[SOLVED] How a neuroimaging/neurostimulation method functions physically..

Optional Make-Up Assignment

If you complete this assignment, your grade on it will replace the grade for the midterm, if the grade on
this assignment is higher. For this assignment, you will have to do in-depth research on how a
neuroimaging/neurostimulation method functions physically and then try to explain how it operates in a
simple and entertaining way. You will also need to select and incorporate one academic cognitive
science paper that uses that method. The purpose of this assignment is to “learn by teaching.” That is,
sometimes a good way to learn is to try to transform complex ideas into a format (in this case, visuals
and a narrative) that can be easily understood and enjoyed by others. This is also challenging!
Explaining concepts to different audiences is very hard!
This assignment will involve writing “fanfiction”, including a script and storyboard, for an educationaland-entertaining science program for children. Some of you may be already be familiar with The Magic
School Bus (episodes can be found for free on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coJ0bXPKebE&list=PLdLFF2q9PvLB9xZOfegbzENBuzI-dy3rH) and are also on some streaming
services like Netflix. Scripts can also be found here https://magicschoolbus.fandom.com/wiki. The core
idea of the series is to explain scientific concepts in simple and entertaining terms, by sending 8
school children and their teacher Ms. Frizzle and her Lizard companion Liz, on an adventure with a
magic school bus. The bus can change size, shape, and transform the children into anything, such as
molecules, animals, or light. It can also equip them with magic tools. Often, the bus will shrink to go
inside parts of the body or machines to explain their operation. Episodes end with a brief “explainer”
which describes how the story “bent the truth” about how things work in the real world.
Your task is to write the script, and prepare storyboards, for an episode of the Magic School bus on a
topic in cognitive science that can be studied with a method from the Neuroscience approach. You will
select one or more neuroimaging or neurostimulation methods as well as one academic cognitive
science paper that uses this method. Your script and storyboards must use the structure of a magic
school bus episode to 1) explain the physical principles on which that neuroimaging/neurostimulation
method operates, and 2) explain the experiment in your selected academic paper.
What is the format of a script?
The script should be long enough to include all elements, around 15 pages should be sufficient, 20 is
plenty. There is no set size requirement however, as long as all required elements are present. Each
line of dialogue should start with a characters name and a colon. Lines of dialogue are separated by
spaces. Actions can be described by enclosing them in [square brackets].
What is a storyboard?
A storyboard is like a combination of a rough sketch and a comicbook, that shows a simplified version
of the visuals of a movie or TV show. Each panel in the storyboard describes one “shot” in the
show/movie, in both words and a very simplified picture. You can see examples here. The drawings in
the panel can be very, very simple (i.e. black and white line drawings with stick figures are fine). Your
storyboard should have between 4-10 panels per page of script.
Narrative Format of the Episode
Magic School Bus episodes have a very formulaic structure to the story. There is always 1) some
conflict between one or more of the children, 2) an adventure which will help settle the conflict and
teaches about a scientific concept at the same time, and 3) a resolution to the conflict between the
children, and 4) an “explainer” at the very end which describes how the episode “stretched the truth”
for the sake of telling an entertaining story.
Rubric:
Level 1 2 3 4
Skill progressing w/
difficulty
almost meets
expectations
meets
expectations
exceeds
expectations
Narrative Structure no clear conflict
driving the story
conflict present conflict, adventure,
and resolution
present
conflict strongly
drives story,
adventure, and
resolution
Application poor description of
physics behind
neuroimaging/neur
ostimulation
method
some description
of physics behind
neuroimaging/neur
ostimulation
method
description of
physics behind
neuroimaging/neur
ostimulation
method
simple and clear
description of
physics behind
neuroimaging/neur
ostimulation
method
Thinking and
Inquiry
selected academic
paper not
incorporated into
narrative
academic paper
incorporated into
narrative
academic paper
incorporated into
all aspects of the
narrative
academic paper
informs conflict,
adventure, and
resolution
Communication too much/too little
detail, explainer
fails to describe
liberties taken,
visuals in
storyboard
unrelated to topic
some detail in both
narrative and
explainer, visuals
somewhat aid
comprehension
good detail in both
narrative and
explainer, visuals
aid comprehension
excellent detail in
both narrative and
explainer,
explained in simple
and clear terms,
visuals convey
concepts clearly
Bonus fails to incorporate
characters traits
and humor
somewhat
incorporates
characters traits
and humor
incorporates
characters traits
and humor
characters traits
and humor clearly
present, this could
be a real episode
of the show