ACTIVITY GUIDE
Activity Credit
Ball of Yarn
This activity was submitted by member affiliate Keep Sugar Land Beautiful.
Objectives
Participants will share their reasons for joining with KTB and understand the importance of teamwork. This
activity was designed to be used in conjunction with the Youth Advisory Board program activity.
Method
This is a group activity designed to create a sense of belonging for affiliate members and to illustrate the
importance of teamwork. Each group member shares their reasons for being a part of KTB, or your chapter
organization, and then holds on to the yarn that is tossed from person to person in random order. After all
members share, a web of connections is created to show the interdependency and strength of group
membership.
Materials
One ball of yarn
Grade Level: 6-12
Focus Areas: community, group interconnectedness, commitment, ecosystem stability
Duration: 10-15 mins. depending on group size
Group Size: any
Setting: any setting, informal or formal
Conceptual Framework Topic Reference: importance of teamwork in an organization & ecosystem
stability
Vocabulary: teamwork, interdependence, ecosystem
Appendices: reference Teacher’s Toolbox program Youth Advisory Board as the original context of Ball
of Yarn. Tie in concepts of how an ecosystem works see additional websites listed at the end of lesson
plan.
Vocabulary
teamwork: cooperative work done by a team (especially when it is effective)
interdependence: a reciprocal relationship between interdependent entities (objects or individuals or
groups)
ecosystem: a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical
environment
Vocabulary definitions retrieved from: vocabulary.com (2014)
Procedure
1. Hold a ball of yarn in your hand
2. The facilitator begins by telling the members why he or she is involved with the affiliate organization
3. Hold a piece of the yarn and toss the ball of yarn to one of the members (if in a restaurant, the facilitator
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will need to walk the yarn to a member)
4. The member must tell why he or she chose to be a KSLB YAB member
5. The member holds a piece of the yarn and tosses to another member (or walk it to another member –
walk in a random order – from one side of the table to the other)
6. Keep going until everyone has a chance to tell why he or she chose to be a member
7. The yarn is now complex and tangled – everyone is connected to everyone else
8. When everyone is holding a piece of the yarn, discuss what would happen if a member drops their piece
of the yarn
9. Demonstrate what would happen if a member drops their yarn (doesn’t fulfill obligations/responsibilities)
10. Conclude with discussion on the strength of the KSLB YAB and that anything that affects one member
affects all members
Extensions and Variations
Discuss parallels between an ecosystem and an organization, like KTB. The facilitator asks if anyone can
define an ecosystem, and leads a very short group discussion on factors that define an ecosystem. Draw
parallels between the web of connections formed by the yarn and how an ecosystem functions. If a piece of
the yarn is dropped it affects the entire system, much like the scenario of how living things are affected by
changes in their environment.
Concepts and Ecosystems
An ecosystem is a community of organisms interacting with their environment to form a complex web of
interconnections. Ecosystems are unique because every factor depends on other factors in order for life to
continue. This complex web of life consists of its biotic community and abiotic environment to form a series
of dependencies. For example, a change in the temperature of an ecosystem will often affect the living
things that occupy it, such as plants and animals. These plants and animals may adapt, perish, or seek
other environments as a result of the change.
Educational Links
http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/51cbed8c7896bb431f692c46/
http://www.epa.gov/espp/poster/
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/ecosystem/?ar_a=1
http://eschooltoday.com/ecosystems/what-is-an-ecosystem.html
TEKS Correlation
§110.58. Communication Applications (3) Group communication. The student communicates effectively
in groups in professional and social contexts. The student is expected to:
(E) use appropriate verbal, nonverbal, and listening skills to promote group effectiveness;
(G) use effective communication strategies in leadership roles;
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§112.34. Biology (11) Science concepts. The student knows that biological systems work to achieve and
maintain balance. The student is expected to:
(B) investigate and analyze how organisms, populations, and communities respond to external factors
(12) Science concepts. The student knows that interdependence and interactions occur within an
environmental system. The student is expected to:
(F) describe how environmental change can impact ecosystem stability.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills provided by Texas Education Agency (2014). Retrieved from:
http://tea.texas.gov/index2.aspx?id=6148
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