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.