And your word was...
adjective
having artificial body parts, especially electromechanical ones.
And your word was...
noun, Latin.
1.
the Great Year: a cycle of years, usually a thousand, that begins witha Golden Age, steadily deteriorates, and ends with a universalcatastrophe, either a fire or a flood.
The find objective for Epic Proportions asked you to make a large find. Larges are fun because they're rare and can accept large trade items. Micros, on the other hand, are on the opposite side of the spectrum. Micros are the most common type of geocache hide and don't have much room for trade items. (For letterboxers, micros may be less familiar.) Micros are great because they can bring you to awesome urban locations and be hidden in fun, innovative ways.
1) Find and log a micro sized geocache or letterbox*. Micros are the size of a film canister or smaller. (If you're confused about sizing, the Groundspeak blog has published a handy explanation.)
2) Take a photo to document your adventure and share it on Instagram or Twitter with the tag #QuestScouts and #Geocaching or #Letterboxing.
3) Tell us about your experience in the comments below. Leave a link to the listing of your find so that we can search for it when in the area!
*A "find/hide" can be either a geocache or letterbox. Not familiar with either? Watch this video by Groundspeak, the #1 lister of geocaches or read about letterboxing from Atlas Quest. However, if you've never geocached or letterboxed, we highly suggest you start with a different find objective. It's best to make 100+ finds before you hide.
1) Gather supplies. You'll need a timer and writing materials. (This will work on a computer, but I personally prefer to use paper and a pen.)
2) Set your timer for 15 minutes.
3) Start your timer, and spend a full 15 minutes responding to the following prompt. Don't worry about perfection, just keep writing!
4) When your timer goes off, stop writing! Spend a few minutes looking over what you wrote. Was there a major theme running through your words? (Maybe several themes?)
5) In the comments below, share with us a single that came to you while doing this exercise. (Just one word! No more, no less.)
Also, make sure you save your notes. They could come in handy later.
Let's use this Micro Quest to focus on details we may sometimes overlook by zeroing in on a small portion of a subject.
1) Choose a photograph. This can be a digital photograph, but a printed 4x6 photo may be easier to work with.
2) Divide the photograph into six sections. If you're using a printed photo, consider drawing lines directly on your photo.
3) Choose one of the six sections to focus on.
4) On an 8.5x11 (or larger) piece of paper, sketch the section you chose.
5) Share your sketch on any social media account with the tag #QuestScouts. (For those of you who don't know, anything on a public Instagram, Facebook or Twitter account will show up on our Scout Board. We'd love to see what you come up with!)
If you'd rather not share your sketch, let us know about your experience in the comments below.
For this micro quest we'll be using a tool to get a little closer to our photography subjects: The magnifying glass! Check out these awesome examples compiled by Nate Kay on Photography Blogger, and then complete the objective by taking some photos for yourself.
1) Gather your supplies. You'll need a camera and a magnifying glass.
2) Spend some time taking photographs through the magnifying glass. You can include the magnifying in the shot, or choose to only include the magnified image.
3) Choose your best shot and post it to any social media site with the tag #QuestScouts. As always, any posts to public Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts that use the tag #QuestScouts will show up on our Scout Board.
1) Download and print the Epic Proportions Big Blanks puzzle by clicking the green button below.
2) Fill in the blanks to solve the puzzle. (Feel free to use reference materials if need be!)
3) When you've revealed the hidden word, check your answer by clicking here.
4) You're done! Leave a comment below telling us that you completed the micro objective.
Option One
What if Quest Scouts could do something BIG to help people in need? What if we could not only do something BIG, but have fun while doing it? That's what this month's DIY objective is all about. If you only do one objective this month, it would be AWESOME if this is the one you choose.
So what are we doing? As a team, we are going to collect money and food for people in need. We're going to do this by throwing "food drive parties." Don't stress about the size of your party or the amount you raise. Small amounts raised by many of us will lead to a big impact!
1) Decide which food bank you're raising funds for.
2) Do your research to determine what needs the bank has. (It may be different than what you think!)
2) Plan a party. Do this in whatever way you see fit. A small dinner party would work, but so would a large get together- be creative. The important part is that you're getting people together for some fun. Make sure to inform your guests ahead of time that you're intentions are to raise money to help provide food for those who are hungry.
3) Have your party! Make sure to have an awesome time. If you provided your guests the link to our team food drive, you may want to remind them that they can use the link to donate directly.
4) Comment below and let us know how many people were at your party and how much you were able to raise. We want the information so that we can keep track of our group success! (If you prefer not to share your numbers below, shoot us an e-mail at QuestScouts@gmail.com. We won't share your name, but will add you to the tally!)
Option Two
1) Let somebody else do the work and simply attend someone else's Food Bank Party!
2) Let us know whose party you attended in the comments below.
In parks across the world, something awesome is happening. More and more giant games are appearing for the public to use. Whether it's large chess boards or a giant Monopoly, there are epic sized games out there waiting to be played. There are also commercially available large versions of the classics, like giant decks of cards.
1) Play a giant board or card game! The game should be at least 2x the size of its normal sized counterpart, but the bigger the better!
2) Share a photo of you playing your giant game on Instagram or Twitter with the tag #QuestScouts. You can also share your experiences in our Facebook group.
(Remember that all posts tagged with #QuestScouts posted on a non-private Twitter, Instagram or Facebook account will show up on our Scout Board.
