IN THE ZONE               [CHALLENGE CLARIFICATIONS]

Your vehicles are cranked and ready to tell their story. Will you push it, play it safe, or take the big risk? Just make sure you get In the Zone!

Educational Focus:  Engineering, Technical Design, Strategic Planning, Decision Making and Logistics, Project Management, Time and Budget Management, Teamwork

Points of Interest

  • Present a team-created story about the dangers faced by vehicles, told from the point of view of one or more vehicles
  • Design and build small vehicles that are able to reliably and accurately travel specific distances
  • Use at least three different power sources for the vehicles

STEM Attributes
• Use of the engineering design process
• Exploration of physical concepts of motion and energy
• Use of mathematical concepts of geometry and measurement
• Understanding of customary and/or metric measurements
• Investigate physical concepts of motion and energy
• Consider mathematical concept of probability

 

 

 

WIND VISIBLE               [CHALLENGE CLARIFICATIONS]

Art can begin with a flick of the wrist, but can it ride on the wind? If you take on this Challenge, you will imagine a character so light and airy that it could slip, slide and sail away!

Educational Focus:  Wind Energy, Science, Technology, Storytelling, Theater Skills, Art, Time and Budget Management, Teamwork

Points of Interest

  • Explore how the science of wind energy can be used to make kinetic art move
  • Design and create kinetic art that moves during the presentation
  • Create and present an original story that features an invisible visitor
  • Integrate wind energy research into the story

 

STEM Attributes
• Research the scientific concept of wind energy
• Use wind energy to start motion
• Demonstrate the collection and conversion of wind energy into usable energy

 

 

 

IN DISGUISE               [CHALLENGE CLARIFICATIONS]

With the right camouflage, you can become anyone or anything. Superheroes and chameleons change themselves every day! Who will you be when you take the mask away?

Educational Focus: Storytelling, Theater Arts, Fine Arts, Costume Design, and Non-Verbal Theatrical Techniques, Teamwork

Points of Interest

  • Present a team-created story about a character that uses a disguise
  • Use only non-verbal theatrical techniques to present the story
  • Design and construct at least two masks that enhance the story

STEM Attributes

• Use various forms of technology to produce a solution
• Use principles of geometry in design and construction of team-created masks
• Use of technology and technical methods to cause a mask to morph

 

 

 

CHANGE IN REALITEE               [CHALLENGE CLARIFICATIONS]

The world has undergone a dramatic change overnight! OK team, grab some T-shirts and markers and see if you can make sense of this Change in RealiTee!

Educational Focus:  Research, Story Development, Improvisational Acting, Teamwork, Presentation Skills and Techniques, Teamwork, Leadership

Points of Interest

  • Create a 5-minute improvisational skit about life after a dramatic change and how the characters adapt to this change
  • Learn about different communication techniques and integrate one into the skit
  • Use only white t-shirts, washable markers and team members to create all costumes, sets and props
  • Create a slogan from three randomly selected nouns

 

STEM Attributes
• Use mathematical concept of probability when improvisational elements are selected

 

 

 

TWIST-O-RAMA                [CHALLENGE CLARIFICATIONS]

Let’s do the twist! It goes like this: Build a structure that can survive a serious hit while holding weight. That’s what we are torqueing about!

Educational Focus: Research, Architectural Design, Structural Engineering, Construction, Material Science, Innovation and Design Process, Mathematics, Theater Arts, Teamwork, Time and Budget Management, Teamwork, Quantitative Reasoning

Points of Interest

  • Build a structure made entirely of glue and materials the team chooses from a list
  • Test the structure by placing weights on it, and by subjecting it to torque-inducing impacts
  • Produce a “bill of materials” listing the materials used in your structure, and provide samples of these materials
  • Produce a prop or costume made of all the materials used in the structure
  • Tell a story about something or someone that causes an unexpected twist or surprising change

STEM Attributes:
• Use of the engineering design process to design and construct a structure
• Study the properties of a variety of materials in order to design and construct a structure
• Knowledge of whole number computation and ratios to determine raw scores earned for weight placement

 

 

 

projectOUTREACH: REAL TO REEL                [CHALLENGE CLARIFICATIONS]

LIGHTS: Find a community need.
CAMERA: Solve the problem the best way you can!
ACTION: Then unveil your documentary film to a captivated audience.

Educational Focus:  Service Learning, Partnerships, Documentation, Movie Production, and Teamwork

Points of Interest

  • Use collaborative problem solving tools to identify and select at least one real community need
  • Design and carry out a project to address the real community need
  • Create a movie that documents the project
  • Evaluate the project and prepare a thorough project review
  • Prepare for a live press conference

STEM Attributes
• Use technology to produce photographs and recordings
• Use technology to produce a movie that outlines the team’s Service Learning Project

 

 

 

Rising Stars!: ROY G BIV

The colors of the rainbow are everywhere you look. In this Challenge, it is time to celebrate them all on ROY G BIV’s birthday. Pick your favorite color and join the party!

Educational Focus:  Colors, Research, Storytelling, Performing in front of an Audience, Team Problem Solving, Creativity, Collaboration and Communications

Points of Interest

  • Learn about the seven colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet
  • Create a play about Roy G. Biv’s birthday party
  • Dress Roy G. Biv in all the colors of the rainbow, and dress the guests in their favorite colors
  • Have each guest bring a gift that is made mostly of the color they are wearing

 

STEM Attributes: 
• Use of technology to produce a solution
• Understanding of customary and/or metric measurements to produce a solution
• Investigate physical concepts of light and color

 

 

 

Instant Challenges require teams to engage in quick, creative and critical thinking. At a tournament, a team will receive an Instant Challenge and the materials with which to solve it. The team members must think on their feet by applying appropriate skills to produce a solution in a period of just five to eight minutes.

In a world with growing cultural connections, increased levels and types of communication, and a new need for real-time teamwork and problem solving, the ability to solve problems quickly is becoming increasingly critical.

Instant Challenges are performance-based, task-based, or a combination of the two. Although each Instant Challenge has different requirements, all Instant Challenges reward teams for their teamwork and the creativity of their solutions. Instant Challenges are kept confidential until the day of the Tournament.

 

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