0 V E R V I E W We are living in an extraordinary time. A time of war and the precipitous impoverishment of a large part of the population, a time of degradation of value systems and dehumanization of interpersonal relations. It is a time which in the first place compels the satisfaction of elementary biological needs, and impoverishes every refined human feeling and communicability. A time in which the otherwise marginal groups of the population have become even more so. Psychological research carried out at the beginning of this period, in the year 1991, with children who were not directly exposed to the war (children from Belgrade and other cities in Serbia), points to several significant psychological changes: war themes have penetrated children's conscience (thanks to television above all), increased the level of interpersonal confrontation and aggression, and have imposed on the children questions they alone cannot find suitable answers to. Adults - parents individually, as well as, teachers themselves, caught by the state of affairs and incapable of dealing rationally with their new experience, have been showing signs of confusion and total unreadiness to follow the emotional and cognitive happenings inside their own children. In the meantime, in every sense, the situation has worsened. The children have become the most imperiled category of the population. The manifestation of various forms of frustration are more and more obvious. Aggressiveness, for example, which usually used to be expressed at the beginning of the game, rather than through the game itself, has recently appeared in the form of quite explicit and relatively large-scale delinquency, and there have even been cases of suicide of minors. It is more and more obvious that our own local children, and not only special groups (refugees, for example) need specific, psychological help. I KNOW A LOT. I CAN DO A LOT BUT I NEED TO UNDERSTAND The Handbook written and compiled by Tunde Kovac-Cerovic and her colleagues, I KNOW A LOT, I CAN DO A LOT, BUT I NEED TO UNDERSTAND, COGNITION THROUGH GAMES meets that urgent requirement. The subject under discussion is a handbook for organizing workshops for children from 7 to 14 years of age, whose primary purpose is to make it possible for the children to attain a feeling of competence and capability for articulation and processing of a series of important internal experiences. Dealing with those experiences (children's hesitation, doubt, feeling of confusion, for instance) is absolutely necessary but at the same time extremely delicate work, and the authors have kept one and the other completely in mind, and they approach them with altogether careful consideration. Tunde Kovac-Cerovic, Slobodanka Jankovic, Milana Jerotijevic, Tatjana Kecman, Svetlana Kijevcanin, Marija Krivacic, Snezana Mrse built their model of the workshop on a developmental - psychological formula: game - experience - cognition - development. The basic standards they hold to are: 1) for the provoked experience to be authentic, 2) for the children to become aware of it in exchange with others, 3) thanks to the leaders' interventions and the quality of play context, the experience gains a rational framework which is acceptable to the child and 4) to make possible remodeling and supplementing. Thus, the experience, which has become authentic, conscious, accepted, changed by enrichment and supplements, becomes a new phenomenon of a child's psyche - it gets re-made into the cognition that a child can control. That is the right way to initiate developmental - psychologically significant changes in children. Thus, the title of these workshops: the path to cognition, rationalization. The Handbook contains 15 workshops for younger children, and 12 workshops for the older ones (within the mentioned age range). All the workshops keep to the same basic structure: introductory games - the main theme - closing games. The main themes worked out in workshops for younger children include a broad range of possible children's experiences - from the non-visual - getting familiar with an object, looking for possible solutions for particular life problems, consideration of a situation from different standpoints, communication of one's personal view of things to another, guided fantasy, getting familiar with one's own body and feelings, through recognition of some common conflicts, being aware of different shades of intentional or incidental acts, moral discrimination, to the skill of analyzing a problem into its components, alternative designation of important components of some phenomena and designation of ideas by nonverbal means. The main themes of the workshops for the older children are, naturally, more complex, and they range from the ability to represent reality by various means, recognition of ways of transmission and deformation of information, through cooperation in solving the same problems and the exercises in confronting and argumentation of one's personal point of view, to the recognition of the psychic state of another person, differentiation of characteristics of persons important to the children, discovering the ways of reaching a