Odyssey of the MindJUDGES TRAINING 2014 OKLAHOMA

What is Odyssey of the Mind?

Team-driven creative problem solving competition

Team-driven

Creative

Problem solving

Competition

What is Odyssey specifically?

Four divisions in Odyssey Primary: K,1st,2nd grade

Division I: 1st-5th grade

Div. II: 6th-8th grade

Div. III: 9th-12th grade

Div. IV: collegiate

Three major parts to Odyssey Long Term 200 points

Style 50 points

Spontaneous 100 points

What do officials do?

Long Term Staging area judge

Long Term Judges

Style Judges

Spontaneous Judges

Long Term Problem

8 minute skit that obeys specific criteria

Worked on entire year

5 different problems Problem 1- Vehicle

Problem 2- Technical

Problem 3- Classics

Problem 4- Balsa wood

Problem 5- Performance

Vehicle Problem

Alternates between large and small vehicles

Vehicles have to complete certain tasks

Lots of “objective” scoring

Runaway Train

Up to 3 vehicles

Travel on tracks to stations

Overcome obstacles from a list

Humorous conductor character

Victory lap with banner

Technical Problem

Build devices to perform specific tasks

Objective scoring

Experiencing Technical Difficulties

Create at least 3 devices operated by rubber bands Each’s function different

Complete 7 required tasks Ring bell

Raise a flag

Open book, etc

“Technical Failure” which must be fixed

Mysterious Engineer Character

EVERYTHING MUST FIT IN TWO SUITCASES

Classics Problem

Performance based around classic works Art, literature, architecture, history, etc.

Subjective Scoring

Pandora’s Box

Video game retelling of Pandora’s Box

Prologue with “Representation of the box”

A Gamer Character

Multi-level video game

3 avatars that represent a different evil

Power meter

Hope

Balsa Wood Problem

Teams build balsa wood structures to hold as much weight as possible

Scoring for Balsa wood is crazy*

*My opinion

Lose Your Marbles

Structure holds as much weight as possible

Starts with 5 marbles in structure

Device removes part of structure, releases marble

Integrate weight placement and “losing your marbles” into performance

Performance Problem

Large emphasis on performance elements (humor, stage presence, etc)

Generally some kind of quest with 3 tasks

Subjective Scoring

Silent Movie

Show a silent movie being made in present time

Explain why

Director

Movie Critic

Humorous Villain Character

3 silly acts of villainy

Subtitles

Musical score

Short trailer

Style

Complements Long Term problem

Found in back of Long Term

5 scoring categories, 10 points each 2 dictated to you: Visual appearance, creative use of a material

2 “Free Choice”

1 “Overall Effect of the four Style elements in the performance”

Things that make you go “WOW!”

Doesn’t have to be tangible

Spontaneous

Completely independent of Long Term

No coach present, team goes into a room and do a problem

3 types of problems Verbal

Verbal-hands on

Hands on

Total secrecy about the problem

Outside Assistance

Nobody is allowed to help with the problem in any way.

No giving them ideas, no telling them their ideas are good/bad, etc.

As a judge, you can’t tell them what to improve, only hints

Dissecting a problem

INTRODUCTIONTHE PROBLEM

LIMITATIONS

SITE, SETUPCOMPETITION

SCORING

PENALTIESSTYLE

TOURNAMENTDIRECTORWILL PROVIDETEAM

WILLPROVIDE

Forms: Team Required List

3 copies

*Tells the judges what to score*

^^^IMPORTANT

Vary from problem to problem

Forms: Style

3 copies

Can’t be anything already scored in Long Term

1 and 2 are dictated by problem

3 and 4 are free choices

5 is a bit of writing to make the judges score them well

Problem 3- 2 years ago

Read through problem

Talk about problem

Look at forms

View solution

Talk about judging long term/style

Clarifications

When teams don’t understand part of the problem

General Clarifications

Team-Specific Clarifications

Competitions

3 Competitions Super Regionals-

Feb. 28, Sequoyah Middles School, Edmond

State-

March 28, Oklahoma State Student Union

World Finals-

May 20-23, Michigan State University, East Lansing

Div I teams perform in the morning, higher divisions later

Spont all day

Placement

Top 6 teams per problem per division advance from Super Regionals to State

2 teams per problem per division advance to World Competition

Scores are a combination of all three scoring categories put together

Special Awards OMER Award

Ranatra fusca Award

Ranatra fusca award winners advance automatically to World