Odyssey Of The Mind
Odyssey of the Mind (OotM) is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and World level. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in the program.
Each year Bancroft teams compete at one of the largest Regional Tournaments in the State of California, the SF Bay Regional Tournament.
Thank you to our parent coaches - without you, our students would have never have this incredible mind opening experience…THANK YOU!
Info Night: To Be Determined
For more information go to odysseyofthemind.com or contact Bancroft's Odyssey Coordinator and parent, Sarah Boaz-Shelley at bancroft.odyssey@gmail.com.
Do you like to PROBLEM SOLVE: Designing and building vehicles or mechanical devices? Writing and acting in skits? Creating costumes? Building props? If you enjoy ANY of the above activities, then… ODYSSEY OF THE MIND may be just what you’re looking for!
Grades 3rd-5th: Choose from among the Problems below the two (a 1st and 2nd choice) that best suit your interests. You work on a team of 5-7 kids on one of these and compete in a regional tournament by solving the problem in the form of a skit.
Grades K-2nd’s fun Primary Problem this year is We’re Cooking Now: Creativity heats up as teams create their own cooking show where a chef gives an original cooking lesson to a special guest. The show takes place from a creative kitchen where balsa wood is used to support a cookbook, a bowl, and an object of the team’s choosing. A special guest will visit and learn to cook from the chef by using team-created representations of food. Performances will also include a name for the show, theme music, and a story about the meal they are cooking.
2017-2018 Problem Synopses
Problem 1: Triathlon Travels On your mark...get set...go! Teams will ride on and drive original vehicles in an Odyssey-style triathlon. They will try to score in “curling,” hit the right targets when “jousting,” and “run track” by navigating a course in two directions. Between these events, the team will entertain the audience and the vehicle will change appearance. All of the action will take place in a team-created performance that features the vehicles’ triathlon travels, a commentator, and a coach.
Problem 2: Emoji, Speak for Yourself Three-dimensional emojis will be used to communicate the life story of a once famous, but now forgotten, emoji. Teams will create a performance where the emojis demonstrate special functions like growing, turning into a team member, and changing into a different emoji. Performances will also include a choreographed dance, a technical representation of texting, and sounds to enhance the performance. The twist? No spoken language is allowed.
Problem 3: Classics... Mockumentary! Seriously? There are often two sides to the same story. In this problem, characters don’t always agree as they recount the classic story where they appeared. The team will select a classic from a list and present different characters in a humorous documentary-style performance where details are added, denied, exaggerated, and disputed. There will be interviews, behind-the-scenes “clips,” and voice-overs that take the audience through the story and help present the events as they “really” took place.
Problem 4: Animal House Teams will turn their balsa wood structures into animals! Since animals need to eat, they must be fed. The structure will have its appearance transformed and explained during an original performance. During the performance, the structure must hold the team-created food while it supports weights.
Problem 5: A Stellar Hangout In the outreaches of the universe, there is an Intergalactic Hangout where all sorts of creatures from different worlds stop, eat, refuel, and relax. Teams will create a humorous performance centered on this science fiction hangout that includes original creatures, foods, and a search for space treasure. There will also be a worker character, entertainment, and a futuristic map at the hangout.
Each year Bancroft teams compete at one of the largest Regional Tournaments in the State of California, the SF Bay Regional Tournament.
Thank you to our parent coaches - without you, our students would have never have this incredible mind opening experience…THANK YOU!
Info Night: To Be Determined
For more information go to odysseyofthemind.com or contact Bancroft's Odyssey Coordinator and parent, Sarah Boaz-Shelley at bancroft.odyssey@gmail.com.
Do you like to PROBLEM SOLVE: Designing and building vehicles or mechanical devices? Writing and acting in skits? Creating costumes? Building props? If you enjoy ANY of the above activities, then… ODYSSEY OF THE MIND may be just what you’re looking for!
Grades 3rd-5th: Choose from among the Problems below the two (a 1st and 2nd choice) that best suit your interests. You work on a team of 5-7 kids on one of these and compete in a regional tournament by solving the problem in the form of a skit.
Grades K-2nd’s fun Primary Problem this year is We’re Cooking Now: Creativity heats up as teams create their own cooking show where a chef gives an original cooking lesson to a special guest. The show takes place from a creative kitchen where balsa wood is used to support a cookbook, a bowl, and an object of the team’s choosing. A special guest will visit and learn to cook from the chef by using team-created representations of food. Performances will also include a name for the show, theme music, and a story about the meal they are cooking.
2017-2018 Problem Synopses
Problem 1: Triathlon Travels On your mark...get set...go! Teams will ride on and drive original vehicles in an Odyssey-style triathlon. They will try to score in “curling,” hit the right targets when “jousting,” and “run track” by navigating a course in two directions. Between these events, the team will entertain the audience and the vehicle will change appearance. All of the action will take place in a team-created performance that features the vehicles’ triathlon travels, a commentator, and a coach.
Problem 2: Emoji, Speak for Yourself Three-dimensional emojis will be used to communicate the life story of a once famous, but now forgotten, emoji. Teams will create a performance where the emojis demonstrate special functions like growing, turning into a team member, and changing into a different emoji. Performances will also include a choreographed dance, a technical representation of texting, and sounds to enhance the performance. The twist? No spoken language is allowed.
Problem 3: Classics... Mockumentary! Seriously? There are often two sides to the same story. In this problem, characters don’t always agree as they recount the classic story where they appeared. The team will select a classic from a list and present different characters in a humorous documentary-style performance where details are added, denied, exaggerated, and disputed. There will be interviews, behind-the-scenes “clips,” and voice-overs that take the audience through the story and help present the events as they “really” took place.
Problem 4: Animal House Teams will turn their balsa wood structures into animals! Since animals need to eat, they must be fed. The structure will have its appearance transformed and explained during an original performance. During the performance, the structure must hold the team-created food while it supports weights.
Problem 5: A Stellar Hangout In the outreaches of the universe, there is an Intergalactic Hangout where all sorts of creatures from different worlds stop, eat, refuel, and relax. Teams will create a humorous performance centered on this science fiction hangout that includes original creatures, foods, and a search for space treasure. There will also be a worker character, entertainment, and a futuristic map at the hangout.