solution for tougher problems, or, establishing special systems of communication. The children will deal with all these themes through the basic form of these workshops - through the games. Besides the main themes, every workshop contains a larger number of introductory and closing games (total:96), whose purpose is, in addition to the others, to prepare the atmosphere for dealing with the main theme, that is to round out the experience obtained and cool down the excitement stirred up during the performance of the main theme. In the appendix of this Handbook there is a Catalogue as well as an alphabetical index of all these games. Apart from the description of the manner of organization of the workshops, every workshop also contains detailed instructions for the leader, with a lot of observations, recommendations and warnings of possible difficulties to spoil the flow of the process. The leaders are offered all they need to know together with a model by which they themselves can further supplement the workshops, but also to create new ones. The theoretical - methodological woof of these workshops is the psychological research of metacognitive phenomenon: awareness of one's own cognitive functioning, personal experiences arising from certain changes or temporary difficulties in psychic functioning, and strategy of following and directing of personal cognition and behavior. With great knowledge, self-reliance and delicate creativity the authors have applied that knowledge in shaping their workshops. The extra value of the Handbook is that the foundation of the whole concept of the workshops has been well-based on the direct psychological investigation gained with refugee children during the year 1993. In the majority of cases, special seminars are held to train leaders in the running of workshops. However, this Handbook has been put together in such a manner and supplied with such instructions that it can be used by persons less experienced in running workshops. All the above-stated reasons have convinced us that this Handbook, once available to the public, will be welcomed by all those working with children, will be used with pleasure, and the greatest beneficiaries of all will be children. Therefore, this review should be considered as a recommendation of a professional to a future publisher to make this Handbook accessible for those who will make the best use of it. Belgrade, September 1, 1993 Dr. Ruzica Rosandic, Prof. Developmental Psychology INTRODUCTION This handbook contains about twenty educational workshops for children. They are not educational simply because of their new content which is offered unobtrusively (although in some the content is valuable in itself) but primarily because they lead to developmentally significant changes in the children. The basic terms of reference of any workshop, these included, are participants, cooperative play, adventure and experience. In these workshops the game context creates possibilities for new experiences, around that new experience new knowledge is organized which above all acts encouragingly on development. In doing so, the work itself with a group of children supports every link in this chain. Our basic idea in creating these workshops was through them to help the children gain a feeling of competence and articulate a series of very important internal experiences which are not touched upon nor fostered during formal schooling. Concern with such experiences is a delicate job. They are concealed and sensitive experiences of which the children are not often fully aware of (for example, hesitation, doubt, confusion). Those experiences are very sensitive to the whole situation so that it may easily happen that instead of the targeted experiences something entirely different takes place (for example, instead of the experience of free creation there is copying the leader or a group member who has been praised by the leader). Finally, every enforced or imposed work with them may become counter-productive. In a certain sense it is better if the child remains unconscious of its own experience rather than doubting its veracity. In order to preserve the basic formula for the creation of workshops (game experience-cognition-development) and in order to prevent this and similar traps, it is useful to bear in mind the following: 1. Provoked experience should be authentic - and for this reason the game context for each workshop is chosen so that by its structure and group dynamics it incites a specific experience and make it logical in such a situation and relevant from the children's viewpoint. 2. Experience becomes conscious through exchange with others - group interaction is vital and it should naturally rely on or follow from the game itself. We consider as those workshops in which the exchange of experience with others is an integral part of the game context and not only a subsequently added "discussion" as the most successful. 3. The experience should be accepted - therein lies the key role of the leader who should create an atmosphere of complete respect for every member of the group and consequently his experience and adventure. On the other hand, the quality of the game context is also of significance: the better it is, the more it is certain that the children's experience will obtain a sound framework and thereby become accepted. 