Harry Potter and the Goblet of Firewire
The Ferry Trip to Bowen
I'll make a sign that says Ferry Lane 9 3/4 and get some kids to pose under it. Of course the bash in the side of the CNIB van was caused by arriving late once and trying to drive through the concrete barrier between lines 9 and 10 and the drivers should argue with the ticket seller that there's no Lane 9 3/4. The camp was created so that witches and wizards who came from families such as the Dursleys would never have to go home for summer holidays again.
The Sorting Hat (or Headphones)
When kids arrive we’re going to sort the kids into Houses using Headphones with JAWS announcing their Houses. If we know the camper list before hand we can write little blurbs that JAWS can read and call them forward in that order. I think some kids might be traumatized to be put in Slytherin, and others would love it. Evil Steve Barclay is dying to be head of Slytherin, and he can help identify his henchmen...
The Schedule
Wakeup is Rising of the Phoenixes
Lights Out is Light-Out-Putter.
Computer Lab 1 is Harry Potter and the Chamber of SET-BC
Computer Lab 2 is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Aroga
Small Groups are House Meetings
Messaging time in the Computer Lab is Owl Time
The meeting room is the Great Hall
Mealtimes could be Feasts
The Dance can be the Yule Ball
The Bowen-Botts Every-Flavoured Jelly Belly contest
I'll pick up some of the genuine jelly bellies and the taste key. I’ll try to pick some reasonable flavours. Every camper (blindfolded) gets one bean to taste, and if they can correctly identify the flavour, their House gets a point. If they get it wrong, we can say things like sorry that flavour is 256 MB of Ram.
Campfire Singalong
Linda has agreed to come and do the singalong one evening. The first day in lab, they’re making up new verses for the Bowen Camp song, so we’ll get those printed and Brailled.
We'll also make large print and Braille copies of the Hogwarts School Song (from the first book) and ask each student (maybe each House) to decide which tune they want to use because the idea is that they all sing a different tune. Maybe they can have a few practices in small group. If we have a singalong, we could open with that, or we could just sing it at dinner or the closing certificate ceremony.
The Gringotts So You Want to Be a Millionnaire Challenge
The money amounts will be Galleons.
The lifelines could be Ask Your House, Owl a Friend (we need an owl on a long stick), and Make Two Answers Vanish.
What could be the equivalent of Consult the Oracle at Delphi we had for the Greek theme?
We'll get the kids to make up the questions during the first lab time.
Birthdays
Are there any birthdays at camp? Hallmark has some cool talking cards. I’ll pick up at least 1 for a girl and 1 for a boy.
Computer Lab
In lab, we're going to be doing challenges with the aim of getting the campers to use the technology to produce writing, photography, music etc. We will have a technician on site to put up their creations on the SET-BC Virtual Voices Village website by the next day so they (and parents and friends) can see what's happening at camp. Each day there will be 5 types of challenges.
A writing challenge: report on camp event, diary entries, etc.
A video blog challenge: photos of camp events, trick photography, etc.
An audio blog challenge: interviews, magical sound bytes
A magic of tech challenge: discovering faster ways to do ordinary tasks, exploring some of the more magical features of the tech they already use, ways to drive their teachers crazy
A creative challenge: writing song lyrics, poems, recording musical talent, explaining magic tricks
Computer Labs
Lab 1: Group A in Harry Potter and the Chamber of SET-BC (9:30-10:45)
Lab 2: Group B in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Aroga (10:45-12:00)
The Goblet of FireWire Lab Challenges
Each basic challenge that you complete earns 10 points for your House plus any bonus points as specified. Any House completing all 5 basic challenges before midnight will double its House Points. You may meet for a few minutes at the beginning of lab time to plan a House strategy and then work individually or with others. Instructors will help with the technology but not the “idea” part of the challenge.
Submit your completed challenges to the Shared Folder or save them to a USB key drive and hand them to an instructor. We have a technician on site to upload your creations to the Virtual Voices Village site so you can share them with friends, parents, and each other.
