Spring 2012 League Manual 1
Spring 2012 League Manual
Developed by Terry Shoemaker and WKU Institute for Citizenship & Social Responsibility
Spring 2012 League Manual compiled by Rebecca Katz
October 2011
Spring 2012 League Manual 2
Contents
Introduction ……………………………………3
Follow-up E-mail Sample …......9
The League At-A-Glance …………………….4
Common Ground Experience …………… 10
Logistics …
……………………………….…5
Experience #1 ………………………11
Space ………… …………………….…5
Facilitator Instructions #1 ……12
Materials and Equipment ………………5
Experience #2 ……………………….13
Sub-Leagues and League Scheduling 6
Facilitator Instructions #2 … 14
Recruitment ….…………………………………7
Experience #3 ………………………15
Teams ..…………………………………7
Facilitator Instructions #3 ..…16
Marketing ..…………………………… 7
Experience #4 ………………………17
Website …………………………………7
Registration ..……………………………7
Facilitator Instructions #4 ……18
Conclusion and Contact Information …19
Game
Templates
Day………………………………………………8
…………………………………………………20
Orientation Night …………………… .8
Scorecard Template ……….…………20
An Average Evening ……………………8
Registration Form Template …………21
Records and Scores ……………………8
E-mail Template …………………….22
Final Celebration Night ……………… 8
Poster Template ………………….23
Spring 2012 League Manual 3
Introduction
Welcome to Wii™ the People Bowling League!
electronic entertainment and communication
Wii™ the People is a civically-minded bowling
that reinforce community engagement rather
league that brings together diverse groups of
than forestalling it” (Putnam, 410).
people to bridge polarization and revitalize
active participation in the United States.
You will be an integral part of several university
communities coming together to engage in civil
Wii™ the People Bowling League was inspired
discourse and have fun playing Wii™ Bowling!
by Robert Putnam’s compelling book, Bowling
We believe that once everyone starts talking
Alone.
again we can take more steps toward
Putnam’s
book
describes
the
breakdown in American civic involvement and
revitalizing community and civic engagement in
social capital in the latter of half of the 20th
our country.
century.
As an institution dedicated to
developing the capacities of our communities,
Use this league manual to guide you through
the WKU Institute for Citizenship & Social
your own Wii™ the People Bowling League.
Responsibility
You should adapt the league to fit your
created
Wii™
the
People
Bowling League to bring together groups with
institution and culture.
However, aspects
very different ideas in our community to
[WHAT ASPECTS?] of the league need to be
dialogue, explain ideas, and maybe even find
constant because other schools across the
common ground.
country will be participating at the same time.
The experiences and results of all the leagues
At the end of Bowling Alone, published in 2000,
will be compared and analyzed.
Robert Putnam sets forth seven challenges for
America’s communities to meet by 2010. Wii™
Thank you for being a part of Wii™ the People!
the People Bowling League meets one of these
You have a unique point of view and we hope
challenges: “Let us find ways to ensure that by
that you will contribute new ideas and insights
2010 Americans will spend less leisure time
to the ongoing dialogue about citizenship. This
sitting passively alone in front of glowing
is the start of a new way of thinking about our
screen and more time in active connection with
community and our country, and we are so
our fellow citizens. Let us foster new forms of
excited to work with you!
Spring 2012 League Manual 4
The League At-A-Glance
Regular league play: Four weeks (DATE TO
sending a weekly report to team liaisons (see
DATE)
“Weekly Report Template”).
Championship Game: Fifth week (WEEK OF
the most wins from each league will compete
DATE).
against each other in the Championship Game.
Only league winners play in the
The teams with
Championship Game, but all teams are invited
to celebrate.
If there is a tie within a league, the team with
the most points scored will be the winner of
League and Teams
•
that league, and continue on to the final round.
Recruit at least four teams to play in the
bowling
league
(more
teams
may
Each week, present teams with a “Common
require sub-leagues).
Ground Experience” to work through. Please
•
Four to eight members on each team.
keep
•
Must have four members present at
confidential until it is time for the teams to work
each match.
on the task. Contesting teams will be asked to
Otherwise, team forfeits
the
Common
to
work
creatively,
solve
•
One game played in an hour
problems, and come to conclusions.
