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EGG
DROP
AUCTION
One way to demonstrate the ebb and flow of group dynamics is by running what is
called an Egg Drop Auction. This is an activity that can be run when you want
to teach or remind the people in committees that many types of skills are
required by all members of a successful group. This is a fun activity, but it
is the facilitator's job to have the students summarize the activity after it
has taken place.
PROCEDURE
Each group (maximum of four to five people) receives the same amount of egg
money, and they are invited to look at a table full of items that appear before
them. The items are going to be bid upon by all the groups, and each item's
final price is determined by the auction that is held later. The items have
been scrounged from kitchens, garages, and basements, but each group's goal is
to buy enough of the objects to build a device that will catch an egg that will
be dropped from the ceiling. (The higher the ceiling, the better.) The first
problem is that none of the items are what most people would think of using to
build a catching device. The items should range from the useful to the bizarre,
and the idea is to force creativity by having only one or two items that are
easily seen as useful. A second problem is that other groups may outbid
you for your coveted items during the auction.
Before the auction, each group is given time to plan their strategy. The
auction is intended to be raucous and fun. Items are brought forward for
bidding with the least favourable appearing first. Once an item has been
removed from the auction table, it cannot be bid upon again and groups are not
allowed to trade items with other groups.
The planning, auction, and building of the egg catchers forces each group to be
creative and communicate amongst the individual members. After the auction is
held, the catchers are assembled with a time limit in force, and then the
eggsact moment of truth arrives. The eggs are suspended from the ceiling
by a string and the string is dramatically burned causing the egg to fall
straight down into the group's catcher. If the egg breaks, the yolk's on you.
The activity must then be processed with all in attendance. The groups are
asked to comment upon why some groups were more successful than others. Things
to look for are:
- poor brainstorming during the planning session
- lack of communication within the group
- not being flexible enough to change plans
- straying from your plan during the heat of the auction
- being influenced or intimidated by other groups
- letting one person dominate the process
Eggs have been dropped successfully over 25 feet down a stairwell landing in a
catcher made of a margarine container, newspaper and dry macaroni. Humpty
Dumpty would be proud!
Egg Money
This page is from the book CASAA Student Activity Sourcebook. You can purchase this book from our resource library.
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