To protect the safety and privacy of campers, use first names only and provide no information that would enable anyone to find you. Please check with staff to make sure that campers’ photo permission forms have been signed.
Owl Lab
Each day there will be an additional lab time for activities of your choice, including messaging. Two of the Houses will meet in their small groups while the two other Houses go to the lab. There will be one half-hour session right after lunch (1:00-1:30), and the other right after dinner (6:30-7:00). The Owl Labs are optional, but the House meetings are not.
Requirement Room Evening Labs
Remember the “Requirement Room” in Hogwarts that appeared only when really needed? Special topic labs will be held in the evening (8:30-10:00) as required and these will be announced at lunch time, e.g.
How to Use Magic Screen Enlargement (some of the kids use Zoomtext, and we have Magic on the machines in the lab this year instead)
How to create bar graphs using Excel (each House needs to send at least 1 person because this will be needed for a challenge in Day 3)
How to record an MP3 audio file.
Other topics will arise as the camp progresses. Students can make their own requests, individually or in a group, for other topics.
Day 1:
The Daily Prophet Challenge (100 points):
Write a news story describing yesterday's Sorting Headphones Ceremony. Include an MS Word table showing the 4 Houses and their members. The table does not figure into the word count. For more on the Sorting Hat, check out http://www.hp-lexicon.org/hogwarts/sorting_hat.html
The Gilderoy Lockhart Audio Blog Challenge (100 points):
Interview two campers from your House to get their impressions of the Sorting Headphones Ceremony. Did the Headphones get it right? 100 Bonus points for an interview with the Headphones. Interviewees are limited to 2 minutes of fame.
The Colin Creevey Video Blog Challenge (100 points):
Create a wizard photo showing one or more of your House members and the Sorting Headphones. A 50 point House demerit will be issued for boring Muggles photos in which the subjects stay put. Photo subjects are limited to 30 seconds of fame. Write a caption for your photo describing it for the JAWS user.
The Techno Wizard Challenge (400 points):
Complete the following table to show the Techno Squib, Techno Wizard, and Techno Guru way to accomplish each task.
The Task / Techno Squib / Techno Wizard / Techno GuruCalculate the number of words in an MS Word document. / Duh! Print the document and count the words. / 100 points / An additional 500 bonus points if you can also make this happen by pressing F8.
Transform an MS Word document into a Kurzweil Document. / Print the document and retype it in Kurzweil. / 100 points for each solution (I can think of at least 3) / An additional 500 bonus points if you do not use Open, Cut, Copy, Paste, or Print in your solution.
Transfigure the appearance of the mouse pointer to large and red in the screen enlargement program Magic. / Always use the defaults, never customize. / 100 points / An additional 500 bonus points if your solution works after you restart the computer.
Launch JAWS again if it crashes. / Make my teaching assistant do it. / 100 points for each solution (I can think of 2) / An additional 100 bonus points for explaining how to create a launching hot key.
The Gringotts So You Want to Be a Millionaire Challenge (500 points):
Create 5 questions of Harry Potter Trivia with different levels of difficulty for the contest. Each entry must have a question and 4 possible answers. Identify the correct answer in case the Muggle judges can’t figure it out. Make up your own questions or visit this site for ideas: http://www.hp-lexicon.org/index-2.html
Day 2:
The T.M. Riddle Diary Challenge
Create a diary entry (approx 100 words) for yesterday’s activities from Rising of the Phoenixes to Light-Out-Putter.
I think you should give them extra points if the diary writes back.
What? Well, okay. 5 bonus points if the diary writes back.
Heh,heh…
10 House demerit points for anyone caught strangling Bowen Island roosters, writing messages on the walls in blood, or causing other students to become Petrified.
No blood or petrification? And I thought summer camp was supposed to be fun.
Just watch your step. btw, each lab instructor has a Basilisk fang in his pocket.
