Oak Knoll Elementary School

This is a challenge of speed and knowledge.

This activity needs two volunteers... one to ask questions and work the Challenger control panel, and the other to keep score.

Out of necessity, there is usually  a 5th grade class and 4th grade class competing together.  To create fairness, the 4th grade will start with 25 points, and the 5th grade will not have looked at the 4th grade Brain Quest Cards.  Please make both teams aware of this, because it definitely levels the playing field (but let me know your thoughts.  I may have gone too far.)
A first and second place will be awarded at the Assembly for this session if the fifth grade wins.

ACTIVITY:   Classroom against classroom (usually the same grade level). Science and Math questions are asked directly from grade level Brain Quest Packs and from the CA Content Standards at the appropriate grade level.  The challenge includes button response modules, and one tries to be first to press the button and give the correct answer.  Points are deducted if the answer is wrong.

POINTS:  Correct answers earn a team 3 points.  Incorrect, or unanswered questions mean one point is subtracted from score.

TIME ALLOTMENT: 30 minutes

• 5 minutes to organize teams for events... briefly explain challenge and answer questions
• 20 minute challenge (fire off questions as quickly as you can)
• 5 minutes for wrap-up... answer questions, but don’t tell who won.  Explain that they will only have 5 minutes to get to their next event. They should line up behind teacher. 

SETUP & METHOD:

• Before the first class comes, familiarize yourself with the Classroom Challenger.  Directions should be in the case.  It lets you know the order in which student buttons were pressed via the speed of its blinking lights.  (If you wish to check out the Challenger prior the event, see Caryl Brewbaker, Room 28 – cbrewbaker@mpcsd.org)  Extra batteries are in the storage case.  Note:  We have had trouble with buttons in 2009.  Use raise hands, or bells (provided) or whatever works best for you. Please let Cary Brewbaker know how it went this year.

• Think the DMV!   As their turn gets closer, students keep moving up in line until they are standing with their hand over a button.  For regular sessions involving 2 classrooms, set the room up with a central table... four buttons on each side (see attached diagram).    Before your arrival in the morning, the classroom should have been cleared of all desks and chairs, except for 8 desks (which each hold a button module. Children move forward to next button with each question.

• Ask for teacher’s help on quieting the class so that you can begin as quickly as possible.  Also ask the teacher to organize children in a line. Teachers can help in keeping the children moving forward in an organized fashion.  If an answer is called out from someone other than the ones at the buttons, don’t award any points, and move on to the next question.

• Each team has four buttons (on their side of the table).  As each question is answered, they move to the next button.... until they have had four chances to answer a question.  Then they go to the back of the line, and start working their way back up to the buttons.

• Hands of students should be resting on the table... not hovering above the button. 

• If a button is pressed before you have finished asking the question, stop reading the question and let them answer it (or not), using point system above.

• If no one presses a button (they don’t know the answer), give answer and then move on to next question, quickly.

• If a question is answered wrong, provide the correct answer and move to the next question.

• Fire questions as quickly as children can answer them (of course, provide time for positioning themselves at a button). Tally points at the end to see which class earned more points, but do not tell who won.  Winners will be announced at Awards assembly.  It is possible the children will know the score, throughout. There is nothing the matter with that.  It will simply be more exciting (I think) if “win status” is confirmed at assembly.

• Use your common sense... if something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to change it into a workable situation.

• Feel free to read any, but only Science questions from anywhere in the packet.  MAKE SURE 4th GRADE TEAMS ARE ASKED 4th GRADE QUESTIONS, AND 5th GRADE TEAMS ARE ASKED 5th GRADE QUESTIONS. In combination classroom, ask 4th Grade Questions, only.

• Keep track of points. At end of session, if there is time, count up points for each team and mark clearly.   A PERSON FROM THE SCORE TABLE WILL VISIT AFTER EACH SESSION TO PICK UP SCORES.

It is suggested that 2 to 3 Event Leaders work at this challenge.

