Themes: Social Rights
Objectives
- To experience injustice and discrimination
- To reveal the participants’ tolerance and solidarity
- To reflect about exclusion, minority-majority relations, social handicaps and competition
Duration and Planning
- 15 minutes : Role division & Explanation of the Role of Jury
- 120 minutes : Limit 20 Race
- 30 minutes : Debriefing
Materials
- Playing Cards
- Flipchart for a score of the game
- Flipchart with a rules of the game
- 3 copies for instructions for the jury
- Adhesive labels with signs for each team member (spades, hearts and diamonds).
- Three handkerchiefs or similar for the dragons’ tails.
- 2 sets of keys for the rattlesnake rounds.
- 2 handkerchiefs or something similar to blindfold the participants in rattlesnake
- rounds.
- Red face paint (otherwise lipstick will do).
- Lengths of string for tying the right arms of those to be handicapped.
- 5 inflated balloons.
- 3 sheets of paper and pencils (for Chinese whispers).
- A drawing of a shape for the Chinese whispers to be given to the jury.
- A bell for the jury.
- A clock or timer.
- Large Space
Recommended Method
The facilitator divides the groups randomly by making them the three sets of cards ( spades, hearts and diamonds ). In the deck there has to be equal number of spades, hearts and diamonds to divide the teams. The facilitator should choose three people to be on the jury and try to pick people who are good actors and respected by the other members of the group. The facilitator should ensure that the number of cards are separated equally in each group before giving the cards randomly to the participants.
After the division of the groups and jury, the facilitator explains that the jury judges the teams’ performances and keep scores. The aim is for each team to get 20 points – the Limit 20 – by the end of the round 8 or they will be out of the game. The facilitator should not make participants aware about the role of the jury and tell jury explicitly that they are not allowed to reveal the rules until the game is stopped by the facilitator.
The plays should not realise that, there are not only going to be 8 rounds ( plus one handicapping round ) and competition is rigged. However, in the end of the game, they will find out. The facilitator should keep on eye on the situation possible conflicts and the discussions between the teams so that there is no issue is raised.
The facilitator takes jury out of the room and tells the groups to wait for 10 minutes and create their own castles in the seminar room by using chairs or materials that whatever they can find in the seminar room. While the facilitator explains the rules to the jury outside of the seminar room, the teams should come up with :
- Team Logo
- Team Slogan
- Team Song
The main purpose here is to create a team spirit and raise enthusiasm for the game prior to the start of the game. After the jury takes his position, they provide the rules of the game to the participants ( Rules to be told to participants ).
Please note before starting, the facilitator should ensure the safety of participants and group spirit and end the game if it is needed before the 8th round, if the participants start to have individual conflicts or become violent as they are not aware of the rules.
Round 1 : Hunting the dragon’s tail
The facilitator tells the players in each team to stand in a line with each person holding round the waist of the person in front. The last player in the line tucks the dragon’s tail (handkerchief or similar) into their trousers or skirt.
The facilitator tells each group has to try to catch as many dragontails as possible. Only the person at the head of the dragon may catch the tails.
When the groups are ready, the facilitator give order loudly and clearly to start – “GO!”. After one minute shouts – “STOP!”
Later, the facilitator asks the jury to distribute the scores and to explain the scoring. Give them sufficient time to write the scores on the score chart.
In this round, the jury distribute the scores as : Spades 3, Hearts 2, Diamonds 1.
Round 2: Rattlesnake
The facilitator ask all players, including the jury, to stand in a circle and explains that each group will play against one other group. Someone from the leading group (the one with the highest score so far) hunts someone from the group with the second best score. Then someone from second best
group hunts someone from the last group and finally, someone from the first group hunts someone from the last group.
The facilitator blindfolds both the hunter and victim and give each a set of keys in their hands and explains that when the hunter rattles the keys, the victim has to answer by rattling theirs. During this process, each hunt lasts exactly 1 minute, and both participants may only rattle their keys three times. As soon as the two participants are ready give the starting signal, the facilitator stops the action after 1 minute. After each hunt announce the winner loudly.
The facilitator should make sure the jury writes up the scores. If the victim is touched by the hunter, then the hunter’s group scores 1 point. If the victim escapes after 1 minute, their group scores 1 point and the player leaves their group to join the hunter’s.
It is important that the participants remain quiet during the game. The Jury should follow the rules as following to give participants hunting times :
- One player from the spades hunts one player from the hearts.
- One player from the hearts hunts a player from the diamonds.
- One player from the spades hunts a player from the diamonds.
The diamonds are at a disadvantage because they don’t get a chance to hunt. It is important to turn the blindfolded participants round before the game starts to disorientate them so as to make the task more difficult.
Round 3: Balloon blowing
The facilitator tell the players choose one person and sends into the middle of the room and asks the representatives of each team to lie down on their tummes side by side in a line close together with shoulders touching. Each team’s representative should be positioned so that each person is in the one side of a triangle, with the head of each participant lying on the imagined side of the triangle.
The facilitator explains that the task is for each team to keep the balloons in the centre of the triangle and away from themselves by blowing. When the groups are ready,the facilitator puts the balloon in the middle and give the starting signal loudly and clearly.
