SUGGESTED LESSON PLANS

FOR THE FIRST FIVE OM MEETINGS

by Lisa Love, Virginia OM Region 13

with inspiration from Mo Guy, Michigan OM

With a very large

DISCLAIMER:

It is the spirit of OM to encourage creativity, divergent thinking,

and creative problem solving.

We expect no less of our coaches.

These lessons are only intended as a starting point,

to get you thinking of ways to approach taking 5-7 excited students

and get them to work together to make something uniquely theirs.

Please feel free to change, delete, adapt, rewrite … in short, to vary…

these plans to suit your team's needs as well as your own.

OM should be fun and exciting, and each team has an individual chemistry

and its own way of working and problem solving.

Keep this in mind as you take your own unique

ODYSSEY OF THE MIND!

Suggested "LESSON PLANS" FOR THE FIRST 5 OM MEETINGS: Div. I - III New Teams

by Lisa Love, Va. Region 13

(Please note: these plans are meant to be SCAMPERed - Substituted, Combined, Adapted, Modified, Partitioned, Elaborated and Rearranged!)

Meeting #1

This would be a good time to have a meeting of both parents and students (for Divisions I and II)

and to cover some of the basics (in all Divisions.) It would also be a good time for at least one fun activity to demonstrate the principals of OM to parents and students.

Suggestions for basics to cover with parents and students:

• OM is fun! Start (and end) with an activity that demonstrates the fun & learning in OM. Some suggestions are:

• A simple hands-on spontaneous problem
• Example:(Give each group some spaghetti, sticky labels, a piece of paper, scissors, a paper plate and a cup. Tell them to build the tallest possible structure with the cup on top. Allow 4 minutes for this. At the end of 4 minutes, each group places nails in the cup. Points awarded for height and for number of nails held.
• A simple verbal spontaneous problem
• Example: Have students and parents all be in one big group. Give them one minute to think and three minutes to answer the following: Name things that go around. (One point for common answers, such as a "carousel" or "hands on a watch," three point for creative, such as "my thought when I'm undecided" or "a politician skirts - goes around - the issues.")
• A demonstration of how OM encourages both fluency and flexibility of thinking
• Example: Divide into two groups, one students and one parents. Give each group a sheet of paper and a pencil. Ask the following question: How can you catch a monkey? Allow each group 3 minutes to brainstorm and write down all the answers they can think of. At the end of three minutes, ask each group to count the number of answers they have. The number represents their fluency. Then give each group 2 minutes to choose the THREE most creative answers. Have them read them. Each answer that is NOT on the other group's list is judged to be creative. The creativity of their answers represents the group's flexibility. Wild answers, such as "turn the monkey into a virus and catch it" are definitely allowed! They may "S.C.A.M.P.E.R" (See second line of this page!)

• Meeting times, days and length (everyone might bring a calendar, or you might provide a printout)
• OM costs - how much the team may spend and how it will be funded
• Expectations of commitment from students AND parents! Use contracts if desired. (See NoVA West Coaches' Training Manual for sample contracts.)
• Date and location of regional meet
• Role of parents (Do you want help with spontaneous, providing snacks, taking the team to get supplies, fund-raising, carpools, driving on "road trips," teaching skills like woodworking? sewing? particle physics (just kidding.) Also, the team must provide a judge and 1/2 volunteer - one for every 2 teams from a membership - at the Regional Meet.)
• NOT Role of parents: outside assistance, i.e., explain all ideas & work must be team's own.
• Importance of teamwork; fact the only 5 perform in long term and 5 perform in spontaneous
• You might want to give each team member and parents a copy of the problem synopses, if your team has not yet been assigned or chosen a problem. However, it is highly recommended you do not discuss long term at this meeting nor the next one. THE REASON IS that you can replace a team member who decides this activity is not for him or her so long as you have not discussed the long term solution in any way. A two-week "grace period" allows all the team members to be certain they want to commit to OM.
• End with another fun activity

Meeting #2

This meeting would be a good time to work on teaching the team the OM philosophy and some of the basic skills used in OM: thinking creatively and working cooperatively. It is still recommended that you not discuss a long term problem solution at this meeting! You might begin this meeting, and all subsequent ones, with a spontaneous problem.

IDEAS TO TEACH:

• The Difference Between "Winning" and "Succeeding."

OBJECTIVE: To have the group begin to realize that ribbons or trophies do not equal achievement.

FORMAT: Group discussion.

PROCEDURE: The coach asks open-ended questions and lets the team members discuss such issues as: "Why do you want to do OM?" "Why do you think OM is a competition?" What does 'winning' mean?" "What do you expect from your teammates?" "What do you hope to achieve at OM meetings?" "What do you hope to achieve at the OM Meet?" (This is a good time for the coach to practice letting the TEAM come up with the ideas, and letting the coach be a "guide on the side.")