4. Experience is supplemented and re-worked - this is contributed to by the described consciousness and exchange and placing it in a cognitive frame. In this role, the leader is also important. He follows each child and helps him precisely where, how much and when he needs help so that he might, at least a little, leap ahead of himself. In addition, the leader also manifests his experiences, adventures and thoughts thus serving as the model of a person who feels, experiences, hesitates, thinks and changes. This kind of careful dosage of oneself is a skill gained in working with children and it is especially important that the leader should not become an authority, an arbiter or faultless model. Experience which is authentic, conscious, adopted, enriched through exchange and added to, becomes a new phenomenon and is processed into cognition. Such experience is the subject of these workshops. HOW THE WORKSHOPS ORIGINATED The material presented here is the result of real team work - even the order by which the authors are listed is random. In this form it originated during 1993 while working with refugee children housed at the 'Zvezdani gaj' hostel in Belgrade, as part of the project of the Centre for Anti-War Action which is financed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. One part of the workshops originated in a project of the Institute of Psychology of the School of Philosophy of Belgrade University ("Metacognition in School") which was realized with Belgrade children during 1991 1. On the other hand, the ideas for our workshops relied on various sources. Some were adapted from research procedures or from investigations of child development while others were constructed exactly for this occasion. As for the introductory and concluding games, they have often been taken from or re-worked from the workshop procedures of other groups (for example, from the project "Youth Workshop"). As with every skill in the workshop craft, knowledge is transferred from hand to hand, it is re-worked and it integrates and builds further upon what is valuable, the unusable is rejected, personal imprints are left, a new whole is created and handed over to others for use and adaptation 2. HOW TO RUN THE WORKSHOPS We have made every effort to put in this workshop handbook as much as possible of our observations, recommendations and warnings of the possible pitfalls in the main course of the process. Still, there is room for some general advice addressed primarily to those persons who have not yet had the opportunity of working with children in this way. As a rule, the workshop is conducted by two leaders at the same time. If there is a network of workshops with a large number of groups, it is best for each group of children to always work with the same leader. They divide their role between them but both are technically and essentially indispensable. During the workshops, the children often separate themselves into smaller groups so that it becomes necessary to assist the work in such groups. Likewise, while one leader is busy conducting the overall activity of the workshop, the other one can focus his attention on the children, watchful of their condition, experiences and hesitations. At such times it may be useful for the leader to articulate perplexities as if they were his own, for example: 'It's not clear to me whether we should draw now what occurs to us or whether we should try to...' This helps us to attain precisely the function of the kind of model, which the leader offers, to which we aspire. ________________ 1 We also owe gratitude to the team collaborators who participated, in addition to the several authors of this book: Sonja Popadic, M.A., Milica Krstanovic and Dragan Stojanovic 2 In this way, a kind of workshop tradition is created and it is often impossible to trace the path back to the original source of some procedures. In elaborating our catalog of games, we encountered precisely this problem. We included those games in the catalogue used in our workshops and taken or adapted for our needs from others. At the end of the catalogue there is a list of sources used, but unfortunately only those of direct source which does not provide exact information about the original authors of particular games. The optimum number of participants is between 12 and 15. A smaller number hampers group dynamics and the structure of the planned games so that with fewer than 8 children it becomes impossible to work. A larger number of children makes the work more superficial and reduces the quality and effect of the work. The age of the children in the workshop need not be homogeneous but the age span in the same group should not be more than 3-4 years. The material in the handbook is adapted to this maximum span to that if one works with a more homogeneous group the content and demands can be more precisely adapted to the exact age of the children in the group. On the other hand, some of the workshops designed for younger groups can, with