Building Bridges
This was the bridge activity that we loosely followed during our project. There was a very large tarp hanging in the middle of the room separating the two groups so they couldn’t see. Students were instructed to make a bridge the length of one side of the table and make it freestanding. Students were given identical Kinect kits and were told to work as a team. Students came up with very different designs, and had to then try to make an identical design by collaborating without seeing the other teams design. Students were allowed to draw or show minimal pieces of their design to the other team however. Students finally decided they would copy the other team’s bridge instead of collaborating in a new design. In the debrief, we talked about what led to this decision and why. Thank you again to Mr. Tisbert for letting me coteach a project with his class!
Activity: The Bridge
Objectives:
Students will be responsible for taking on a role and working as a team to construct a bridge.
Students will be able to make connections to bridges being built between classmates and friends.
Students will understand the importance of communication in our relationships.
Materials: A space that can be separated into two spaces
Tarps and rope to separate the space
Job cards listing different roles
A Bridge Kit or Tinker Toys
Time: 50 minutes
Procedure:
The group will be split into two teams and each given an equal bag of materials/Tinker toys. A space will be split in half, and separated by a tarp, so that each group will work on one side and be unable to see what the other group is doing.
The goal is to construct one half of a bridge that will connect at two points with the other teams half of a bridge, using all of the pieces and ensuring that everyone is involved in the process.
Each member of the team will select a job card. By taking this job card, they are responsible for that job; however, they may help with other jobs.
The two teams are not allowed to communicate, except during the three discussion sessions. The only person allowed to communicate at this time is the speaker. Each discussion session must have a different speaker.
At the end of the last discussion session, the teams have 2 minutes to make any additional changes. The tarp is then pulled away and the two teams attempt to connect the bridge in two places to form one complete bridge.
Processing Questions:
What did it take in order to get this bridge built and connected?
How are all of those skills useful in building and maintaining friendships?
How could this bridge be like a friendship?
Discuss what this statement means: “People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.”
What are some of the walls that people build? Isolating themselves, yelling and fighting with others, not accepting people’s differences, judging and labeling, being scared of making new friends, etc.
What are some ways that we can continue building bridges orconnections with other people?
Discussion Session Guidelines: (Display these on poster for kids to see)
Everyone on the team must be present for the discussion.
No one may touch the Tinker Toys during the discussion sessions.
Only the speaker may talk; if a team member has something to say they may whisper to the speaker or call a huddle, where the entire team can huddle up and discuss for 30 seconds.
The team may not bring tinker toys to the discussion sessions. Nor can they draw their design out and show the other group.
Discussion Session #1 = 4 Minutes
Discussion Session #2 = 3 Minutes
Discussion Session #3 = 2 Minutes