Introduction he Florida Odyssey of the Mind organization Over 500 schools in Florida are already taking Tinvites K–12 and college students to participate advantage of the learning opportunities provided in the Odyssey of the Mind program. In 1978, by our program. While it is common for Gifted and Odyssey of the Mind helped pioneer the idea of Talented programs to integrate Odyssey of the Mind creative problem solving as an educational tool. problem solving into their curriculum, we believe From our modest beginnings as a local organization that all students can benefit from participation. In we have grown to one positively impacting the lives this time of budget cuts for many districts, you can of millions of students around the world. Odyssey retain arts education, technology, and other subjects provides learning opportunities that encourage by incorporating them into Odyssey of the Mind students to apply their talents and strengths to problem solutions. solving “problems” that develop their divergent thinking skills. Educators like the program because The Odyssey of the Mind conforms to National it brings creative problem solving into the school educational standards as well as those of the State environment, offering opportunities to extend lessons of Florida. beyond the classroom. More than being a learning tool, the benefits of participation are innumerable. The cost of only $135 per year allows you to have as many students participate as you wish, and to send Odyssey of the Mind: teams to competition if you choose. For regional competition there is a $100 registration fee per team • Improves brainstorming and critical thinking for Divisions I – III and a $20 per Primary team skills. registration fee. This fits easily into almost any budget. Often, parents’ associations are more than • Builds teamwork skills such as cooperation willing to support the program once they learn how and creative problem solving. it can benefit their children. • Builds confidence and self-reliance leading to It is the perfect time to join for the 2018 - 2019 school increased self-esteem. year. For more information, go to the international • Develops respect for individual’s strengths Web site, www.odysseyofthemind.com, or visit our regional website at www.tropicalodyssey.org. Please • Provides an environment where students can visit our website to sign-up for our e-mail newsletter learn to express and implement their ideas in a and to obtain additional information about Odyssey collaborative setting. of the Mind in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. • Challenges students to become more detail- oriented and inclined to do their best. • Leads to unique, unforgettable experiences that will serve them in every aspect of their lives now and in the future. ABOUT ODYSSEY OF THE MIND Things To Know for Your Odyssey ompeting teams participate in both a For more information, visit our websites at: Long-Term and Spontaneous problem. C Tropical Region: Teams of five to seven students develop http://tropicalodyssey.org solutions to one of six Long-Term Problems Florida Odyssey: over several months, while also practicing for http://www.floridaodysseyofthemind.org a Spontaneous Problem. National Organization: In the Long Term Problem teams develop http://www.odysseyofthemind.com a theatrical and engineering solution to a situational problem over several months. Just Odyssey of the Mind Division Table as much fun, are the Spontaneous Problems K-12 School Other International where the students develop brainstorming skills (Non K-12) to solve problems given at the competition. System Grade Division Age Division Teams, problems and competitions are 1st Grade I 3-7 yrs I organized into five divisions by age groups 2nd Grade I 8 yrs I (Primary, I, II, III, IV). The Primary division 3rd Grade I 9 yrs I problem is a demonstration problem that is not 4th Grade I 10 yrs I judged competitively. 5th Grade I 11 yrs I 6th Grade II 12 yrs II In Florida we have Regional competitions 7th Grade II 13 yrs II where teams advance to State Finals. Top teams 8th Grade II 14 yrs II from the State Finals go on to the Odyssey of 9th Grade III 15 yrs III the Mind World Finals. 10th Grade III 16 yrs III 11th Grade III 17 yrs III The Florida Odyssey of the Mind program 12th Grade III 18 yrs III is made possible by the participation of Grade on May 1, 2019 Age on May 1, 2019 volunteers. Volunteers include teachers, Note: Primary teams consist of Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd parents and other community members who grade students. serve as Coaches, Coordinators, Judges, Tournament Assistants, Trainers, Problem Division IV- Collegiate: All team members must have a Captains and Board Members. high school diploma or its equivalent and be enrolled in at least one course at a two-or four-year college or university. 2018-19 Long-Term Problem Synopses * Tentative as of April 28, 2018. All problems have an 8-minute time limit. Problem 1: OMER to the Rescue Again Who better to help those in distress than OMER? In this problem, OMER and his trusty Sidekick travel to dif- ferent places with suitcases holding all of the parts of an OMER-mobile vehicle! OMER and his Sidekick will assemble and ride on the vehicle where it will function in diff erent ways to “save the day.” Between attempts, the vehicle will be disassembled, put back into the suitcases, and taken to a diff erent area where it will be reassem- bled and driven again. Finally, the OMER-mobile is thrown a hero’s parade as a show of appreciation! Divisions I, II & III Problem 2: Hide in Plain Sight Teams take a cue from nature in this problem where they create and build a team-made mechanical creature that hides in plain sight. The creature will change its appearance three times to avoid being detected by a Searcher Character trying to fi nd it. The way the creature changes will be diff erent each time! The team will create and present a performance where its creature gets into – or out of – various situations using this resourceful skill. In the end the creature will surprise everyone by changing its appearance a fi nal time and reveal its true self. Divisions I, II, III & IV Problem 3: Classics… Leonardo’s Workshop Imagine how inspiring Leonardo DaVinci’s (LDV) workshop must have been. Teams will portray his workplace in an original, creative performance that includes LDV, a patron, and a naysayer. The team will recreate a Da- Vinci painting, make a three-dimensional representation of one of his works, and recreate another LDV work in any form the team wishes. There will also be an original “debunked” creation that LDV “invented” but discarded because it was mocked. Ironically, the item will be shown as something commonly used in modern times. Divisions I, II, III & IV Problem 4: Structure Toss Step right up and put your structure to the test! Teams must strategize risk for points and “toss” their structures in this year’s problem-turned-carnival. They will use a device to propel the structure in a carnival game. If it travels in the air it gets higher score! Once the structure has been successfully tossed, it can be tested for strength. A car- nival barker character will entice other characters to join the fun during a performance that incorporates testing the structure’s strength with creative games of skill and chance. Divisions I, II, III & IV Problem 5: Opposites Distract Disagreements can distract groups from seeing the bigger picture. Teams will create and present a humorous performance about a sneaky character that distracts others while trying to take control of anything the team wishes. In the performance it will lure others into silly arguments and be successful two times. The arguments will be presented using diff erent dramatic styles and will include attention-getting eff ects. In the end, the groups will learn that they have been intentionally distracted and will catch the sneaky character before it takes control. Divisions I, II, III & IV Primary: Museum Makers Kids can see the extraordinary in the ordinary. Now they will use that ability to create their own museum! The team will create and present an original museum and its exhibits. During the performance, the team will reveal three creative displays that explain the theme of the museum and show off team-made items. A tour guide will take audiences on a journey through the museum to meet a humorous artist and a curator. Grades K-2 All problems copyright Creative Competitions, Inc. — 2018 Fact Sheet Odyssey of the Mind® What is Odyssey of the Mind? he Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program whose mission Tis to provide creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kinder- garten through college. Through solving open-ended problems, students develop creative-thinking skills that can be applied to real-life situations. Teams from throughout the U.S. and more than 20 other countries participate in the program. How does it work? chools or community groups purchase a membership and form teams of up to Sseven students. Each team chooses one of five competitive problems to solve. The problems appeal to a wide range of interests; some are technical in nature, while others are artistic or performance-oriented. Under the guidance of an adult coach, teams work on their solutions throughout the school year and, if they choose, present them in organized competitions in the spring. The “friendly” com- petitive aspect encourages students to be the best that they can be. What are the competition levels? n the U.S., the first level of competition is usually within a region of a state.