small modifications be used with the older groups, and the workshops for the older group can be held for high school students. The workshops proposed in this handbook last about 2 hours. Any significant deviation from this time requires re-shaping the workshops: if the time is shortened, then the leader must be careful to retain the basic structure of the workshop (introductory game - the main theme - closing game), and if the time is extended, breaks should be introduced. Participation of the children in the workshops should always be on a voluntary basis but it is desirable for the composition of the group not to be changed. Also, the principle of work does not include observers which means that all the children present must be expected to participate. If a child is found to hesitate repeatedly regarding participation, this should not be resolved within the group but in individual contact with the child. A permissive atmosphere prevails in the workshop. However, it is a highly structured, guided activity. The judgment as to what possibilities should be restricted and what permitted is an important part of the formation of the workshop and is reflected in the structure of the games context. Nevertheless, some of the decisions in this matter are left to the leaders. Thus, it is useful to achieve agreement with the children on several basic principles - entering and leaving the room, seating arrangements, noise, and this should be done during the beginning phases of the workshop. If that agreement is sincere and is not imposed, there is greater likelihood that the children will respect it as being their own. In addition to increasing their feeling of responsibility the leader is freed from the need to intervene from time to time in the position of authority. The workshop is not a workshop if added measures are needed and persuasion is brought to bear in order to activate the children, hold them in the group or quiet them. Of course, such agreements should be introduced as the need arises in the workshop. The first few workshops represent the period when the group becomes accustomed to them. These workshops have a three-fold role: to motivate the group for further work, to offer an arena for agreement and to establish cooperation in the group. The sequence of the workshops as proposed in the handbook takes these limitations into account. Also, if the workshop takes place in an area which is otherwise not accessible to the children, it is useful to undertake joint search for space during one of the early workshops. Experience has taught us that failure to do so (as well as in other cases) will sooner or later be reflected in the work of the group. Insistence on the children's experience, in addition to what has already been described, has some further consequences on the work of the workshop's leaders. It implies a maximum openness to the children's experience and a readiness to recognize every child's behavior and statement as a natural expression of his response to the workshop. This means that if the workshop takes an unexpected course, the children should not be blamed but the mistake should be sought in the situation, in the workshops, in one's own behavior. Likewise, such an unexpected turn should be monitored by a skillful leader so as to alter the content or game structure and therefore to integrate it better into the momentary state and interest of the children. Such workshops are often the best. Among other things, that is why the most successful workshops are those in which the leader has left his authorial mark - it is easy to be flexible if you know what you want to achieve with the children. In any case, the workshops do not serve for something to be learned about the children nor are they the place for spontaneous games and for children to get together. The workshop must run smoothly and this tempo of work is oriented by both the children and the leader. Reflections require deceleration while games often need acceleration. In most cases, conducting workshops is learned by attending seminars. In offering this material as a handbook, we have abandoned this rule. We feel that the application of these workshops is useful even if they are led by someone who is less experienced. In any case, the children will gain something even if this is less than experience has shown they can gain. Of course, the leaders must bear in mind that conducting the workshops must be preceded by thorough preparation and that running them properly is an exceptionally strenuous task. Of course, it also implies discovering oneself. Those who do not care to do so will not opt for this kind of work. HOW TO USE THIS HANDBOOK The purpose of this book is for the products of our work to be accessible to the public and our workshops to be offered for use to all interested persons, teachers, educators, psychologists and parents. We feel that they can very readily be integrated into some less obligatory forms of work with school children such as recreational tuition, an extended day at school, (after school activities) excursions, summer camps or classes of departmental groups. We can also imagine them as the framework for