Best Gen-Nano Game Competition
The Network for Computational Nanotechnology (NCN) is accepting proposals from students on Purdue West Lafayette campus interested in designing a storyboard for an interactive K-12 learning activity to be published within one of the learning modules of the generation-nano.org website, which aims to excite middle school children about science by teaching them nanotechnology concepts. The individual or team authors of the three winning storyboards will receive cash awards of up to $300. Additional prizes will be awarded to authors of activities selected for implementation.
Awards
There'll be 3 prizes given to the individual or team authors of the winning storyboards:
- 1st prize: $300 in cash
- 2nd prize: $200 in cash
- 3rd prize: $100 in cash
If a storyboard does not receive one of the first three awards but is selected for implementation, the author will get one of the smaller value ($25-$50) prizes in cash or Purdue bookstore gift certificate.
Competition Details
Competition Timeline
- Competition announcement: Jan 16, 2008
- Pre-proposal submissions* by: Feb 15, 2008
- Storyboard submission deadline: Mar 15, 2008
EXTENDED: Fri, Mar 21 - Winners announcement: Apr 1, 2008
*You are welcome to contact us with questions before submitting the final proposal. As an option, you can write to us with a brief description of your idea, so that we can evaluate it beforehand and give directions. We can also help hook you up with people in education or engineering.
Rules & Eligibility
The competition is open to all undergraduates and graduates on Purdue West Lafayette campus. Storyboard proposals are accepted from individual participants or teams. Only one award will be given per individual or team authoring the winning storyboard.
The goal of the proposed activity should be to accomplish a well-defined learning objective in one of the suggested topics, and involve a level of challenge appropriate for middle school children. The activity can either be exploratory or competitive, with an embedded scoring mechanism. In either case, it should require user interaction, be engaging and fun to the user, and provide appropriate feedback to the user about his or her efforts. Finally, the activity should be designed with respect to the generation-nano.org conceptual and technical framework*.
Activity Topics:
- Structure of Matter: All matter is composed of atoms that are in constant motion. Atoms interact with each other to form molecules. The next higher level of organization involves atoms, molecules or nanoscale structures interacting with each other to form nanoscale assemblies. The arrangement of the building blocks gives a material its properties.
- Size-Dependent Properties: The properties of matter can change with scale. In particular, as the size of a material approaches the nanoscale, it often exhibits unexpected properties that lead to new functionality.
- Forces: All interactions can be described by multiple types of forces, but the relative impact of these forces changes with scale. On the nanoscale, a range of electrical forces with varying strengths tends to dominate the interactions between objects.
- Self-Assembly: Under specific conditions, some materials can spontaneously assemble into organized structures. This process provides a useful means for manipulating matter at the nanoscale.
For more detailed information about these topics, refer to the Big Ideas of Nanoscience document in Chapter 3.
*Refer to the Resources section of the site for examples and recommendations.
Evaluation Criteria & Judging Process
The evaluation criteria for storyboard proposals include their potential for successful implementation, creative approach, quality and thoroughness of storyboard design and motivational value for learning.
Judges will be drawn from the Network for Computational Nanotechnology (NCN), the NanoHUB development team and academic advisors on the Generation-Nano project.