- Each week, we will send out a spontaneous problem for your team to try.
- After running the problem, we encourage your team to select their favorite 3 responses to our google form and we will choose a few of the best examples to share with our region.
- Use this Google Form for your answers: https://forms.gle/roB8qrgyynMG52Ac6
- Answers for this week are due by midnight December 6, 2020.
- Most creative selections will be posted by December 9, 2020.
The problem this week is:
King Purrs-Alot
There is an image in front of you. Your problem is to say something about the image or tell what the character in the image might say. For example, you might say, “I like his bowtie” or “Tell my servants to change my litterbox”
Hints for coaches:
- The coach should practice typing students’ responses. You could use a shared google response so team members can see the responses in real time.
- Team members should be given 1-2 minutes to “think” and the rest of the time to respond.
- Practice with all team members participating. One way to insure no one monopolizes is to have all members get a certain number of Response Counters (pieces of paper or pencils or anything else they have on hand). Seven responses per person is a good number, but this would depend on how much time you have to practice. When a team member gives an answer, they take one of their Response Counters away. Once they have used up all of their responses, they must allow the other team members to use up all of their Responses Counters.
- The Coach could assign team members a number (1-7, or however many members are on the team), and they respond in order. If a team member gets “stuck” they could either need to keep thinking until they come up with a response, or they could “pass.” In the actual competition, there will be no need to “pass,” however.
- Practice with a specific time frame to simulate the real Spontaneous Problem. If there is still time remaining after all team members have used up their Response Counters, students may continue to brainstorm responses and, if they think a new response is better than one that is on the list to be submitted, they may switch out as many as they have time for.
- In order to give all students a chance to participate equally, you might limit who can make changes. For example, the person who comes up with a creative response may switch out ONLY a response that he/she originally gave. This way, more creative thinkers won’t monopolize the submitted responses, and it will also prevent potential hurt feelings.
- Before the actual competition, you might encourage your team members to come up with a game-plan for how they will respond. For example, they might choose to answer in order
Online Spontaneous Rules: (The rules below are for the official tournament, not for our weekly Nova East Challenges.)
- The official spontaneous problem during tournaments will be VERBAL.
- Teams will be given approximately 20 minutes to complete their problem.
- All team members may participate.
- Coaches will type responses onto a Response Form.
- Teams will be given a specific number of responses they can submit (approximately 30-35).
- If team members complete their maximum number of answers and there is still time remaining, they may replace any response with one they think is a better response.
- Team members do not need to go in any order when responding.
- Spelling does not count as long as the Judges can determine what the actual response was intended (eg, “dinosar” for “dinosaur”).
- During the actual competition, all team members will be able to see the responses that their coach types and a clock that tells them how much time is remaining.
- When time is up, the coach should click the Submit button. However, even if the button is not clicked, the team’s responses will automatically be saved and submitted.
