Building Blocks for Task-Based Instant Challenges Examples and Tips for Team Managers Intended Use and Assumptions • This document is intended to provide a reference for team managers, so that they, in turn, can train their teams. • The building blocks included are not intended to be an exhaustive list, but samples of common ones often used/seen in IC solutions. • The more complex samples are intended to show combinations of building blocks and other materials for a more complete IC solution. • Although the information provided is for developing team member and team skills for solving Instant Challenges, many of the skills can be used/translated to developing Team Challenge solutions. The Team Manager must be careful not to commit interference by telling their team if/how to apply IC work to their Team Challenge solution. Tips for Use • Make IC Building Block practice FUN! Hopefully, this practice time will be more like play time than any kind of timed, goal-oriented IC. • Ideally, all team members will get the opportunity to develop strong building skills with common IC materials through practice at various DI meetings and events. At the beginning, it may be more effective for team members to learn and practice their building skills as individuals or in pairs. Giving team members time to explore and play with the materials without the time pressure of an IC can facilitate improvements in construction skills and creativity. • Have team members/pairs make building blocks. Then ask team members to combine their building blocks into a single structure/device. • The quality and speed of building assemblies/structures/devices/etc. for an IC can be one of the most important results of practicing making IC building blocks. Have team members remake building blocks for better quality or for different requirements (hold more weight, hold different weight, smaller footprint, retrieve/hold different items, etc.) Instant Challenge Building Blocks Page 1 7/20/2019 Building Blocks with Height/Tower Focus Two extender materials with and without a separate connector 1. Craft stick to craft stick with paperclip 2. Craft stick to craft stick with rubber band 3. Rolled printer paper with mailing label 4. Straw to straw with toothpick 5. Straw to coffee stirrer 6. Straw to straw 7. Straw to chenille stick 8. Straw to straw with paperclip (bent open) Instant Challenge Building Blocks Page 2 7/20/2019 Material Combinations 9. Paper cup to paper cup with mailing label 10. Pencils (3) with rubber band (tripod) 11. Straws (4) inserted into bottom of upper paper cup; straws (4) held to lower cup with rubber band. Note that the point of a paper clip can be used to start the holes in the cup. 12. Cups with mailing label on bottom, 3”x5” index card on cup as base for 3- pencil tripod, coffee stirrer held between pencils and rubber band, straw on top of coffee stirrer (there are more straws and a chenille stick above the first straw). 13. Copy paper rolled lengthwise with mailing labels. Shown with a 15 oz. can, a 46 oz. can, and a soccer ball to show how strong a single piece of paper can be. 14. Combination of pencil tripod, straws and cups, straws and chenille stick on soccer ball. Instant Challenge Building Blocks Page 3 7/20/2019 Building Blocks with Width/Bridge Focus Extenders for Spanning (bridging) Gaps 15. Create strong and long extender by rolling newspaper on the diagonal. Can start it with pencil or straw. 16. Multiple rolled newspapers to span gap without being attached to posts. 17. 15 oz. held up by 2 rolled newspapers. Weights are often better placed near post. Instant Challenge Building Blocks Page 4 7/20/2019 18. Newpaper roll with pencils in each end. Shown with various weights. Note hangers/holders for golf balls and ping pong balls created with a rubber band and bent paper clip. Also note golf ball contained (controlled) by envelop that is hung on roll with another paper clip. Instant Challenge Building Blocks Page 5 7/20/2019 Controllers/Containers 19. Container/controller made from a piece of copy paper rolled into a cone and held closed with paper clips. 20. Container made by folding a 3”x5” index card and held closed with paper clips. Fold lines were drawn in black to make them more visible. In this sample, the long edges were folded to the center. Design based on folds from a storage box. 21. 8.5”x11” printer paper with miter corner folds shown. One corner completed and held with paper clip. In sample, the long edges were folded to center. 22. Completed box controller/container. Held together on one side with paper clips and on the other side with mailing labels. 23. Controllers/Hangers for balls/weights made by wrapping rubber bands around balls and using unfolded paperclip as a hanger. 24. Holder/scooper for ball/weight made with a curved and twisted chenille stick. Instant Challenge Building Blocks Page 6 7/20/2019 Bring end of right band 25. Step-by step instructions for connecting rubber bands with a “half-hitch”. over left band 26. Step-by-step instructions for connecting rubber band to extender. Pull end of right band 27. 3 rubber bands connected with half-hitches under end of right band and a paper clip to make a controlling ring. Pull tight on right band Wrap right end of band over the pencil. Then pull this right end under the left end and pull tight. Instant Challenge Building Blocks Page 7 7/20/2019 28. Tear newpaper or other paper from top edge to ~1” before bottom edge. Then starting ~1” away from first tear, tear from bottom edge towards top edge, stopping the tear ~1” from top edge. Repeat this alternate tearing from top, then bottom to create a continuous paper strip. In this example, one full sheet of newspaper was extended to 300” (25 feet). Note that newspaper tears much better lengthwise (top-bottom). Other papers may or may not have a direction that tears best. Instant Challenge Building Blocks Page 8 7/20/2019 IC Materials Material Size/Name Local Source Ideas Plastic Straws 7 ¼” Smart & Final, Costco Wooden Pencils, Office Max, Target unsharpened Wooden Coffee Stirrers Smart & Final, Costco Wooden Craft Sticks (aka Michael’s, JoAnn’s popsicle sticks) Small Metal Paper Clips Do NOT use “non-skid”; Office Max, Staples they break Mailing Labels 1” x 2 5/8” or close to Office Max, Staples this size Newspaper Office Max, Staples for blank newsprint Copy/Printer Paper Office Max, Staples Index Cards 3”x5” Office Max, Staples Paper Cups Small (bathroom), Smart & Final, Costco medium (8-12 oz.) Rubber Bands Office Max, Staples Chenille Sticks Michael’s, JoAnn’s (aka pipe cleaners) String 12-24” Lowe’s, Home Depot Wooden Toothpicks Smart & Final, Costco Ping Pong Balls Target, Big 5 Golf Balls Target, Big 5 Tennis Ball, Soccer Ball, Target, Big 5 Cans of Food Metal Washers with Lowe’s, Home Depot Hanging Hooks Yardstick or Tape Measure Lowe’s, Home Depot, JoAnn’s Posts (Wood or 12” tall Lowe’s, Home Depot Cardboard) Instant Challenge Building Blocks Page 9 7/20/2019 .