Quick Shuffle Lesson Plan

  • Being Proactive

  • Group Dynamics

  • Honesty

  • Sensitivity to Others

The students will practice group dynamics by showing willingness to move to a new spot in the order and waiting their turn. They will practice sensitivity to others by allowing them time to reorder and accept a variety of solutions whether correct or incorrect. 

S.T.A.R. Options:

Class Clap, counting, and rhythms. Teacher or one student lead. When the whole class sounds as one, try tow, then three, etc…

Math Counting (Multiples) Partner Counting. Clapping as a group to desired number. Add a partner and alternate count. Change partners.

Play + Connect Activity

Seven people stand in one line, side by side, facing the rest of the group. Observe these seven people for ten seconds. Instruct the ‘looking group’ to close their eyes. Ask the seven people to shuffle their positions. Upon re-opening their eyes, challenge the ‘looking’ group to re-shuffle the seven people back to their original positions. Swap roles, and repeat several times. Variations: for larger groups, create several sets of seven, with matching groups of two or three people trying to do the re-shuffling. Moving only one person at a time, record how many moves it takes for the looking group to correctly re-shuffle the line. 

Breathing Exercise Options:

Belly Breathing

5 belly breaths with mouth closed and hands on belly. Goal is to get students to breathe through nose and use their diaphragm. There should be very little movement of the chest and the belly should move in and out. Can do several rounds of this activity.

Accordion Breathing

5 belly breaths with mouth closed and hands on sides of lower ribs. Goal is to get students to breathe through nose and use their diaphragm. There should be very little movement of the chest and the students should feel movement outward on the inhale. Can do several rounds of this activity.

Learn + Grow Activity

The people who are being shuffled could hold cards with letters so the class could put them in alphabetical order, create a word, or simply recognize letters. You could also use numbers and create the largest, smallest. or some other type of number. 

Reflect Activity

Did you allow a classmate a chance to put them back in order without giving away the answer? What strategies did you use to remember the order?

Variations

Challenge a student to more shuffling students. Maybe the teacher can take the challenge. 

  • CASEL Traits:

  • Relationship Skills

  • Social Awareness