See
•
Two matches in one game
“Common
Ground
think
Experiences
that week’s match.
o Two players play first match, at
together
Ground
Experience”
well.
Common Ground Experience
results at the end of the league.
roles
match.
Or
together.
during
everyone
more
information. Keep a record of these results as
least two other players work on
o Switch
for
All participating schools will compare
second
works
The final championship game will take place
This is at league
the fifth week of the league (DATE). The two
discretion.
winning teams from each league will compete
against each other in a final Wii™ bowling
Record and total scores each week (see
game. Invite all other teams to celebrate, hang
"Scorecard Template"). Use this information if
out, and talk about their experiences during
there is a tie.
Wii™ Bowling.
Your institution may consider
posting scores online (using this GoogleDoc) or
prizes
and
After the final match, award
facilitate
a
final
reflection.
Spring 2012 League Manual 5
Logistics
Space
the same time (at least four remotes per
You will need a space large enough for at least
console). Consider purchasing a case to store
four people to Bowl and four other people to
your Wii™ consoles and equipment. A carry-
watch and dialogue. The space should have a
on size suitcase works well, and is usually
screen or TV that can be connected to a Wii™
more cost effective than purchasing multiple
console.
cases specifically made for Wii™.
Arrange seating surrounding the
bowling area, facing each other. This set-up is
inclusive
and
facilitates
discussion.
You will also need white boards, large sticky
note or easel pads, and markers or other
writing utensils for students to work through the
tasks.
Be sure to give each team a scorecard so they
can keep track of their bowling scores. Collect
scorecards at the end of each game. See the
end
of
this
manual
for
the
“Scorecard
Template”.
You may host more than one game per hour.
As an option, you may provide snacks and
If you do, make sure there is enough space
refreshments for the players. Past participants
and technology available.
seem to enjoy this, especially if games are
scheduled around dinnertime. Be sure to have
Materials and Equipment
some
You will need to acquire or purchase a Wii™.
considering diabetics, vegetarians and vegans,
You do not need to purchase any extra Wii™
and kosher/halal laws. Also consider playing
games because the bowling game is already
music for background noise, or to set the tone
programmed on new Wii’s™. Consoles range
for the evening.
from
$120-$150.,
refurbished Wii™.
the
lower
end
for
a
Make sure you have
enough Wii™ remotes for all players playing at
"diet-neutral"
snacks
Wii™ the People Materials
Wii™ Console
Wii™ Remotes
available
Spring 2012 League Manual 6
differences, tensions, outcomes, etc. Random
Storage Case
Easel Pads or large spaces to write
Markers/writing utensils
Scorecards
Snacks (optional)
Music (optional)
leagues allow anything to happen!
The number of teams you recruit and the
flexibility of everyone will determine how you
Sub-Leagues and League Scheduling
schedule your league.
Depending on the number of teams you recruit
their league from DATE to DATE. If you recruit
and time you have for league play, you may
over 7 teams, a league schedule works best
have to divide teams into sub-leagues.
with...
The
All schools will host
best way to divide leagues is to choose
8 teams, 4 teams each sub-league
randomly or draw names out of a hat. This
10 teams, 5 teams each sub-league
way, you will avoid making assumptions about
12 teams, 6 teams each sub-league
pairing
teams
based
on
similarities,
Sample Schedule
Here is the schedule WKU used last spring with 10 teams, and two sub-leagues “a” and “b”.
Two games played simultaneously in different rooms, and all played on Tuesday nights.
League Listing
League A
1b: Americans for Informed Democracy (AID)
1a: Baptist Campus Ministries (BCM)
2b: ALIVE Center
2a: Student Identity Outreach (SIO)
3b: Mysterious Team 10
3a: Sigma Kappa Sorority (SK)
4b: Government and Politics Society (GAPS)
4a: Leftist Community Brothers (!!!!)
