Demonstration

Materials Needed:

• Three plastic eggs that can hold objects in side (For example, Kinder eggs)
• A piece of paper with “Jump” written on it
• A piece of paper with “Three times” written on it
• A piece of paper with “Forwards and backwards” written on it
• Note: If you do not have plastic eggs, you can just use larger pieces of paper to write on and then crumple them up into small balls.
• 2 Yoga mats

Instructions:

• Prepare three plastic eggs carrying separate parts of the message on the pieces of paper “Jump three times forwards and backwards”:

• Egg 1 = “Jump”
• Egg 2 = “Three times”
• Egg 3 = “Forwards and backwards”
• Form a first line of three students all standing on a Yoga mat - This mat represents neuron 1.
• Form a second line of three students all standing on the other Yoga mat - This mat represents neuron 2.
• The space between the two Yoga mats represents the synapse.
• Only two of the students in neuron 1 get a plastic egg containing a message inside of it:

• Egg 1 = “Jump”
• Egg 2 = “Three times”
  
  
• Note: The two plastic eggs represent low levels of dopamine as part of the message is missing.
• The two students in neuron 1 throw the plastic eggs across the “synapse” (the space between the two Yoga mats) to two students in neuron 2.
• The  students  in  neuron  2  perform  the  task  given  by  combining  the  messages in the two plastic eggs.
• Since only two plastic eggs crossed the synapse, the students in neuron 2 did  not  receive  the  entire  message  and  will  not  be  able  to  perform  the  task  properly.  (They  will  “jump  three  times”,  but  not  “forwards  and  backwards”)
• All three of the students in neuron 1 get a plastic egg containing a message inside of it:

• Egg 1 = “Jump”
• Egg 2 = “Three times”
• Egg 3 = “Forwards and Backwards”
• Note: The three plastic eggs represent correct levels of dopamine as the message is complete.
• The three students in neuron 1 throw the plastic eggs across the “synapse” to three students in neuron 2. 
• The students in neuron 2 perform the task given by combining the messages in the three plastic eggs.
• Since three plastic eggs crossed the synapse, the students in neuron 2 received the entire message and will be able to perform the task properly. (They will “jump three times forwards and backwards”)

Meet in the Middle

Equipment/Space Needed:

• Large Hall

Instructions:

• The students are told to find a partner.
• The partners go to opposite ends of the hall with the length of the hall between them.
• The teacher gives a command that the students must perform. For example, “Give your partner a high five”.
• The teacher says “Ready, steady, go!”
• The students sprint towards the middle of the hall to meet their partners.
• When the students meet their partners in the middle, they perform the teacher’s command.
• After performing the command, the students leave their partners and sprint back to the opposite ends of the hall.
• The teacher adds on to the previous command for the students to perform. For example, “Give  your partner a high five with the right hand, then a high five with the left hand.”
• The teacher says “Ready, steady, go!” and the process is repeated.
• The teacher keeps adding to the sequence of commands for the students to perform which works their brains and warms them up!

Stretches:

After the warm-up, get the students to perform dynamic stretches targeting the following muscle groups in preparation for the activities:

• Hamstrings
• Quadriceps
• Gastrocnemius and soleus (calves)
• Deltoids (shoulders)
• Biceps and triceps (upper arms)
• Trapezius (upper back)
• Pectoralis major and minor (chest)

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Equipment/Space Needed:

• Large hall

Instructions:

• The teacher stands at the front facing the class.
• The teacher tells the class the activity is focused on improving their response to auditory messages.
• The teacher assigns movements to numbers that will be called out. For example:

1. Touch the floor with both hands.
2. Jump up with hands above the head. 
3. Do three jumping jacks.

• Everyone jogs on the spot until the teacher calls out a number.
• Everyone, including the teacher, does the corresponding movement for the number called. For example, the teacher calls out “1” and everyone touches the floor with both hands.
• This is repeated with the teacher calling out the different numbers for about a minute until the students understand the concept.
• The teacher starts to call out numbers, but does movements that do not correspond to the numbers. For example, the teacher calls out “1”, but jumps up instead.
• The students try to keep doing the corresponding movements for the numbers called, and try not to copy the movement the teacher does.
• Anyone that does not do the corresponding movement for the number that is called is out of the game.
• The last person standing is the winner.
• The game is repeated with students at the front of the class calling the numbers.
• Variation: The student leading the class can assign new movements to the numbers being called out.

Chinese Whispers Choreography

Equipment/Space Needed:

• Large hall
• Option: Music with varying tempos

 Instructions:

• The teacher tells the class the activity is focused on improving their response to visual messages.
• Half of the students stand in a line. These students are the performers.
• The other students watch the performers. (This is part of the fun!)
• The teacher and the first person in the line face one another. Everyone else in the line turns away so they cannot see what the teacher and first person are doing.
• The teacher does three to four moves of simple choreography.
• Note: Over exaggerate the movements and try to have fun with them! For example, driving a car: 

1. Put the key in the ignition.
2. Turn the key in the ignition. 
3. Grab the steering wheel. 
4. Turn the steering wheel.

• The first and second people in the line turn and face one another.
• The first person tries to repeat the movements the teacher did to the second person.
• This is repeated until the movements are passed on to the last person in the line.
• The teacher shows the students the original movements so they can see how much the  movements changed by being passed down the line of students.
• The students who were watching become the performers and vice versa, and the game is repeated.
• Variation 1: The student at the front of the line makes up the three to four moves of simple choreography instead of the teacher.
• Variation 2: Have music playing in the background so that the students can try to perform the movements to the beat. You can also change the tempo of the music by playing a really slow song, and then a really fast song.

Less Dominant Dodgeball

Equipment/Space Needed:

• Large hall
• 10-12 Dodgeballs
• Pieces of yarn/string or wristbands for students to wear

Instructions:

• The teacher asks the students to raise their hands if they are right-handed.
• The right-handed students tie a piece of yarn/string around their right wrists.
• The teacher asks the students to raise their hands if they are left-handed.
• The left-handed students tie a piece of yarn/string around their left wrists.
• Note: This is important to ask before the students know the rules of the game to avoid them using their dominant arms!
• The students are divided into teams of two.
• The students play dodgeball, but can only use their less dominant arm to throw the ball. For example, right-handed students can only throw with their left hands, and left-handed students  can only throw with their right hands.
• Variation: This can be done with any game! For example, play a game of football with students using their less dominant foot, or a game of rounders with students using their less dominant hands for batting and throwing.

Stretches

Get  the  students  to  perform  static  stretches targeting  the  following  muscle  groups that were worked during the activities:

• Hamstrings
• Quadriceps
• Gastrocnemius and soleus (calves)
• Deltoids (shoulders)
• Biceps and triceps (upper arms)
• Trapezius (upper back)
• Pectoralis major and minor (chest)