What do we have in common?

Type of modality / Social Interaction, Team Building Activity, Getting to know others
Type of play / Shared cooperative
Interaction pattern / Intra-group
# of participants required / Approximately 5 people
Equipment/supplies / Paper and pen to write things in common, a table and chairs to sit in a circle and talk
Facilities required/environment / A moderately quiet room with a table
Precautions / Be mindful of words, phrases, or topics
Keep conversation friendly and open for discussion

Task Analysis

  1. Wait for instructor to divide class into groups of 5 to 6 people
  2. Stand up, find a place in the room to take your group, and then sit down with your group
  3. Have one person from the group take out a piece of paper and a pen
  4. Confirm with your group that you will find 10 things that the group has in common (ex. everyone has a dog, everyone likes to go shopping, everyone likes coffee)
  5. Begin the discussion with something that you think you could have in common with the group and connect with your group
  6. Person who has paper and pen needs to record each item that the group has in common
  7. Everyone (all group members) needs to have something in common to write the item down on the list.If one group member does not, for example, have a dog, then the group must continue to engage in conversation until all group members have 10 things in common.
  8. Once you have 10 items, wrap up your discussion
  9. Determine the spokesperson for your group
  10. Share your list with the teacher and class
  11. If told to do so, hand in the paper at the end of class

Category / Skills
Primary body position / Sitting
Part of the body required / Brain/Mind (to think of things in common), Hand (if you will be writing)
Movement / 3-Jaw chuck grasp: to hold pen/pencil, fine muscle coordination
Physical / Dynamic sitting
Cognitive / Arousal/Alertness, Focused attention, Concentration, Decision Making: Simple, Initiation, Intellectual Knowledge, Judgement, Memory: Long term, Orientation: Person, Place, Time, Reading, Spelling, Writing
(to be alert and understanding of the conversations with your classmates), Calculation to count 10 things in common on the list.
Social / Conversation, Heterogeneity, Interpersonal Interactions, Relating with equals, Regulating behaviors, Relationships: forming, Self-expression, social conduct, Social cues, Showing respect & warmth
(to have respectful and comfortable conversations with your classmates)
Perception / Visual Function (to see your group members), Auditory function (to hear your group members talking about things in common) . Tactile
Communication/language / Reception to spoken language, reception of written language, reception of body language, expression of spoken language, producing body language
(to be able to communicate with your group and understand the conversation)
Self-care / Cleanly personal appearance, brushed hair and teeth, dress appropriately for class discussion
Psychological/emotional (possible) / Joy for interacting with your classmates, knowing something new about them, and having something in common
Frustration if classmates cannot find items in common
Ways to SIMPLIFY demands / Ways to make more COMPLEX
Cognitively /
  • Teacher gives a topic to find things in common (ex. common foods everyone likes, common stores everyone likes shopping at)
/
  • Teacher says you cannot mention food, school, or siblings

Physically /
  • Do not have to write down items, only verbally announce them
/
  • Each students has to have their own copy of list
  • You have to type up the list

Socially /
  • Have fewer people in the group
/
  • Each person has to introduce himself
  • Everyone has to talk and come up with 5 topics to find things in common