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Darya Nemati Capstone

Posted by Darya Nemati in Capstone - Block - Wed on

​Abstract:

My partner, Marlyn, and I began a partnership with Benjamin Franklin Science Corner in Paraguay this past October. The Science Corner hosted a series of science festivals throughout several cities this year and we were given the opportunity to be a part of the excitement. The goal of the festivals was to present science in a fun and engaging manner for students who are not fortunate enough to learn the material in school.

We cultivated a relationship via email and video chat with a group of five engineers. Marlyn and I quickly became familiarized with the education system in Paraguay. After some introductory conversations where we learned each other's strengths, we were given the task of displaying physics and chemistry concepts through simple experiments using materials that were easily accessible to the engineers in Paraguay. Each experiment that was displayed at the fairs required an intricate process to ensure the most successful outcome. My partner and I divided the work so that we each had very specific goals. My goal was to research and create science topics that would be exciting for students between the ages of eight and eighteen. Marlyn’s goal was to display the experiments chosen in the most engaging and creative way. After brainstorming ideas, we began the google hangouts to inquire about materials available and ideas for improvement. There was a good deal of back and forth communication before the final experiments were sent over to the engineers. The last step in the process was the troubleshooting, which took place after the experiments were created by the engineers. 

The first festival took place in the city of Caacupé on October 25th. The engineers were able to find and hotspot in order for Marlyn and I to witness the fair live. Hundreds of young students were in attendance, testing the experiments we had created for the festival. The look of fascination on the students’ faces was exhilarating. The second fair took place on March 27th in Villa Hayes and the last one will be held in Villarrica on May 29th. 


Final Product:

http://phillytoparaguay.weebly.com/


Bibliography:


  1. Mr. VK

    1. The most important source I can name is our mentor, Mr. Vk, who brought this project to us and has helped us tremendously along the way. Mr. VK is our number one source when it comes to communication with the engineers in Paraguay. He is cc’ed on all emails that are sent back and forth. He checks all work that is being sent over to the engineers before it is sent and always gives us his input. VK has also been a source for other sources that have come our way such as books and articles.


  1. Claudia & other engineers @ the ben franklin science corner

    1. Claudia, our main contact in Paraguay, works with a group of five other engineers at the Benjamin Franklin Science Corner. The BFSC has developed a partnership with the Franklin Institute, which is how my partner and I became involved. The BFSC is one of the organizations featured in the science fairs being held around the country of Paraguay. All of our science experiment proposals have been sent to Claudia and the group of engineers, who build the actual models and test all experiments before taking them to the fairs. We have had many google hangouts to help with experiment testing in any way we can and make any changes to the procedures or materials if necessary.


  1. "Benjamin Franklin Science Corner - About - Google+." Benjamin Franklin Science Corner - About - Google+. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <https://plus.google.com/+BenjaminFranklinScienceCornerAsunci%C3%B3n/about?gl=us&hl=en>

    1. The Benjamin Franklin Science Corner is the organization we are in communication with in Paraguay. Their mission is to bring science and technology to students who are not fortunate enough to get the experience in school. Most students in Paraguay are only in school for four to five hours a day and have no hands on science curriculum whatsoever. The Science Corner supports Paraguayan education by promoting science and technology among the youth and by promoting scientific education. The Benjamin Franklin Science Corner website has a blog and many photos that have aided us in our capstone process.


  1. "Fun Cool Exciting Science Experiments for Children and Kids." Fun Cool Exciting Science Experiments for Children and Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://weirdsciencekids.com/FunExperiments.html>

    1. This source provides information about science experiments that will be used in our proposals to the engineers in Paraguay. The science fairs were organized with the intention of giving students around the area, who don’t have a strong science curriculum in their schools, the opportunity to get hands on science experience. This source provides many experiments that are simple and entertaining for the younger kids at the fair. The oobleck experiment was one of the most successful ones, despite the fact that it was one of the simplest ones. This source has brought many ideas to our attention, whether we use the specific experiment or not.


  1. "Experimental Procedure." Experimental Procedure. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://www.angelfire.com/scifi2/physics600/procedure.html>

    1. This source was used to create the Trebuchet for the first science fair and will be used again to better the second version of the model. We used this source only as a template for our model. The units we use here are different than the ones used in Paraguay, therefore we had to convert all units to the metric system. After doing that we also had to scale the original trebuchet down because size was a factor for the engineers. Although there were other procedures for trebuchets that we looked at, this source was the most comprehensive and specific one we found.


  1. "Chemistry." Science Fair Projects, Ideas, and Experiments. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.<http://www.sciencefairadventure.com/Chemistry.aspx>

    1. This source was used for the ideas on Chemistry experiments. We had about four chemistry experiment proposals for the first fair. One was the shiny penny experiment which is always a classic for kids and very easy to show. The second, was also a simple one that involved the reaction between vinegar and baking soda. Another proposal was for an experiment that involved making slime, which is a great way to get students to do some very hands-on work in a fun way. The last one consisted of making saturated copper sulfate solution. The goal for many of these experiments was to create them using the most simple and attainable materials possible.   


