Picture This B

[Adi1008]

So I'm doing Picture This, with about 12 other people, and we're all pretty much clueless, since everyone who did it last year graduated. Does anyone here have any recommendations on how we would test each other with words? Should we just find random terms and draw them or limit words to a specific science, like earth science?

Last year my partners and I just found random words and drew them using pencils/paper (finding a whiteboard was hard). Most of the time they would just be random words we thought of on the spot but sometimes we'd find a science dictionary online.

Another thing I'd like to point out to anybody doing picture this - continuity isn't everything. It doesn't matter too much if your partners change (my partners changed multiple times throughout the year). For example, last year my team got a new partner for picture this only a couple of weeks before Texas state (which is about 2.5 weeks before nats?) and we got second at both state and nationals because we worked super hard and practiced a lot. It can be an inconvenience, but there is no substitute for hard work, dedication, and practice.

If you work as hard as you can you can do anything. There is no secret to picture this, and arguably any event in science olympiad other than just working as hard as you can. Good luck!

[chscioly]

So I'm doing Picture This, with about 12 other people, and we're all pretty much clueless, since everyone who did it last year graduated. Does anyone here have any recommendations on how we would test each other with words? Should we just find random terms and draw them or limit words to a specific science, like earth science?

Last year my partners and I just found random words and drew them using pencils/paper (finding a whiteboard was hard). Most of the time they would just be random words we thought of on the spot but sometimes we'd find a science dictionary online.

Another thing I'd like to point out to anybody doing picture this - continuity isn't everything. It doesn't matter too much if your partners change (my partners changed multiple times throughout the year). For example, last year my team got a new partner for picture this only a couple of weeks before Texas state (which is about 2.5 weeks before nats?) and we got second at both state and nationals because we worked super hard and practiced a lot. It can be an inconvenience, but there is no substitute for hard work, dedication, and practice.

If you work as hard as you can you can do anything. There is no secret to picture this, and arguably any event in science olympiad other than just working as hard as you can. Good luck!

Thank you so much!!!!

[Jaol]

So I'm doing Picture This, with about 12 other people, and we're all pretty much clueless, since everyone who did it last year graduated. Does anyone here have any recommendations on how we would test each other with words? Should we just find random terms and draw them or limit words to a specific science, like earth science?

Last year my partners and I just found random words and drew them using pencils/paper (finding a whiteboard was hard). Most of the time they would just be random words we thought of on the spot but sometimes we'd find a science dictionary online.

Another thing I'd like to point out to anybody doing picture this - continuity isn't everything. It doesn't matter too much if your partners change (my partners changed multiple times throughout the year). For example, last year my team got a new partner for picture this only a couple of weeks before Texas state (which is about 2.5 weeks before nats?) and we got second at both state and nationals because we worked super hard and practiced a lot. It can be an inconvenience, but there is no substitute for hard work, dedication, and practice.

If you work as hard as you can you can do anything. There is no secret to picture this, and arguably any event in science olympiad other than just working as hard as you can. Good luck!

If you don't mind, how long did you practice each day for Pic This?

[Adi1008]

So I'm doing Picture This, with about 12 other people, and we're all pretty much clueless, since everyone who did it last year graduated. Does anyone here have any recommendations on how we would test each other with words? Should we just find random terms and draw them or limit words to a specific science, like earth science?

Last year my partners and I just found random words and drew them using pencils/paper (finding a whiteboard was hard). Most of the time they would just be random words we thought of on the spot but sometimes we'd find a science dictionary online.

Another thing I'd like to point out to anybody doing picture this - continuity isn't everything. It doesn't matter too much if your partners change (my partners changed multiple times throughout the year). For example, last year my team got a new partner for picture this only a couple of weeks before Texas state (which is about 2.5 weeks before nats?) and we got second at both state and nationals because we worked super hard and practiced a lot. It can be an inconvenience, but there is no substitute for hard work, dedication, and practice.

If you work as hard as you can you can do anything. There is no secret to picture this, and arguably any event in science olympiad other than just working as hard as you can. Good luck!

If you don't mind, how long did you practice each day for Pic This?

This is how it went down starting around 2-3 weeks before state (and about 4-5 weeks before nationals), where we got a new team member. Before this practices would be a lot less structured, only a couple of hours each week.

