Googleplex Scavenger Hunt Activity - Techbridge Girls Model Toolkit... · Googleplex Scavenger Hunt...

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Googleplex Scavenger Hunt Activity

This scavenger hunt activity, played by the Google role models and Techbridge girls, was a great

way to visit highlights of the Google campus and see Googlers hard at work. Groups of 3-4 girls

were taken around the campus by a role model. The girls introduced themselves to Googlers and

found answers for the scavenger hunt.

Look for the Answers for the First Questions Anywhere

1. Name three types of transportation you see Googlers using.

2. Find a Googler with a dog. What is the dog’s name?

3. Name a team sport that is often played on the grounds of the Googleplex.

4. How many people in Google T-Shirts have you seen?

5. What’s special about the Google Bathrooms?

Building 42

1. What musical instrument can Googlers play at work?

2. Find out what item is also on display at the Computer History Museum.

Building 41

1. Find the Google Pools. What color are the tiles?

2. Name three games found in this building.

Building 40

1. How much does it cost to do laundry at Google? How many washers & driers are there?

2. How did Charlie’s Café get its name?

3. Stop by a local tech-stop and figure out what they do. Get an autograph from a member of

the staff.

Building 43

1. What color is the phone booth in the lobby of building 43?

2. What kind of wood was used to build the staircase in building 43?

3. On the Geo-display, you can see a 3-D rotating image of the world. The map shows points of

light representing real-time searches, color-coded by language. Which colors represent the

following languages?

1. English:

2. Spanish:

3. French:


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Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Scavenger Hunt Activity

This is an activity that groups of role models from the Gordon and Betty Moore

Foundation have played with Techbridge girls during field trips. Groups of 3-4

girls were taken around the Foundation by a role model. The girls introduced

themselves to the staff and asked one or two scavenger hunt questions. Building

Fun Stuff

This-N-That

Geography

Careers

What kind of tree is

the Board Room table

made from?

Find someone who

keeps a jar of candy

on their desk.

Ask someone, “How

do people limit the

use of paper at the

Foundation?”

Find someone who

was born in a foreign

country.

Ask someone, “What

did you want to be at

my age?”

What material are

the window shades

made from?


is the most

interesting part of

your job and why?”


is remote desktop

and how does the

Tech team use this

to help the staff?”

Ask someone, “Does

your job require

travel and where do

you go?”


was the most

interesting interview

question you were

asked when applying

to work here?”

Find out what

material the kitchen

cabinets are made

from.

List three ways the

Foundation

encourages

employees to get to

know each other

better.


is the name of the

wall that extends

from the Garden

Level to the First

Floor?”

Find someone who is

bilingual.

Ask someone how

they use math and

science in their job.

Can you find one

chair in the building

that resembles a

person?

Find someone who

rode their bike or

walked to work

today.


material is the

Foundation’s fitness

center floor made

from?”

Find someone who

has worked in South

America.

Ask someone, “How

do I get the training

and education to do

your job?”

What does “Tundra”

mean to the

Foundation?


is your favorite food

item provided by the

Foundation?”

Find someone who

drives a hybrid car.

Ask someone, “How

many counties does

the San Francisco

Bay Area Program’s

land protection work

cover?”

Ask someone,

“Where do you see

yourself working in

5-10 years?”


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LeapFrog Bingo IceBreaker Activity

The following is an icebreaker activity that was done during a field trip to LeapFrog. Role models and

students go around the room asking each other if they fit one of the categories on the bingo board. They

should fill in the name of the person in each box. The first one to fill in all the boxes yells “BINGO.”

Someone who

studied Computer

Science.

Someone who has a

twin.

Someone who has a

favorite teacher.

_____________ (which teacher)

Someone who’s

favorite subject is

Math.

Someone who has

more than two

siblings.

Someone who has an

advanced degree

(Masters or PhD).

_____________ (Degree)

Someone who has

been in Techbridge

for 3 years.

Someone who wants

to be an engineer in

the future.

Someone who plays

a sport.

_____________ (which sport)

Someone who got

straight A’s last

semester.

Someone who

drives a hybrid.

Someone who plays

an instrument.

_____________ (which instrument)

Someone who uses a

computer every day.

Someone who

speaks another

language.

_____________ (which sport)

Someone who has

more than 3 pets.

Someone who was

born in another

country.


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Questions Students May Ask Role Models

Questions about your job:

• What do you do on a typical day?

• What is your work setting like?

• What kinds of people do you work with? Do you work alone, in a team, with a

partner?

• What specific skills do you need in your job? (writing, measuring, computing,

creativity)

• What do you like best and least about your job?

• What are you most proud of doing in your job?

• What does your company produce?

• How could I get the training and education to do your job?

• What salary range is available in your field?

• What kinds of benefits does the company provide (for example, flexible hours,

private offices, fitness facility, etc.)?

Questions about how you got to where you are:

• What did you want to be when you were my age?

• Why did you select your career?

• When did you make your career choice?

• How did you get from high school to where you are now in your career?

• What one piece of advice would you give me if I wanted to pursue this career?

• What advice would you give to students to plan a successful future?

• Looking back at when you were young, do you wish you could have done

something differently?

