This is an example of an activity used in employment projects.

Learning objectives: To learn everyone has different skills and abilities; To work in a team and be well organized.

Related life skills: Problem-solving and decision-making; Self-awareness

Duration: 30-45 minutes

Materials: A4 paper or newsprint; Empty water buckets (1 bucket for 4 participants); Water buckets filled with tap water (1 bucket for 4 participants) and a measuring cup (optional)

Instructions

  1. Divide up participants into teams of 4 students
  2. Distribute 1 water bucket and a block of A4 paper or a stack of newsprint to each team (distribute large leaves, e.g. banana leaves where no A4 paper or newsprint is available)
  3. Put a water bucket filled with water at the starting line and an empty water bucket at the end line
  4. Ask each group to line up behind their bucket that contains water. On ‘Go’ signal, the first person in the line takes a piece of paper, folds it into a paper container (paper cup), pours water from the water bucket at the starting line into the paper container, races to the empty water bucket, pours and squeezes the water out, runs back and gives a handshake to the second person in the team. The second person folds a paper container, etc.
  5. Points are awarded for emptying the starting bucket first and for the team with the most water in their ending bucket (to be agreed upon before the game)

Variations

Rules: Allow participants to divide up different tasks (e.g. one person folds paper containers, one person pours water from the starting bucket into paper containers, one person races from the bucket at the starting line to the bucket at the end line, and one person pours the water and squeezes out water into the bucket.

Field: Add an obstacle course between full and the empty water bucket.

Discussion

Reflect:

  • Ask participants to identify their strengths and limitations in performing these different tasks and as them to assign themselves a score out of 10 (e.g. for: folding paper containers, pouring water into paper containers, racing with full paper containers, emptying and squeezing out water containers)
  • How did they feel when they were allowed to divide up tasks among team members? How did their performance as a team improve?
  • What else could have helped their team to improve the capacity to carry water to the bucket (e.g. receive tips from the facilitator on how to fold leakproof paper containers)?

Connect:

  • What do you think is your greatest strength in terms of your talents, knowledge and skills?
  • From whom and how do you seek support to overcome weaknesses?

Apply:

  • Imagine you are a business owner, and you have employees. In order for your business to succeed, you have to be able to use each employee’s strengths to optimally contribute to the company. What steps would you take to accurately evaluate your employees’ strengths and weaknesses?
  • What lessons did they learn from the game in terms of exploring factors that are important when considering a job opportunity?