Campers, approach this task with caution. For more on the diary, see http://www.hp-lexicon.org/magic/devices/diary.html
The Mirror of Erised Newob Audio Blog Challenge
Convince 2 campers to gaze into the Mirror of Erised and tell us what they see for the coming days at Camp. Interviewees are limited to 2 minutes of fame, and we remind you that these will be going up on the Internet for family and friends to hear. For more on the mirror, see http://www.hp-lexicon.org/magic/devices/devices-m.html#mirror_of_erised
The Nearly Headless Nick Video Blog Challenge:
Create a photo showing a camper with the same problem as Nearly Headless Nick. This can be either an ordinary Muggles photo or a Wizard photo as we don’t want to expose friends and family to unnecessary gore. Write a caption for your photo describing it for the JAWS user. For more on Nearly Headless Nick, see http://www.hp-lexicon.org/wizards/nick.html
The Geeks and Ghouls Challenge
Explain, using Muggles technology, how to type your complete name and address by typing only your initials. Be prepared to demonstrate. Hint: orcam a droceR.
The Bowenworts School Song Challenge:
Write 2 new verses for the new camp song (to the tune of our old Camp Bowen Song):
They tell me at Camp Bowenwarts
The ____ is mighty fine.
Oh, I don’t wanna go to Bowenwarts.
Gee Mom I wanna go
Back to ______
Gee Mom I wanna go home.
5 bonus points if you also submit your verse in audio form.
We’ll create large print and Braille copies for the campfire singalong.
Day 3
Daily Prophet Challenge (100 points each)
Write a news story (100 words) on yesterday’s inflatable activities, waterfront, last night’s Bowen-Botts Every Flavoured Jelly Belly Contest, or the campfire singalong. For more on the jelly beans, see: http://www.hp-lexicon.org/wizworld/beans.html
The Invisibility Cloak Video Blog Challenge (500 points)
Create a photo of a member of your House wearing the Cloak of Invisibility. This can be either a Wizard or a Muggles photo. Write a caption for your photo describing it for the JAWS user. 500 bonus points if we can tell there’s a person under the cloak. For more on the Cloak, see
http://www.hp-lexicon.org/magic/devices/devices_a-g.html#cloak_invisibility
The Sing Fluffy to Sleep Audio Blog Challenge (500 points)
Earn House Points and prepare for the Talent Show in one fell swoop! Participants are limited to 5 minutes of recorded fame. You may actually have some real literary or musical talent in your House to record. If not, how about “Hogwarts Girl” to the tune of “Barbie Girl” or “Why, Why Won’t this Potter Schmuck Die” to the tune of American Pie. Check out these and other twisted songs at:
http://www.mugglenet.com/songparodies.shtml#a
The Misuse of Muggles Technology Challenge (100 points each):
Without using spells, charms, or incantations, explain how to drive your Muggle teachers crazy using any of the following methods:
1. Changing the font colour.
2. Turning on JAWS Keyboard Help.
3. Taking a picture of the Desktop.
4. Recording a macro.
5. Using the KESI Virtual Printer.
The Misunderstood Steve Curse Challenge (100 points):
We have heard a rumour that teenagers sometimes say bad words although we find that very hard to believe. Create a new curse as per Steve’s instructions.
Day 4
Daily Prophet Challenge
Write a news report on last night’s Gringott’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire contest.
The Marauder Map Video Blog Challenge
Climb on your broomstick and take a satellite photo of Bowen Lodge. Okay, the actual lodge may be hard to see, but the dock will be clearly visible. How about the CNIB building at 5055 Joyce? Can you find your house?
The Extendable Ears Audio Blog Challenge:
Collect any of the following sound bytes for 2 points each:
A Parselmouth speaking Parseltongue
The cry of a Hippogriff
A camper receiving a Howler
The Luna Lovegood Vaporware Challenge
Luna Lovegood has difficulty telling fact from fiction. Help us discover which of the following are true and false. 2 points for each correct answer. 5 points for each correct answer if you provide evidence for or against.
Using Skype, you can phone people on their regular phones as well as on their computers.
Kurzweil makes a small camera that takes pictures of things like signs, menus, ferry schedules or labels and then reads them to you.
There’s a free program that allows you to see a satellite photo of your house by typing your address in a search field.