Rosa Lee Carter Elementary School 2013- 2014 Anuradha Pajjur

1. Rosa Lee Carter Elementary School 2013- 2014 Anuradha Pajjur

2. What is Odyssey of the Mind? A creative problem-solving competition.  Problem-Solving Teams are given short and long term problems to solve Creativity Problem solutions should be as creative and imaginative as possible Competition Tournament in which teams are judged and scored on their performance What types of problems? Two types – spontaneous (short) and long term problems Important to note: Problems do not have a single or absolute right answer. Team members will come up with many creative answers, none of which are wrong. Only answers that are inappropriate will be rejected.

3. Why OOTM? • Teaches creative problem solving & teamwork • Open ended problem solving • Students learn how to identify challenges and creatively solve • Supplements their current education Know the reason for participation • Are you in it to win? • Are you in it to have fun? • Both? What is the competition about? • Having fun • Life lessons: team work, time pressures, out of box thinking, identifying strengths and weaknesses of the team and leveraging

4. Who? Anyone in kindergarten and up! Teams are formed by age division and compete against teams in their age division. People compete from all over the world. We would be Division 1 which is grades K-5 Teams • Teams are formed of five to seven kids. No more than seven kids.  • Must be committed to the team through spring. Only 7 kids can work on long term problem, so once work starts, if a kid drops, he/she cannot be replaced.  • 1st and 2nd grade kids can perform in a non-competitive division.  • 3-5 grade kids are in competitive division. (1 & 2 grade can also compete in this division if desired.) What’s the Cost? The PTO’s responsibility is the membership registration ($150 per team, payable at the PTO website) and providing information about Coaches training and tournaments. Online team registration and training registration needs to be completed by the coaches. Each problem has a cost limit that the team needs to adhere to.

5. How do teams form? Parents are responsible for forming teams. Feel free to use the Google groups set up by the PTO to post messages about joining a team or finding members for your team. Team Size – The maximum number of children per team is 7. There is no minimum, but OOTM suggests a minimum of 5 members in each team. Coaching and Judging • Every team must provide one coach and one judge • Judges training is required. Volunteering- Every team must provide a volunteer to work at the tournament for 2 hours. Parents and the OOTM Kids  • “No Outside Assistance” - hardest for parents and siblings  • Be supportive  • There are NO bad answers. NO wrong answers.  • Team work is the key.  THEY CAN DO IT!

6. 5 long term problems to select from • Mechanical / Vehicle • Classics • Performance • Structure • Technical Primary problem for grades K-2 Spontaneous problems

7. Problem 1: Driver's Test Divisions I, II, & III For this problem, teams will design, build, and drive a vehicle that will travel a course at least two times where a student driver attempts to complete tasks in order to pass a driver’s test. The vehicle will travel using one propulsion system and then travel in reverse using a different propulsion system that uses stored human energy. The vehicle will encounter a directional signal and have a Global Positioning System (GPS) that talks to the driver. The team will create a theme for the presentation that incorporates the vehicle, a driver’s test, a student, and the talking GPS. Cost limit: $145 USD.

8. Problem 2: The Not-So-Haunted House Divisions I, II, III, & IV The team’s problem is to create and present an original performance that includes a “pop-up-style” not-so-haunted “house” where four special effects take place. The intent of the special effects will be to scare others but, they will produce a different result instead. The performance will include at least one character that experiences the special effects and a narrator who relays the experiences to the audience. It will also include a surprise ending. The special effects will be scored for originality and engineering. • Cost limit: $145 USD.

9. Problem 3: It’s How We Rule Divisions I, II, III & IV In this Classics problem, teams will re-create a King’s Court from history and make their own Royal Court set in an original kingdom at a different time and place. The Historic Court will issue a decree that fits in with its history, while the team-created Royal Court will issue a decree that changes an everyday behavior for the people in the kingdom. The Historic court will be composed as the team wishes, but the original Royal Court will be made up of a leader, a minstrel that performs a song while playing a team-created instrument, and a jester that makes fun of the leader. The performance will include puppets and a Peoplet (a person portrayed as a puppet), and will be scored for humor. • Cost limit: $125 USD.

10. Problem 4: The Stackable Structure Divisions I, II, III & IV Teams will design and build a structure made up of separate components stacked on top of one another. The structure components will be made of only balsa wood and glue, and will be tested by balancing and supporting weights after they are stacked. Teams will be scored for the number of components they use in their final structure. Before they are stacked, the separate components will be integrated into an artistic representation of Earth. The team will include the stacking of the components, placement of the weights, and Earth into the theme of its performance. • Cost limit: $145 USD. • Sponsored by NASA.

11. Problem 5: Seeing is Believing Divisions I, II, III & IV In this problem teams are to create and present an original performance about a community that feels threatened by something in a location it has never visited. The community townspeople will use a creative method to select one or more Travelers to visit and explore the location. While at the location, a Traveler will use a means of communication to send a message home to convince the community that there is nothing to fear. The performance will also include a narrator character, two rhymes about the travels, and a moving set piece. • Cost limit: $125 USD.

12. Primary: The World’s First Art Festival Grades K-2 The team’s problem is to create and present an original humorous performance about a prehistoric art festival. The festival will include artwork, dance, music, song, and — of course — a team-created audience to experience it all. The team will also create a backdrop that is a replica of a cave painting. • Cost limit: $125 USD.

13. Spontaneous Problems: • Good to practice in each meeting • There are books with suggested problems • Really great for dinner time “games”

14. Training • Coaches training is available • Formal training Nov. 16th 2013 @ TuscaroraHS • Masters Spontaneous Workshop Dec 7th 2013 at Park View HS • Judges Training Feb 8th 2014 at Park View HS • Resources and materials (books, etc) are available at the training and on line • Web site • www.nwvoices.org for local and • www.odysseyofthemind.org for national and problem information Meetings • How many is the right number? • What do I do as a child or as a coach? • Where do I hold the meetings? • Structure of the meeting Competition preparation: Allow time for extra practice sessions, think about transporting the “problems”, assign roles and responsibilities early

15. My information Anuradha Pajjur Email: apajjur@gmail.com

16. Key Dates to Know • Oct. 24th – Team information due to PTO on the PTO website • Nov. 16th - Coaches formal training • Dec. 7th – Masters spontaneous Training • Feb. 8th 2014 – Judges training • March 29th 2014 – Regional Tournament for Dulles Voices R16 • April 26th, 2014 – Virginia State Finals • May end – World Finals at Iowa State University

17. Thank You!