  1. "Physics Science Fair Project Ideas." Physics Science Fair Project Ideas. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/Intro-Physics.shtml>

    1. This source was used for the ideas on Physics experiments. We had about four physics experiment proposals for the first fair. The first one was building a parachute and using different shapes for the parachute to see the difference it would make. The second involved watching the motion of a trash bag filled with air. Another experiment was a water bottle toss, involving a water bottle with a poked hole in the cap. This experiment was a test of gravity. The last experiment, and my personal favorite was building a gyroscope using a bicycle wheel. The goal for many of these experiments was to create them using the most simple and attainable materials possible.  


  1. "Thinking about How to Evaluate Your Program? These Strategies Will Get You Started. Gajda, Rebecca & Jennifer Jewiss." Thinking about How to Evaluate Your Program? These Strategies Will Get You Started. Gajda, Rebecca & Jennifer Jewiss. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=9&n=8>

    1. Although our capstone is not necessary building a program, we decided that there should still be some type of evaluation to ensure our work was making progress. This source gives information on the most effective ways of evaluating a program and much more. The source includes a clear outline of the steps needed in order to evaluate the program, it’s progress, and it’s effectiveness. The source enforces the fact that having a specific audience is essential. Quantity and quality are both factors that are explained in depth. Assessing outcomes, achievements and indicators is very important in maintaining success in a program.


  1. "Designing a Survey." Designing a Survey. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Soc_survey.shtml>

    1. This source will come in handy when making the surveys for the next fair. I wasn’t expecting to have to research this, I thought I could just create one but then it dawned on me that I’d never made one. I didn’t know where to start so I decided why not look it up? Sure enough I found many credible sites, but I chose this one because it is specifically based on creating surveys revolving around science courses and curriculums, which is exactly what I will be evaluating. This source gives me ideas on what questions to ask, as well as objectives to keep in mind and templates to use.


  1. "The Popular Education News: What Is Popular Education?" The Popular Education News: What Is Popular Education? N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.popednews.org/newsletters/definitions.html>

    1. This source is valuable in learning how we want to connect with the students at the fair. Although, we won’t be there with them we want projects they see to be as meaningful as possible. Our goal is that students learn some science in a much more interactive way then they are used to. Popular education is a collective effort, one that engages students and allows them to work together and participate in the material. Popular education begins with learning the students’ ability and knowledge, which is what we want to learn through the surveys we will be giving at the next fair.

Alaina Silverman Capstone

Posted by Alaina Silverman in Capstone - Block - Wed on

Abstract

Reading is one of my greatest passions and I am dedicated to discovering as many stories as I can. Writing a beautiful or exhilarating story is one of the most difficult and unlauded tasks a person can take on - it took me almost a year of unsuccessfully trying to write for my capstone to learn this. During this time, my characters, plot, and fictional world went through so many iterations that the narrative I have now barely resembles what I thought I would write back in September. Even with guidance from Mr. Miles and many writing how-tos, it took time to create unique characters. Though I have not written as nearly as much as I want for this capstone (only 10,000 words), I fully anticipate completing my novel in the upcoming months for my own satisfaction.


The story focuses on a very distant future where the world is ‘at capacity’ - there is no space for people, which leads to the degeneration of civil behavior. When this society inevitably collapses, the plot then jumps to a point past this to examine the aftermath.


Capstone Excerpt - Chapter One 

Works Cited

"Beyond the Cliché: How to Create Characters That Fascinate | Write to Done." Write to Done Beyond the Cliche How to Create Characters That Fascinate Comments. N.p., 06 Apr. 2012. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://writetodone.com/how-to-create-characters/>.

I chose writing a short novel as my capstone because I wanted to bring something new to the metaphorical literary gene pool; this source is all about cliche characters, and how to avoid them. Even though I am familiar with many tropes through my own reading experience, it was incredibly helpful to have some of them listed out along with ways to make sure my characters are unique. I believe this source is credible because the writer of the article is also the author of several books (whose genres range from young adult novels to historical fiction). She has also written a book on how to improve writing techniques.


Gerrold, David. Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy. Cincinnati, OH:

Writer's Digest, 2001. Print.


This book is aimed directly at science fiction and fantasy novel writers, but many of the tips and advice can carry over into other genres of literature. Worlds of Wonder is full of writing exercises that are fun and interesting to complete; I like the focus that the author puts on creating a sense of wonder in the reader, and how or where to draw inspiration from. He also brings up good points about the importance of consistency and how to make sure a story maintains its believability right from the start. This source is and will be incredibly useful to read through when I am in the process of writing.


Gingerich, Jon. "Five Plot Devices That Hurt Your Writing." LitReactor. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://litreactor.com/columns/five-plot-devices-that-hurt-your-writing>.

I am not used to writing plots - most of the writing I have done in the past five years has been academic essays and informative narratives. Now that I am dipping my toes into stories, which require a plot, this website is a good place to start familiarizes myself with what I should not do. Some of the things to avoid I already know I am susceptible to doing - such as the deus ex machina and writing too much of my personal experience in. The advice the site gives on not getting caught in these pitfalls is sound.


