Nerf Battle: Nuff Said

So we've talked about a Nerf Battle for some time now, and we finally did it. It was so much awesome!

Now we didn't have a lot of Nerf guns at our library (shocker!), so we asked members to bring their own. In order to make sure that most people walked back out with what they brought in, we had everyone sign in with their name, grade, email, and what equipment they had brought. Many of the teens were willing to let others use their extra guns which was great. 

Then came the fun part! We had a couple different scenarios that were a ton of fun.

All v. All/Red v. Blue
Everyone gets two rubber bands on their wrist, a gun in their hand, and the time when the round is going to end. When someone shoots you, you show them that you are putting one of your lives (the rubber bands) on the floor, and then you run back to a spawn point (we used hula hoops) before you can reengage.
You can change this slightly by dividing everyone into two teams. We gave everyone a simple colored yarn bracelet (one side red, one side blue), and away we went.

Zombie Apocalypse 
We did this two different ways, but in both ways the fun part is the humans will eventually lose in a wave of Zombie inevitability.
1) Hide 3 small guns across the library. Select 3 teens as Zombies. If you get touched by a Zombie, you become a zombie. If you find a gun and shoot a Zombie, they lay down for 5 seconds, and then keep coming.
2) Select about a fourth of your teens as Zombies. Give everyone else a gun. This time, the Zombies can run! If a human gets touched, they become a Zombie. If a Zombie gets shot, they have to touch a spawn point, and then just keep coming. This was the favorite scenario by far!

Ninja Protect the President
A group of selected teens (the bodyguards) are trying to get another teen (the president), from one side of the library to the other. The president doesn't get a gun, and the bodyguards just get two plates or a large tray to block darts and discs. Everyone else in the library is trying to take the president down.
If the president is hit, or if the president gets to the finish location, the round ends. If the bodyguards get hit, they have to drop to their knees for 3 seconds, leaving the president vulnerable. Clarifying that attackers can't push past the bodyguards will be useful, and if that doesn't quite work, give the bodyguards some small guns as well as shields.

Zom-B: Whose the Bigger Monster??

Zom-B by Darren Shan

Why did I read it?

Shan has written a lot of books in this series, and one of the newest ones bounced across my desk this week. That and the short size of the book made me pick it up.

What happened?

Apparently, in a small town in Ireland, zombies attacked, condemning some to walk as the undead, and devouring the brains of others while they still lived.

But, B isn't necessarily convinced. Scared? Probably. In denial? Most likely. But, things at school will be the same (not worth much time), and things at home will be the same (a good thrashing for the smallest "supposed" infraction). 

So B keeps going on with life; terrorizing the younger classmates, joining Dad for some political meetings, and sleeping through lectures. But, B can't help but realize that there might be more truth than lies about the zombie thing, and that Dad's rantings might be more dangerous than B thought.

What did I like or not like?

As the title suggests, this book has some good, old-fashioned, bloody, gut-flying, scream-inducing zombie action. But, the build up to that point actually gets the majority of this first Zom-B installment.

Instead of focusing on the zombies, Shan focuses on what B realizes about hate, racism, bullying, and the monstrous side that has to be kept in check in all of us.

If blood and guts aren't your thing, than this probably isn't the book for you. But, Shan does a nice job of giving a fast-paced and exciting story that still has something to say.

AsapSCIENCE: Show, don't Tell Science

You know that old idiom, "Show, don't tell?" Well it has finally been applied to science lol.

AsapSCIENCE posts a weekly video on an interesting science topic through YouTube, and has daily content posted to Facebook and Twitter. Their idea is instead of telling you about science, they'll just show you.

Their "showing" method is based on a whiteboard where characters and images are drawn. But, it is much more than that. A narrator breaks down pertinent facts while the drawing is going on, and studies and more information is always referenced.

I found several of the topics very interesting; Productivity, Alcohol, Zombie Apocalypse, and the Moon Illusion were just a few of them =D

Glancing through their daily content, they have some fascinating facts and pictures as well. I'm always looking for information and inspiration for my Ka-Boom program, and I think this will be another one to add to the list!

P.S. We're taking a break for the Holidays, so I'll see you again on Tuesday, January 8th, 2013 (weird much?) for a discussion of Slideshare.