This is a two-part problem. In part 1, you will have 7 minutes to come up with a solution and practice. In part 2, you will have 3 minutes to demonstrate your solution to the judges.

Your problem is to make your own hands-on spontaneous problem using the layout and materials provided. Your problem may be anything the team wishes as long as it is hands-on in nature and uses the layout and at least some of the materials provided.

At the end of part 1 or when the team is ready you will tell the judges what the problem is. In part 2, you will demonstrate to the judges how the problem would work in competition. Remember that you are not competing for score in the problem you create, only showing the judges how it would work.

Score will be as follows

Teamwork in Part 1: 1-25 points

Creativity of the problem: 1-15 points

Difficulty of the problem: 1-10 points

How well the problem is demonstrated 1-20 points

Team work in Part 2: 1-20 points

For judges only

Give teams the following materials

5 dixie kitchen cups 5 pieces of construction paper

6 of various types of balls (can be ping pong, golf balls, compresses rubber, etc.)

20 toothpicks 2 dowel rods, each 8 " in length

2 yard sticks 2 boxes (can be small mailing boxes or cereal boxes,etc.)

3 stuffed animals 12 " string or yarn

5 spoons 6 index cards

10 paper clips 2 small embroidery hoops (or large rings of any sort)

Layout can vary. For instance you could tape of two foul lines or a taped off box in the floor. Just make sure it is not too elaborate.

NOTE TO COACHES (from Lisa Love):

One of your goals, as a coach, should be to help your teams feel comfortable with the spontaneous problems and procedures. When they go into the room at competition to perform the spontaneous problem solutions, they should be relaxed about the possibility of various kinds of challenges, if not relaxed with the idea of performing. (All teams will be a little nervous because the situation is always an "unknown". But feeling comfortable with the format and possibilities helps a lot.)

One way to help teams feel more comfortable is to not only have them DO spontaneous problems, but to have them WRITE spontaneous problems, SCORE spontaneous problems, and DISCUSS spontaneous problems. What different kinds of challenges might we face? What are strategies for various types of problems? How are the problems put together and what sort of things are the judges looking at? How do the problems balance risk-taking with safe solutions? What are the properties of various materials and how can they work together?

Have your team write verbal problems and hands-on problems for their teammates to perform. Discuss how a problem is written: what are the components of a good problem? This will help the team understand the goals and the process for spontaneous problem-solving.