Briefing
We all know how to describe things with words ?- words like ?big,? or ?green,? or ?square,? or ?metal.? But did you know you can also describe things with numbers? You'll do that in this Write Away.
Ready? Go to the activity now!
Activity
What You'll Need:
A tape measure
What to Do:
Find a partner to play with.
1. Have your partner leave the room, or cover his or her eyes with a blindfold.
2. Pick an object in the room: a computer, a chair, a shoe, a ballpoint pen, or anything else you can find. Don't tell your partner what it is.
3. Using only numbers and shapes, write down as many sentences as you can that describe your object. For example, if you picked a desk, you might say:
My object is 21 inches tall.
My object is 42 inches wide.
My object is twice as wide as it is tall.
My object has a handle 18 centimeters long.
My object is a rectangle.
My object has 4 rectangles inside it. (the drawers)
My object is 12 inches away from the wall.
My object contains 3 different colors.
Hints:
Use the tape measure in as many ways as you can think of!
Be specific! Don?t use general descriptions like:
My object is big.
My object is tiny.
My object is colorful.
4. When you've written down everything you can think of, bring your partner back to the room or undo the blindfold.
5. Start reading your descriptions to your partner, one at a time. Don?t give it away by naming the object, what color it is, or what kind of parts it has (like ?drawers? or ?buttons.?) Stick to numbers and shapes.
After each line you wrote, your partner guesses what the object is. See how many lines it takes for your partner to get it right.
6. When you're done, switch around and let your partner pick the object.
Finished? On to the debriefing!
Debriefing
Did your partner take as many guesses as you expected? Why do you think that is?
If you had other tools besides a tape measure, how else could you describe your object with numbers?
How many numbers can you come up with that describe YOU?
If you've got your Case Journal, answer the questions in it now!