Presentations & C.A.S.H. Projects

This is a display that was in the lobby at Avenue Q, playing at the Spreckles Theater in San Diego. The national tour starts HERE! Which one is real picture of me and which two faces of me were Photoshopped in?

The students had two presentations to do today in my Science Communication class: two important concepts in the movie making process and a Photoshop technique they used in their postcard. They did a good job conveying content. Some were really great presenters - making eye contact, asking questions of the audience and projecting their voices. With a little more practice, they will be ready for the final presentations. They have demonstrated that they are learning quite a lot! In listening to their presentations, most of them reiterated that pre-production is important. That was what they found the most important thing to share. Many talked about scripting and storyboarding. Which is great because that's what they'll do for their final projects and THEY'VE discovered/learned that it's important due to their own research - not just me saying so.

So, their next presentation/project is to write a proposal for an invention or experiement - demonstrating the use of engineering methodologies or the scientific method. They are not to do the experiment or create the invention - just dream up a "fake" one. They will be presenting to C.A.S.H - the Committee for the Advancement of Scientific Humor. They are supposed to have fun with it and come up with something that would implement scientific/engineering principles. No real cash involved, but I think I'll come up with a prize for the best "invention" or "experiment". In the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair (GSDSEF), we call these "fake" projects. On the surface, they look real and follow the scientific method (good practice), but it's meant for fun. I shared the story of one of the fake projects done when I was in high school -- "Urine Content in Mission Bay". It looked real, the experimentation looked authentic, but the data and conclusions were all made up. Essentially, it said that within 1/10 a mile of the shore, the bay was 99% urine. Of course, that wasn't true, but to the layperson, it sure looked real. The Student Advisory Board (SAB) for the GSDSEF has great fun flexing their presentation and scientific and engineering methodologies creating the CASH projects.

I'm trying to think of what kind of prize to offer the proposal and presentation team that "wins." Sort of like the award or "grant" they would win if it were real. I wonder if they have microwaves in the residence halls. Hmm...

Finally, sorry to my Cluster 1 students if I wasn't quite my peppy self today. I woke up with a headache. I haven't been drinking enough water the last few days apparently and I'm prone to dehyrdation headaches. By the time I realized that I was starting to suffer yesterday, it was hard to cut off what was inevitable. So, a lesson to everyone -- drink plenty of water!!! It's warm, especially with all the walking in the sun we do here at COSMOS. You may not realize you are losing water, but you are. Maybe now, it manifests itself as being tired, but it could get worse. Drink water - otherwise you're forcing yourself to drink water and the thought of it makes you want to throw up. Anyhow, I'll be more myself tomorrow -- that's the plan!