nature and social classes as well as the structures for children's celebrations. Whole or partial workshops can be used equally well. The sequence of the workshops can be adapted as can the materials and concrete contents, and even the suggested games themselves. Therefore, what is contained in this handbook can for future leaders be a starting point but need not be the final product. Conducting a workshop is always, at least to a certain extent, an authorial work which cannot be totally institutionalized. The handbook contains 15 workshops for younger age groups (1-4 grades of elementary school) and 12 workshops for older age groups (5-8 grades of elementary school). It also contains a catalogue of games, an alphabetical index of games and a list of ways to divide the groups into pairs and smaller groups. Each workshop is an entity with its specific scenario for two hours of work with the children. However, all the workshops have a similar structure: they always start with making badges, then follow various introductory games, then the main theme, that is, the main games, and then finally the closing games. THE BADGES are made by the children themselves. Their content is suggested by the leader, it is different each time and is always connected in a certain way with the theme of the workshop. The children draw, color and cut out the badges according to their wishes and write their names or nicknames on them. They pin them on themselves and wear them throughout the workshop. At the end, they glue them onto a board which after a series of workshops will represent a reminder of common experience. The making of the badges is a way for the children to actively start their workshop and gradually to become introduced to its content and are also a useful aid for remembering the names of the members of the group. The workshop formally begins when the children sit in a circle, wearing the badges and the leader gives a short commentary (or each child introduces himself) about what is drawn/written on the badge. Thus, from the very beginning each child is mentioned and everybody's product is accepted by the leader and the group. THE INTRODUCTORY GAMES are activities which are loosely connected to the main theme, they serve to slowly focus on it and also to contribute to the creation of an atmosphere of togetherness, mutual acquaintance and a warm up for work. In a word, with the aid of these games, the children enter into the world of the workshops. With every workshop there is a list of proposed introductory games and their detailed description is given in a separate catalogue at the end of the manual. With this we wished to facilitate the flexible use of the games. Namely, the leader can choose for his situation more adequate games for the introductions, or if the need arises, he can include a game later on in the course of the workshop in order to channel the increased activity of the children or to avoid their passivity. In the catalogue, the games are grouped into games of getting to know each other, warming up games, games of trust and cooperation, traditional and other games. A required game will most easily be found in the Index in which every game is numbered according to where it is described in the catalogue. Some workshops have PRELIMINARY GAMES included. They are games which directly lead into the main theme of the workshop. Very frequently they are either meaningful new games or in great part they are altered and adapted from the already existing games. Because of this, these games are described in the narrative of the workshop itself and not in the catalogue of games. THE MAIN GAMES are the central part of the workshop. Every game is described as well as the procedure of carrying it out and with instructions and advice to the leader, if needed. In this way, the reader is led from a general picture of the whole game to the most concrete details. The description contains a general overview of the game including its implied objective. The procedure presents the scenario of the main games, it gives the structure of the game according to the chronological order of execution of the game. By relying on the procedure, it is possible to alter the content without breaking down the structure of the game. Instruction is given in direct speech and contains all the elements which the leader must say to the children. The advice is derived from our own experience and may be of use to the leaders. CLOSING GAMES serve to round off the events in the workshop. In selecting the games, care is taken to have the children leave the workshop in a pleasant mood and with the feeling of belonging to a group. Their description is in the catalogue of the games and can be found in the same way as the introductory games. They are the least linked to the main theme of the workshop and usually can be changed quite easily without altering the meaning of the workshop. WORKSHOPS FOR YOUNGER AGE GROUPS AGES 7-10 YEARS (I-IV GRADES) 1. WORKSHOP OBJECTS IN A SACK BADGE: Children draw on white or colored paper any design they wish and then color it. On it they write their names, nicknames or whatever they want to be called. WORD OF