What is Odyssey of the Mind? Is Odyssey a good activity for my - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
What is Odyssey of the Mind? Is Odyssey a good activity for my child? Creativity can be taught! By tapping into creativity, and through encouraging imaginative paths to problem-solving, students develop skills that will provide them
Is Odyssey a good activity for my child?
Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind Program Guide
Teams of five to seven students (K-12) work together under the
guidance of adult coaches to solve one of six new problems presented every year.
Teams compete in one of four divisions:
Primary (K-2) Division I- grades 3-5 Division II – grades 6-8 Division III – grades 9 - 12
Student teams from 38 States and over 15 countries work on these
problems starting in October, culminating in a State Tournament in March where they compete in their division. Winning teams advance to the World Finals in May.
The students do all of the work: every idea, every word in the script,
every prop, device and contraption must come from the team of students!
The competition consists of three parts, each contributing points to the final score:
The Long Term
Problem 200 Points
Style 50 Points Spontaneous
100 Points
Problem Type Description Problem I: Vehicle Teams design, build and operate one or more vehicles. Sometimes they’re small, other times they’re big enough to ride on and transport
system, and for traveling and completing different tasks. Problem 2: Technical Teams are scored for performance elements as well as for some type
create one or more devices that perform certain functions or tasks. Problem 3: Classics This is a performance problem based on something “classical.” It could involve mythology, art, music, archaeology, or anything else that is classical in nature. Problem 4: Structure Teams design and build a structure out of only balsa wood and glue. They test the structure by adding Olympic-size weights until it breaks. Problem 5: Performance This is strictly a performance problem, where scoring is based mostly
sometimes requires a specific character, sometimes humor, sometimes an original story, but it’s always fun!
Odyssey of the Mind Program Guide
In the technical problems (Problems 1, 2 & 4) teams must design and create a vehicle, a structure or other device, --this robot was designed and built by a team from China: ~350 lbs! As another example, in the balsa problem, the team might have to design and build a structure (as shown below) that is only 8 inches tall, weighs no more than 18 grams (the weight of 3 nickels), out of only balsa wood and glue. The structure will be tested at the competition by how much weight it holds!
Problems 3 and 5 - Classics and Performance. These problems also have required elements. For instance, a
special character, or humor or musical theater, or involve a piece of art work from a given list, or take place in a certain place and time.
Most teams use everyday materials they find at home, or even from the trash or recycling bin! Each problem has its own cost limit so that teams learn to work within a budget.
completely from objects commonly found in the home. She costs only a few dollars to make - the rest is imagination! This “mouse pad” was fashioned from discarded mice, each with its
The Style portion of the competition gives teams an
creative skills and to elaborate on their long-term problem solution.
Each problem has its own required Style elements, as
well as Free Choice Style categories that are determined by the team.
These provide incentive for creativity in different areas
because teams can choose the elements they want
problem score.
~ Odyssey of the Mind, Program Guide
verbally
problem – by building something, or manipulating materials
Spontaneous examples from Program Guide, and from Northeast Pennsylvania Odyssey of the Mind.
improvise verbally
Name things that are blue. Go beyond the concrete, ‘my hat’, ‘the sky’, to more creative responses, such as ‘the wind blew’ or ‘I feel blue’ or maybe ‘blueberries.’ Name an animal and a task that you could use that animal to do. Avoid an obvious match between task and animal, and consider unexpected combinations or animal puns: “Use moose to style my hair”; “Use a bat to hit home runs”; Have a mosquito bug my friends”
physical problem – by building something, or manipulating materials
Build the tallest tower using only straws, paper clips, rubber bands, toothpicks and marshmallows! Move a cup of water across a 6
any water using only a yard stick, 2-6 in. pieces of yarn, 4 paper clips, 1 sheet of typing paper, 2 rubber bands.
Your problem is to pick up the object and say something about how the object could be used, or improvise with it.
Each team member gets a lump of clay. They have two minutes to make anything about which they may tell a story. The first member starts the story and the second member adds to it using his or her clay creation as a prop.
Connecticut Odyssey of the Mind is an all volunteer
All of our Judges, Coaches, even our Board Members
donate their time so that the students of Connecticut can benefit from this unique program.
Parents, teachers and other community members come
forward to help make this happen!
Most of our coaches are parents who want their child to be
part of this exciting program. But coaches can be teachers and grandparents. Each team provides their own coach.
We encourage new coaches to have a co-coach, which will
make the first year easier for everyone. Coaches must be at least 18 years old.
COACH TRAINING- New coaches are required to attend!
Two identical sessions are offered in November and in
(www.odysseyofthemind) and CTOM (www.ctom.org)
We are also available to help you during the year, whenever
you need it! (AssnDir@ctom.org)
Since we are an all volunteer organization each team must provide:
A Judge – a 2 day commitment
judge will not be able to watch the performances- so if this is important to your Judge, pick someone else! But students love to point out to
A Volunteer – a half a day commitment
Assignments include runners, door monitors, parking monitors. Volunteer can watch his or her student’s performance.
We work hard to keep costs down so that as many students can participate as possible. Odyssey of the Mind is extremely affordable when compared to other activities available to students.
the Mind is administered by Creative Competitions Inc. (CCI). Your local organization (school, youth group, church, etc) usually pays for this (Cost is $135.00 per membership, not per team)
Competition day. Cost is $225.00 to register and $275 if registered after the deadline. *
$145 per entry.
Each problem has a cost limit that the team must keep recorded for
the same amount of money on their solution, usually between $125 - $145. For many items, teams can use the tag sale price for things that are commonly available. READ! the Program Guide for a specific list
computers, sound systems). We usually suggest that coaches collect $20- $25 per student to cover the costs of things the team decides they need to buy, hardware, fabric, balsa wood, etc.
Teams aim to complete their solutions to the Long Term Problems in time for the CTOM State Tournament in March. At the tournament they will compete in their Long Term Problem and in
and the creativity while following a scoring regimen established by CCI (Creative Competitions, Inc.). Once the team has completed its performance the judging team talks to the team about the performance, examines their props, scenery and devices. This validates the hard work of every team and helps teams develop the ability to explain and describe the work they have just completed. At the end of the competition is the Awards Ceremony!
The top two teams in each problem and division at the CTOM State Tournament advance to the World Finals in May where the top teams from all over the world present their solutions to these same problems. And sometimes CT teams come home having earned a World Finals Trophy!
We believe that Odyssey of the Mind not only inspires kids, but also prepares skillful, team-playing, out-of-the- box thinkers, leaders ready to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century!”
If you are interested, look for more information at
www.ctom.org www.odysseyofthemind.org Email AssnDir@ctom.org
Come and have FUN learning at CTOM!