• When you were young, did you have a role model that inspired you?

• When you were younger, did you change your mind a lot about what you wanted

to be when you grew up?

• What was the most valuable lesson you learned in school that you are now using

at work?

• Did you have a summer job? Did you do volunteer work?

• Were you a good student?


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• What subjects were interesting to you when you were a teenager?

• Did those interests lead you to your present job? Which subjects helped you

most?

• What was your favorite extracurricular activity?

Questions about your personal life:

• Where was your last vacation?

• How do you balance your personal and professional life?

• Are you doing what your parents expected you to do when you were my age?

• If you could go back in time and do something differently, what would it be and

why?

These questions were developed by Design Your Future: Math, Science, and Technology for Girls, hosted by Autodesk, Inc.


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Questions Role Models May Ask Students

Some students may be shy talking to you. Here are some questions that may help

start conversation.

Questions about Techbridge:

• What is your favorite activity in Techbridge? Why?

• What is the hardest activity in Techbridge? Why?

• What do you like most about Techbridge?

• How many years have you been in Techbridge?

• What has been your favorite field trip? Why?

• What made you want to join Techbridge?

Questions about school:

• What is your favorite subject in school? Why?

• What grade are you in?

• What school do you go to?

• Who is your favorite teacher?

Questions about the future:

• What do you want to be when you grow up? Why?

• Do you have a college you want to go to? What do you want to major in?

• What colleges do you know of?

• Do you have a role model that inspires you?

Questions about extra-curricular activities:

• What do you do for fun?

• Do you have any hobbies?

• Do you play any sports?

• What do you like to do in your free time?

• Have you seen any cool movies lately?

• Have you read any cool books lately?


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• Have you participated in any other camps/programs beside Techbridge?

Questions about their families:

• Do you have any brothers or sisters?

• Do you have any pets?

• Who in your family do you admire? Why?

• What has been your favorite vacation?

Questions about your company:

• What do you think of [role model’s subject area]?

• Could you see yourself in a job like mine? What do you think it would be like?


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Resources to Encourage Girls in

Science, Technology and Engineering

Agilent After School Kits has hands-on life, physical, and earth-science experiments that come in

"programs-in-a-box."

www.agilent.com/comm_relation/comty_actn_aas.shtml

Computer Science Unplugged is a free resource with a variety of fun and engaging activities that

teach principles of computer science and involve teamwork and don’t require a computer.

csunplugged.org/

Design and Discovery engages students (ages 11-15) in hands-on design activities that promote

problem-solving in science and engineering. The curriculum is offered by Intel Education.

www.intel.com/education/designanddiscovery/

Design Challenge Curriculum from The Tech Museum of Innovation offers an assortment of

challenges that address real world problems.

www.thetech.org/education/teachers/curriculum.php

Design Squad offers ideas for science and engineering activities in an informal setting. Includes

plans for building a machine out of cardboard and designing a mini alarm. Design Squad is also a TV

program with episodes that can be viewed online.

pbskids.org/designsquad/

Engineer Your Life is a website about engineering for high school girls that includes inspiring role

models. Engineer Girl is a similar site that has been developed specifically for middle school girls.

www.engineeryourlife.org/

www.engineergirl.org/

Gotta have IT, developed by NCWIT, provides resources to encourage girls in computing.

www.ncwit.org/ghit

How Stuff Works helps students research how all kinds of science and technology work—from CD

burners and digital cameras to cloning and stem cells.

www.howstuffworks.com

Instructables is a place for people to “show and tell” their at-home science projects. Each project

has a detailed description on how to recreate this at home. It is a great place to search for fun,

crafty, hands-on science projects to do at home.

www.instructables.com


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Making the Connection introduces students in grades 3-12 to engineering through activities like

designing a bicycle helmet and building a roller coaster. The project is supported by the Women in

Engineering Programs and Advocate Network and Lucent Technologies.

www.wepan.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=38

NASA for Kids has ideas for making pop rockets, pizza box solar oven, and paper comets.

www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/index.html

National Engineers Week provides tested activities to introduce in the classroom.

www.eweek.org/

Sally Ride Science offers books and activities as well as a downloadable copy of a parent handbook

to help encourage their daughters’ interests in science, math, and technology.

www.SallyRideScience.com

Snap Circuits are a simple and safe introduction to how circuits work. There are step-by-step

directions for building simple circuits to make a motor spin or more advanced circuits that make a

doorbell ring. This kit includes everything you need: speakers, snap wires, LEDs, lamp sockets, etc.

www.elenco.com

Society of Women Engineers K-12 program, Aspire provides an assortment of activities for doing

engineering outreach.

aspire.swe.org/

Women’s Adventures in Science is an engaging series about role models who pursue science and

technology with a passion.

www.nap.edu/catalog/was

Zoom into Engineering offers fun hands-on projects like Gumdrop Dome, Egg Bungee Jump, and

Keep A Cube.

pbskids.org/zoom/grownups/engineering/


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Sample Agendas

Like a business meeting, set an agenda and schedule for a workplace visit or a classroom visit that is

fast-paced and holds students’ interest. For field trips and classroom visits we offer this formula:

• Begin with an icebreaker to warm up and set the tone to be interactive and fun. This can be

as simple as introducing yourself by name and sharing an interesting fact or playing “Truth,

Truth, Lie.”

