How it Works:
- Everyone gets a piece of paper, labeled "Liberty or Death".
- The two groups position themselves in opposite corners of the room. Each person will takes her "Liberty or Death" and put it on the shoulder of the person to her right, holding it onto the shoulder with her right hand, the object being for the paper never to fall.
- Without dropping ANY papers, the group has to cross the room together.
- If ANY paper is dropped, the group has to return to its corner and start again. If the group decides there's a better way to keep the papers on people's shoulders, they can try it. For instance, another shape might work better. But everyone has to keep their hand "attached" to the person next to him or her. There is no letting go of papers.
- If that seems easy, once the two companies have crossed the room, arrange the first six people behind the second six, so that they look like the figure below. The people in the front row each put the paper on the left shoulder of the person to their right, holding it with their right hands. The people in the back row put the piece of paper on the right shoulder of the person in front of them, holding it with their right hands.
- Another variation is for the first line to turn around, so that everyone puts the paper on the shoulder of the person to their right. Then the first people will go across the room backwards. (See below.)
- Finally, have 1/3 of the kids drop to their knees (and act like they are really sick with smallpox). The teacher chooses which kids by tapping them on their heads. But, the group still has to get across the room with the papers on shoulders.
- Be sure to check with the troops about what worked and what didn’t. What made them drop their pieces of paper?
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