Making Rectangles

Making Rectangles

We’ve tried some cooperative challenges over the last couple of weeks. In the most recent, teams of four students each had to make four identical rectangles from a set of sixteen different shapes. The catch was that no one was allowed to use their voice nor to make any gestures. Team members could give a piece to another person if we thought it would help them, but we could not reach over and take a shape from someone else.

All of the teams were successful at working very silently. Some managed to make four identical rectangles; some did not. But while the task was to make the rectangles following the rules, the overall goals were to: 

  • Respond to the needs of others
  • Help others to do things for themselves

I’m wondering how students felt during the activity; what helped; and how well the students feel they did at meeting these two overall goals.