Changes
→Directions
Big Picture:
Participants will work in three small groups to build towers that look like a pre-built tower. Each group will be missing some of the supplies necessary to build their tower, but between the groups they will have enough to build 3 towers identical to the pre-built tower if they decide to collaborate and share supplies. The facilitators should make sure this is not immediately obvious, and once it becomes more obvious, the facilitators should neither discourage or encourage collaboration. The groups will be purposely set against each other through competition (and therefore they will be less likely to collaborate). Use appropriate additional debrief questions based on the groups choice to collaborate or not to collaborate.
Procedure: 15 min
Begin by randomly dividing participants into three small groups and organizing the groups in three corners different areas of the room. In the fourth corner you You should have the pre-built tower (hidden from view)e.g outside the room, or in a corner where not everyone can see it.Introduce the activity by saying: “Your goal is to build a tower that matches the pre built tower located in the corner.”
Ask for one volunteer from each group to be their group’s representative, and explain that only the representative will be allowed to see the pre-built tower.
Announce that a prize will be awarded for the group that builds the tower that most closely replicates the pre-built tower.
While one facilitator is showing the representatives the pre-built model, another facilitator should be distributing the supply packets to the group. The representatives should only have a short time (~30 seconds to see the model ) and no one but the representative should be allowed to see the model.
Answer any questions at this point, and then announce that the representatives will return to the groups, and once they return, the facilitators will not answer any questions.
Send the representatives back to their groups and announce that each group has 10 minutes to build the tower.
5 minutes into the building, ask for the representatives to come to the center of the room and report to the other representatives one thing they are doing well and one challenge they are having. Then let them see the model again for a short time (~30 seconds.
[Again, the facilitators should not answer any questions, encourage or discourage collaboration! ]
Report Back: 10 min
Give some candy to everyone who participated, and announce that everyone is a winner.debrief!
===Debrief===