The game last exactly one minute and the facilitator ask the jury to justify its decision and distribute the scores and the facilitator makes sure the scores are registered on the score chart. Later on the facilitator asks the jury to add up the total scores of each team and announce them loudly to everybody.
In this round, the jury distribute the scores as Spades 5, Hearts 1, Diamonds 0
Handicapping round
The facilitator explains that the group with the highest score ( as the game is rigged, it is Spades ) has to distribute the handicaps to the other groups. One group is to have their noses painted red, the other group is to have their right hands tied behind their backs.
Than the facilitator asks spades to decide which groups should get which handicap, then ask them to announce their decision and provide their reasons, than the facilitator gives the paint and strings to the members of Spades to ask them carry out the handicapping.
The facilitator tells that, from this round on, the handicaps will remain for the rest of the game and spades should ensure that is happening.
Round 4: Rattlesnake
The facilitator gives the instructions as same as the round 2, though, indicates that winner of each hunt gains 2 points rather than 1. After the round, ask the jury to announce the scores loudly by using the same score numbers alike before.
Round 5: Chance
The facilitator explains the team which wins this round will gets its current score tripled, the second team will get its current score doubled and the third team score will be left as same. The task for each group to give reasons why it deserves to have its score doubled or tripled.
In this round, the teams should come up with the best arguments to present to the jury to give reasons and each group will have 5 minutes to prepare their argument. After this process, the jury listens each group in front of everyone for a minute. First, Spades start, then hearts, then diamonds. Afterwards, the jury asks for 3 minutes of time to justify its decision and announce the scores.
In this round, the jury distribute the scores as Spades: x3; Hearts: x2; Diamonds: x1.
Round 6: Rattlesnake
The facilitator gives the instructions as same as the round 2, though, indicates that winner of each hunt gains 3 points rather than 1. After the round, ask the jury to announce the scores loudly by using the same score numbers alike before.
Round 7: Chinese whispers
The facilitator tells the players to sit in their teams one behind the other on the floor. The facilitator should brief the jury in private by telling them they are going to show a simple drawing to one member of the spades and hearts but to describe the drawing in words to one member of the diamonds.
One at a time, the facilitator invites the last player in each row to get their instructions from the jury and then to return to their place in their team then tells them to use a finger to trace the drawing on the back of the player sitting in front of them. This player then in turn traces what they felt onto the back of the person in front of them, and so on up the line until it has reached the player at the top of the row who draws it on a piece of paper which they then hand to the jury.
It is really important that the plays keep quiet during this round. Afterwards, the facilitator asks jury to give their judgements and announce the score.
In this round, the jury distribute the scores as Spades 3; Hearts 2, Diamonds 1.
Round 8: Rattlesnake
The facilitator gives the instructions as same as the round 2, though, indicates that winner of each hunt gains 4 points rather than 1 also tell participants that it is the last opportunity for individuals to change teams and move into a better group if they want to keep playing and are in a group which has not reached the limit 20.
After the round, ask the jury to announce the scores loudly by using the same score numbers alike before. The jury will also announce that those groups which have not reached the limit of 20 points have to leave the game. The facilitator gives the jury time to congratulate the best groups and tell the participants that the game is over after allowing a few minutes to see the reaction of the participants.
Then asks participants to demolish their castles and come up to a circle for reflection after giving a 5 minute break in chairs to participants to cool down and think about overall process of the game . This part is the most vital part of the game as the emotions are really present during the implementation of the game. It is extremely important to reflect on the emotions aroudsed during the game and draw attention to the comparisons which can be made with discrimination and injustice which occur in real life. During this process, the evaluation should be implemented in 4 stages :
- Emotional Aspects
- How did you feel playing the game? How did your emotions change?
- Did anyone have negative feelings? What caused them?
- How did the spades feel when distributing the handicaps?
- How did the diamonds and hearts feel when they were handicapped?
- How did the jury feel in possession of such a lot of power?
- Transparency of the game
- Explain the rules of the game
- Ask participants reactions and comments related to that
- Aspects of group dynamics
- Did you feel solidarity with other players?
- Anyone who changed group during the rattlesnake rounds: What does it mean to be an outsider in a new group? And to have to leave your original group?
- As an individual, how much did you have to adapt to the group and to the rules of the game?
- What does it mean to you when you have to join in something you do not like?
- In which situations did you find it easy or difficult to defend yourself, your feelings or actions?
- Did you question or oppose the framework of the game? How? If not, why not?
- Links with reality
- Do you see aspects of the game which link with reality?
- For example, aspects of power, competition, transparency, equal opportunities, handicaps, minorities, injustice, adaptation to the situation?
- Which groups, in your town or country, are in a position that could be compared with that of the diamonds or the hearts?
- In which situations are the victims blamed for their situation?
- What should be done to change the rules of the game?
- What can be done to improve or support the minorities in our societies?
In the end, the facilitator should link this process with the social welfare system and the idea of youth citizenship by linking with the injustices during the stage of links with reality. Later on, as follow-up in the next stage, the participants will work on the lobbying processes where they can actually affect the jury in the real life, thus, the facilitator should consider the linkage in that section as well.
