Picture This

Description
Imagine Pictionary with science words but you only have 4 minutes to cover 25 terms. Each person will take turns being a sketcher and guesser. If the supervisor says so, you can write parts of the term that the guesser(s) said correctly. The sketcher may not sketch any numbers, letters, or symbols except the following The supervisor will decide when the term has been guessed. Only plurals and singulars will work. You can pass on a term that's too hard or taking too long, but you can't go back to the word.
 * (-) to shorten what the guesser(s) is/are saying
 * (+) to lengthen the word.
 * Sketchers may also draw underlines (_) to equal the number of words in the terms (like _ _ for solar eclipse).

Scoring
You will get one point for every term guessed correctly. Passes do not earn you a point and you can not go back to guess them once you've passed. The team who earns the most points by guessing the correct term wins. Penalties are taken for violating the rules. Tiebreakers:
 * The first tiebreaker is the team with the fewest passes.
 * The second is the team with the least amount of time.
 * The third is the team with the longest string of consecutively correct terms.
 * The final tiebreaker would be the team who identified the first word in the list not correctly identified by the other team.

Strategy
Make paths. Most teams do it unconsciously but just in case. Like for all words that do with atoms (atom, proton, neutron, electron, nucleus,etc) start by drawing an atom then shade in what needs to be said. For two word clues try making them separate. For example for electron cloud draw and electron then + then a cloud.(make sure you can do that though because some supervisors are mean like that)

Know your teammate better than anyone in the world. Many teams that compete in Picture This are two best friends who practically know what each other is thinking.

Preparation
Practice both with and without movements, since the supervisor may or may not allow them; only use simple, easily remembered and interpreted movements.

There's no way to know what words you'll have to deal with, so your best friend will be textbook glossaries. Words can be pulled out of any middle school glossary. Make flash cards, each one has one word from the glossary on it. Then mix them up, and go back and forth with your partner, each drawing one and the other guessing.


 * Picture This resources created by hftf
 * Picture This Words
 * Practice Exercise

Links
New York Coaches Conference