Maryland Creative Problem Solvers
Instant Challenge Library
The Tower of Bable
This is a hands-on challenge.
Challenge:
Signal team members what and where to put building materials for
the Tower of Babel.
The Scene:
You are independent contractors commissioned to erect the Tower of Babel.
However, since none of you have a common spoken language, chaos reigns
and nothing is being accomplished.
You want to get paid for the job don't you?
First your team must devise a non-verbal communications system so
the engineers can "tell" the workers what building materials should
go in which buckets.
These will be hauled up the tower according to the "Master Plan."
Next, the engineers must "tell" the workers to place the building
materials in the proper buckets.
You will be given the "Master Plan" after you have devised your
communications system.
Materials:
Communicating, or signaling, materials:
Pencil
Dish cloth
Piece of paper
Envelope
Paint brush
Building materials:
You will need enough of these materials to satisfy the requirements
of the "Mater Plan."
These quantities are sufficient for the master plan below.
25 Paper clips
25 Tooth picks
25 Lima Beans
25 Coins
25 Rubber bands
Building buckets:
5 "buckets" to hold the selected materials.
Each bucket should be a different color.
Buckets may be some sort of drinking or food packaging cup.
For the master plan below use:
Orange
Green
Red
Yellow
Blue
Directions:
You will have 5 minutes to devise a non-verbal communications system.
This communication system will enable the engineers to tell the workers,
via signaling, to place the correct number and variety of
building materials into the correct buckets to construct
the Tower of Babel.
During this time your team must decide who will be the engineers and
who will be the workers.
You will then have 3 minutes for the engineers to ensure
the workers get it right.
No talking, body language or signaling with anything other than
the listed signaling items may be used to communicate during this part.
None of the signaling materials may be altered.
Scoring:
1 - 25 points for Creativity of your communications system
1 - 20 points for Teamwork
1 point for each correct building material in the correct bucket
10 points bonus for getting a correct material in each of the 5 buckets
End of the team's copy of the problem.
Reveal the Master Plan only
after the signalling system has been devised and the engineers and
workers selected.
Set-up:
Place the communicating or signaling materials at one end of a table.
Place the building materials and buckets on a table about 6 to 10 feet
away.
The building materials should be closer to the workers (at the end of
the table), the buckets conventiently in front of the building materials.
The Master Plan
(Alter to suit your building materials and buckets.)
- Orange bucket:
- 6 paper clips
9 coins
4 lima beans
1 tooth pick
- Green bucket:
- 3 rubber bands
7 tooth picks
1 paper clip
2 lima beans
3 tooth picks
- Red bucket:
- 2 lima beans
3 coins
1 rubber band
- Yellow bucket:
- 4 coins
1 lima bean
1 paper clip
- Blue bucket:
- 3 paper clips
4 tooth picks
1 lima bean
5 coins
2 rubber bands