5b: We the People
(LCB)
5a: Student Veterans Alliance (SVA)
League B
Time
Station Wk 1
Wk 2
Wk 3
Wk 4
6pm
7pm
8pm
1
1a,2a
2a, 3a
1a, 4a
2a, 5a
2
1b, 2b
2b, 3b
1b, 4b
2b, 5b
1
3a, 4a
4a, 5a
3a, 5a
1a, 3a
2
3b, 4b
4b, 5b
3b, 5b
1b, 3b
1
5a, 5b
1a, 4b
2a, 2b
4a,4b
Spring 2012 League Manual 7
Recruitment
Teams
a
great
first
step
to
overcoming
the
Recruiting a diverse, cross-sectional, and
disintegration of communities that Putnam talks
interdisciplinary group of organizations is key
about in Bowling Alone (See Chapter 9 starting
to having the most interesting and insightful
with the section about telephones).
Wii™ the People experience. Your institution
may be familiar with particular campus groups
A recruitment e-mail and flyer template is
and organizations interested in participating.
included at the end of this manual. You can
While that is a good place to start, make sure
insert your specific information, or make your
you step out of your comfort zone and reach
own materials!
out across the campus-community. Get a list
community best.
of all campus organizations and contact them.
potential teams and hang the fliers around
Ask members of interested organizations for
campus and in dorms, or give them to
suggestions and references.
professors and members of organizations.
Encourage a
You know your campus
Send these e-mails to
professor or student to form a team from a
course
or
department.
Consider
teams
Website
comprised of community members, or even
If you have the technological capabilities, post
hosting
league.
information about Wii™ the People on your
Example teams: Faculty team, Fraternity,
website, or make a separate webpage. Include
Faith-based
who,
a
group,
separate
group,
Agriculture
community
International/minority
majors,
Student
Government, etc.
what,
when,
where,
why,
contact
information, and how to register. This is also a
good marketing tool because people can have
information instantly.
Marketing
Identify how recruiting and marketing works
Registration
best at your school. E-mail usually seems to
GoogleDocs is an easy platform for making
be effective.
Post an announcement to
registration forms online if you do not have
Facebook or other social networking sites.
more sophisticated technology. All you need is
Advertise in your institution’s newspaper or on
a Google account (e-mail or otherwise). You
blogs. However, sending a representative to
can create documents, spreadsheets, and
speak in person at an organization's meeting is
registration forms that you can customize, edit,
very effective. Communicating face-to-face is
and share.
You could also use a paper
Spring 2012 League Manual 8
registration form for teams to fill out and return
the
end
of
this
manual.
to you. See “Registration Form Template” at
Game Day
Orientation Night
Schedule an orientation night one or two
weeks before the league starts and invite at
least one representative from each team. At
Records and Scores
the
the
At the end of every game, collect teams’
significance in participating, and league goals.
scorecards and any written record of the
If you have the availability and resources, you
Common Ground Experience.
may also schedule time before the league
white boards to work through the Common
starts
Wii™
Ground Experiences, take a picture of the
Bowling. (While an e-mail may suffice for this
white board before it is erased, or ask teams to
type of information, it is more effective and
write conclusions on a piece of paper,
meeting,
when
explain
teams
can
the
league,
"practice"
If teams use
personal to talk face-to-face, as previously
mentioned).
You can use this GoogleDoc to record and
report scores. Find your school’s sheet in the
An Average Evening
tabs at the bottom left of the screen. Enter the
A facilitator should arrive at the location about
correct team names and tally the scores for the
half an hour before the league starts to set up
week in each teams’ row.
the Wii™ consoles and arrange the space.
When the evening begins, have team members
Analyze the Common Ground Experience
introduce themselves to the other team. Then
records for any trends or conclusions. Send
gather all the teams together and explain the
data
task for the evening. Pass out any materials.
terry.shoemaker@wku.edu by Monday of the
Finally, play Wii™ Bowling!
following week.
Designate a
and
conclusions
to
See weekly “Facilitator
facilitator to float around during the league to
Instructions” for specific details. Then, send a
assist the groups if teams get stuck on a topic,
follow-up e-mail to team liaisons before the
or if discussion turns offensive. You may find
next game.
that the first night takes a little longer than one
league scoreboard, interesting results from the
hour per game.
Common Ground Experience, and any other
That is okay.
As students
These e-mails should include
become more familiar with the process and
announcements.
See
“Follow-up
Wii™, the games will speed up.
Sample” at the end of this section.
E-mail
Spring 2012 League Manual 9
invited to cheer on the competing teams, hang
Finals Celebration Night
out, and talk about the league.
