don’ts”. Have the
youth spread out and find somewhere comfortable for them by themselves.

6:45pm – (5 min.) – Wrap up. Summarizing worksheet “The Do’s and the Don’ts”. Have the
youth complete this worksheet on their own. They are to put in what is a “do” of great body
language and what is a “don’t”. (See activity format for more information).

Transition: Have the youth gather together again in a round formation.

6:50pm – (10 min.) – Discussion/Processing

This is where the group comes together to wrap up the session. The facilitator asks questions to
the youth to get a dialogue going about the overall session as a whole. It is important to hear
from each student in this phase.

o What is your biggest take away from todays session?

o What did you enjoy the most?
o What is something you think needs improvement or an activity you didn’t like?
o Reminder of meeting next week and handout information paper on body language.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 29

Name: Emotional Charades

Purpose: The goal of this activity is to introduce the participants to what different
emotions may look like in other people. It will teach them what to look for
when they are looking for cues in social situations.

Age and Size: This activity is best used in youth who are at least eight years old. The
optimal size of the group is ten to twenty participants.

Materials: Small pieces of paper with emotions, bucket or hat, blank piece of paper,
and pen.

Instructions: Split the group up into two separate teams or pods. Place all of the emotions
(on the pieces of paper) into a bucket or hat so people can draw them out
without seeing them beforehand. The teams take turns drawing an emotion
(ensure different people are drawing every time) and acting it out (with no
words) while the other team guesses what emotion they are acting out. Each
team has three guesses to guess correctly. It is important that they work as
a team. If the team guesses correctly within three guesses they get a point
and if they don’t then no points are allotted.

Cautions: Youth who struggle with competitiveness could struggle and get irritated by
this activity. Youth who have mental health issues such as depression or
anxiety could be triggered by this activity.

Variations: This game can be played as a timed version to make it more competitive.
To make it less competitive or more suitable to a younger group, it can be
played with no limit on guesses or time.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 30

Emotional Charades Emotion List

Sad Guilt

Angry Pride

Confused Patience

Irritated Shy

Lonely Anxious

Happy Jealous

Excited Terrified

Ecstatic Worried

Helpless Resentful

Determined Overwhelmed

Accomplished Relaxed

Unsure Frustrated

Loved Motivated

Broken Content

Fear Motivated

Trust Hopeful

Envy Proud
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 31

Name: Body Language Breakdown

Purpose: The goal of this activity is to inform the participants on the importance of
body language. It will give the youth insight into how others view them
based on their body language.

Age and Size: This activity is ideal for youth aged twelve and older. The size of the group
should be between ten and fifteen participants.

Materials: Paper, pen or pencil.

Instructions: Have the youth sit in a formation that will allow them to see everyone easily.
This is usually a circle. Hand out worksheet and pens to all of the
participants. The youth will then observe their peers and write down what
emotion they think each person is feeling based on the body language
observed. The facilitator will collect the sheets and share with the
participants what their peers felt their body language said about them.

Cautions: This activity could cause anxiety in some participants. It could also upset
people who have depression and could trigger negative reactions.

Variations: To make this activity suitable for a younger age group the worksheet could
be modified to add simple emotions and pictures that they can circle rather
than have to come up with their own.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 32

Body Language Breakdown

Observe your peers. Try and regulate your body language to present as positive. What emotion
do you think your peers are currently feeling based on how their body looks? This could be
posture, facial expressions etc.

Emotion Observed
Alex
Meredith
Derek
Miranda
Christina
Owen
Maggie
Jackson
Jo
George
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 33

Name: Well… This is Awkward

Purpose: The intended goal of this activity is to provide the participants with role-
play experience to develop their understanding of social cues and the ability
of reading body language.

Age and Size: This activity is best suited for youth aged ten and up. The size of the group
should be between six and fifteen participants.

Materials: Pieces of paper with scenarios on them, hat or bucket.

