Team Manager Tip #5
Particularly with brand-new teams, do not rush into selecting a Challenge. It may be best to give the kids a chance to know a little bit about each other.
One way to do this is to have them take a Side Trips Specialities Inventory that will tell them about their interests and strengths. This form may be downloaded by Team Managers from the Resources Area at www.idodi.org. Team Managers will need a valid e-mail address and their membership number for the 2006-07 program year; see your Coordinator! (Early in the program year, this form may not be available; e-mail Judy Nolan at [email protected] for further information). A second purpose for this survey is to help the team select the 2 Side Trips it will show off at the Tournament. Except for Switching traDItions, all Challenges require Side Trips. (A Side Trip is ANYTHING a team wants to show off that isn't already part of the Central Challenge requirements. It is an opportunity to earn extra points! See Rules of the Road for more complete information.)
The team should keep in mind its interestes and strengths, but at the same time, if there is something the kids want to do and they don't know how to do it, you could ask them (1) if there is another way they might accomplish the task, or (2) the team could make a list of the things they want to learn how to do. Ask the other parents if this is something they might teach the team as a mini-workshop. As long as general skills are being taught and demonstrated on something other than the Challenge solution, teams can be taught new skills. Of key importance is leaving all decisions up to the team. The best time to teach general skills is before a team chooses a Challenge. Then you know there is less risk of Interference! Below are some suggestions for mini-workshops:
-improvisational techniques
- basic hand or machine sewing
- basics of electricity
- safe use of tools (drill, saw, hammer, screwdriver)
- using different adhesives (various glues, Velcro, fusible web used in sewing, etc.)
- taking field trips to the hardward store, hobby store, craft store, office supply store so the kids learn about the range of materials available for their Challenge solution
- take the kids on a scavenger hunt through parents' basements or garages to see what materials they want to collect for future Challenge use (do not make suggestions!)
- collect some books or borrow books about simple costume-making (juvenile books are particularly helpful because they're easy to understand and have clear illustrations)
- teach the team how to paper mache shapes to make a mask or other object
- teach the team about combining colors, and experiment with various drawing/coloring media (including different types of paint)
- experiment with common household materials to discover alternate uses for them (rubber bands, paper clips, straws, cardboard tubes, etc.)
At each team meeting, do a team-building exercise that is FUN! There are books (see www.shopdi.org) and Web sites with great ideas, but here are a few to get you started:
1. Practice making geometric shapes out of cheese cubes (or marshmallows or gumdrops) and toothpicks.
2. Build a tower out of a pack (or several packs) of cards.
3. Give the kids an oversized sheet of paper (like flip chart paper) and markers, and tell them to design an Olympic park for ants.
4. Ahead of time, get some ice cream toppings and a couple of tubs of ice cream. Tie the kids' ankles together with duct tape, or tie their shoelaces together, and have them make ice cream sundaes for each other.
5. Begin a story with one line, then go around in a circle and have each child add on to the story. The one requirement is that it must be a SILLY story! (Note: Particularly with young teams that may have less-developed writing skills, you can use this method to help a team write a script. Simply record the team's story, then type it up in the team's EXACT words.)
If your team insists on discussing Challenges before it has done some team-building, have the kids generate 4 lists for each Challenge, as follows. Set aside these lists for later discussion:
1. Describe why this Challenge might be an advantage for the team to do.
2. Describe what might be a limitation in doing this Challenge (such as not knowing a skill).
3. Describe how this limitation might be overcome ("Can you find another way to do this?" )
4. Ask how you can make this Challenge unique in some way ("How can we make the solution special?")
By the time your team members learn some general skills and do some fun activities together, they will be better prepared to select a Challenge that suits their interests and skills.