INTRODUCTION: - The leader, first of all, expresses satisfaction because of the interest shown on the part of the children by their coming to the workshop. - The leader then acquaints the children with the work of the workshop. He, for example can say: "First of all will tell you how we planned our meetings. Each meeting has a specific theme, and we will work through this theme in a specific way. We usually call that specific way a workshop. The workshop consists of various games, acting, drawing, thinking, imagining etc. Some of these things you already know, some you have tried. Others will be new and I hope will be interesting. " - Then the leader acquaints the children with the rules of the workshop: "Each workshop lasts about 2 hours. Most frequently we will sit in a circle in order to be able to see one another. We will talk that way too, one after the other. If, for any reason, you do not want to participate in a game or discussion, you only have to say "Next" and you do not have to explain anything to anybody." - "We can begin with some little games through which in an unusual way we will get to know each other better." INTRODUCTORY GAMES 1. INTRODUCING ONESELF - NAMES I - NAMES 11 2. MOVEMENTS - Small MOVEMENT - Big MOVEMENT - Fast MOVEMENT (can be a semi-circle) - Slow MOVEMENT (can be a semi-circle) 3. FOLLOW MY FINGER PRELIMINARY GAME I TELL YOU A STORY USING OPPOSITES The game consists in every participant making an unusual sentence in which it is compulsory to use two words opposite in meaning. The first player says his sentence while the next one begins his by using the end of the previous sentence. In this case the game serves to open children's imagination to unusual possibilities and to create the adventure of mutual creation. Also, repeating opposite qualities sharpens their attention for the description of objects in the next game. All the children sit in a circle and the leader says: "This is an interesting game in which two key words appear: big and small. Each one of you will use these two words in a sentence in this way, for example: 'On a big rooster there is a small cloud,' the next child continues with: 'the small cloud put on a big bow,' and so on, each continues repeating the end of the previous sentence and then adding something." The first round is played with the words BIG - SMALL. When that round is finished, introduce 2 new key words into the game, WET - DRY. 'Now we will play in the same way but you will use 2 other words: WET - DRY, for example I will begin: 'On a wet bed is a dry current.' The next can continue : 'To the dry current the wet rabbit ran away..." In the third round use two new words: BENT - STRAIGHT. Advice: For small children this is a difficult task in the beginning. It should be kept in mind that the game should be played dynamically and that individual achievement is not important, but rather the entity of the game - if someone cannot remember the sentence, the group and the leader can help by giving suggestions. Every child's work is to be accepted and there should be no criticism. After all three rounds have been played, the children are told to draw a combination which they recall or which was the funniest in the first round because BIG - SMALL is the easiest to express in a drawing. At the end, all the drawings are exhibited on the bulletin board. THE MAIN THEME MYSTERIOUS SACKS In this game, the children are asked on the basis of touch only (absence of sight) to recognize the important characteristics of an object, and then to communicate that information verbally to another. At the same time, those listening have the task to express that verbal description, which is frequently incomplete, in the form of a drawing. Thus, the visual representation of an object is made on the basis of verbal description which is derived from touch as the only source of the information. The limitation of only one source of information (touch or verbal description) achieves a sensitivity in observing the vital characteristics of an object on the basis of which can be constructed the most exact representation of that object. PROCEDURE: 1. The leader introduces the game to the children 2. The children are divided in two groups. Pairs are formed in each group: "feelers" and "drawers". The 'feelers' describe the object, the 'drawers' draw it. 3. The 'feelers' correct the drawings of their partners, and the 'drawers" touch the object in the sack which they have drawn 'blindly". 4. Comparison of the drawings of the two groups and judging whether the objects in the sacks were the same or different. 5. Check on the correctness of the judgment. 1. The leader introduces the game to the children. "I found two sacks, nearby, in the park. There is a note on them which says", the leader reads aloud the contents of the note, "This is a gift for the children from (name the center). These two sacks have a magical power. In one there are two different objects. In the other, there are also two diff erent objects. But it is not known whether they are the same two objects as in the first sack. If you guess it three times, then the sack will reward you. You will guess only by touching and drawing not looking. One of you, blindfolded, will only touch the object in the sack, talk about it while touching it and the other will draw the unseen object according to the description. But be careful, who touches does not draw and who draws does not touch." The game is played in three rounds, that is, the objects in the sack are changed three times and the entire procedure of judging whether the objects in the two sacks are the same or not is repeated three times. 