The Sword of Time

Students will assess how time limits affect decision making in a group.

A jigsaw puzzle of 5 to 10 pieces for each team (Print out the handout, then cut into pieces)

One envelope for each team (The pieces are placed in envelopes and handed out to the team)

The teacher/trainer divides the class into groups of four or five. 

The aim is to put together a jigsaw puzzle within a limited time period; the first team to do it wins the competition. 

The jigsaw is made up of five to ten pieces of different shapes and sizes; some are easy to identify and others more difficult. The less identifiable pieces make it more difficult for the participants to assemble the jigsaw. 

An image is printed and cut into five pieces; it’s a good idea to stick each one to a piece of cardboard to make it more durable. 

The pieces are placed in envelopes and handed out to the teams; they then have ten minutes to put “The Sword of Time” together. 

This activity enables the trainer/teacher to see how well the group works together to perform a task in a limited amount of time; once they’ve completed the task, participants can think about their behaviour during the activity, the strategies employed to perform the task and the role of each group member.

• What was your first thought on seeing the pieces you had to put together? 
• Did anyone take on the role of leader? 
• Was there anyone who wanted to participate but couldn’t?
• If this was the case, why do you think they weren’t able to participate? What was the first strategy you adopted? 
• If you managed to put the jigsaw together, did you use several different strategies? How did you organize the group? 
• Was communication good? Did you all listen to each other? 
• The teams that weren’t able to complete the task must answer the same questions and think about why they did not manage to complete the task.. 
• Do you believe the time limit was the main obstacle? 
• Were there any others?