After the Up to You! Simulation

Help students learn from the experience! Explore activities for after the UpToYou! simulation, like talking about emotions and reflecting on what happened.

The simulation session is always followed by the debriefing and that you may read more about it in the Moderators Handbook. All the additional activities listed below, should follow the debriefing.

After the simulation is over, it is very important to support students in understanding their experience. This can help them step out of the simulation’s world, share / air out their emotions, while also providing an opportunity for reflection on a cognitive level, supporting their learning. So as a debriefing session, right after the simulation gives an opportunity to the students to (in this order):

• Air out emotions
• Reflect on the experience

Airing out emotions

After an intense group experience with teenagers, firstly, we need to give them an  opportunity to share their emotions. Some people might be upset, others proud, others still overexcited, etc. We need to let these emotions shared, so they are able to move forward. It can be beneficial to include some \”cool-down\” or \”chill-out\” activities to help everyone wind down.

Reflection on experiences

These are designed to provide a smooth transition from the excitement of group games to a more relaxed and calm state, allowing teenagers to understand what happened during the simulation. The following questions are ideas you can ask the group to support their reflection. (see “leaving the magic circle\” in Moderator’s Handbook) Reflective questions can help teenagers process their experiences and learning after playing a game in class. Encourage students to share their thoughts openly and consider how the game experience relates to broader aspects of their lives. It can be difficult for some people to verbalize their emotions, thoughts.