Instructions for the Jury
Do not tell anybody about these instructions!
Limit 20 is a manipulated game, so it is clear from the beginning who will be the winner and who will be the loser (spades will win, hearts will be second and diamonds will be the last).
Your main task is to give the impression to the groups that they are in a real competition with a real chance of winning, and that you distribute the scores according to objective and fair criteria.
The players think that the competition will go on until there is a winner, and in order not to be disqualified they have to have scored 20 points by the end of round 8. The participants do not know it, but the game will end in any case after round 8. Your job is to motivate the groups to keep going and to aim for high scores.
Use a bell to get the necessary attention when you need to make announcements and give justifications for your decisions.
Round 1: Hunting the dragon’s tail
• Observe the groups during the game.
• At the end of this round announce loudly the scores: Spades 3 points, hearts 2, diamonds 1.
• Register the scores on a flip chart.
You can justify the reasons for your decision according to the way the game went, such as: “spades played the hardest, diamonds did not take the game seriously, spades were more elegant, one group was too loud, there was more or less group spirit”, etc. Generally, and this will be the case for all odd rounds, you will tend to blame the “diamonds” for their poor scores for example, they are lazy, they don’t play fair or respect the rules, they are not polite or that they have a smaller group.
Round 2: Rattlesnake
The distribution of the scores in the rattlesnake rounds is not manipulated. Your task is to register the points announced by the facilitator. The winner of a hunt scores one point.
Round 3: Balloon blowing
Take your time to deliberate and justify your scoring arguing with similar reasons as you did in round 1. You can pretend that your judgement is based on objective criteria e.g.spades blew the balloons over more times; no one will have counted and so won’t be able to argue! Give the following scores: Spades 5, hearts 1, diamonds 0.
Handicapping round
Help the facilitator if you feel they need it.
Round 4: Rattlesnake
This round the winner of each hunt scores 2 points. Register the scores announced by the facilitator on the flip-chart.
Round 5: Chance
Each team will be given a minute to convince you, the jury, that they should have their score doubled or tripled. First listen to all the appeals and afterwards announce the scores. In order to keep the suspense going it will be better in your summing up if you first comment on all the speeches and then announce the scores. The type of arguments may be the same as for the other rounds, but including also references to the presentation skills e.g. not convincing, not properly dressed, speech was not structured, made grammatical mistakes, etc. Triple the spades score, double that of the hearts and multiply that of the diamonds by one, that is they keep the same score.
Round 6: Rattlesnake
This round the winner of each hunt scores 3 points.
Round 7: Chinese whispers
• The facilitator will give you a sheet of paper with a simple drawing on it.
• Show it to the member from the spades and hearts but do not show it to the person from the diamonds, describe it to them in words. Do this discretely so that players don’t notice that they are being treated differently. Make sure no other players see the drawing.
• Observe the groups during the game.
• At the end of the round announce the scores loudly and clearly: spades get 3 points, hearts get 2 points and diamonds get 1 point.
• Mark the scores on the chart.
Again, you have to give the reasons that lead to your scores. For example, spades portrayed the drawing most accurately, diamonds took the longest, one group was not quiet, etc…
Round 8: Rattlesnake
This time the winner of each hunt scores 4 points. Don’t forget to add the totals.
Very important: Remember that the participants do not know that the game finishes at the end of round 8! Now make a short speech to review the progress in the competition:
• It is the end of round 8, the one or two groups who have not reached the limit score of 20 will be disqualified.
• Congratulate the spades for their big effort and excellent score and the others on their energy and big effort – “but with a long way to go….”.
The facilitator will now announce that Limit 20 has come to an end.
Rules to be told to the participants
Copy the following rules onto a flip-chart and read them to the participants before the beginning of the game.
Limit 20: a game about competition, fun and fair-play!
Odd rounds: the jury will distribute a total of 6 points.
Even rounds (rattlesnake).
2nd round the winning team gets 1 point
4th round the winning team gets 2 points
6th round the winning team gets 3 points
8th round the winning team gets 4 points
Round 5 is a Chance round! You can double or triple your scores!
By round 8 those groups, which have not got 20 points will be disqualified Play fair, with team spirit, fun and competitiveness! May the best group win!”
Facilitators Note
The facilitator should encourage the jury throughout the overall process in case the groups start to question their judgement. It is quite possible that, the groups might want to stop the game that they understand the game is rigged and unfair.
In case, they want to stop the game, you can change some rules if a group insists but it should be collective concern rather than individual request and consult with the jury about these issues. The game functions well if the rules are changed slightly rather than totally, i.e. rattlesnake rounds given to the diamonds time to time. This is also very good point for debriefing. The tasks to be performed by the teams may be changed if you find other suitable ones. But bear in mind that rattlesnake rounds are made to be fair (they are only unfair in the sense that diamonds never hunt, but even this can be changed).
You can as well change the games rather than the ones that we have provided to adopt the content for the different target groups to make it more inclusive. For the follow-up, you have to amplify their experience to the real life situations referring to the injustices in the countries that you are implementing this game.
Additional Information and Readings
1.EYCB – Compass – Limit 20