The fifth week (DATE) is the final celebration
providing refreshments or dinner (like pizza
when the teams from each sub-league, or two
and drinks). The winners may be presented
most
with a prize, like a trophy, or even a copy of
winning-est
teams
compete
in
the
Consider
Championship Game. If there is a tie within a
Bowling Alone.
league, the team with the most points scored
winning team, take a moment to reflect as a
will be the winner of that league, and continue
larger group with the entire group and
on to the final round.
distribute
All other teams are
After you’ve presented the
assessments.
Follow-up E-mail Sample
WII THE PEOPLE BOWLING LEAGUE
Week 1
Hope everyone had fun at the first Wii™ the People Bowling League game! Here is a summary of
Week 1. The summary includes everyone’s score and standing. Also, it includes a summary of the
issues/concerns that teams identified as the most important in our world today. Below is the schedule
for next Tuesday, so make sure you recruit enough players for your team next week. If you have any
questions, comments or ideas of what we can do better, please let me know. Thank you all for a
great start to our league!
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
Issue/Concern
Mentions
LCB
613
Environment (including
9
Sigma Kappa 664
Natural Disasters, Water,
ALIVE
512
Pollution)
Team 10
717
Inequality (including
8
WKU AID
555
Women’s Rights, Racism,
We the
523
Human Trafficking)
People
Economy (including Fair
7
SIO
554
Trade)
BCM
585
Education
5
GAPS
611
Poverty
4
SVA
566
Healthcare
3
Average
590
League A
Team
Win/Loss
Sigma
1-0
Kappa
Team 10
1-0
ALIVE
0-1
LCB
0-1
SIO
0-1
League B
Team
Win/Loss
WKU AID
1-0
GAPS
BCM
We the
People
SVA
1-0
1-0
0-1
0-1
Schedule March 22
6 pm – SIO vs. LCB
7 pm – Sigma Kappa vs. ALIVE
Team 10 vs. GAPS
8 pm – BCM vs. WKU AID
We the People vs. SVA
Spring 2012 League Manual 10
Common Ground Experience
The Common Ground Experience is the heart
explains the challenge for the week. There is
of Wii™ the People Bowling League. These
also a separate instruction page for facilitators
exercises give groups the opportunity to freely
with more information and how to facilitate the
discuss their ideas and opinions, learn about
challenge.
themselves, and learn about each other.
Groups will work to find common ground with
each other to complete the weekly challenges.
This season, the challenges focus on the 2012
election season and are designed to get
students thinking about the politics and
practices during elections. This section
IMPORTANT
Please do not disclose the weekly Common
Ground Experiences until they it is time to
explain to each game. It is more fruitful and
interesting when teams must work together
without any ideas or preconceived notions.
includes a handout to give to the students that
Common Ground Experience At-A-Glance
Common Ground Experience 1 (Week of #/#/12)
Discovering Individual Political Ideology – Students will take surveys that reveal their political
ideologies. A discussion will follow.
Common Ground Experience 2 (Week of #/#/12)
Identifying Issues – Teams will identify specific state and national issues that need to be reformed.
Common Ground Experience 3 (Week of #/#/12)
Wii the People Party – Teams will create a Third Party and platform based on the top issues from the
week before.
Common Ground Experience 4 (Week of #/#/12)
The Campaign – Teams will create a realistic political campaign and Slogan for the new Wii the
People Party.
Spring 2012 League Manual 11
Common Ground Experience #1
Week of #/#/12
Discover your Political Ideology
Where do you fall on the political spectrum? This week, each team member will take a
survey that assesses how your convictions line up to the current political ideologies
and categories. After you are done taking the survey, mark your place on the political
spectrum. Discuss the results.
-Were you surprised by your results?
-What influences were important in determining your political ideology?
-Were you surprised by the rest of the team’s results? How do your results compare
with the rest of your team?
-How does the team’s results compare with the other team’s results?
A laptop with Internet access is being provided should you need more information.
(optional)
Other info/announcements, championship game reminder. (optional)
Feel free to use the back of this sheet to give us feedback about the league thus far
and what we can do better.
