Saving Sam
This is an activity for the first day or as an introduction to the scientific method or to just allow students to work in groups so that you can get to know them better.
Setting Up the Scenario
Sam is stuck on a boat, and how he got there is not important, but Sam can’t swim and the boat is capsized. To get to shore, Sam needs to retrieve a life jacket from underneath the boat so that he can float to shore. You and your partner’s job is to save Sam but retrieving the life jacket from under the boat and putting it on Sam. Unfortunately, the only tools you can use to accomplish this task are paperclips. (1 per person, or you can give them 2 per person). You cannot touch Sam, the boat, or the life preserver with your bare hands.
A gummy worm is used to represent Sam, a gummy life saver is the life preserver and an overturned cup represents the boat.
http://all4theloveofteaching.blogspot.com/2013/09/saving-sam-team-building
Without struggle there is no progress. – Fredrick Douglass
This activity would have been more effective if I had the students gather there own materials and have them set it up all at the same time so that some students won’t work ahead and be disruptive of others.
Overall I think this a good activity especially getting students to think outside the box, and engineering.