1) Watch the video above for a short definition of "forced perspective photography."
2) Experiment by using forced perspective photography to make a person appear either very large or very small.
3) Share your best forced perspective photo on any social media account with the tag #QuestScouts. (Remember that posts to non-private Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts will show up on our Scout Board!)
We hear you! The All That Came Before "find" objective was really tough! For Epic Proportions we'll make sure things are a little easier, but no less awesome. Being that this month is all about BIG stuff, we're using the find objective to send you in search of a large sized geocaches!* Micros are good for everyday finds, and regular caches are always a treat, but larges are few and far between.
1) Identify and find a LARGE sized hide*. For sizing purposes, we'll defer to Groundspeak's sizing definitions, which state that large sized geocaches can hold 5 gallons or more. That's pretty big! (If you're confused about sizing, the Groundspeak blog has published a handy explanation.)
2) Let us know what find you made in the comments below. (Include the GC or AQ number if applicable.)
3) (Optional) We'd love to "go along with you" on your adventure. Post photos of you completing this objective to any social media account with the tag #QuestScouts. (Remember, posts tagged with #QuestScouts on non-private Instagram, Twitter or Facebook accounts will show up on our Scout Board!)
*A "find/hide" can be either a geocache or letterbox. Not familiar with either? Watch this video by Groundspeak, the #1 lister of geocaches or read about letterboxing from Atlas Quest.
Murals are painted on walls ceilings all over the world. These paintings range from purely artistic to highly political, and are by definition large. For our art objective we're going to take some time to appreciate murals by shrinking them!
1) Find a mural within traveling distance.
2) Visit the mural. (It's best to visit it in person. However, if you have limitations that will keep you from doing this, you can skip this step and find a mural on the internet.) Take photos of the mural so that you can reference them in step 3.
3) Create a smaller piece of art inspired by the mural.
4) Share your art piece AND the original mural (make sure to credit the location and artist of the original mural if possible) and post it on Instagram or Twitter with the tag #QuestScouts. You can also share your experiences in our Facebook group.
(Remember that all posts tagged with #QuestScouts posted on a non-private Twitter, Instagram or Facebook account will show up on our Scout Board.
1) Visit one of the Muffler Men you identified in the "research" objective.
Non-US Alternative- Find a statue of any human whose body is at least 15' tall.
(Note: This Non-US alternative is only for Quest Scouts who do not live in the US or who do not live within a 3 hour drive of a Muffler Man.)
2) Take a photo of yourself in front of a Muffler Man and post it on Instagram or Twitter with the tags #QuestScouts and #MufflerMan. You can also share your experiences in our Facebook group.
Remember, if you post to a public Instagram or Twitter account your photo will show up on our Scout Board for other Quest Scouts to enjoy and comment on.
3) Tell us about your experience in the comments below! Which Muffler Man did you visit? Describe the Muffler Man? Did anything fun or interesting happen to you while in pursuit of the Muffler Man?
1) Watch the first episode of American Giants by Stone Baker to learn about the history of Muffler Men.
2) Check out the Muffler Men Map compiled by Roadside America and figure out which Muffler Man/Men you could feasibly visit. (If you don't live in the US, figure out which one you'd like to check out if you were to visit anywhere in the US.)
3) Share the location and type of Muffler Man you may one day visit in the comments below.
There is something about really big stuff that is fascinating. All across the world human's have erected "World's Largest" monuments. Whether it's the "World's Largest Ball of Twine" (which happens to be pictured on this month's badge,) or the "World's Largest Lava Lamp," human's have built it. So get ready for a road trip because we're going to visit some of them!
1) Travel to a "World's Largest." This should be a man made feature that has a sign or plaque claiming it is the "World's Largest."
2) Take a photo of yourself in front of the declaratory "World's Largest" sign and post it on Instagram or Twitter with the tag #QuestScouts. You can also share your experiences in our Facebook group.
Remember, if you post to a public Instagram or Twitter account your photo will show up on our Scout Board for other Quest Scouts to enjoy and comment on.
3) Tell us about your experience in the comments below! Which World's Largest did you visit? Who did you go with? Was it worth the trip?
World's Largest Egg Selfie in Washington!
Let's take some time to learn about "Epic Poetry" through videos about Homer's The Odyssey. (Are you happy we didn't suggest you read it?)
1) Watch the three videos below.
2) Post something you learned from, and/or a question inspired by the videos in the comments below. We're also interested in knowing whether you thought the videos were worth a watch.
The above video from the "Great Books" television series is an oldie but a goodie. The sound quality falters at times, but it is definitely watchable.
We're huge fans of Crash Course at Quest Scouts. This video is more critical of Odysseus' and calls out character flaws the "Great Books" series glossed over.
While this video doesn't directly discuss Epic Poetry it examines the "hero story" that originated there.
1) Watch one of the documentaries/movies listed below.
2) Let us know which you watched and what you thought of it in the comments below.
Godzilla, King of the Monsters Documentary by The BBC
Available on Youtube
Honey, I Shrunk The Kids directed by Joe Johnston
Available on: Netflix
James and The Giant Peach directed by Henry Selick
Available on Netflix
Note: In the event that you have already seen one of these films/documentaries, expand your horizons and choose one you have not seen. If you've already seen all three you may consider this objective complete. Let us know that in the comments below, as well as which one is your favorite.