Archeological dig
Your challenge is to create a series of artifacts that have come from an archeological dig and then say what they are.
Procedure
This is a two-part challenge.
In Part I, you will have 3 minutes to discuss the problem and create your solution. You can ask the judges questions; however, time will continue. You will be warned when 1 minute and when 30 seconds remain.
Pretend your team is doing an archeological dig somewhere on Earth and find a series of strange artifacts. In Part I you will create the artifacts.
Each of you will create an artifact using only the materials on the table. Nothing else can be used, and you cannot use the scissors or marker as part of your solution.
There are 7 cards numbered 1-7 on the table. When Part I ends, place each artifact on the table next to one of the numbers.
In Part 2 you will have 4 minutes to give responses. Speak loudly and clearly. Once time begins it will not be stopped, even if a judge asks you to repeat a response, or to clarify it, or to give a more appropriate response.
There are 35 tokens in front of you. Before making a response, you will place a token on one of the numbered card on the table.
You can respond in any order. You may give responses until the team no longer has any tokens or until time ends, whichever occurs first. Each team member may give as many or as few responses as they wish, until the tokens run out.
Your challenge in Part 2 is to say what the artifacts might be.
For example, you might say, “A vase.”
Before you respond, you must place your token on one of the numbered cards next to the artifact you are describing
Setup:
Provide a pair scissors, a black magic marker and the following materials.
5 rubberbands
1 24” x 12” square of aluminum foil
5 pipe cleaners
6 straws
3 8.5” x 11” sheets of paper
2 pieces of yarn, 24”
10 cotton swabs
12 buttons,
8 plastic soda bottle caps
Scotch tape
6 small paper clips
1 ruler, 12”
The scissors and marker cannot be part of the team’s solution.
Place the tokens for responding within reach of the team.
Place 7 index cards numbered 1-7 on the table to place the tokens on.
Scoring:
You will receive 1 point for each common response and 5 points for each creative response.
Debrief:
Did the team plan what artifacts they would create?
Did the team use the provided materials in creative ways?
How could the descriptions of the artifacts have been more creative?
Make more difficult:
Use tokens, some of which have numbers on the bottom, some of which are blank.
Team members must make responses about the specific numbered artifact if drawing a token with a number on; for the blank tokens they may chose any artifact to describe.