https://nifa.usda.gov/ 

program/4-h-positive-youthdevelopment 

National Institute 

of Food 

and Agriculture 

United States 

Department of 

Agriculture 

lesson plan: activity 1.1 

lesson details introduction 

PiPeline 

A FederAl PArtnershiP For steM educAtion 

expeditionary

skills

for life 

 

 

National Aeronautics 

and Space 

Administration 

age/grade level 

Elementary School 

learner outcoMes 

Youth will recognize and acknowledge the importance of each team 

member’s contributions and actions 

in the team. Youth will use communication in a positive way to contribute collaboratively to a team goal. 

success indicators 

Youth will recognize and accept 

suggestions of others regarding 

methods of solving the team 

challenge. Youth will contribute 

ideas and accept adaptation of their 

ideas. One or more youth will 

assume a leadership role, facilitating 

the group decision and maintaining 

the cohesiveness of the team. 

life skills 

Relationship building, communication, collaboration, flexibility, 

adaptability, leadership 

national standards 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1 

Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and 

collaborations with diverse partners, 

building on others’ ideas and 

expressing their own clearly 

and persuasively. 

21st Century: Learning and Innovation Skills/COMMUNICATION AND 

COLLABORATION/Communicate 

clearly, collaborate with others 

21st Century: Learning and Innovation Skills/CRITICAL THINKING 

AND PROBLEM SOLVING/reason 

effectively, use systems thinking, 

makes judgements and decisions, 

solve problems 

prep tiMe 

10 minutes 

activity tiMe 

60 minutes 

Materials list 

•	 Lengths of half pipe - 1” pvc pipe 

cut in 12 to 18 inch lengths, then 

cut in half lengthwise. (16 half pipe 

pieces may be cut from on 10’ 

length of pvc pipe costing less than 

$5 at most home improvement 

stores) 

•	 Marbles and/or other small balls 

such as ping pong balls or golf balls 

•	 A small container (can, bucket, jar, 

bowl, etc.) to serve as the end goal 

to deposit the marble 

suggested space 

Indoors or outdoors, open space 

adequate for the group to move 

around and establish a path to 

achieve their team goal. 

suggested group size 

This activity will be best with groups 

of 10 to 12 participants. To accommodate larger groups, split participants into multiple groups, groups 

could be as small as 5 or 6 and 

should not be any larger than 15. 

references 

Teamwork & Teamplay by Jim Cain 

and Barry Jolliff, 1998 (pgs 128, 129). 

Activity also on line at http://www. 

wilderdom.com/games/descriptions/Pipeline.html 

We’ve all heard that “two heads 

are better than one.” When it 

comes to problem-solving, 

having multiple viewpoints can be a big 

advantage. Everyone has something important to share, and each person has 

different strengths – some in understanding the problem, some thinking of solutions, some in evaluating or figuring out 

which solution might be best for that 

specific problem, and some in carrying out 

the solution. 

There are four basic steps in problem solving: 

1.	 Define the problem. 

2.	 Identify multiple solutions. 

3.	 Evaluate and select a solution. 

4.	 Perform the solution. 

Making sure that everyone has a chance to 

share their strengths in the problem solving 

process requires good communication. To be 

successful when working as a team to solve a 

problem, follow these easy communication tips. 

•	 Make sure everyone understands the problem 

to be solved. 

•	 Allow everyone a chance to share ideas. 

•	 Be open to new ideas. 

•	 Be respectful of others and their ideas. 

•	 Make sure everyone understands their role in 

performing the solution. 

•	 Encourage and support each other. 

continued next page >> 
page 2

lesson plan: activity 1.1 

PiPeline, continued 

expeditionary

skills

for life 

>> continued from previous page 

activity instruction 

activity: pipeline (20 Minutes) 

Determine a starting point and an ending point that are 30 

to 40 feet apart. The start and end points do not need to 

be in a straight line. Determine how easy or difficult to 

make the task by selecting from the “rules” below (or 

create your own) to set the difficulty level appropriate for 

your group. 

Explain that the youth will have to work together as a team 

to get the marble from the starting line to the ending line. 

Each youth should be given one half pipe. The group (or 

each team if using multiple small groups) receives one 

marble. Review the rules and remind youth about the four 

steps to solving a problem as a team. Provide 5 minutes 

for the team to plan how this will accomplish this goal. 

Rules: 

•	 You may not touch the marble. 

•	 The marble may only touch the half pipe. 

