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YLT-Amoeba Electric Fence

Put your thinking caps on and works as a team to get your whole group past an electric fence while moving as a single blob.

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Plan

  • When and where will you share this challenge?
  • Who will lead the group?
  • What materials will you need for this challenge? How will you set up your electric fence?
  • How will you get past the electric fence?
  • What rules will everyone need to follow?

Do

  • Run a string between two chairs about a metre off the ground.
  • Now imagine that your group is a giant amoeba—you are all part of a single cell, and you must remain in physical contact with one another.
  • Imagine the string is an electric fence that you must get past. You cannot go around the fence, and it cannot be insulated or turned off.
  • How will your whole team get past the electric fence without coming in contact with it?

Review

  • What do you know now that you did not know before?
  • What was your favourite part of this challenge?
  • What would you change if you were to try this again?
  • Who emerged as a leader on this challenge?
  • How did you work as a team on this challenge?
  • What close calls or incidents did your group experience? How could they have been prevented?

Keep it Simple

  • Start small! Work in small teams, like your Patrols or Expedition Teams – a smaller amoeba will have an easier time getting past the fence.

Take it Further

  • Add your own twist to this activity! Maybe do this activity without anyone speaking, or maybe try teams racing against each other to see who can clear the obstacle the fastest!