Human Machine: Parts With Movement and Sound

Each person is a machine part that repeats one movement and one sound, and together they build a working machine. It develops shared rhythm, listening, and group body composition.

How to play

1. Whole class in a semicircle. One person steps in with a repeated movement and sound. Another hooks on with a part that fits, without touching or barely touching, until there are 8 to 10 parts (3 min).
2. The teacher runs the machine like a remote: faster, slower, it breaks down, it shuts off. All the parts respond together (5 min).
3. Groups of 5 draw a card (popcorn maker, washing machine, ice cream factory, time machine) and build a machine with an input, a process, and a finished product (7 min).
4. Each group switches on its machine for the others, who guess what it makes. Finish with one giant class machine joining all five (5 min).

Rules

• Each part repeats the same movement the whole time: if it changes, the machine breaks.
• Contact is light and only if the neighboring part agrees.
• Nobody climbs on anyone or carries weight.
• The audience applauds every machine.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: they're an arm-and-trunk part, or the operator who starts the machine.
• Hearing impairment: place them where they can see the previous part to follow the rhythm visually.
• Insecure students: they join as a sound part, or at the end when there are already many parts.

Learning goals

• Synchronize movement with other people.
• Create a meaningful group body composition.
• Listen and adapt to the group.

Equipment for a class of 25

• machine cards: 6

Teacher tip

The first whole-class machine sets the tone: pick someone confident to start. The usual mistake is movements so complex they can't be repeated.

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