As a small group, you are to decide on a particular out-of-class activity which none of you have participated in before and that you are able to learn and do together. The activity should require you to spend a substantial amount of time together planning and preparing for the event. Activities you might consider include: line dancing, hiking and a cookout, completing a ropes course, self-defense courses, rock-climbing, camping, or fishing.

You should select something that can be done locally or within a relatively short distance of Lexington. Everyone should be interested in this activity and be able to participate. The activity should be advanced enough that it challenges all the members, but not so challenging that it is dangerous or overextends the time, talents, and abilities of team members. Careful planning and preparation should be done.

After you decide on the activity, your group will prepare a Group Experience Manual which includes the following:

1. A description of the activity

2. How you learned the activity as a team

3. The resources used to learn the activity

4. The team's response to the activity

5. How your activity contributed toward the cohesiveness of your team

6. Photographs or a video of all the team members participating in the activity

7. What you would do differently as a team if you were to do this activity again

8. How this activity ties in with what you are reading and learning about small group theory from class, the textbook, and related discussions

Criteria for Group Experience Manual:

1. They must be typed.

2. You must cite resources (in APA 4th Ed.) used to gather information about your activity.

3. Include individual responses and a team response to the preparation and performance of the activity.

4. The manual should communicate the team's experience while planning, learning, and performing the activity.

5. Include photos and/or the videotape of your experience.

Organization of the Group Experience Manual:

1. Cover page

2. Summary - a preliminary page about the content and nature of the manual

3. Table of Contents

4. Background - information about your activity and how it was selected

5. Procedures - the process leading up to your experience

6. Results - present individual and team interpretations of the activity, including photos or your videotape

7. Discussion - interpret your results and explain them in terms of the goals you have and the information you have gained about small group communication theory and concepts

8. Conclusions - about small group communication and the success your team had in completing this assignment

9. Recommendations - how the team believes it could improve its performance next time