"Petra and the Jay" Contest

Contests associated with Opera Alta production of Petra and the Jay

Petra and the Jay is a folk musical set in the distant future. It is a benefit performance for PEEC. For more information about the play, see Earth Day 2012.

Cash prizes will be awarded during intermission of the two perfomances:
April 13 at 7 p.m.
April 14 at 2 p.m.

Essays for grades 7-9 and 10-12. One $50 prize awarded in each age group for each essay (500 word maximum):

Essay 1. What might our neighbors look like on Saturn's moon Enceladus (with nitrogen, water, energy and organics)? Or Saturn's moon Titan (with methane, rain, water, ice, N2 atmosphere, volcanoes, channels and lakes)? Or Jupiter's moon Europa (with oxygen, ice, surface cracks and tidal heating)? Or Jupiter's moon Ganymede (with mountains, valleys, lakes, oxygen, plate tectonics and rock ice)? Use what you know or can learn about the elements present on the moons to create or describe a life form.

Essay 2. What would you tell visiting friendly aliens like the ellls and varoks of the play? What would you like them to know? What would you show them of life on Earth, and where would you take them to visit? Why? (The script is available for reading: Petra and the Jay script .doc file.)

Art for grades K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12 (on 8.5 x 11 page). One $25 prize awarded in each age group:
What will life in Los Alamos look like 1000 years from now? Draw your visualization of the city, people, food, work, housing, recreation, wildlife, and/or transportation of the future.

Photography for grades K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12. One $25 prize awarded in each age group:
Submit a photograph showing something that gives you hope for the future of our planet.

Tweets for grades K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12. One $25 prize awarded in each age group:
Write a tweet from 1000 years in the future, beginning with the words "Now we know." Tweets must be 140 characters in length or less.

Important: Entries must include name, age, grade and school, along with a phone number or email address for contest contact purposes. Identifying information will be separated from the entries prior to judging, and will not be used for any purpose other than contacting the winners. Entries must be submitted by midnight April 1, 2012.

Judges will include PEEC Board members and other educators. One submission per person for each category.

Submit all entries electronically to orthf@yahoo.com with "Petra and the Jay Contest" in the subject line, or drop them off at the Nature Center, 3540 Orange Street, during the hours it is open (Tuesday through Friday, 12-4, Saturday, 10-1.)