2015 REGIONAL TOURNAMENT

Hands-On Spontaneous Problem: Assembly Required

A. When the team members enter the room, tell them, “This is a hands-on problem. The five team
members who will compete please step over to the competition area (indicate area). The others must
sit quietly in these seats (indicate seats) and watch or leave the room. They cannot participate in any
way.”
B. JUDGE READS TO TEAMS: (Do not read material in parentheses.)
(1) This is a two-part problem. In Part I, you will have 5 minutes to discuss the problem and
create your solution. The judge will warn you when 2 minutes and when 1 minute remains.
You are allowed to ask questions and talk to each other at any time. In Part II, you will have 3
minutes to test your solution. The judge will warn you when 1 minute and when 30 seconds
remain.
(2) There are materials to use to create your solution (point materials). Nothing else can be used.
(3) The materials are split between assembly stations. Each team member will work at a station
in Part I (point out the stations).
(4) Your problem is to use the materials to build separate sections that when assembled
create a single structure. You will be scored for the height of the single structure.
(5) In Part I, each team member will create one or more sections at a station (point to station).
The sections cannot be combined until Part I ends. At least one material must be combined
with another to be considered a section. A single material cannot be used alone as a section
for Part II.
(6) In Part II, you will build a single structure out of the sections from Part I. You will be
given materials to help assemble them into one structure (point to materials). These are
the only materials to be used in Part II.
(7) You will be finished when Part II ends, or when you ask to be scored. Your structure
must rest on the table without anyone touching it when checking for score.
(8) You will be scored as follows:
a. You will receive 2 points for each inch of your structure’s height.
b. You will receive 2 points for each section used in the single structure.
c. You will receive 1 to 10 points for the creativity of your solution.
d. You will receive 1 to 15 points for how well your team works together.

(After reading the entire problem aloud, repeat the items in boldface. Begin by saying, “I
repeat.”)
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C. FOR JUDGES ONLY:
1. Judges should discuss and practice solving the problem before the first team competes.
Make any necessary decisions and/or notes. All decisions must be applied uniformly to
all teams.
2. Practice reading the problem out loud before the first team competes. When reading to
the teams, illustrate the problem by pointing to items.
3. Place two copies of the Team's Copy of the problem in full view of all team members
before you read the problem to them. They may use it as a reference during the
competition.
4. Make sure you use a table big enough to create five stations. Teams are allowed to share
materials between stations. If there are less than five team members, the team is allowed
to use the materials in any unoccupied station.
5. Before the team enters the room, place the following materials at each station of the table:
1 mailing label 10 toothpicks 1 piece of string, 4”
1 rubber band 1 plastic straw
2 metal paper clips 1 sheet paper, 8.5” x 11”
2 Q-tips 2 pipe cleaners
6. You will also place one different item at each station: Station 1 – 6-8 oz paper cup;
Station 2 – paper plate; Station 3 – paper bowl; Station 4 – unsharpened pencil; Station 5
– a cardboard tube, 5” long (such as paper towel, wrapping paper or toilet tissue roll cut
to size) Make sure each team has the same type.
7. Give the team the following assembly materials in Part II: 1 piece of 8” masking tape, 1”
cube of clay, 1 rubber band. These are the only items teams can use to assemble the
structure in Part II. If a component breaks as the team is assembling it in Part II, allow the
team to fix it, but they are not allowed to add materials not already in use.
8. Be sure to give exactly 5 minutes in Part I. Remember to warn the team when 2 minutes
and again when 1 minute remains. Give exactly 3 minutes in Part II. Warn the team when
1 minute and again when 30 seconds remain.
9. Use a measuring tape to measure from the table to the highest part of the structure. If the
structure falls while measuring, do your best to score it as it was when the team finished.
A laser pointer can help with measurement.
10. Round up or down to the nearest inch when measuring the team’s structure, but make
sure you do the same for every team.
11. When scoring creativity of the team’s solution, consider strategy, risk-taking,
experimentation, and how they use the materials. When scoring how well the team
works together, consider the extent that all team members are involved, if they
value one another’s input, if each member helps create a piece of the structure, share
materials and strategize, etc.
12. If it is obvious that the team does not understand the problem, you should provide
information to clarify the problem's intent and its limitations. Do not offer tips on
how to solve the problem.