• "Rules of Engagement" for OM

OBJECTIVE: To begin to establish "Rules of Engagement" for team efforts; To practice brainstorming;

To have the team realize that criticism of others' ideas undermines teamwork and prevents good ideas from appearing and evolving

FORMAT: Demonstration and group discussion

PROCEDURE: Give each team member a sheet of paper, a pencil, and a simple, unusual object (each team member gets a different object; could be citrus peeler, metal washer, etc.) Ask each team member to write creative use for the object. Then have them pass objects to their left until each person has written a use for each object. Have them read their lists aloud.

Discussion: Ask the team "what answers did you hear that you liked?" Let each person have a chance to contribute his/her praise of another person's written answer. Ask the team: "were there any answers that you thought might be impractical?" "how could you change or adapt the answer so that it is more practical?" "have you improved on the original idea?" "does hearing all the ideas make you think of more and better ones?"

Discuss the idea that in OM there are NOT ANY BAD IDEAS, only ones that may need further work or discussion. Suggest RULE No. 1: All ideas should be allowed and never criticized!

Suggest that the team begin a list of "OUR TEAM'S RULES" tailored to "Just Us."

(Note: empowering the team to make their own set of rules gives them ownership that will promote their following the rules by choice. It also begins teaching them that in OM, they are encouraged - required, actually - to do the work themselves. Coach may write team's lists in Div. I if words are the team's own.

• If We Can Dream It, We Can Do It

OBJECTIVE: To give the team confidence in themselves and promote mutual respect

FORMAT: Group interaction with some direction

PROCEDURE: Ask the team members to take the sheet of paper from the previous activity and list all the things they think they are "reasonably" good at doing. If they know one another already, have them list at least one thing they think each of their teammates is good at. If they don't already know one another, have them write the other team members names and something they do know about them, such as where they live, how many brothers and sisters they have, what sport or musical instrument they play, etc. Let them discuss this if they don't know anything about each other - a sort of "get acquainted" time. You might consider SERVING REFRESHMENTS during this activity. Then let them share their thoughts and positive comments

Meeting #3

This meeting might be the time to begin discussion of Long Term. However, you may continue to work on Spontaneous for another week. Some new teams might require three meetings to achieve all the goals thus far. Adapt to meet your group's needs! Again, you might start the meeting with a spontaneous problem, or, better yet 2-3. (Appendix III)

IDEAS TO TEACH:

• Brainstorming Can Be Fun

OBJECTIVE: To teach the team a brainstorming technique: Diamond method

FORMAT: Group interaction

MATERIALS: Posterboard, newsprint pad, or white marker board and some markers.

PROCEDURE: Ask a spontaneous sort of question that might also be a long term sort of category. (Example: name ways to make music; name ways to make backdrops for a play, etc.) Have the team generate ideas, building on each other's answers and adding more as they discuss their answers until they have at least 15. List all ideas on the paper or board. Talk about the answers that are similar and group them together. Eliminate ideas that are less creative and keep the ones that everyone agrees are the most creative in each column. Narrow the list down to one or two of the favorite ideas.

• The Long Term Problem Requires Much Thinking and Discussion

OBJECTIVE: To allow the team to see all the complexities and possibilities of a Long Term problem.

(You could actually do this without discussing THIS year's problem if you are still unsure whether everyone is committed - just evaluate a problem from last year.)

FORMAT: Group Discussion

PROCEDURE: Read through a Long Term problem (can be the one the team has selected or been assigned, or can be any Long Term sample problem.)

Give everyone a copy of the Long Term problem, if they have chosen one. Read and discuss "the creative emphases" of the problem and discuss what it means. (What is creativity?)

Read "Spirit of the Problem" and discuss what this means. (Why is there a "spirit of the problem?")

Look at the problem requirements; look at the scoring criteria; look at the penalties

Ask them to re-read it before the next meeting and bring 2-3 of their best ideas for themes, etc., to discuss at the meeting next week.

If the team has not chosen a problem, they should chose one in this meeting or the next.

• "Rules of Engagement" Part II

OBJECTIVE: To continue the team's efforts to make a list of acceptable behaviors or "team rules."

To have the team understand that all must share in the work involved.

FORMAT: Demonstration and discussion

MATERIALS: 10-14 sticks

PROCEDURE: Give each team member one stick. Ask them each to break it in half. Now give one person 7 pieces and ask them to break all seven in half at once. Ask them why it is harder to break all at once. Ask them what that might say about the strength of many as opposed to the strength of one. Ask them how this idea might apply to an OM team. Let them discuss this and perhaps discuss the idea that everyone needs to share the labor needed for a solution. You might discuss absenteeism. They might make a team rule about these ideas. (For example, if someone must be absent, they will have Omwork.)

End with another fun activity, such as a spontaneous problem or group artwork, etc.

Meeting #4

This meeting might be a good time to examine the Long Term problem in more depth and brainstorm skills and task necessary to complete a solution.

