top of page
Search

Setting Ground Rules đźšš

Purpose: Establish guiding principles and agreements that will help the group work effectively together and stay focused on achieving their project goals.


LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • Participants will understand that ground rules convey what is important to a group.

  • Participants will establish clear ground rules to communicate group norms and expectations.

  • Participants will create a safe space that fosters a democratic and collaborative work environment.

  • Participants will understand it is the responsibility of the group to initiate, uphold, and respect the ground rules.


21st CENTURY SKILLS & ACADEMIC STANDARDS

  • Conducting selves in a respectable, professional manner.

  • Acting responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind.

  • Demonstrating ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams.


CONSIDERATIONS

  • Utilize this activity in the Forming stage of group development to help participants develop working agreements and ground rules for working on their project together. These ground rules will be necessary in order to move on to bigger topics as a group.

  • Remind participants to be honest about what they need from the group to be successful. If individuals hold back their true feelings and opinions, it will impact the group’s effectiveness and may cause Storming later on.

  • If your group has been together before and has a set of ground rules in effect, refer to the section in Experiencing the Lesson that focuses on this.

  • Grade Level - This lesson is written at a 3rd-4th grade level. If you are working with younger or older participants, consider the adjustments in the Resources section.


PREPARATION & LOGISTICS

  • Supplies: Poster paper, markers, stickers (optional)

  • Room Arrangement: There should be places for individual groups to talk about ground rules and a place where the whole group can discuss the ground rules. There should also be a place to hang the ground rules poster that participants can easily access to mark their votes.

  • Time: 30 minutes


LESSON PLAN

Introducing the Lesson - approximately 10 minutes


Facilitator Note: If this is the first time you are setting ground rules with your group, follow the lesson as is. If you already have established ground rules, use this as a review and chance to explore which ground rules should carry a heavier focus during this new project.

  • Lead a warm-up discussion to define ground rules as a group. Ask the questions:

    • What is a ground rule?

      • Definition: Ground rules are group agreements about how we want to work and treat each other so we can do our best together.

    • Why do groups need ground rules?

      • Examples: They help us to achieve our goals, they create a safe and respectful working environment, they set group expectations, etc.

  • Provide participants with a list of possible ground rules written in clear, kid-friendly language. (For example: We listen when someone else is talking; We take care of shared materials, etc.). Sample ground rules are provided in the Resources for this lesson.

  • Read through the list together and discuss what each of the rules mean. Check for understanding as you review each.


Experiencing the Lesson - approximately 17 minutes

  • Have participants get into pairs, trios, or small groups. Within these groups, have each participant answer three questions:

    • Which ground rule from the list do you think is the most important?

    • Which ground rule from the list do you have a question or comment about?

    • What is one ground rule from the list that you would modify or one new ground rule you would add to the list?

  • After participants have discussed these questions in their small groups, come together as one large group to discuss them.

  • Then, narrow down to a final list of five to six rules, then post them in the meeting space as a shared agreement.

    • Review the top ground rules with the group. Emphasize that while all of the suggested rules can support success, the group should determine which ones are the most important to focus on for their project moving forward. Transfer these rules onto a clean sheet of poster paper or chart paper to ensure they are clear and easy to read.

IF your group has been together before and has a set of ground rules already:

  • Lead a discussion about which ground rules have been easy to follow and which have been harder to follow. This can be done in the large group or broken into smaller groups.

  • Ask multiple volunteers to share one example of a rule that was easy and one that was hard. 

  • Have the group share any ground rules that should be added to the list and write them on the poster. 

  • Then, have the group vote on which ground rules they think they should focus on the most during this upcoming project. 


Facilitator Note: Use your voting facilitator tool! Participants should vote using the rule N/3, where N is the number of ideas, and the result is the number of votes each participant will receive. For example, if the number of ground rules discussed is 18, the equation becomes 18/3 = 6. This means everyone will have six votes to cast.

