DI Parkview Destination Imagination

WORKSHOP 01 · COMMUNICATION · 35 MINUTES · ANY AGE

Talk It Through

One kid sees the map. One kid builds it blind. The clock is ticking.

Play Ground Control →
1

Warm up 10 min

Sit back to back. One describes a picture card, one draws it. First with no questions, then with questions. Compare.

2

Play 20 min

Two screens, one code. Three rounds of Ground Control, and each one gets harder.

  1. Radio silence: the builder can't talk
  2. Say it back: repeat every piece
  3. Beat the clock: swap jobs, less time
3

Talk about it 5 min

Read out your 3 scores. Which round won? Why?

Last question: which habit will you use at the next Instant Challenge?

WARM-UP CARDS

Describe the shapes. Never say what it is.

Grades K–2 · card 1 Smiley face (don't say it!)
Grades K–2 · card 2 House (don't say it!)
Grades K–2 · card 3 Snowman (don't say it!)
Grades 3–5 · card 1 Rocket (don't say it!)
Grades 3–5 · card 2 Fish (don't say it!)
Grades 3–5 · card 3 Robot (don't say it!)
Grades 6–8 · card 1 Owl (don't say it!)
Grades 6–8 · card 2 Castle (don't say it!)
Grades 6–8 · card 3 Bicycle (don't say it!)
Grades 9–12 · card 1 Teddy bear (don't say it!)
Grades 9–12 · card 2 Lighthouse (don't say it!)
Grades 9–12 · card 3 Hot-air balloon (don't say it!)

THE 3 HABITS THAT WIN

  • Where, then what. “Top left corner… red circle.”
  • Say it back. “Red circle, top left. Got it.”
  • Ask, don't guess. “Which corner?” is faster than fixing it.

Same skills that win Instant Challenge: no time to say it twice.

FOR COACHES

By age: levels and questions to ask

Grades K–2 · Cadet level

A grown-up plays Ground Control first so kids hear clear talk. In radio silence, let little ones nod.

  • What word helped you find the right square?
  • Was it easier when you could ask?

Grades 3–5 · Pilot level

Before round 2, give pairs 30 seconds to agree on names for rows and columns.

  • Which round scored highest? Why?
  • What name did you make up for a spot?

Grades 6–8 · Commander level

Every pair writes its 3 scores on the board. Did round 2 beat round 1 for most pairs?

  • Which instruction got misunderstood, and why?
  • Saying it back takes time. Why was it faster overall?

Grades 9–12 · Commander, short clock every round

Add noise: the rest of the team talks loudly nearby. Give pairs 60 seconds to invent their own coordinate system.

  • What's the fewest words to describe a piece with zero mistakes?
  • Where did your system break under noise?
How the game works
  • Both kids open parkviewdi.com/lab/ground-control on their own device. One picks Ground Control, one picks Pilot.
  • Ground Control reads the 4-digit code out loud, and the Pilot types it in. Both screens now have the same map.
  • Sit so the Pilot can't see the other screen. Count 3, 2, 1, and both press Start. The map appears when the clock starts.
  • The Pilot presses Check for a score out of 100. Every square is marked right, half right, missed or extra. The Pilot's screen keeps a log of every round.
  • Levels: Cadet 3×3, Pilot 4×4, Commander 5×5 (triangles point a direction).
Warm-up details and materials
  • Use the picture cards above: show them on a phone or print all 12. Younger kids get 3–4 shapes, teens get 12 or more.
  • The rule: describe shapes and places only. Never say what the picture is. No “it's a house.”
  • Round A is 2 minutes with no questions. Round B uses a new card, 2 minutes, questions allowed.
  • Round A usually feels clear to the talker and comes out wrong. Let them feel it before you explain it.
  • You need: picture cards, paper, pencils, chairs, and two devices per pair (phones, tablets or Chromebooks).