Instructions: Have a volunteer pick a piece of paper out of a hat or bucket. The paper will
have a scenario on it with the required number of participants needed for it.
The person will pick however many more people are needed and they will
act out the scenario. The first time the scenario is run, the participants are
to act out how it would look when they do not pick up on social cues or
body language. Once it is over, the remaining participants give examples on
how the pair/group could improve. Have the pair/group redo the role-play
using the information their peers provided. Repeat until everyone has had a
chance to do a role-play.

Cautions: This activity could be hard for a youth who has autism or related challenges.
This activity could trigger a youth who struggles with anxiety during social
situations.

Variations: This activity could be modified by having the facilitator participate with a
youth instead of all youth. This would make it more suitable for a younger
age group.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 34

Well… This is Awkward Scenarios

1. You are at the mall with your mom and see a girl you go to school with. You go up to her
and tell her about all of the things your mom has bought you and ask her why she is at the
mall by herself. She starts to cry and you ignore and continue talking about how great
your day has been. [3 people]

2. You are sitting in the hallway eating your lunch with your friend when a boy in your
class comes up to you. He tells you that you look pretty today while stumbling on his
words. He starts to turn red and gets shaky. You and your friend get up and walk away
without saying a word. [3 people]

3. You are doing a math exercise in class as pairs. Math is easy for you so you feel like you
and your partner are flying through it. You partner is struggling with the activity and is
starting to tense up and get a red face. You tell him how you like this activity because
math is your easiest subject. He rips the paper up and walks away. [2 people]

4. You are in a store and find an associate to give you a hand. You get really close to them
because it is loud in the store and but they back up when you do. You move close again
thinking they were trying to make room in the aisle. They tell you that they will be right
back, but never end up coming back. [2 people]
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 35

Name: The Do’s and the Don'ts

Purpose: The goal of this activity is to summarize what the youth have learned during
the session.

Age and Size: The appropriate age grouping for this activity is youth ten and older. The
size of the group should have a minimum of ten participants.

Materials: Worksheet, pen, clipboard or table.

Instructions: Have the participants work on their own. They are to fill in the table on the
worksheet describing body language do’s (positive body language) and
body language don’ts (negative body language).

Cautions: This activity could be challenging for youth who struggle with reading or
writing.

Variations: This activity could be completed using drawings rather than words or, more
simple concepts to make it easier for a younger age grouping to complete.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 36

Body Language Do’s and Don’ts.

Complete the chart by writing what you think positive body language is and what you think
negative body language is. Put your positive answers in the “do” box and your negative answers
in the “don’t” box.

DO :) DON’T :(
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 37

Take Home Handouts

GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 38
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 39

Agenda for Session Six (Communication)

6:00pm Group begins

5 min. Recap of last week

5 min. News share
10 min. Brainstorm activity
10 min. Telephone game
25 min. Blind Painting
5 min. Processing activity
5 min. Ending session/discussion

7:00pm Dismiss group

GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 40

Detailed Session Six Outline

6:00pm – (5 min.) – Youth are greeted and asked to sit in a circle. Members are asked questions
about the previous session as a refresher. The members are asked if they had any opportunities
over the week to implement any of the social skills they have learned to date in their daily lives.

Transition: Members are to stay in a round formation Going into share activity.

6:05pm – (5 min.) – Share activity. Members are asked to share one thing that was
exciting or fun over the past week. They are also asked to share what they are excited for during
the upcoming weekend. Facilitator starts the activity off by sharing their answers to the stated
questions.

Transition: Members continue to stay seated. Facilitator brings a white board into the circle for
the upcoming activity.

6:10pm – (10 min.) – Start activity by going around the circle (rounds) and asking each member
what they think two good communication habits are. Once each member has contributed, then
each member is asked for one poor communication habit. While members are sharing answers,
the leader is recording the list on the white board. Once all members have shared poor
communication skill the list is reviewed. Members are asked to identify some key
communication habits that they should develop and maintain and recognize key communication
habits to avoid or eliminate.

Transition: Have the members move from their chairs and form a circle on the ground.

