During the conversation, the students recounted a notably perplexing task involving estimating the height of one of seven palm trees. Derrick expressed lingering uncertainty about this task, noting that their class had yet to cover the requisite skills. Ms. Mellen underscored the students’ commendable persistence in seeking to acquire the necessary skills even post-competition, reflecting a genuine commitment to learning and growth.
The math content of The Amazing MLP Scavenger Hunt encompasses skills from Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. Given that the current team consisted of sophomores, who have only been exposed to half of the math content involved in the event, next year’s competition, featuring teams of juniors and seniors, is anticipated to be more competitive. Previous exposure to the race and advanced coursework is expected to enhance the competitiveness among participants.
Last week, I had the privilege of meeting with the triumphant team of The Amazing MLP Scavenger Hunt to delve into their strategies and reflections on the event. The team, hailing from Littlerock High School, comprised sophomores Derrick Easterling, Jacob Medina, and Randall McGuire, all students in Ms. Mellen’s math class.
Reflecting on the event, Derrick characterized the day as both exhilarating and demanding. He emphasized the need for efficient teamwork, strategic planning, time management, and tackling intricate math challenges. He described the experience as a blend of excitement, difficulty, and gratification. Expressing concern about the competition’s complex scoring criteria, he articulated the team’s meticulous approach to task completion, total time management, and bonus challenges. Jacob highlighted the collaborative aspect of solving time-sensitive problems as particularly arduous, acknowledging the necessity of leveraging each other’s strengths in real-time for effective problem-solving.
While in its inaugural year, only one team completed all tasks, this year witnessed over 15 teams accomplishing this feat, leading to the outcome being determined by completion time and bonus tasks. Notably, the team with the fastest check-in time (from Highland) secured fourth place due to fewer completed bonuses, underscoring the importance of efficiency, strategic planning, and maximizing strengths while utilizing downtime for bonus tasks in the competition.