17 Gestalt Theory Scavenger Hunt
Arley Cruthers
Activity Guidelines
Suggested Course Level
Lower level undergraduate
Activity Purpose
- Students will explore Gestalt Theory by finding real-world examples of Gestalt Theory principles in action.
Materials Required
- Scavenger hunt handout
- Pens
- Small prizes
- Cell phones
Activity Instructions
- Either deliver a lecture on Gestalt Theory or have students do a reading on it.
- Then, explain the rules of the Great Gestalt Scavenger Hunt.
- Break students into groups of 4 or 5 and give them one handout per group.
- Students will be given 15 minutes to go around campus and find good and bad examples of Gestalt Theory principles. Most students will use posters/signs, but architecture also counts.
- When they find an example, they must take a photo with a cellphone.
- Tell students that they should use the scavenger hunt sheet to note what example represents what principle, since it’s easy to forget. For example, if they wanted to use a poster advertising an English class on Shakespeare to represent a good example of Figure-Ground Segregation, they would write “Shakespeare English poster” under that category on the sheet.
- They must find a unique example for each principle. (For example, you couldn’t use the same poster to represent both Figure-Ground Segregation and Closure.)
- Students will get a bonus for finding something that showcases all of the principles we discussed.
- Make sure to remind students to be respectful of other classrooms going on when they are moving through the hallways.
- When a group is done, they will return to the class and you will look at their examples and score them.
- The first team to find all good and bad examples of Gestalt Theory principles gets a small prize.
- You may also choose to have an additional prize for the team that finds something that represents all principles.
Debrief Questions / Activities
- What was the hardest principle to find?
- How can you apply what you just learned to your resume/report/other upcoming assignment?
- How did your group work together?
Additional Resources / Supplementary Resources
- Cruthers,Arley GestaltTheoryScavengerHunt Handout PDF
- Cruthers,Arley GestaltTheoryScavengerHunt Handout WORD
Tags: document formatting, visual communication, communication models, small group, game, Gestalt Theory, scavenger hunt, communication theory
