Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.

Help me prepare and run the exercise below. First ask for my participant count, time, setting, access needs and intended result. Check these against the stated limits. Use the supplied rules and materials. Explain any proposed changes before using them, and label them as adaptations. Do not invent source claims or require personal disclosure. Give me one step at a time when I say start. I manage the people, physical activity and clock; do not claim to observe the room. Ask me what happened before choosing a next step.

Reference revision: 58386e866736f2033ef63482a76e8920597ee80fe826f2e1e06ad82dc38dbdc3

# European Neighbors

Trios compete across a 6x6 grid of European countries to claim cells by writing key facts, similarities, and differences. Two participants submit written statements for a chosen square while the third acts as a rotating judge.

**Time:** 30 minutes. Thiagi GameLetter suggests 20 to 60 minutes; set here to 30 minutes for six to eight rounds and a focused debrief.
**People:** 3 to 24. Trios (or three small teams of 2 to 4 people per table)

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Compare and contrast six countries systematically by generating verified facts, similarities, and differences.
**Use it when:** Use during cross-cultural orientation, geography reviews, or relationship-mapping workshops when participants need to examine nuance beyond simple national stereotypes.
**Skip it when:** Skip when participants lack background knowledge on the selected countries or when competitive head-to-head claiming creates counterproductive tension.

## Materials and tools

- One printed 6x6 European Neighbors Grid worksheet per table or trio
- 60 tokens or colored counters per table (20 each of three distinct colors, or three distinct marker pens)
- Index cards or scratch paper for writing claims
- One pen or pencil per person
- One countdown timer visible to the room
- Shared digital spreadsheet or digital grid template (for remote or hybrid sessions)

## Before participants arrive

1. Print one 6x6 grid worksheet for each trio.
2. Place tokens of three distinct colors and scratch paper at each table.
3. Assign participants into groups of three. If the total number does not divide evenly by three, pair extra participants so that pairs act collectively as a single player role.

## Say this to open

In cross-cultural work, we often fixate on differences and miss common ground, or assume similarities that do not exist. In this activity, you will work in trios on a 6x6 grid of European countries. Two players compete to write the stronger fact, similarity, or difference for a square. The third player judges which submission is better and awards the cell. Roles rotate every turn. Your goal is to claim squares while mapping these relationships.

## How to run it

### 1. Explain grid zones and assign roles (5 minutes)

Distribute grids. Explain the layout: diagonal squares (bottom-left to top-right) require a key fact about the country. Squares above the diagonal require a similarity between the two countries. Squares below require a difference. For example, France and Switzerland share French language; Italy and Netherlands differ in historical sporting culture. Designate Player 1 as Judge, Player 2 as Selector, and Player 3 as Challenger for round one. If two people share a seat, they confer quietly and play as one role.

### 2. Demonstrate round claiming (5 minutes)

Run a practice claiming cycle. The Selector chooses an open square on the grid and announces it. Both the Selector and the Challenger write a claim matching the square's rule within 60 seconds. The Judge reads both submissions, selects the stronger statement, and awards the square. The winner places their colored counter on the cell. The Selector then becomes Judge, Judge becomes Challenger, and Challenger becomes Selector. Answer any clarification questions before continuous play begins.

### 3. Rotate roles and contest squares (15 minutes)

Players continue rounds on their own using the rotating sequence. Each round takes about 2 minutes: 30 seconds to select, 60 seconds to write, and 30 seconds to judge. Groups complete 6 to 8 contested squares. Stop play if time expires or if any player occupies four squares in a continuous straight line (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally).

### 4. Tally and debrief (5 minutes)

Have players tally claimed squares. Bring the room together. Ask two or three volunteers which zone was hardest to complete and how the requirement to find similarities changed their view of distinct countries.


## Debrief questions

- Which squares were hardest to fill: key facts, similarities, or differences?
- What criteria did you use as a judge to decide that one statement was better than another?
- How did searching for similarities change your view of countries you usually consider completely distinct?

**Finished output:** A completed or partially claimed 6x6 comparison grid marked with player tokens, backed by written comparative statements.

## Remote

Use a shared spreadsheet displaying the 6x6 grid. Form breakout rooms of three people. The Selector claims a square by typing their name in the room chat. The Selector and Challenger each private-message their statement to the Judge within 60 seconds. The Judge selects the winning claim, pastes the text into the cell, and shades the cell with that player's assigned color. Rotate roles every round.

## Hybrid

Keep in-person trios working with physical worksheets and counters. For remote participants, place them in online trios using the shared spreadsheet. If a remote player joins an in-person pair, connect them via a table tablet to a shared digital grid so all three see claims and cell ownership in real time.

## Access and participation choices

- Allow participants to consult reference sheets, atlases, or mobile search if they do not know regional facts from memory.
- Participants may choose to serve permanently as Judge or scribe if they prefer not to write under competitive time constraints.
- Passing on a turn or conceding a square without penalty is permitted.

## If the session gets stuck

**Both statements submitted to the Judge are inaccurate or unconvincing.**

Allow the Judge to declare a draw. The square remains open and unowned, and play advances to the next player's selection.

**One participant runs out of factual ideas for specific country pairs.**

Permit the participant to use an approved atlas, reference sheet, or a two-minute internet search before submitting their claim.


## Terms used here

- Framegame: A reusable instructional game structure whose content can be swapped out while preserving core gameplay mechanics.
- Matrix-1: The generic framegame structure that uses an intersecting matrix to compare, contrast, and map items in a category.

## Participant material: European Neighbors 6x6 Grid Sheet

EUROPEAN NEIGHBORS MATRIX

Columns: [1] Belgium | [2] France | [3] Germany | [4] Italy | [5] Netherlands | [6] Switzerland
Rows:    [1] Belgium | [2] France | [3] Germany | [4] Italy | [5] Netherlands | [6] Switzerland

GRID RULES:
- Diagonal boxes (bottom-left to top-right): Write a KEY FACT about the intersecting country.
- Boxes ABOVE the diagonal: Write a SIMILARITY between the two intersecting countries.
- Boxes BELOW the diagonal: Write a DIFFERENCE between the two intersecting countries.

ROLE ROTATION:
- Selector: Picks an open square.
- Challenger: Competes against the Selector for that square.
- Judge: Evaluates both written statements, names the winner, and awards the square.
After each round: Selector becomes Judge, Judge becomes Challenger, Challenger becomes Selector.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Thiagi GameLetter (May 2007), edited by Sivasailam Thiagarajan and published by The Thiagi Group.

The raw evidence corresponds to the May 2007 Thiagi GameLetter, which featured an article on participant-generated questions and the Matrix Game 'European Neighbors'. The previous version mislabeled the entire activity after the newsletter issue. This run sheet restores the specific game 'European Neighbors' and its Matrix-1 framegame rules. UWT adjusted the step pacing to realistic round times (6 to 8 rounds over 15 minutes instead of an unfeasible 15 rounds), added explicit materials for remote/hybrid delivery, clarified shared-seat roles for odd group numbers, and supplied standardized debrief prompts.

[The Thiagi Group](https://thiagi.net/archive/www/pfp/IE4H/may2007.html)

[The Thiagi Group](http://thiagi.net/archive/www/pfp/IE4H/may2007.html)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/tgl-may-2007/