2019-20 CHALLENGE PREVIEWS

POINTS OF INTEREST

• Design and build an invention.

• Create and present a story about how a problem is solved with the use of the invention.

• Integrate an invention artifact to highlight the development process.

• Design and build scenery that shows the impact of solving the problem.

• Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas 
of strength, and talents.

POINTS OF INTEREST

• Research a real species and a real habitat.
• Create and present a story about the first encounter between the species and the habitat.
• Show how the species and the habitat change as a result of the encounter.
• Present the story in theater in the round.
• Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.

POINTS OF INTEREST

• Design and build a bridge that will be assembled during the Presentation.
• Move weight across the bridge to test its strength.
• Create and present a story about an unexpected connection and its outcome.
• Design and create a set piece that transitions between settings.
• Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off your team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.

POINTS OF INTEREST

• Create and present a story that features an unseen character and its impact on a team-selected photograph.

• Theatrically recreate the photograph during the Presentation.

• Create and present a visual effect that includes a photographic technique.

• Show how the visual effect changes the perspective of one or more characters.

• Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strenth, and talents.

POINTS OF INTEREST

• Research superpowers and how they are portrayed in comic books, literature, film, and other media.

• Create and present an improvisational skit about a villain who uses a superpower to cause an unexpected situation.

• Include a hero who uses an underwhelming power to try to overcome the unexpected situation.

• Enhance the skit with sound effects.

POINTS OF INTEREST

• Identify, design, carry out, and evaluate a project that addresses a need in a real community.
• Create and present a story that shows at least one character in a race against time.
• Integrate information about the project into the story.
• Design and build a device that represents time and highlights milestones from the project.
• Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off your team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.

POINTS OF INTEREST

• Create and present a play about characters who travel from one planet to another.
• Include something surprising that happens during the trip.
• Design and create a puppet to use in the play.
• Launch team-created rockets during the play.
• Create costumes, props, and scenery to help tell the story.

In a world with growing cultural connections, increased levels and types of communication, and a new need for real-time teamwork and problem solving, the ability to solve problems quickly is becoming increasingly critical.

At a tournament, a team will receive an Instant Challenge and the materials with which to solve it. The team members must think on their feet by applying appropriate skills to produce a solution in a period of just five to eight minutes.

Instant Challenges are performance-based, task-based, or a combination of the two. Although each Instant Challenge has different requirements, all Instant Challenges reward teams for their teamwork. Instant Challenges are kept confidential through the day of the tournament.