6:20pm – (5 min.) – Warm up: Telephone. The facilitator starts the telephone game by saying
the phrase, “I like warm days and sunshine”. The members than transfer the message around the
circle until it reaches the person next to the facilitator. They say the statement they heard out
loud and the facilitator says if it is the same as the original one or if it is different. This is
repeated by asking for volunteers to start the telephone. (See activity format for more
information).

Transition: Instruct the youth to retrieve two canvas’, a paint brush, and a paint plate.

6:25pm – (25 min.) – Main activity: Blind Painting. The facilitator gives vague instructions to
the youth on what they are to be painting. These instructions include: paint a circle, paint a line,
paint another line, and paint another line. The youth are to paint based on how they interpreted
the instructions. This activity is repeated again, but with more detailed instructions. They are to
clean up the activity when it is completed. (See activity format for more information).

Transition – Have the youth find a spot on the comfy furniture.

6:50pm – (10 min.) – Processing time and closing discussion. The youth use this time to reflect
on the blind painting activity. The facilitator asks which painting was easier to do and why? The
youth are to share heir ideas on what they learned about detailed communication. The members
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 41

are then asked discussion questions to summarize the session as a whole. These include:

o What was the hardest part about this session?

o What is your biggest take away from this session?
o When will you try to implement the skills you have learned today?
o Reminder about session next week.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 42

Name: News Share

Purpose: To encourage group members to share what they did throughout the week
utilizing skills learned in previous sessions and to build upon their
communication abilities.

Age and Size: This activity is best suited for youth aged six and up. There needs to be a
group size of at lest three participants.

Materials: N/A

Instructions: The facilitator instructs members to share on thing that was exciting or fun
during the past week. They are then asked to share what they are looking
forward to on the weekend. Each member is to present how they
implemented or attempted to implement a social skill they learned in past
sessions.

Cautions: Self-disclosure from members is highly possible. Be ready to redirect and

cut members off as needed. Some members could want to talk a lot which
takes away from the other members, so this needs to be observed for and
dealt with.

Variations: A possible variation is to share one thing that no one knows about you. This
is designed for members who disclose something interesting or unique
about themselves. This allows members to learn more about each other and
bond.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 43

Name: Communication Brainstorm

Purpose: To allow the members to construct a definition communication.

Age and Size: This activity is best suited for youth aged eight and up. A minimum of
three participants is needed.

Materials: White board and dry erase markers.

Instructions: Get each member to contribute two good communication habits along with
one poor communication habit. The facilitator writes them on the board as
they are said out loud.

Cautions: This activity may discourage some members who struggle with
brainstorming. This could cause frustration and discouragement among the
participants.

Variations: This activity could be modified to suit an older age group. The questions
could be more complex or you could have them do a worksheet followed
by them sharing their ideas.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 44

Name: Telephone

Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to demonstrate the importance of

communication and how easily things can be misinterpreted or
misunderstood.

Age and Size: This activity is ideal for all youth aged six and older. The group size should
be at least six participants to twenty-five participants.

Materials: N/A

Instructions: Have the participants arrange themselves in a circle. The facilitator goes
first by saying the statement, “I like warm days and sunshine”. The
facilitator then whispers the statement to the person next to them and it
continues until it makes its way to the statement starter. The person next to
the facilitator says the statement out loud and they analyze how much it
changed from the original statement. This is repeated by utilizing volunteers
to start the telephone.

Cautions: The youth may use inappropriate words or sentences. Youth who struggle
with anxiety may have trouble getting so close to their fellow group
members.

Variations: The participants read lips of their peers rather than whispering the
statements to the other members.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 45

Name: Blind Painting

Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to outline the importance of excellent

communication and the effects that negative communication can have.

Age and Size: The participants in this activity should be at least eleven years old. This
activity should be played with no more than twelve people.

Materials: Canvas’, paint, paint brushes, paper plates, two set of instructions (vague
and descriptive).