2. The leader divides the children into two groups (one sack for each group). After that, within each group divide the children into pairs of "feelers" and "drawers" (for each sack there should be a pair of 'feelers" because there are two objects in the sack). Then for the first round, choose the first pair of "feelers" and "drawers". The "feelers" are blindfolded. "Each child from the pair of "feelers" puts his hand in the sack and describes the object he is touching to his "drawer", but I must remind you no peeking into the sack. Each one touches and describes only his own object. That means that you are not allowed to touch the other object in your sack nor to go over to the other group and touch their objects. The "drawers" should be listening to their "feelers" only and draw only what they are told." 3. When the children finish describing and drawing the secret object, the leader says: "Let the "feelers" remove their blindfolds. Look at the drawings. You are allowed to add or change something if you think that it is necessary, but you are no longer allowed to touch the object. And you "drawers" may now touch the object in the sack, but you may not add to or change the drawing." 4. When this part of the game is finished, the following instructions are given: "Now the "feelers" from both groups come to the center with the drawings so we can see if the objects in the two sacks are the same or different." The leader guides the discussion in which the children compare the drawings and decide whether the same or different objects are in the sack. The role of the leader is to help the children so that their judgment does not rely first of all on the sameness of their drawings (which should not even be expected) but that they come to a conclusion using those descriptions which cannot be represented by drawing (soft, cold, hairy, metal ... ) the leader should also help the children to not give importance to the decisive role of judging the imperfections of the graphic representation. In the sentencing, the "feelers" from both groups participate. In that way chaotic comparisons and outvoting are reduced. Apart from that, the "feelers" have the most information about the objects and therefore they are the most interested in this process. 5. The objects are removed from the sacks, compared and the decision of the two groups is checked for correctness. The assistant secretly places two new objects in the sacks and a new round with another pair of 'drawers" and "feelers' begins. Tasks: 1. round: in the two sacks there are one of the same and one different object (I sack: pencil, rattle; 11 sack: pencil, cube) 2. round: in the two sacks there are two of the same objects (I and 11 sacks contain in each: a ring and a cube with holes in it) 3. round: in the two sacks there are one of the same and one different object (but similar) in each: (I sack: chocolate, a rail; 11 sack: chocolate and a rail - rails are parts of toys, similar but curved on different sides). Advice: Of course, other objects may be used as well. It is only essential that the objects should be the same, similar or different in the various rounds of the game. In the first round objects are used which can be named. In the second and third rounds objects which cannot be named, but only what they look like, remind one of or are similar to something else should be used. In addition, the same objects placed in the two sacks should also be the same color. In the last round some sweets should be placed in the sack for all the children to be the reward given by the magical sack. The degree of difficulty of the game is reckoned by the number of objects in the sacks and the number of rounds. The larger the number of objects and rounds, the more difficult is the game and vice versa. Care should be taken to avoid a competitive atmosphere between the groups. If this should happen, the leader must immediately make it clear that there should not be any competition, and that success and reward depend on their common judgment and accuracy. This means that they must cooperate and not compete. When choosing the pairs of "feelers" and "drawers', the leader should try to involve each child in each role during the game. CLOSING GAME KITES MATERIAL - material for badges - white or colored paper, felt pens or crayons, scissors, pins (for badges) - for the main game: 4 handkerchiefs for blindfolding, 2 sacks and 10 objects (which are the same and which different is noted in the description of the game). WORKSHOPS FOR YOUNGER AGE GROUPS AGES 11-14 YEARS (V-VIII GRADES) 1. WORKSHOP NEVER SEEN, FIRST TIME HEARD AND DREW IT BADGE* - Everyone makes a badge by drawing on a piece of paper (white or colored) whatever