SPECIAL NOTE:  PLEASE SHOW CHILDREN “SLIDER STARS” BEFOR EVENT  (SEE CARYL FOR EXPLANATION

Activity:  The goal is to build a “copy cat” K-Nex structure without seeing it.  “Builders” are coached by “Tellers” how to do this.  “Tellers” are allowed to watch their builders’ progress.  The ultimate challenge is to build four structures, presented one at a time. Structures are labeled Easy, Moderate, Difficult, and Ultimate.  Teams start with the easiest structure and continue on to the higher-point structures until the time is up. Home teams have the option of dividing into two smaller “sub-teams A & B.”  Teams inform Leads as to who are the “tellers” and who are the “builders.” They may not use hand gestures, ... only words.  After a structure is built, if “tellers” and “builders” wish to change roles, they may -- as long as neither has seen the next structure to be built.

Time Allotment: 30 minutes (20 min. Challenge)

• 5 minutes to organize teams for events... briefly explain challenge and answer questions
• 20 minute challenge
• 5 minutes for wrap-up... answer questions, explain that they will only have 5 minutes to get to next event. They should find their teacher and line up. 

Awarding Points: 

Structures are presented in order of increased difficulty.

• Structure A:  75 points
• Structure B:  150 points
• Structure C:  175 points
• Structure D:  200 points
  It is unlikely, but possible, that they can build all four in the given time period.  In the event of a tie, the first finished, or furthest along will receive an additional 25 points, next 20, then 15, and so on.
  
  Event Leaders need to give points to unfinished or incorrectly built final structures ... deciding how many points to award, trying to be as consistent as possible (this will be the hardest part).  I have laid out points below, which hopefully will provide help with this.
  If there is more than one team per classroom, their scores will be averaged together.

Unfinished Structures: (Piece Points)

·      Structure A:  75 points -- 34 pieces (each worth 2.2 points)

·      Structure B:  150 points – 27 pieces (each worth 5.6 points)

·      Structure C:  175 points -- 48 pieces (each worth 3.6 points)

Structure D:  200 points – 38 pieces (each worth 5.3 points)

Role of the Challenge Leaders:

• Make area festive with sign & balloons taped somewhere
• Note:   You will need to pull Children’s structures apart as soon as they are built and scored (you can do this as children begin their next structure... do not make them wait for you since this is timed). Keep the building sets organized, so that there are enough building materials in bins at all times. Please Do Not break apart the competition structures.  I will use them again next year.
• Set up a divider (curtain of cloth, plastic, paper, etc. between teams, so they can’t see what the other teams are building.  Two music stands, with cloth hung between them should do the trick.
• Make this as fun and exciting for the students as you can make it.  It should be quiet as possible, however, since this takes intense concentration. 
• Put ALL structures off to the side, in a hidden area.  This would also be a good spot for one of the challenge leaders to pull apart structures.... keeping building supplies replenished at all time. Make sure that pieces go back into the correct boxes!  It would be horrible if a challenger didn’t have the needed pieces!
• Cover “traveling structures” with a dishtowel as you bring them to and from the challenge area, so students can’t see them.  You can also carry them in the team’s box.
• Event leaders  “unveil” the structures to the “tellers,” but structures remain hidden from builders (we will use boxes placed on their sides to house the structures from the builders).  “Tellers” then describe to builders, the structure to be built. 
• Your most difficult task will be giving “subjective points” for unfinished structures (points that are based on what you feel is fair).  If there is ever any doubt as to a result, always give the benefit of the doubt to the student.  We don’t want to give points away, but this is a feel good contest.  It may be a good idea for challenge leaders to come to a “consensus” on points awarded.  I have included points that can be given for each “piece” (above).  Pieces should be counted that are correctly placed.   
• Set a timer for each team, and start each at the beginning of the activity.  Don’t stop the timer until the end of event, or until the hardest structure has been built.
• Once a structure is correctly built, students can move on to the next structure. 
• Keep track of the passing time for the students, especially during the last 5 minutes.  They must stop building at the designated time.  “Hands Up!”
• Watch, to make sure there is no “peeking” by builders, or use of hands in description used by tellers. 
• Come up with a final score for each team or at least write down “piece points” and Positive and negative “subjective points” and send out to Score Table. 
• Whatever their score ... make all of them feel successful.  Shake their hands as they head off.
• Clean up between events.  Encourage children to pull their structures completely apart for the next group, before leaving. (Or, once a score is achieved, an event leader can break apart structures)
• DO NOT pull apart the pre-made structures, since we will probably be able to use the same ones every year.  Put them, intact, in the box that received them.
• Please clean up and “repackage” the event in readiness for next year.  Take balloons and tape off.
• Please talk to or email Caryl Brewbaker at cbrewbaker@mpcsd.org with suggestions & ideas for improvements to Caryl Brewbaker.

