Art

Graphic Arts explores visual communication design, typography, prepress technology, modern printing methods, and postpress finishing. You will review five printing processes (offset lithography, screen printing, digital, relief, and gravure), distinguish continuous tone from line art and halftones, design an original printed piece with considered typography and layout, execute a production run, explore postpress finishing and bindery methods, tour a print plant or design school, and research graphic arts careers.

Game Design teaches how rules, mechanics, and thematic elements combine to create engaging interactive experiences. You will analyze four games across different mediums, evaluate play value concepts, explore game terminology, study intellectual property and licensing, modify existing game rules to observe player dynamics, design and write rules for an original game, build and iteratively playtest a prototype, conduct a blind playtest, and interview an industry or educational professional.

Animation is a making badge. Most of it is requirement 3, where you plan and build two animations using two different techniques — flipbook, stop motion, cutout, sand, software, whatever you and your counselor agree on. The 12 principles in requirement 2 are the vocabulary professionals use to say why an animation reads as believable, so learn them before you animate, not after.

Geocaching blends outdoor wilderness navigation, GPS technology, and high-tech treasure hunting. You will examine outdoor safety hazards and GPS planning, explore cache etiquette and Leave No Trace principles, master GPS constellation theory and EDGE unit operation, integrate map and compass skills, locate online public caches and find a physical cache in the field, explore Cache to Eagle / Travel Bugs / CITO projects, and design and execute a multi-waypoint geohunt event.