IDEAS TO TEACH:

• Brainstorming Can Be Fun, Part II

OBJECTIVE: To teach another brainstorming technique: making creative connections

FORMAT: Group discussion and interaction using the infamous newsprint pad and markers

PROCEDURE: Tell the team that many great ideas have come from finding unexpected connections. And example might be the union of plastic and zippers to make Ziploc bags, or chairs and wheels to make a wheelchair. Give the team some of the following pairs and ask them to brainstorm at least 5 links for each:

Film and Piano; Telescope and Shovel; Table and Lever; Button and Stove. The links may be tenuous, and do not have to be actual, practical objects.

• Long Term Attack

OBJECTIVE: To begin brainstorming solutions to the Long Term problem

FORMAT: Diamond method of brainstorming

PROCEDURE: Using the ubiquitous newsprint pad or white board, have the team brainstorm at least 20 possible themes/ solution ideas for the Long Term problem. (They were to have thought of some of this during the week.) Let them narrow it back down to 2 or 3. Have them discuss all the creative possibilities of these themes/ideas. If they can narrow it down to one, great; if not, let them think about the 2 or 3 over the next week.

• TIME is of the Essence

OBJECTIVE: To have the team begin working on a timeline for Long Term

FORMAT: Group discussion

MATERIALS: A Large, One-page Calendar with all the weeks until the Meet shown (This needs to be prepared in advance by the coach)

PROCEDURE: Mark an "X" through all the days team members will be out of town (that they know of.) Circle the Meet Day in RED. Back up two weeks and circle a weekend day in RED. Tell the team that that day is "House Arrest Day" - they are YOURS for the day until all Long Term items are finished and ready for dress rehearsal. Mark all other meeting days & see if there are some additional ones they want to add (such as teacher in-service days, for example, when they are out of school.) Keep the schedule handy and add to it as the year advances.

• Skills Workshops and Road Trips are a FUN Part of OM

OBJECTIVE: To identify needs for Long Term Problem Solving

To have the team expand their horizons

METHOD: Brainstorming for fluency

PROCEDURE: Ask the team to answer the following questions: What skills do you think you need to have someone teach you to solve this problem? What places do you think you might visit to get supplies? What are all the ways you can think of to fasten things together? What ways can you decorate props? etc.

Have the team make lists and post them. Find a creative way to post the lists that fits your situation and environment. You might have each item on an index card and hang them from a clothesline in the basement. You might make a file. You might make a huge poster or two. But let the team do the writing if they are old enough. In Division I, a coach may write down the team's ideas, not adding his or her own!

Meeting #5

The lesson plan for this meeting is less detailed. By now, you should have a thread going through your meetings, a team "style" for brainstorming and for working together. You should also be going in some direction in terms of long term and planning your time together. Some suggestions for this meeting might be:

• Spontaneous Fun

This meeting might be an excellent time for a "road trip" spontaneous. Go to McDonald's for an ice cream cone and brainstorm "Name ways to make a better cone," or go to a neighborhood playground, and brainstorm "playground equipment in the year 2050," or go to a nature trail, take a walk, and brainstorm "how could you build the world's greatest tree house?"

• Brainstorming Can Be Fun, Part III

Teach the skill of piggybacking. One possible activity would be to take a large sheet of paper, give each team member a marker, and ask the team to sit around a table. One person would draw a line of some sort on the paper. The next person would add one more line or object, etc., until the team had created a picture. No talking would be allowed, and no planning, so they would have to use visual clues to add to teammates ideas.

A verbal activity might be do have the team sit in a circle. The first person would name an object, the next person would give two verbs, the third person would tell how the object could be related to the two verbs. Then the fourth person would start over again. (If you have six people, you might have them skip a person on each round so that everyone would each have a "role".) This activity also teaches the "making connections" skill.

• Long Term Attack, Continued

If the team has chosen a problem and discussed themes, you may be ready to narrow down to one and begin brainstorming solutions. EACH TEAM will approach a problem in it's own way. Some may wish to start by discussing one small portion of the problem and branching out from there. Others will start with the main theme or overall motif and work downward from there. There is NO ONE CORRECT way to solve an OM problem: that's the point! Allow your team to work in whatever manner they like, but make sure that they stay on the subject. If you see interest begin to lag, you might take the point they are discussing and turn it into a verbal spontaneous problem (for example, "name all the ways to make a person look like a bear" - one minute to think, three minutes to respond.) Or it might be a good time for the 15 minutes of fun (which, of course, you have planned in advance, since we all know that OM coaches never have to come up with something on the spur of the moment! )

• Spontaneous Practice

Remember to practice both verbal and/or hands-on spontaneous at every meeting.

Most importantly, remember to plan at least 15 minutes of fun at every meeting. And, while OM can never claim to be fun ALL of the time, if you are not having fun most of the time, talk to your coordinator or Regional Director and review your circumstances! OM is work, but it should be fun work!