NEPA Odyssey of the Mind
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- Spontaneous Problems Galore!
Welcome to the world’s largest spontaneous resource!
NEPA Odyssey of the Mind is pleased to present Spontaneous Problems Galore – an online collection of over 500 spontaneous problems started over 20 years ago!
Verbal Problems
Hands-on problems, verbal/hands-on problems.
If you have any spontaneous problems you’d like to add to our database, please email Ryan at [email protected] !
What is spontaneous?
From the Odyssey of the Mind Program Guide, pages 26-27
In competition, every team solves a spontaneous problem. This part of the competition is called “Spontaneous” because teams don’t know what they’ll have to do until they enter the competition room. Solving spontaneous problems teaches students to “think on their feet.”
Spontaneous problems are “top secret.” Teams participating in the same long-term problem and division will solve the same spontaneous problem, so, to ensure fairness, it is critical that no one discusses the problem outside of the room until all teams have competed. Even then, you may only discuss it within your group until OotM competitions throughout the world are complete. Letting other teams know the problem they may receive could give them an advantage in a tournament. Anyone who reveals a spontaneous problem to others is subject to disqualification and/or disciplinary action taken against the entire team.
The nature of the spontaneous problems varies, with each having its own set of specific rules that are read to the team in the competition room. Teams will have to solve only one type of spontaneous problem in a competition. Teams that compete in a technical long-term problem may have to solve a verbal spontaneous problem and vice versa.
To prepare, teams should practice for the three common types of spontaneous problems as listed below. However, they should also be prepared for the unexpected.
- Verbal spontaneous problems require verbal responses. They may incorporate improvisation or dramatization. Teams are scored for common and creative responses.
- Hands-on spontaneous problems require teams to physically create a tangible solution. Each hands-on problem has its own specific scoring categories.
- Verbal/hands-on combination spontaneous problems require teams to create a tangible solution and include some type of verbal component, for example, creating a story about the solution. Teams are scored for both the tangible solution and the verbal presentation.
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