Instructions: The member are given two blank canvas’. They retrieve a paint brush and
paint tray and listen to the instructions from the facilitator. The first canvas
is painted on following the vague directions and the second canvas is
painted on following the descriptive instructions. (You can find the
instructions on the next page).

Cautions: The members could get frustrated due to the vague instructions confusing
them. Members may be unwilling to continue the activity if they escalate.

Variations: This activity could be done while sitting using markers and paper. This
would allow for them to be comfy when doing this and could possibly relax
them more.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 46

Blind Painting Instructions

Vague Instructions

1. Paint a circle.
2. Paint a line.
3. Paint another line.
4. Paint another line.

Descriptive Instructions

1. Orient the canvas in a landscape setting.

2. Paint a toonie sized circle near the top of the canvas directly in the middle.
3. Paint a line around three to four inches long; starting from the bottom of the circle.
4. Paint a line perpendicular to the line you just painted, approximately one inch below the
circle.
5. Paint a diagonal line around one-inch-long; starting at the bottom of the first painted line.
6. Repeat step five but in the opposite direction.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 47

Agenda for Session 7 (Ending/Summarization)

6:00pm Group begins

3 min. Welcome/overview of their final session

7 min. This is My… explanation
20 min. Memory Wall
10 min. Share circle
5 min. Wishes
5 min. Evaluation survey
10 min. Wrap up/goodbye

7:00pm Dismiss group

GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 48

Detailed Session Seven Outline

6:00pm – (3 min.) – Welcome youth back to the group. Gather the group into a circle. Remind
them that this is the last session and that the whole session will be dedicated to closing. Give a
brief overview of how the hour will go.

Transition: Have the group observe the memory wall. Hand out the “This is my…” sheet.

6:03pm – (7 min.) – The facilitator explains the upcoming worksheet they are to fill out. The
following questions are included on the worksheet:

o What was your favourite memory (from group)?

o What activity did you enjoy the most?
o What activity did you not enjoy?
o What is your most improved skill?
o What would you like to continue growth on?
o What is your proudest moment?

Transition: Have the group go to the memory wall and sit down.

6:10pm – (20 min.) – Warm up: Memory wall. The youth take their time to reflect back on the
past sessions and pull out strengths and areas of continued growth. They are to write, draw,
decorate etc. their worksheets. They can make them their own. When the worksheet is done the
youth are to clean up the items they were using. (See activity format for more information).

Transition: Have the group come back together in a round formation.

6:30pm – (10 min.) – Main Activity: Share circle. This time is utilized to process and discuss the
worksheet they just completed. Ask the youth if they struggled with thinking of ideas to put on
the paper. The facilitator then instructs the youth to tape their sheets onto the memory wall. Each
member will have to share at least one of their experiences and tell us why they chose the
memories they did. (See activity format for more information).

Transition: Have the youth move to the comfortable furniture.

6:40pm – (5 min.) – Cool Down: Wishes. The facilitator asks the youth to develop one wish they
have for themselves after group ends, and to state a wish for one other group member. (See
activity format for more information).

Transition: Give youth evaluation survey and instruct them to find a spot around the room where
they can be by themselves.

6:45 pm – (5 min.) – Evaluation survey. The youth take this time to fill out the survey. It asks
questions based on satisfaction, what they enjoyed, what they did not enjoy, and what they
learned etc. This is an anonymous survey. (See evaluation section for a copy of the survey).

Transition: Have the youth gather together again in a round formation.

GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 49

6:50pm – (10 min.) – Say goodbye. This last portion is all about closure and termination of the
group. The youth are able to mingle among each other to say goodbye. The facilitator goes to
each member one at a time to give their praise, to say thank you, and to say good bye.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 50

Name: Memory Wall

Purpose: To allow the group to socialize amongst themselves and reflect back on the
program. It is a strength building activity focused on having the youth look
back on all they have accomplished during the entire program.

Age and Size: This activity is great for youth aged twelve and older. It can be run with
seven group members and up.

Materials: Pens, gel pens, markers, worksheet.

