Par%cipants will use the Snowball technique to generate ideas with suppor%ng jus%ca%on in order to solve a problem.
Discussion format
Scenario
There
is
a
category
ve
hurricane
(similar
to
Katrina)
approaching
a
major
city
on
the
Gulf
Coast.
The
civil
engineers
who
constructed
the
levees
are
standing
by
with
ve
days
to
design
a
test
to
evaluate
whether
it
meets
the
design
specica%ons.
Within
the
ve
days
they
must
use
the
results
to
modify
the
prototype
to
op%mize
the
solu%on.
On day two, the engineering team must communicate the design through a wriMen, oral, or visual presenta%on to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). By day four, the team must develop plans including drawing measurements and details of construc%on, and construct a model of the solu%on.
Problem
In
the
past,
the
levees
have
been
able
to
withstand
the
force
of
category
4
storms
and
below,
but
have
never
experienced
a
category
5
storm.
The
engineers
are
not
sure
the
levees
will
be
able
to
withstand
the
force
of
the
storm.
Develop
a
solu&on
to
protect
the
two
mile
span
of
land
that
is
inhabited
by
1,000
residents.
Pairs
Discuss
your
thoughts
on
possible
solu%ons.
Fours
Come
to
a
consensus
on
the
best
proposed
solu%on.
Eights
Agree
on
the
best
solu%on.
Exit
Ticket
On
the
index
card
provided,
please
list:
1
PRO
that
you
have
about
this
discussion
technique.
1
CON
that
you
have
about
this
discussion
technique.
1
ques%on
or
applica%on
that
you
have
for
this
discussion
technique.
References
Snowball
Discussion
Technique
hMp://www.talkscience.org.uk/techniques/