This can be handled by one event leader

Students will estimate how many jellybeans are in the jar.  They will also guess how much the jar and candy weigh in metric (which will be factored in, ONLY, if there is a tie).  The jar of jellybeans will go to the class of the student who guessed the closest.

Role of the Challenge Leader:

Make this as fun as you can

You will know the # of jellybeans and weight of the jar, but no hints!  As the morning progresses, secretly pull the close guesses so that you don’t need to go through all of the slips at the end of the day (although if that is how you wish to do it, no problem!)

Explain the event to the student if they don’t understand what to do.  They will need to give two numbers:  1)  The number of jelly beans;  &   2) How much they think the jar and jellybeans weigh in grams/kilograms. Encourage them to feel what 2000 grams feels like (a 2 liter soda bottle), what 100 grams feels like, and what 1 gram feels like.

Have students write their names on their guess cards, including their classroom.

Stamp their hand or chest sticker so they can’t guess more than once.

At end of morning, go through guesses and find the winner.  DO NOT ANNOUNCE!  Give information to the Score Table.

Two Challenge leaders are needed for each station.

ACTIVITY:  

The class sits in a circle and is blindfolded. Objects are passed starting at one point in the circle.  They pass to the person on their left until it reaches the end.  Students make a guess in their mind as to what each object is and try to remember the order in which it came.

At the end of the “Passing” event children, collectively as a class, try to remember as many objects as they can. The white board is used so that they can see what they have generated.  Double points are awarded for every object remembered in the correct order from the starting point.  It is frantically fast paced, but fun. 

Points: 

• 5 points for every object remembered.
• 10 points for every object remembered in correct order from the starting point.  

Role of Challenge Leader (what to do)

• When setting up the room, make space for 25 to 27 children to sit in a circle.  Place blindfolds in a large circle, matching where you think the children will be sitting.  This will help to cue children where to sit when entering.  (They will leave their blindfolds behind, in the same location.)
• Have children sit in a large circle on the floor.
• When explaining this activity to the children, make it sound as fun and exciting as you can.
• Students place blindfolds (masks) over their eyes, and are to “feel, weigh,  smell ...”  common objects to determine what they are.  Students will use all senses except sight and taste.  Explain that if they can’t figure out an object, it is because it is not supposed to be easyt. 
• They are not to talk out loud !!!
• A bell is rung when it’s time to pass on an object, and it should be rung at about 5 - 8 second intervals.  (You will get a “feel” for this)
• Objects are passed in the same order for every class.  Follow the order of the master sheet when passing objects. 
• It will take between 10 - 12 minutes to pass all objects, leaving only 8 - 10 minutes to figure out what was there, and in what order.  
• Children need to be reminded that they should not pass or receive objects, except when they hear the bell.  This will help move the pieces smoothly.
• There will be peeking by a few.  Don’t encourage, but don’t get worried or stressed about it.  I already know this will probably happen on a small scale, and understand that “being completely blind could actually be too frightening for some children to handle.
• As the class finishes, congratulate them and INSTANTLY start generating the list on the board.  Remind them that they only have 10 to 12 minutes before the event bell rings to end the session, so to work fast!  In the event of a tie, the most objects remembered in correct order from the first object will determine the winning team.  DO NOT HELP THEM, NOR LET THE TEACHER HELP.  This is a cooperative, team effort.
• Make sure that you wipe the white board very clean between classes, since they can read the “shadow” words.
• Congratulate the children and shake hands as they leave the room