"The Golden Rules for a Good Plot | Scribendi.com." The Golden Rules for a Good Plot | Scribendi.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.scribendi.com/advice/goldenrulesforagoodplot.en.html>.

This site is full of writing resources, mainly focused on logistics and how or when to get things done. This particular article elaborates on the process of making a good plot. It comes from the opinion that plot should be established before the story is written; someone writing a story should create a ‘skeleton’ or outline with the intention of staying on track when doing actual writing. This would be good for me to do because I often go on tangents when I write, which takes up time that could have been spent on editing or furthering my story and capstone.


."How to Write Dialogue That Works – Elements of a Story." How to Write Dialogue That Works – Elements of a Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.creative-writing-now.com/how-to-write-dialogue.html>.

Dialogue is one of the trickiest parts of any book; good dialogue fleshes out characters and gives insight into the world, but bad plot can turn a reader away from the story entirely. This website is concise and gives examples of both what not to do and what to emulate because it’s so good. I plan on having my cast of characters interact with each other extensively. Since this means I will have a quite a bit of dialogue, I want to make sure I am doing my story and characters credit and am not being melodramatic, boring, or unrealistic.


Kirkman, John, and Christopher Turk. Effective Writing: Improving Scientific, Technical and Business Communication. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Google Books. Google. Web. <http://books.google.com/books?id=JwN6AgAAQBAJ&pg=PT120&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false>.

Effective Writing is an interesting book on a writer can create flow in their stories. Another noteworthy aspect of the book is that it also addresses charts and images, and how that can add to or detract from the reader’s understanding. Reminiscent of The Elements of Style by Strunk and White, this book examines word choice, brevity versus colloquialisms, and how to write in an active (rather than passive) manner.  This is important for me because I write many of my academic (and especially scientific) essays in a passive voice to avoid making false generalizations and referring to myself; in a story, a passive voice doesn’t serve the purpose of getting the story across.


"Story Lite Writers Software to Maximize Productivity." Story Lite Productivity Software for Writing and Editing. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.storylite.com/how-to-use-story-lite-software/short-story-stories-novella-writer/>.

While the website is essentially one large ad for writing software, this particular page calls out the difference in anecdotes, novellas, and full length stories. It gives examples of authors who wrote short stories before moving on to longer works of fiction, and also writers who started with short stories but then expanded them into full novels. In describing the distinction between anecdotes and short stories, it also describes what elements make either one good and enjoyable to read. The site also says the most compelling short stories deal with powerful themes, like ageing or love. I hadn’t thought of defining my stories in terms of themes, I think it would be interesting to do so.


"TARA K. HARPERWRITER'S WORKSHOP First Person or Third?" First Person or Third Person? N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.tarakharper.com/k_frstpr.htm>.

Before I start writing, I need to commit myself to a certain style of writing. At its core, this

means either first person, or third person. Both has merits; with first person, I have access to the thoughts and feelings of my main character, while with third person, I have more control over what the reader takes away from my population of characters as a whole. There are also detriments to both: for example, with first person, the narration is limited to the owner of the point of view. The point of view I choose will directly affect how i write my story.


"Voice in Writing: Developing a Unique Writing Voice." WritersDigestcom. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/voice-in-writing-developing-a-unique-writing-voice>.

This article explains the importance of developing a writing voice. I like that a writing voice isn’t described in terms of strength, but rather how true and distinct it is from other voices. I also like that the author took the time to contrast ‘writing voice’ from ‘style’, where voice is the the authors sensibilities and personality coming through. This is important in the foundation of my story, making sure I keep my voice and don’t ‘pick up’ other author’s traits accidentally. Keeping my voice consistent is also very important; since I will be writing in bursts, there might be some fluctuation in how I write.


Wending, Chuck. "The Zero-Fuckery Quick-Create Guide To Kick-Ass Characters (And All The Crazy Plot Stuff That Surrounds 'Em)."Terribleminds Chuck Wendig. N.p., 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/10/28/plot-and-character/>.

This article was written in an accessible, humorous way. The author disapproves of, and explains why he disapproves of, typical character mapping and character quizzes. Knowing what a character’s favorite color, or how tall they are, ultimately does nothing to develop their personality. Instead, Wending gives the reader a myriad of other exercises to do to help ground a particular character - like writing a 100 character bio for them. The article also explains where plot really comes from; not only is plot derived from conflict, but the character’s inability or unwillingness to address an issue affects the storyline greatly. Figuring out how a character relates to an event is important to establish before writing.



Other Sources

Burroway, Janet, Elizabeth Stuckey-French, and Ned Stuckey-French. Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft. Boston: Longman, 2011. Print.


Cohen, Richard. Writer's Mind: Crafting Fiction. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Pub. Group, 1995. Print.


"What Makes a Good Story? Tips for Young Authors." What Makes a Good Story? (Tips for Young Authors). N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. <http://www.aaronshep.com/youngauthor/elements.html>.


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2014-15

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