Adapted from R.G.

Shirts Rafa Rafa

General Overview:
The participating students are divided into two groups. Each group is instructed in a
new way of living. One group is called Alpha Culture, the other, Beta Culture. The
people in Alpha are fun loving, superstitious, honor their elders, and enjoy being
close to one another. People in Beta are hard working, businesslike, foreign
speaking, and do not like to be close to one another.
The Exchange:
Once the groups learn their culture, observers are exchanged. Observers travel to
the other culture to try to learn about it by listening and watching. After a short
visit, they return home and report their findings. Visitors are then exchanged to live
with the other group. Unlike the observers, visitors are encouraged to speak and
interact with their hosts. During all the visits, no one is allowed to ask about the
specific rules of the culture but must infer them. Once everyone has had a chance
to be a visitor or observer, the game is over. In the post-game discussion, the
participants discuss the ideas and feelings created by the experience.
Overarching Purposes:
To illustrate the difficulties and problems one may encounter when interacting with
persons/cultures who are different from us. Including:
The tendency to disparage anything another person or group does that we
dont understand
The tendency of some person to rush into a new situation without observing
or trying to figure out what the values and attitudes of the people are and, on
the other hand, the tendency of others to never try to learn by interacting.
To introduce the importance of speaking in the descriptive rather than
evaluative terms when talking about people/groups.
To serve as a beginning point for studying certain characteristics, values, and
qualities in different cultures.

Alpha Land
Read to Group:
You are now in Alpha Land. You are Alphas! You have lived in Alpha Land all your life.
You really like to play to games together. Whenever you see another person, you
want to play your game with them.
Alphas love to play and they dont like to work. The game Alphas play the most is
Rafa Rafa.
How to Play the Game:
1) Stand so you are facing another Alpha
2) In the game, one person puts a pebble in one hand and nothing in the other. He
or she then puts their hands behind their back. The object of the game is for the
GUESSER to try to guess the empty hand three times in a row. Because the empty
hand brings you closer to winning, and if you can guess it three times in a row, you
win! If you guess the bone, however, you lose.
3) You dont start by guessing. If you want to play Rafa Rafa with a person you stand
in front of them and stamp your foot three times. If the person youre stamping in
front of wants to play with you, he or she will gently grab your upper arm. Now you
can play the game. The person who grasped your arm, hides the bone and you try
to guess which hand is empty.
4) As soon as you guess, the Hider brings both hands out in front and shows you
which one is empty and which one has the bone. If you were unlucky and guessed
the bone, you move away very quickly, because you lost and you want to find
someone else and win!
5) If you guess the empty hand the first time, then you stamp three times and
guess again. If you get the empty hand three times in a row, then you win and you
would shout RAFA RAFA! Everyone would come over and touch you with three
fingers and say Rafa Rafa so they can have a better chance of winning in the next
game. Alphas love to be touched, but not too hard so be careful.
*Test out the game with the students now .
6) If a visitor comes and wants to play but does not stamp three times, an Alpha
walks away quickly. You wouldnt want to play with someone who doesnt know the
rules.
7) The most important thing to remember is to never, ever talk about the rules of
Alpha Land.

Beta Land

Read to Group:
You live in Beta Land! You are a Beta! You respect anyone who works hard. In Beta
Land, people want to get 4 of the same cards. You believe the harder one works, the
more money one earns. So each of you would like to be the richest and therefore
the most respected person in Beta Land.
So how do you become rich? By trading in 4 of a kind for 1 unit of money. After
youve traded in your 4 of a kind, you can exchange those cards for 4 new cards.
1) You receive one unit of money when you are able to collect one of each animal in
the same color card.
2) Beta members trade by walking around the room and asking for the card they
want in Beta trading language. For example, if you have an 8 and want t get four 8s,
you would make eye contact with someone to know that you want to trade, but
after you make eye contact with them you dont look them in the eyes again. You
hold up the card that you want (hold up your 8 card to say you would like another)
then
5) To say yes in Beta language, nod your head up and down. To say no or I
dont have it in Beta language, raise your elbows up like you are a scarecrow and
let your hands hang down. (everyone stands up and practices saying no).
6) You know how to trade, but there are a few other rules. It is not good manners to
ever stand close to another person. Since you cant stand close, here is how you
trade:
Trader A sets the card on the floor she is giving away and backs away. Then
Trader B puts the card he or she is trading on the floor, picks up Trader As
card and moves away. Trader A then picks up Trader Bs card. This makes it
possible to trade without getting too close. Practice trading now.
7) Whenever you get 4 of a kind cards, you go to the bank, write your initials, put
the number 1 by it and you get 4 new trading cards.
8) When the visitors come, you can trade with them, but you are very proud of your
trading language so they must speak the Beta language you cannot speak English.
You can gesture with them, point to cards, and communicate in any other way to
help trade.
9) Be sure to not tell anyone about the Beta rules of the culture. Their job is to
figure out how to communicate with your culture.

Sequence of Events:
*Each group needs two leaders (4 people total)
1) Explain general rules to whole group

2) Students are split up into Alphas and Betas

3) Each group learns about their own cultures
4) Each group chooses Observers and Visitors (about 3 groups of visitors)
5) Observers visit different culture they are not allowed to speak, only observe.
Cultures go on as if no one is present.
6) Observers go back and report on what they saw.
7) Leader sends first group of visitors with an artifact from the other culture.
8) Visitors return to home culture and report to the group. Everyone tries to guess
what the rules are to that culture.
9) Second group of visitors go and report back
10) Third set of visitors go and report back
11) Butler students lead discussion of experience in whole group.
Whole Group Discussion Questions:
1. Ask the Beta members to explain the Alpha group.
2. Ask the Alpha members to explain the Beta Group.
3) Ask the Alpha members how the Beta visitors appeared to them **watch for
evaluative words rather than descriptive words point out that judgmental words
arent helpful when describing a culture but it is the first type of description
people use when something is different from what they know similar to the Native
Americans and Colonists.
4) Ask Beta members how the Alpha visitors appeared to them.
5) Ask Alpha members to describe their feelings and thoughts when they visited the
Beta culture.
6) Ask Beta members to describe their feelings and thoughts when they visited the
Alpha culture.
7) Ask a Beta member to explain the Beta culture
8) Ask an Alpha member to explain the Alpha culture
9) Ask members of each culture where they preferred to live and why.
10) What are the important things you can learn from this simulation?
*What looks vivid and unusual to an outsider might seem perfectly consistent and
logical to another
*Non-verbal communication can be extremely effective and help break boundaries
*some cultures stand very close to each other others do not proximity is a lot
different
*some cultures value play and harmony over money and work
*almost everyone feels uncomfortable at first mixing with persons different from
oneself, but if you can anticipate those feelings, it makes it easier to go ahead and
be with the new culture until those feelings go away.

Alphas - Katie A Megan Sam Molly Bekkah Marissa Katrina Hannah Lea
Jenna Amelia Trae
Betas - Morgan Jackie Audrey Stephanie B. Katie S. Kristin Stephanie K.
James Mia Lindsey Cassondra - Louise