Spring 2012 League Manual 12
Week 1 Facilitator Instructions
This activity will build the foundation for the rest of the Common Ground Experience. Individual team
members will be able to work better together once they understand other participants perspectives,
as well as their own ideologies.
Print out a few copies of the Common Ground Experience sheet. On a white board, large poster, or
easel pad, create a “Political Spectrum” for team members to mark their survey results. You could be
creative with this and create something more artistic and long lasting.
Gather all team members and read the activity explanation. Then, pass out the survey instruments.
As people finish the survey, have them mark where they are on the “Political Spectrum” according to
the survey.
At the end of each game, collect team scorecards and individual survey results. Enter each team’s
score in a League Scores Spreadsheet.
Cluster the survey results and break them down into the entire league results and team results.
Don’t’ forget to e-mail your results to terry.shoemaker@wku.edu.
Quick Reference
-Common Ground Experience
Sheet
-Scorecards
-White boards or easel pad
-Writing utensils
-“Political Spectrum”
Spring 2012 League Manual 13
Common Ground Experience #2
Week of #/#/12
Identify Issues
Many things in the U.S. need reform. These issues often divide and polarize our
country and communities. This week, your challenge is to identify the four most
important issues and reforms on the state and national levels for the 2012 election.
You may brainstorm a list of issues, but you have to pick your Top 4 for state and
national in the end. All team members must come to a consensus on each issue or
reform that is placed on the lists. Make sure your ideas are specific.
A laptop with Internet access is being provided should you need more information.
(optional)
Other info/announcements, championship game reminder. (optional)
Feel free to use this sheet to give us some feedback about the league thus far and
what we can do better.
Week 2 Facilitator Instructions
Spring 2012 League Manual 14
Print out a few copies of the Common Ground Experience sheet. Gather all team members and read
the activity explanation. Pass out two large pieces of paper and writing utensils, or direct them to
white boards so teams can make a “State” list and a “National” list.
Emphasize to the teams that the issues and reforms that they list must 1) be specific and 2) have
group consensus. Because all participants must form agreements, this week may be more heated
than last week as teams debate to flesh out their own opinions. This will help show participants how
difficult it can be to prioritize political issues to order to change anything.
At the end of each game, collect team scorecards and lists. Enter each team’s score in a League
Scores Spreadsheet.
Cluster the items on the lists in each category. Identify the four most reoccurring themes of issues
and reforms from each list. These four themes will be used in next week’s challenge.
Don’t’ forget to e-mail your results to terry.shoemaker@wku.edu.
Quick Reference
-Common Ground Experience
Sheet
-Scorecards
-White boards or easel pad
-Writing utensils
-“State” and “National” lists
Spring 2012 League Manual 15
Common Ground Experience #3
Week of #/#/12
Wii™ the People Party
You are the leaders in creating a new third party in the American political system; the
Wii™ the People Party! Using the most common issues from last week’s Common
Ground Experience, create the Wii™ the People Party’s platform. The platform should
detail how Wii™ the People plans to implement these reforms. Everyone in the group
should work together to brainstorm ideas, and compromise on the best solution for the
party. Be sure to record your platform.
A laptop with internet access is being provided should you need more information.
(optional)
Other info/announcements, championship game reminder. (optional)
Spring 2012 League Manual 16
Feel free to use this sheet to give us some feedback about the league thus far and
what we can do better.
Week 3 Facilitator Instructions
Print out a few copies of the Common Ground Experience sheet. Gather all team members and read
the activity explanation. Pass out large pieces of paper and writing utensils, or direct them to white
boards so teams. Pass out a separate sheet (or print on the back of the Common Ground
Experience Sheet) with the four most common themes from last week.
Emphasize that teams should detail exactly how they will implement the reforms. This week will also
be tense as participants must compromise with each other to create a platform. If teams seem like
they are giving up, encourage teams to keep working together until they find common ground with
each other and agree on a party platform.
Ask teams to record their party platform on a large easel pad, or other piece of paper.
At the end of each game, collect team scorecards and party platforms. Enter each team’s score in a
League Scores Spreadsheet.
List all the party platforms and determine if there are any commonalities among groups’ solutions.
Don’t’ forget to e-mail your results to terry.shoemaker@wku.edu.