• Share a personal story. Students are eager to hear about your dreams as a child, a

humorous anecdote about when you were their age, or how you dealt with challenges along

the way. Students need to connect to you in order to connect to your career.

• Jump into a hands-on activity. This helps keep students engaged and offers a snapshot of your work.

• Informal time with role models is important. For a workplace visit, lunch is the perfect

time for students to talk with role models. Conversations during this time between students

and role models are relaxed and personal. This makes it easier for students to open up.

• Before you know it, your visit will be almost over. Make time for any final questions and ask

for input. Find out what the students liked and how you can improve next time.

Sample Schedule for Workplace Visit

9:50 am Arrival, sign-in

10:00–10:15 am Icebreaker

10:15-10:30 am Welcome and introductions by role models

10:35-11:50 am Hands-on activity (in stations with role models,

or a design challenge or activity for entire group)

12:00-12:45 pm Lunch with role-models

1:00-2:00 pm Tour or scavenger hunt

2:00-2:15 pm Wrap up, souvenirs (optional), hugs, and goodbyes!

Sample Schedule for Role Model Visit to Classroom

15 minutes Welcome and icebreaker

10 minutes Introduction by role model

45 minutes Hands-on activity

15 minutes Wrap up and Q&A


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Sample PowerPoint Presentation by Role Models

If you choose to use PowerPoint, remember to keep it short and simple. Here are tips to help you

connect with students:

• Before you get started, decide if a PowerPoint will help you introduce yourself and your

work.

• Keep the presentation short, less than 5 minutes.

• Use interesting pictures and limit words.

• Make your presentation interactive. Find a way to involve your audience instead of talking at

them.

The following is a sample presentation given by 2 role models during their classroom visit.


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Sample Role Model Bios Role Model Bios help students get to know you before your visit or field trip. The

bios also inspire questions and conversation topics. Here are three samples from

Techbridge role model visits and field trips. In your own bio include a fun photo,

why you chose your career, and the things you like to do outside of work. Sample 1: Jill Fuss from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Jill Fuss used simple and engaging language along with a fun picture in her bio. Jill

shares information about how she found her career path as well as interests she

has outside of work.

I never liked science classes in high school. It was

only when I really got to do science during my

summers in college that I wanted to be a scientist.

I started out studying environmental science, but I

found that I was too impatient to wait for things to

happen in the forest. I needed the fast-paced

world of laboratory science to hold my interest. As

a molecular biologist, I get to work with the

molecular machinery of the human body. I am

studying how cells protect themselves against

damage by sunlight and oxygen, which is important

for understanding how normal cells turn into cancer

cells. Even though I decided to do biology for my job, I didn’t give up my interest

in the environment. I like supporting the development of alternative energy

technologies by driving a car that runs on vegetable oil. I also have many other

interests that help keep my life interesting like skiing, hiking, knitting, doing

triathlons, and spending time with my husband and two dogs.


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Sample 2: Role models at the University of California, San Francisco

The role models at UCSF introduced themselves with trading cards. These cards

provided basic background information about each role model along with prompt

questions. The questions helped jumpstart conversations between the girls and

role models at stations in the lab.


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Sample 3: Role models at IDEO

The role models at IDEO each made an “About Me” bio. Prompts about career, life,

and advice, combined with fun pictures and captions helped make them interesting

to read. The bios from the role models were placed in an attractive envelope and

handed out to each Techbridge girl prior to the field trip to IDEO.


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Sample Student Bios

We ask our girls to write a short bio for role models prior to a classroom visit or field trip. These

bios help role models learn about the girls before meeting them. Here are samples from

Techbridge students.

Sample 1: Priscilla

My name is Priscilla. I attend Bret Harte

Middle School in Oakland, California. I am

going into seventh (7th) grade. In my free

time I like to go on the Internet, make

origami, play with twisty balloons, read my

favorite series, The Pony Pals, play piano, play

violin, go outside and relax or play with my

hula hoop, eat ice cream or make pudding and

macaroni and cheese. For the rest of the

summer I will probably stay home and relax with no homework. When I grow up, I want to be an

actress, maybe a doctor, or a mechanic.

Sample 2: Maria

Hello my name is Maria, I was born in

Oakland but raised in Mexico for most of my

life. I’m 17 years old and I’m the second

oldest out of 5 siblings. My 9 year old

brother is autistic which requires me to take

care of him after school. I love makeup and

putting it on in the mornings. With my make

up I am able to express myself. I’m a senior

at Unity High School. My favorite after

school program is Techbridge because we

learn so many new things. My favorite

classes are those that require me to use

math. I love math and I’m really good at it.

When I grow up I want to be an engineer. I’m the first in my family who wants to attend college

and become a professional. I want to be a positive role model to my younger brothers and break the

stereotype that Hispanic girls have in Oakland.

Googleplex Scavenger Hunt Activity - Techbridge Girls Model Toolkit... · Googleplex Scavenger Hunt...

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