This document summarizes activities from a weekly session in "The Nest" focused on social awareness and respecting others. It describes circle discussions on the importance of circles in many cultures and how sitting in a circle brings power and connection. Students worked as a group to mimic the sounds of a rainstorm through nonverbal cues. An activity had students represent their reaction to conflict, and writing words associated with conflict revealed most associations are negative. A video on conflict resolution was watched, and quotes were presented to reflect on adjusting behavior to consider others' needs.

2. The Nest
Monday: Social Awareness (Respect and Group Awareness)
This week in the Nest we are continuing to look at…. our ability to adjust our behavior to
meet the needs of others in social interactions.
Circle Message
Sacred circles are an important part of many Native cultural rituals. Read the following quote
and discuss what it means.
"Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle. The sky is round, and I have
heard that the Earth is round like a ball, and so are the stars. The wind in its greatest powers
whirls. Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. The sun comes
forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same, and both are round. Even
the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they
were. The life of man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where
power moves.”
- Black Elk, a holy man of the Oglala Lakota Sioux
Why do you think we sit in a circle in the Nest? How does a circle bring power and
connection to the group? This week we will do various activities to show us why circles are so
important.

3. The Nest
Monday: Social Awareness (Respect and Group Awareness)
Rainstorm
The sound of a rainstorm starts quietly with a few raindrops, builds slowly until rain is
pouring and thunder is crashing, and then quiets again as the storm ends. As a group
you will make your own rainstorm:
The teacher is the rainstorm conductor and the rest of the circle is the orchestra.
You will perform four actions as members of the orchestra:
Rub your hands together
Snap your fingers in an alternating pattern (one after the other)
Slap the palms of your hands against your thighs in an alternating pattern
Stomp your feet on the floor in an alternating pattern
You will only perform actions after the conductor signals you what to do—there is
no talking one the rainstorm begins. The teacher will signal you by making eye
contact and turning toward you. Once players are signaled into action they must
continue with their actions until the conductor signals you to change.
Where you able to mimic the sounds of a rainstorm using only eye contact and body
language? Could you have made the rainstorm successfully if only a few of the group
participated? Would one or two students have accomplished a rainstorm? How did
sitting in a circle and working as a unit give you the power to mimic a rainstorm?

4. The Nest
Tuesday : Social Awareness (Respect and Group Awareness)
This week in the Nest we are looking at…. our ability to adjust our behavior to
meet the needs of others in social interactions.
Dealing with Conflict
Select a student to represent conflict and have the student stand in the middle of
the room.
Think about how you usually react when you experience a conflict personally or
witness a conflict happening nearby. Then place yourself, in relation to the student
that represents conflict, somewhere in the room in a way that indicates your first
response to conflict or disagreement. Think about your body position, the
direction that you're facing, and the distance from conflict.
Keeping with the thoughts this activity brought to mind, write one word you
associate with conflict on the board.
Are there any generalizations we might make about our associations with the
word conflict? Why are most of our associations with conflict negative? What are
some examples of conflicts that might occur in school? What conflicts can occur in
the Nest? How can talking about our emotions lead to conflict?

5. The Nest
Wednesday: Social Awareness (Respect and Group Awareness)
Watch the video on the importance of conflict resolution. Do
you agree with what the students said? How do you think the
Nest and being open in circle can help students with conflict
resolution in their daily life?
This week in the Nest we are looking at…. our ability to adjust our behavior to
meet the needs of others in social interactions.
**Please start video at 4:44 seconds.**

6. The Nest
Thursday: Social Awareness (Respect and Group Awareness)
How do the following quotes relate to what we learned this
week? How can they help you drive your actions during the nest?

7. The Nest
Thursday: Social Awareness (Respect and Group Awareness)
Reflect on this weeks focus…. our ability to
adjust our behavior to meet the needs of others
in social interactions.
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