Write It Do It B/C

[dorrheart4]

me and my twin sister are in this competition this year...do you think that helps anything?

Well, do you guys often think alike? If so, then yes; if not, it probably won't give you any particular advantage.

yeah we do actually...we still have to go over very detailed things though...
also i think it helps with measurements if you use your fingers since our hands and knuckles and everything are the same size...

[sewforlife]

my regionals are tomorrow, and I discovered a week ago on the State site clarifications that WIDI for regionals may use different materials then legos... I can't prepare.

Were you only practicing with legos?

yes, but in regionals it was legos...
YAY. but I didn't place..

[HaileyDenton]

I am new to science olympiad, and doesnt understand many of the events that i am in, particlarly Write it Do it. i understand the concept of it, but not how you can prepare, can anyone help me out? (:

[jazzy009]

WIDI is a writing/Doing event (if you didn't get that from the name). I suggest you get a partner, figure out who is the better writer and who is the better doer. Then get a 3rd party to make you devices (out of k'nex, legos, random objects, etc.) then just follow the rules and treat the practice like a competition. Should work well.

[HaileyDenton]

Thanks for the help(:

[Phenylethylamine]

I did WIDI yesterday (for the first time in competition since 8th grade) at the Athens Area Invitational in PA. The structure was made out of seven plastic straws (three bendy, four straight), two bobby pins and an index card. Sound simple?
Well, the index card was folded. Seven folds. And it had pen lines on it.
It was pretty brutal.

I got 24th (...out of 27 teams); could be I'm out of practice, could be that my partner was really another Writer and didn't have much experience as a Doer. Probably some combination of the two. In any case, I need to practice, and I need to figure out who my partner is going to be for States (since we're not doing it at Regionals). I'm really hoping I can get my partner from two years ago again (we're the 3rd-place-at-Nats dream team lol), but I don't know if it will happen.

[CJAP Crazy MMM]

SIngle letters how does that really help? what would really be helpful would be if we could use like computer symbols like % @ # $ * that would rock!

New for this year: we can write single letters. Does anyone thing that will help for anything? I suppose you could use it as a numbering system but I always use...well numbers.

[CJAP Crazy MMM]

Ouch! that is brutal! Maybe thats something i could practice with my partner????

I did WIDI yesterday (for the first time in competition since 8th grade) at the Athens Area Invitational in PA. The structure was made out of seven plastic straws (three bendy, four straight), two bobby pins and an index card. Sound simple?
Well, the index card was folded. Seven folds. And it had pen lines on it.
It was pretty brutal.

I got 24th (...out of 27 teams); could be I'm out of practice, could be that my partner was really another Writer and didn't have much experience as a Doer. Probably some combination of the two. In any case, I need to practice, and I need to figure out who my partner is going to be for States (since we're not doing it at Regionals). I'm really hoping I can get my partner from two years ago again (we're the 3rd-place-at-Nats dream team lol), but I don't know if it will happen.

[CJAP Crazy MMM]

IDK maybe i was doing really well with my twin problem was...he bailed

me and my twin sister are in this competition this year...do you think that helps anything?

[Phenylethylamine]

SIngle letters how does that really help? what would really be helpful would be if we could use like computer symbols like % @ # $ * that would rock!

New for this year: we can write single letters. Does anyone thing that will help for anything? I suppose you could use it as a numbering system but I always use...well numbers.

What would you use computer symbols like that for?
Single letters are extremely useful for 'naming' pieces (e.g., "...the first blue pipe cleaner (piece A)..."), which can significantly reduce the number of words you have to write (it's much more convenient to write "A" than to write out "the first blue pipe cleaner" every time you want to mention it).

Ouch! that is brutal! Maybe thats something i could practice with my partner????

I did WIDI yesterday (for the first time in competition since 8th grade) at the Athens Area Invitational in PA. The structure was made out of seven plastic straws (three bendy, four straight), two bobby pins and an index card. Sound simple?
Well, the index card was folded. Seven folds. And it had pen lines on it.
It was pretty brutal.

I recommend practicing with all different kinds of materials, folded paper included. It's definitely a good idea to know your Legos and Knex, but I also recommend that you try some structures using pipe cleaners, paper, popsicle sticks, styrofoam, and any other random material you have lying around. There seems to be a trend recently toward random structures rather than building-toy structures, at least in some states.

Just a suggestion: you can have multiple quotes in the same post, so instead of three little posts, you could combine them all into one, like this. It makes the thread a little less cluttered.