  • After voting is complete, create a new poster with the top ground rules. Emphasize that while all of the suggested rules can support success, the group should determine which ones are the most important to focus on for their project moving forward. Transfer these rules onto a clean sheet of poster paper or chart paper to ensure they are clear and easy to read.


Closing the Lesson - approximately 3 minutes

  • Ask the group if they think they can abide by these ground rules using a thumbs up, thumbs down scale.

    • Thumbs up means they agree to the ground rules

    • Thumbs down means they do not agree to the ground rules

    • Thumbs in the middle means there are still questions or things to discuss

  • If everyone agrees, you can have everyone sign your final document as an official commitment to the rules you created.


Facilitator Note: If there are thumbs down or in the middle, this lesson may require more time than allotted to lead a small discussion to address any questions or comments: 

  • What questions or concerns do you still have about these ground rules? 

  • Is there anything critical that you feel like is missing from these ground rules? 

  • How might we refine or combine some of these ground rules so that we feel like they are complete?

  • Wrap up with re-summarizing the purpose of ground rules as a way for the group to understand how they want to work together moving forward.

  • Remind participants that it is their responsibility to uphold these ground rules.

  • Encourage the group to refer back to the ground rules whenever challenges arise, and note that this can also be an opportunity to review and revise the rules as needed.


After the Lesson 

  • Save the ground rules poster and make sure the final list can be referenced often. Display it daily and reference whenever the group needs to be reminded of the ground rules. You can also give a copy to everyone in the group so participants can reference the ground rules at any time. 


ENHANCEMENTS


Activity 

Ground Rules Check-In

Line Them Up: Use the 7-12 age adjustment

Thirty-Five

Further Exploration 

After agreeing upon the ground rules, put participants into small groups to discuss strategies for what the group should do if any of the ground rules are broken. After small group discussions, bring everyone back together to share their ideas and create a set of agreements for how to address situations when ground rules are not being followed.


Get Creative

Assign each of the ground rules to individuals or small groups - making sure ALL rules are assigned. Have each group design a poster or flyer for their ground rule. The poster/flyer should have the ground rule written on it and be decorated with images, symbols, pictures, etc. that represent the ground rule. Let participants get as creative as they would like to and embellish their posters/flyers! After the lesson, use the posters/flyers to decorate the classroom space.

Online Facilitation 

To facilitate this lesson online, put small groups together in breakout rooms to discuss and determine the ground rules they want to share with the large group. Record ideas on a Google Doc or whatever platform the group is most familiar with. If this document is shared with the group, participants can add their signatures to the bottom of the document.


RESOURCES


Sample Ground Rules

  • Create a safe space for everyone (physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc.)

  • Be present and committed

  • No “zingers” or harmful/hurtful comments

  • Take responsibility for yourself and your actions

  • Have fun!

  • Stay on task

  • Give feedback to each other regularly

  • Ask questions

  • Listen with an open mind

  • It’s okay to make mistakes

  • Minimize distractions (cellphones, side conversations, etc.)

  • Everyone participates, no one dominates

  • Offer to help when you can

  • Treat everyone and their contributions with respect

  • Be aware and respectful of others’ time

  • Follow through on commitments

  • Have courageous conversations


Grade Level Adjustment Options

  • This lesson is written at a 3rd-4th grade level. If you are working with younger or older participants, consider these adjustments:

    • K-2: Younger students may need concrete visual representations of the ground rules in order to understand them.

      • Prepare cards with pictures (for example: ear for listening, hand for raising hands, smiley face for kindness).

      • Guide discussion by asking students to share what each rule looks like when they are doing it well (for example: Not talking while someone else is talking).

    • 5-6: Provide a longer list of potential rules or have participants generate the list together.

      • Have small groups answer deeper questions:

        • Why is this rule helpful?

        • What makes it tricky?

        • How could we follow it well?

      • Allow students to suggest new rules if you provided the initial list.

      • With an older audience, all ground rules that were shared should be included on the final list. If you have extra time, have them work in smaller groups to identify which of the ground rules will be most helpful in their success.


Academic Resources



Comments

bottom of page