Two partners, sitting opposite each other, create a design in this exhibit, but only one person actually sees it! That’s because one person makes it—and the other partner can’t see what’s going on: His or her view is blocked!

The person who makes the design is the “Explainer.” The partner is the “Listener” and has to pay careful attention to the Explainer’s instructions on how the design was made. There are six pieces of different shapes and colors inside a clear plastic cover with arm holes. The Explainer makes a design inside the box with all the pieces, then describes how it was done. The Explainer has to use words that name the shapes and colors and words that describe direction and position.

For example, if the Explainer makes a house out of the shapes, he or she might say, “Put the green rectangle in a vertical (up and down) position. Put the blue triangle above the rectangle.” If you make a “sun,” you could say, “Put the yellow semi-circle in the upper right corner.” Other helpful words and groups of words are to the left (or right) of, below, next to, under, over, and so on.

What happens if the Listener doesn’t listen carefully? Suppose the Explainer’s instructions aren’t clear? If you’re a Listener, it’s okay to ask questions and ask for more explanation if you don’t understand something—but it’s not okay to get up and look! Have fun, but don’t peek!

If you’re an Explainer, use words that are exact and say what you mean. See how close the Listener can come to your design. If you explain well, the Listener should be able to create a design that’s very close to yours—or even make an exact match! Then switch places! Are you as good at listening as you are at explaining?