Bodystorming

You have probably participated in a brainstorming activity before, but have you ever partaken in bodystorming? Bodystorming is a workplace activity that allows people to interact with each other and various objects through role-play. The process makes participants feel as if they were actually in a specific environment. In addition, it allows people to deeply understand a situation, come up with new ideas, and think in unexpected ways.

Bodystorming Instructions

For this assignment, you will participate in a bodystorming session by collaborating with four-to-five of your coursemates. Collaboration occurs when two or more people work together toward a common goal. In this assignment, your team's goal is to solve a problem that occurred during an ancient river valley civilization.

Your first step is to decide on which team you would like to work. This will depend on whether you want to focus your bodystorming assignment on Mesopotamians, Ancient Egyptians, Hebrews, Phoenicians, Nubians, or Lydians. Once you have selected a civilization, send an email to your instructor indicating your preference. Your instructor will then provide you with the names of your teammates.

This interactivity will take you through six steps of the bodystorming process that are necessary to complete the assignment. Rather than dividing this assignment among group members, plan on setting up several sessions to discuss the steps of your bodystorming activity. Use this template to document your progress with each component of the activity. Please note that when your group reaches step five, you will need to record or videotape the session and submit it to the dropbox. Click the player button to begin.

View a printable version of this interactivity.

Before you begin, access the Bodystorming Checklist to be sure you include all items required for full credit. You may need to use resources outside of this course to complete the assignment. If so, please submit a Works Cited document. If you need assistance, visit the Student Resources section for information on citing any resources that you use.

Evaluate Your Team's Collaboration

Part of this assignment includes collaboration among your team members. Once you have completed all six steps of the bodystorming activity, consider your group members' level of collaboration throughout the project. To help advise your instructor's grade in this area, complete the Collaboration Evaluation Form. On this form, list the names of your teammates in the column on the left. Then, evaluate your peers' level of collaboration on a scale of 1 (the lowest) to 5 (the highest) by writing the appropriate number under each category shown at the top. A sample is provided for you in the Collaboration Evaluation Form. There is also a spot at the bottom of the document for you to share any further information you believe your instructor should know about the level of collaboration within your team. Please be honest and fair in your evaluations. Your peers will also complete a form for you. This document is for your instructor, and should not be shared with your coursemates.

After completing this assignment, please submit your work to the dropbox.