Lesson Plan Questions

Sponge Activity: I will show a video of a compilation of larger fireworks displays and explain to the audience what fireworks and pyrotechnics is about. I will also ask what they know about my topic and what they think is important in a fireworks show, to see if any of their answers are similar to mine.

Introduction: I will define the EQ "What is the most important aspect of a successful pyrotechnic display?" word by word. Important aspects are those like that make a show enjoyable for both the audience and the crew, and a successful pyrotechnic display is a show that uses fireworks to produce a desirable outcome that goes exactly according to plan. My agenda will be to talk about my topic, then talk about my first answer and how it branches out, my second, and how it branches out, and the same for my third. For example, when I am talking about choreography, I will be sure to include explanations of how shells work and the different types along with cue sheets. I will also talk about my previous choices and how i came to choose pyrotechnics, as it has a science to it but is also fun and entertaining.

Foundation: I might talk about the history of fireworks but more the career options. I can say that most operators only work during holidays, as that's when the demand is the highest. I will also say that I want to pursue this as a part time job primarily working with strip systems and other electrical firing aspects because I am interested in electrical engineering.

Answer 1: Safety and following Title 19 of the California Code of Regulations

        Activity 1: I'm not really sure what to do here but I might give a test on a video showing the importance of safety and how many laws there are.

Answer 2: Choreography and Product Knowledge

        Activity 2: I plan on showing 2 videos, one where a show had no problems, and another where some shells failed to fire, and having the audience read the separate cue sheets to get a feel for how important choreography is and how noticeable it is when it goes wrong.

Answer 3: Following the Directions given by the Primary Operator

        Activity 3: I might explain different concepts to people and give them 3 or 4 different methods of execution, and having me tell them which one is the best one, the one they would do and why they think so.

Conclusion: My best answer is safety because any show where someone is put at risk cannot be considered successful, while the opposite is true for shows conducted as safely as possible.

My three most important sources are:
            1) Fireworks, A History and Celebration by George Plimpton because it included detailed explanations for 2 of my three answers and had good visuals that helped me understand a lot more in detail. This book was pretty much my go to for research and answers.
            2) Personal interview with Aaron Beargeon (4th int.) because he told me a lot about specific safety laws and was able to show me the program he uses to script shows. He also led me to the component that gave me my third answer and how important it really is.
            3) I will talk about my service learning with Robert Bronner and Aaron Beargeon for my third source and how it managed to tie together and clarify all my other articles and sources, as my topic is not one meant for a classroom type environment, and is primarily taught and explained in a hands on environment.

My product is that now I am currently the youngest apprentice in the entire company I work under, and I am apprenticing under an operator to become one myself. This means that I will be able to get my high explosives operator license and work as an operator earlier than everyone else in the company had. This gives me time to keep learning and know a lot more than anybody for my age.

5 Minute Presentation Reflection

What would you say stood out about your presentation performance and what was most challenging to do and why?

I would say that my opening question was what stood out and got more people interested, since I used specific examples and didn't ask too broad of a question like, "Who knows what nanotechnology is?". The most challenging part of my presentation was trying to condense what I had to say to fit into 5 minutes, since I had to cut out some of the less interesting (but still critical) parts.

Presentations