Clay Olympics:
25 pounds of clay for each group
Tape measure
Tools (optional)

Game Design:

One game pack for each group:

Pair of dice
8 game pieces of the same color (checkers, Othello pieces, etc.)
Deck of cards
Lego blocks (6 red, 6 blue, 6 yellow, 6 green, 6 orange)
Pencils/paper
**Pieces can be substituted, just make sure each pack has the same contents.

I. Introduction/Warm-Up:

1. Review key factors and benefits of collaboration from Lesson 1.
2. Write the following terms on the board:

Improvisation, Planning, and Motivation

3. Define and discuss these terms with the class.

II. Collaborating Activities:

 

Choose one or both of the following activities to do with your students.

 

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Students work together during the Clay Olympics.

Activity 1: Clay Olympics

Procedure:
Break class into groups of 4-5 students. Give each group 25 pounds of clay. (Different amounts can be used as long as each group has the same amount.)

1. Relay the following instructions to the students:

• The goal is to build the tallest free-standing structure in 10 minutes.
• Only students’ hands can be used.
• The structure must stand on its own at the end of 10 minutes; if the structure falls before it is measured, it will be measured at its highest fallen point.
• Every person in the group must participate.

2.At the end of 10 minutes, call time and instruct all students to take their hands off the clay and step back from the structure.

3. Measure each structure and write the height of each on the board.

4. Ask each group to briefly explain its process:

• Did you discuss your plan before starting?
• What specific job did each person in the group take on?
• What problems did you encounter?  How did you remedy them?
• What was difficult about working in a group?

5. Give students a second opportunity to build the tallest free-standing structure using their experience and newfound information from other groups.  (Additional elements may be added i.e., more clay, tools.) This time give students15 minutes instead of 10.

6. At the end of 15 minutes, repeat steps 4 and 5.

7. Class Discussion:

• How did your group change its strategy from round one to round two?
• Was working in a group harder or easier in the second round? Why?
• If you were to have a third round, what would you do differently?

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Game pieces might include legos, poker chips, dice, pennies, and playing cards.

Activity 2. Collaborative Game Design

** This activity was adapted from Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration by Keith Sawyer

Procedure:

Warm-Up: Make two columns on the board and asks students to name their favorite game and least favorite game. Discuss with students their likes and dislikes:

• What elements do you tend to like in a game?
• What makes a game boring? Why?
  

Break the class into groups of 4-5 and give each group a pack of game pieces.

3. Give students 20 minutes to design a new game.
4. At the end of 20 minutes, give students another 15 minutes to play the game and make any modifications to the rules.

5. Next class period, have students exchange games with the other groups.

6. Have each group fill out the Game Review sheet << handout >> as they try to figure out and play one another’s games for 20 minutes.

7. Class discussion:

• What knowledge or experiences from other games did you use to design your game?
• How long did you spend on planning?  On playing?
• Did you improvise when designing or playing?  How?
• What specific job did each person in your group take on?
• What problems did you encounter?  How did you remedy them?
• Was it difficult working in a group? Explain.

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Assessment:

1. Write the following statement on the board and discuss how it relates to the students’ experiences: “Improvisation interwoven with planning equals successful innovations and collaborations."
   
2. Have students fill out the Collaboration Survey soon after their participation in Activity 1 or Activity 2. << handout >>


3. Discussion:

• What statement(s) did you most agree with? Why?
• What statement(s) did you least agree with? Why

 

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Adaptations:
Research and analyze how a popular game was created or how the Eiffel Tower or the Brooklyn Bridge was built:

• Describe the planning process.
• What were the challenges?
• What were the successes?