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In a 30 minute activity designed to illustrate their own teamwork, creativity, attention to detail, and willingness to excel, student groups in Art/Library class created a circus "bigtop" from found objects to meet three criteria:

- The bigtop must be at least six-foot tall and "circus-like".

- It must be symmetrical and proportional.

- It must be well-crafted: a best effort.

In fact, the activity was a metaphor for our overall 10-week group project which is dependent on the very same creativity, planning, communication, and attention to detail.

Everyone was on task because they wanted to succeed for its own sake,
There was an expectation of success.
Communication was to the point. It was focused, and it was non-stop.
The willingness to propose an idea, try it, scrap it, and adapt it was rampant.
On the fly, groups were created as suppliers, constructors, and decorators.

Our closing critique brought out these points. We shall see, in the upcoming weeks, if the meaning behind the metaphor takes hold.

Idea Number 1: stacked chairs on top of a table to achieve the necessary height.

A taping team: holders and tapers quickly and efficiently secure a framework of wooden struts to give the tent structure. Note that a more stable lecturn has been substituted for stacked chairs.

Builders trial test a canopy of paper: how long should it be, how to attach it, which corner to start on?

The construction group wanted to try the idea of "cables" to help support the canopy. Once a measurement was taken, this team of suppliers began mass-producing cable-lengths.

These canopy suppliers adapted sheet lengths and quantities to the demands of then construction team: offering solutions along the way.

Again, many hands AND ideas to get the task done. There was a high degree of concern for the success of the structure and for the flow of ideas and decision-making.

Decorators work on interiors: faces in the crowd for that "circus-like" criteria component.