English Camp – Construct a Bird Feeder
Target audience:
English camp participants at senior high schools.
Objective:
Create a structure adhering to certain conditions. Guide a blindfolded teammate to the structure and have them successfully place an item onto it.
Materials:
Detailed list on second page. The materials listed are the requirements for one group only, so multiply that by the number of groups you will have (I had 12 groups of three students, so I needed 240 individual sheets of newspaper, etc). You will also need two small paper cups to hold 10mL of water, and a handful of bird seeds, and a measuring tape.
Procedure:
1. Prepare a set of materials for each group in advance.
2. There were 36 students attending my camp. There were six groups of six students. When one group came to my workshop, I would divide them into two teams of three.
3. Tell the teams they are having a competition to build the tallest, strongest and prettiest bird feeding tower. They can only use the materials that you have provided. It cannot be fastened to the ground. Their tower must be able to hold a cup with 10mL of water and a cup with some bird seeds. Explain the other conditions, the checklist, and the judging criteria.
4. Let the students start building. They can draw a plan if they want, or they can build straight away. You should give them about 30 minutes to build, depending on how long your workshops are supposed to be.
5. After 30 minutes, tell each team to stop. Explain that they will now have to direct a blindfolded teammate through a maze (of chairs and tables) in English. Their English should be good enough to do this without having to revise directions. One student must place the food on the feeder and the other must place the water. It’s up to you whether you want to switch the role of the person giving directions around.
6. Now is your turn to judge. Rate each group based on the sturdiness, beauty, and height of their bird feeder. If their feeder couldn’t hold the water or food, deduct points accordingly.
Announce the winning team and award prizes (food). You can have an ultimate winner across the twelve teams if you want at the closing ceremony.
Scenario: It’s summer! It’s very hot and dry. Your team is worried about a shortage of food for the local birds!
Task: You must design and build a feeding tower with a platform and roof on top to feed local birds. You need to have a place for food and water on your platform.
Materials:
l 20 sheets of newspaper
l 2 sheets of A4 card
l 1 roll of sellotape
l 1 sheet of plastic (A4 size)
l 2m of string
l 4 drinking straws
l Scissors (for building only)
Conditions:
l The feeding platform must be at least 60cm above the floor
l Only use the materials you have been given
l The tower cannot be fastened to the floor – it must be free-standing
l The water container must be able to hold 10mL of water without spills, while on the feeding platform
Judging Criteria:
l The height from the floor to the top of the bird feeder
l The ability to hold the food and water containers on the platform
l How beautiful the bird feeder is
Checklist for Building:
Platform ☐ Roof ☐ Food place ☐ Water place ☐ Above 60cm tall ☐
Activity:
When your tower is finished, you must guide one of your blindfolded teammates (IN ENGLISH) through a maze until they reach your tower. They must carefully place the cup of seeds onto your bird feeder. Then another teammate must be blindfolded and they must carry the cup of water through the maze, and place it onto your bird feeder. You must not spill the food and water. Your tower must stay standing.