Stick together
This activity enables pupils to understand how people in a partnership have to work together, particularly during hard times. This
helps them to have a successful friendship or relationship and be able to overcome the difficulties that will inevitably occur at some
point.
For this activity you will need a large space such as the hall or the playground and one stick that is approximately one metre in length
for each pair of pupils.
Time:
• Allow 25 – 35 minutes
Resource:
• Handshake images (template):
• Sticks
What to do:
• Arrange the class to work in pairs. Ask each pair to stand opposite one another, one metre apart, forming two long lines across
the room. Place a stick between each pair. Challenge the pairs to work together to hold the stick above their heads. However,
they are not permitted to hold the stick, it must either be balanced with a finger or the palm of their hand.
•
Ask the pupils to practice moving their sticks from low to high. Ask all the pupils to lift their sticks high so as to form a tunnel.
The first pair of pupils then process carefully through the tunnel holding their sticks. When they reach the far end they join the
end of the line with their stick held high ready for the next pair to process through the tunnel.
•
Discuss with the pupils what was hard about the activity? How did they need to work together? What skills did they need? How
did they feel when they were able to move around holding the stick?
•
Discuss with pupils the sorts of hard times people might face in a friendship, marriage or other partnership. Give them five of the
handshake images and ask them to imagine what might cause the hands to break apart, what hard times the people in this
relationship might face. Each pair then choose one of the ideas they have come up with, and write it boldly on a sheet of A3
paper. Pupils attach the sheet onto their stick.
•
Ask the pupils to decide how difficult their ‘hard time’ would be for a couple to deal with. If they think it would be very difficult
they should hold their stick up high, if they think it would be really easy to deal with they should hold their stick down low. The
variety of problems used should mean that the sticks will be held at a variety of different heights.
•
Arrange the pupils back into their lines facing one another and ask them to hold their sticks at the height that they agreed with
their partner. The first couple then negotiate the obstacle course balancing their stick whilst climbing over and under the hard
times displayed on each pair’s stick.