•	 If the marble falls or someone touches it, the entire 

team must return to the start line and begin again. 

•	 Every youth on the team must participate. 

Additional “rules” you may want to choose from to make 

the activity more difficult. 

•	 Youth must take turns in a certain order. 

•	 Youth may only use one hand to hold the half pipe. 

•	 The half pipe tubes may not touch each other. 

Variations: 

•	 Once a team has successfully accomplished their goal 

once, have them use a different ball. If the team used a 

marble first, next give them a ping pong ball. The 

different weight and size of ball will change the speed 

the ball moves and how quickly it responds to changes 

in the slope of the half pipes. This is a good follow up to 

the first accomplishment to see if the team will apply 

what they have learned about communication and 

adaptability with each other to accomplish a similar yet 

different experience. 

•	 Suggest a time frame to accomplish the task. A fairly 

short time frame may result in less collaboration and 

poorer communication prompting frustration. An 

extended time frame will allow for more discussion 

among the team leading to more positive team relationships. 

•	 Set parameters that every team member must participate although provide fewer half pipes so team members must share – pass them off between team members – or find another way for all team members to be 

involved. 

•	 Set a course that requires the marble or ball to start 

lower than the end point. If indoors, possibly even going 

upstairs or if outdoors, going uphill. 

debrief activity (20 Minutes) 

Discuss: 

1.	 Did everyone get to contribute ideas? 

2.	 Did one person take on the role of the leader? Why or 

why not? 

3.	 How did you plan your action? 

4.	 What didn’t work? 

5.	 Did you change your plan? 

6.	 If you did this activity again, what would you do 

differently? 

7.
 

applied challenge (20 Minutes)
 

Teams can be formal or informal, but in all teams each 

person has an important role to contribute. Have the 

youth brainstorm the various teams they are part of. 

Examples: sports teams, family dinner preparation, choir, 

etc. Record this list in a place where everyone can see it. 

1.	 Have each youth select one team they are on and 

write down the name of the team and the goal of that 

team. 

2.	 Then have the youth write a description of their role on 

that team. Alternatively, youth could draw a picture of 

them performing their role. 

 continued next page >> 
page 3

lesson plan: activity 1.1 

PiPeline, continued 

expeditionary

skills

for life 

>> continued from previous page 

3.	 Allow time for each youth to share their team, team 

purpose, and team role. Ask you to explain their 

unique contribution to that team. Sharing can be done 

in pairs, small groups, or the whole group together. 

4.	 Finish by asking each youth to identify a new role they 

would like to take on, either with a new team or with 

one of their current teams. Discuss the steps that 

need to be taken to achieve that new role. 

Did you know?
 

One of the team members on the ISS is named Robotnaut 


2 - or simply R2. R2 is the first humain-like robot in space. 


It was designed to assist astronauts with the work both 


inside and eventually outside of the ISS. The upperbody, 


including arms and hands with fingers, was launched to 


the ISS in 2011. After testing and some upgrades made 


onboard, a pair of “climbing legs” was sent in 2015.
 

R2 has cameras in the head that work as eyes. The hands 


can do many things, including handling tools that are used 


by the astronauts. 


Learn more about Robonaut 2 at https://robonaut.jsc.nasa.
 

gov/R2/
 

Fun Facts
 

The Crew Health Care System/Integrated Medical System 


is a system of hardware on the ISS to ensure the health 


and safety of crewmembers during long-duration missions. 


This includes equipment and processes to healp crews to 


stay healthy under the microgravity conditions, monitors 


for contaminents, water quality, and radiation levels, and 


the Health Maintenance System for inflight life support 


and resuscitation, medical care, and health monitoring.
 

instructor’s notes 
activity 1.1: learner assessMent 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

Q1 

Q2 

Q3 

activity 1.1: learner assessMent 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

Q1 

Q2 

Q3 

activity 1.1: learner assessMent 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

Q1 

Q2 

Q3 

activity 1.1: learner assessMent 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

expeditionary

skills


expeditionary

skills


for life for life for life for life

I can share my ideas with others. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I can explain what role I have on a team.. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I know that what I contribute to a team is important. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

expeditionary

skills


I can share my ideas with others. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I can explain what role I have on a team. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I know that what I contribute to a team is important. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

expeditionary

skills


I can share my ideas with others. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I can explain what role I have on a team. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I know that what I contribute to a team is important. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

Q1
 

Q2
 

Q3
 

I can share my ideas with others. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I can explain what role I have on a team. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

I know that what I contribute to a team is important. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me