he/she wants, writes on it his name, nickname or whatever he wants to be called. WORD OF INTRODUCTION: - First the leader expresses pleasure because of the interest the children have shown by coming to the workshop. - The leader then acquaints the children with the kind of work to be done. For example, he might say: "First of all, I will tell you how we planned these meetings. Every session will have a certain theme, through which we will act together in a specific way. We usually call that specific way a workshop. The workshop consists of different games, discussions, acting, drawing, thinking,imagining, etc. Some of these things you already know, some you have already tried. Others will be new and I hope interesting for you.., - Then the leader familiarizes the children with the rules in the workshop: "Every workshop lasts about two hours. Most of the time we will be sitting in a circle so we can see each other. Mainly we will talk that way, too, one after another. If, for any reason, you do not want to participate in a game or conversation, you can simply say "pass" and you do not have to explain anything to anybody." - "We can start with the games by which we will get to know each other much better." INTRODUCTORY GAMES 1.GAMES OF INTRODUCTION: -NAMES I -NAMES II -NAMES III 2. SLOW AND FAST MOVEMENTS 3. BIG - SMALL advice: It is a good idea if the leader begins the above activities in a circle. On the one hand, the children get a clear idea what is asked of them. On the other hand, the leader reduces the children's eventual discomfort when they have to say something about themselves to the whole group. However, in similar activities, the leader has to decide whether to begin or end with the circle. That decision should be the result of the estimation of which of two risks he considers the less likely: imitation of the model (when the leader begins it can easily happen that the children will imitate him) or the children's discomfort when they have to perform in front of the group. 4. DRAWING OF ONE CMBINATION OF BIG - SMALL -The children are told to draw the combination of'Big-Small" which was the funniest for them. -When they are finished drawing, the children put the drawings on the floor, and try to put them together according to the "domino' principle, so as to reconstruct the order of the sentences the way they originated in the first part of the game. MAIN THEME NEVER SEEN, FlRST TIME HEARD AND DREW IT In this game the children have to represent a sound or nonsense word by a drawing. After that, with the help of the drawing, they gradually add meaning to that nonsense word. Through this game, the children go through the process of making sense starting from the sound or nonsense word, through its graphic representation (drawing) and arrive at an idea rich with meaning. PROCEDURE 1. Drawing of a sound 2. Drawing of "Chidemaf" 3. Commercial for "Chidemaf" 1. The leader says: "Now let's draw something that cannot be seen, but can be heard. We will try to draw a sound. You will hear a sound (a sound is produced). Just listen and let your hand move by itself across the paper. At the beginning it may seem to you a little unusual, but it is possible. Do not think too much, rather draw immediately what you have heard." The sounds should be selected so that they are not onomatopoeia, that is, they should not have any strong associative connection with any particular idea, for instance, the sounds may be: a. BRRRRR... b. WHISTLE (feeyoo... c. TSTSTSTS (clucking) At the end, everyone, sitting in a circle, shows their drawings of these sounds and they explain how and why they have drawn it that way. 2. The leader now gives the following instructions: "Now I will tell you one word that you will have to draw. Listen carefully ... (dramatic pause) "CHIDEMAF". Now draw "CHIDEMAF" the way you feel it, see it, how it sounds to you... When the drawing is finished, everyone shows their 'CHIDEMAF". Everyone explains how and why he drew it that way. Then the children compare their drawings and based on the similarities (no matter what) form 3-4 groups. "Now let each group make a new group drawing on a new piece of paper. That new drawing will contain elements of your individual drawings. Which elements you choose will depend on you alone and your agreement." When they finish, the leader says: "Think about it, whether what you have just drawn is still "CHIDEMAF" or has it become something else. If so, give it a new name and think about why it is named so, and what it is for. You will say why and how you agreed to make exactly that drawing". 3. Each group makes a commercial for the "CHIDEMAF". The leader says: "Now each group will make a commercial for its own "CHIDEMAF". You have to present it in the best light to others who do not know what it is, who it is. That means you have to advertise it. Each group should agree on how that will be. You can do a sketch, a song, a recitation. You can dance it, sing it, whatever you decide. After 5-10 minutes, each group will present its "CHIDEMAF" to the others". CLOSING GAME RIDDLE WITH A BALL MATERIAL: - material for badges - paper, felt pens or other colored pencils