On the weekdays, we'd practice as much as we could wherever we could - passing periods, in class, walking to BDJH (two of the people were high schoolers), etc. Once we arrived at BDJH we'd generally practice another hour or so with the third partner. In all, it'd be about 1.5-2 hours on weekdays.

Weekends varied a lot. Some days would be 2, others would be 4. There would be a lot of stuff over email and facebook.

The weeks of nationals we probably did about 3 hours a day at the dorms in the study room and just random stuff throughout the day, on the bus or walking somewhere (maybe an hour or two). Practice sessions could go pretty late - generally until around 12:00-12:30am

[JoJoKeKe]

Just a question I had regarding this event, since I've recently been assigned to it:

Let's say, for example, the word is "Animal Cell" // You draw a picture and your partner guesses the word "Cell", could you draw +____ to emphasize that there needs to be a word in front of what they say? Or, if they say the first word in a two word term, could you write ____+ ??

Thank you for this information.

[Adi1008]

Just a question I had regarding this event, since I've recently been assigned to it:

Let's say, for example, the word is "Animal Cell" // You draw a picture and your partner guesses the word "Cell", could you draw +____ to emphasize that there needs to be a word in front of what they say? Or, if they say the first word in a two word term, could you write ____+ ??

Thank you for this information.

We did neither. The plus and minus were used only to say that the beginning/end of a word that they said needed to be longer/shorter. For example, -__abiotic__ would be biotic and +__grade___ could be prograde.

If we wanted to say animal cell after they had guessed cell, we would just draw a line before (to the left) of the word they had already guessed, if that line was not already drawn.

[Nick G CWCA]

Just a question I had regarding this event, since I've recently been assigned to it:

Let's say, for example, the word is "Animal Cell" // You draw a picture and your partner guesses the word "Cell", could you draw +____ to emphasize that there needs to be a word in front of what they say? Or, if they say the first word in a two word term, could you write ____+ ??

Thank you for this information.

If they guessed one of the words you can write it and a line to show there is another word (for example: the word is cell wall and they say cell, you can write cell ____) or an attached line for an affix (for example: the word is premature and they say mature, you can write ___mature).

[JoJoKeKe]

Thank you to all the people who have commented. It's very helpful.

So, for the example you gave of +___grade___, could you simplify it to '+___grade' to show that the plus comes in front of the word, or do you have to leave it ambiguous?

In addition, can you draw words completely unrelated to the given word, or even science? For example, the word is "Kingdom" in terms of taxonomy, and you draw a crown to symbolize royalty. I doubt this is possible, but want to know before my partner and I go ahead in this.

I feel as if I'm left guessing what you actually can draw. If the word is "gravity", could you draw an earth with an arrow pointing down towards it? It doesn't say arrows are allowed, so I'm slightly confused here... In a similar instance, the word is "mole", is it possible to draw 6 dots with 2 small ones to symbolize the 6.02 in Avogadro's, with an arrow pointing to a question mark that is circled to emphasize that this equals ___?

If these questions could be answered than I would be so grateful, because it would be devastating to my Nationals-Attending team if I were to get disqualified in this event!!!

If you have any other pointers or suggestions please let me know.

Thanks!

EDIT: I apologize everyone, but I have yet another question. My partner and I were practicing for the word "Hypertension" and decided it would be appropriate to draw a heart with an up arrow right next to it. Is this acceptable since there is an arrow pointing up? I'm feeling really stressed about the rules relating to "symbols", and don't really know how to interpret them! I know that this heavily depends on the supervisor, but if you could give me any pointers on things that are and aren't allowed (ex. smiley faces to show symbiotic relationships), then please let me know. I'm also curious to if you can draw a group of words unrelated to the word given (e.g. an asteroid and a belt for "asteroid belt")

[Rising Suns]

I have two questions for those that have participated in Picture This in previous years...

1. Do the teams know the number of terms before they start?
2. Can either the sketcher or guesser pass?

Thanks!

[Jaol]

I have two questions for those that have participated in Picture This in previous years...

1. Do the teams know the number of terms before they start?
2. Can either the sketcher or guesser pass?

Thanks!

1. I usually ask the proctor nicely how many words there are.
2. Yes. Anyone can pass.