Instructions: The members use pens, markers, gel pens etc. to complete the “This is
My…” worksheet. They can use words, pictures, or a mixture of both or
develop their ideas and memories.

Cautions: This activity could be hard for youth who struggle with confidence in their
abilities they have developed. This could cause frustration and shut down.

Variations: The group could collectively complete the worksheet together rather than
individually.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 51

This is My…
Favourite Memory

Favourite Activity

Least Favourite Activity

Most Improved Skill

Still Improving On…

Proudest Moment
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 52

Name: Share Circle

Purpose: The goal of this activity is to have the youth reflect on their experiences and
practice communicating their own experiences to other people. This is a
booster activity

Age and Size: This activity can be used with youth aged eight years and older. There
should be at least five participants.

Materials: Tape, completed worksheets.

Instructions: The facilitator has the youth tape their completed worksheets to the
memory wall. The youth sit in a circle and the facilitator asks each
member to share their experiences and to explain why they chose what
they did.

Cautions: Speaking about personal items in a group could be a trigger for anxiety in
some youth.

Variations: To make this activity more therapeutic, you could have the youth give ideas
on how to improve the skills that each youth states they want to improve on.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 53

Evaluation
To assess how effective our group was overall and how the members enjoyed each
session we will give out a ten question survey at the end of the last session. The members will
not have to put their name on the sheet if they don’t want too. We feel that by giving the option
of anonymity, we will gather more accurate, honest feedback. The following ten questions are
those included on our evaluation sheet, which is also attached.

1. Outline 3 social skills you have learned or improved on?

2. What is one social skill that you believe still needs improvement?
3. Rate your satisfaction with other group members.
1 2 3 4 5
4. Rate your satisfaction with your facilitator.
1 2 3 4 5
5. What is one thing you really enjoyed about group?
6. What is one thing you did not like or were uncertain of?
7. What is one suggestion the facilitator should improve on?
8. Would you recommend this group to a friend?
9. Did this group meet all of your needs?
10. What is one goal you wish to pursue now that group is ending?
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 54

Evaluation Survey
Please fill out the following survey. You do not need to put your name on it if you
do not want too.

Outline 3 social skills you have learned or improved on?

What is one social skill that you believe still needs improvement?

Rate your satisfaction with other group members.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Rate your satisfaction with your facilitator.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

What is one thing you really enjoyed about group?

What is one thing you did not like or were uncertain of?

What is one suggestion the facilitator should improve on?

Would you recommend this group to a friend?

GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 55

Did this group meet all of your needs?

What is one goal you wish to pursue now that group is ending?

Conclusion
Group planning is not easy. When planning a group there are so many factors that need to
be considered before the group can actually begin. Ensuring the members who are going to be in
the group are appropriate, having interesting topics and activities that will keep the members
attention, and being flexible in what you have planned are all important factors that go into group
planning and facilitating. No two groups are the same and you can never be fully prepared on
what to expect until the group actually starts. After completing this project and reading the
textbook we have learned that one of the most important aspects of a great facilitator is being
prepared. Having structure, a focus, a purpose, and planned sessions are absolutely essential to a
successful group program.

In the CYC field, this assignment could help us every day. If one of us gains a job as a
facilitator, they could possibly use this whole assignment and implement it in the field. Outside
of that, knowing how to plan an effective program is very important to any CYC. Regardless of
if it is a serious therapy group or a more relaxed social skills group, knowing how to properly
plan sessions to create meaningful growth in youth is something we need to know how to do.
This was a very practical assignment that we will be thankful we had to do in the future.
GROUP DESIGN PROJECT 56

References

https://writerswrite.co.za/cheat-sheets-for-writing-body-language/

https://www.leapfrog.com/en-us/learning-path/printables/emotion-charades

https://christiancamppro.com/2-fun-introduction-games-kickoff-retreat-right-way/

https://www.signupgenius.com/home/team-building-activities-teens-families-couples.cfm

https://www.masters-in-special-education.com/lists/5-types-of-social-skills-deficit/

https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/social-skills.html