Quick Reference
-Common Ground Experience
Sheet
-Scorecards
-White boards or easel pad
-Writing utensils
-Party Platforms
Spring 2012 League Manual 17
Common Ground Experience #4
Week of #/#/12
The Campaign
Now that you know your political leanings, major issues, and party platform, create a
realistic campaign slogan and strategy for the 2012 election season for the Wii™ the
People Party.
A laptop with internet access is being provided should you need more information.
(optional)
Other info/announcements, championship game reminder. (optional)
Feel free to use this sheet to give us some feedback about the league thus far and
what we can do better.
Spring 2012 League Manual 18
Week 4 Facilitator Instructions
Print out a few copies of the Common Ground Experience sheet. Gather all team members and read
the activity explanation. Pass out large pieces of paper and writing utensils, or direct them to white
boards so teams. Pass out a separate sheet (or print on the back of the Common Ground
Experience Sheet) with the party platforms from last week.
At the end of each game, collect team scorecards and campaigns. Enter each team’s score in a
League Scores Spreadsheet.
Don’t’ forget to e-mail your results to terry.shoemaker@wku.edu.
Quick Reference
-Common Ground Experience
Sheet
-Scorecards
-White boards or easel pad
-Writing utensils
-Campaigns
Spring 2012 League Manual 19
Conclusion and Contact Information
Thank you for participating in the Spring 2012 Wii™ the People Bowling League. We hope you have
a great experience and learn a lot.
We are in the process of developing assessments to analyze the league. Once we have finalized the
assessments, we will send them out to all participating Universities. Please let us know if you have
any feedback or suggestions.
Feel free to consult the WKU Institute for Citizenship & Social Responsibility for ideas, suggestions,
and advice as you put on your own league. Below is our contact information. We are happy to work
with you, or receive any feedback.
WKU Institute for Citizenship and Social Responsibility
1906 College Heights Blvd.
Bowling Green, KY 42101
(270)-745-3218 • icsr@wku.edu
wku.edu/icsr • facebook.com/wkuicsr • twitter.com/wkuicsr • wkuicsr.posterous.com
Terry Shoemaker, ICSR Program Coordinator
(270)-745-3217 • terry.shoemaker@wku.edu
Spring 2012 League Manual 20
Templates
(Also available in separate “Templates” file)
Scorecard Template (Print on heavier stock paper)
Wii™ the People
SPRING 2012
BOWLING LEAGUE
DATE
TOPIC
Wii™ the People
SPRING 2012
BOWLING LEAGUE
DATE
TOPIC
UNIVERSITY_______________
____________________________
__________________
TEAM______________________
____________________________
Wii™
___________________
SCORE
UNIVERSITY_______________
___________________________
TEAM______________________
____________________________
Wii™
SCORE
Spring 2012 League Manual 21
Registration Form Template
Wii™ the People
SPRING 2012
BOWLING LEAGUE
Please return to:
____________________________
By this date:
____________________________
Team Registration
TEAM NAME
______________________________________________________________________________
TEAM LIAISON
Name
E-mail
________________________________________________________________________________
TEAM ROSTER
Name
E-mail
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
PREFERRED DAY(S) TO PLAY (Circle days)
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Spring 2012 League Manual 22
E-mail template
(INSTITUTION) is hosting a Wii™ Bowling League this Spring. We're inviting your organization to
form a team and be part of a community coming together to have fun, engage in civil discourse, and
perhaps even find common ground with others.
Wii™ the People Bowling League, Spring 2012
(DAYS & TIMES OF PLAY)
League play: (START DATE-END DATE)
Final Celebration: (DATE)
Teams: 4-8 members. At least 4 members must be present to play at each match.
The champions of the tournament will receive a fantastic prize!
Each week, we'll provide you with a topic to reflect on, and by the end of the game maybe you'll find
something both teams can actually agree upon. We'll keep score of this too and see how the
entire league relates to each other in the end.
We are specifically inviting your organization to take part because you have a unique point of view
and will contribute great new ideas and insights!
Follow this link to register a team:(REGISTRATION PAGE)
If you have any questions, please e-mail us at (E-MAIL), or give us a call at (###).
Have a great winter break and see you in the Spring!
Spring 2012 League Manual 23
Poster template
Insert poster