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VERBAL SPONTANEOUS PROBLEM: MAY I TAKE YOUR ORDER?

JUDGE READS TO STUDENTS: (Do not read numbers or phrases in parenthesis.)

1. You will have one minute to think and three minutes to respond. Questions count against your thinking time.

2. You will receive one point for each common response. Highly creative or humorous responses will receive five points. This will be a subjective opinion of the judge and the judge's decision is final.

3. Each team member has been given 6 marbles (beans, whatever small item is handy for coach/judges). Each time you give an answer, you must put one marble in the container in the center of the table. You may not skip your turn, not repeat nor pass. If one member of the team is stuck, the team is stuck. When you have no more marbles or when three minutes ends, your response time ends.

4. Once the time begins, it will not be stopped. If the judge asks you to repeat or to clarify your answer, it counts against your time. Speak loudly and clearly.

THE PROBLEM IS: Everyone is ordering more often from the Internet these days. It is fun to imagine being able to order almost anything in the world. Your problem is, if you could order anything ever created, what would you order, and who would you sent it to?

(Repeat "The Problem Is…").

FOR JUDGES ONLY:

Give each team member 6 small objects, and place a bowl or Tupperware™ container in the center of the table.

Be sure to give exactly one minute to think and three minutes to respond. Timing is critical. Students responding at the buzzer can finish and be scored.

You should repeat the problem for each team. You may answer questions during the one minute thinking period, but it time will not stop.

Score: One point for each common response and five points for each creative.

Common Responses: Any items that you could actually order from a catalog or on the internet, sent to people you might ordinarily send such items. For example, "I would order flowers for my mother," or "I would order a book of Shakespeare for my teacher."

Creative Responses: Any more humorous, unusual, or abstract orders, such as "I would order a football tee for Charlie Brown," "I would order a trampoline for Tigger," "I would order more hours in the day for my Odyssey of the Mind team," or "I would order a horse for Richard III."

NOTE: Once an answer is given and then another very similar answer is given, count it as common only and then declare any other answers that are basically the same as duplicates.