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Montana History Portal LEGO Challenge
The Montana State Library’s History Portal, in partnership with Lewis & Clark Public Library proudly presents the Montana History LEGO Challenge.
Our goal is to offer a LEGO challenge that will capture the attention and imagination of children and adults in a manner that will inspire interest in and education about Montana history, while using science, technology, art, and math skills (STEAM). We are calling LEGO builders of all ages to use Montana History Portal images as your inspiration for a cool LEGO build.
We are hosting two juried events – a build-at-home contest and a build-on-site contest. The contest and judging will be at Lewis and Clark Public Library on December 9, 2023.
Build-at-Home Registration: Montana History LEGO Challenge Build at Home - LibCal - Lewis & Clark Library
Build-On-Site Session One Registration: Montana History LEGO Challenge Build On-Site Session One - LibCal - Lewis & Clark Library
Build-On-Site Session Two Registration: Montana History LEGO Challenge Build On-Site Session Two - LibCal - Lewis & Clark Library
Build-at-home:
Use your own LEGOS and take your time to build a Montana history scene. You can do this in one of two ways:
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- Use an image from the Montana History Portal as inspiration for your build. Design something similar. Add working parts and details that may not be visible in the image.
- Use an image from the Montana History Portal and build the exact scene. Include as many details from the image as possible in your replica.
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Please keep your builds under 3 feet square so there is enough space for all participants.
While building you will want to think about the size and scale of the items in the scene. Try different approaches to find the one that looks the best and works well for your project. Most of the images on the History Portal are in black and white, so use color to bring life to the image you choose.
Build-on-site:
Legos will be provided by the Lewis & Clark Library. Creations must be built at the library in two shifts, 11:00 am to 11:45 pm and 12:00 pm to 12:45 pm. They will be judged alongside other build-on-site creations. Images will be available for inspiration.
How you will be judged:
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4 points |
3 points |
2 points |
1 point |
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Creativity |
Shows creative interpretation. |
Show’s student’s ability to think “outside the box”. |
The design shows some creativity. |
No evidence of original thought. |
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Interpretation (completeness) |
There is great attention to detail. |
With more effort, the project might have been outstanding. |
The work appears to be unfinished. |
Project is incomplete or lacks attention to details. |
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Visual impact (overall quality) |
The work has the power to “WOW” the viewer. |
The work has lasting impact on the viewer. |
The work holds the viewer’s attention. |
The work does not have visual impact. |
Contest Process and Rules:
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- Participants will need to register online for the build-at-home or the build-on-site contest using the LCL event system. (see links above)
- Contest participants must use a scene from Montana History to inform LEGO builds. (See sample images and links to more images below. Look for an image that strikes your fancy and then build the scene.)
- Contest participants should print the inspiration photo (if they have one) and bring it with submissions.
- Packaged LEGO kit submissions will not be judged. Please create your own design.
- Participants may not register for both of the contests; they must choose.
- Bring submissions (one per contestant) to the Lewis & Clark Public library between 11 and 12:45 pm on the day of the event.
- Contest participants will fill out a submission form when they arrive to display with their LEGO build.
- After the entry form is completed, contest participants will have submissions photographed for our website collection.
- Place builds, printed photo, and submission form in the correct room for judging.
- All submissions must be in place by 12:45 pm for judging.
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Age groups, prize categories, and prizes:
LEGO kits will be awarded to each winner.
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Age groups: |
5–8 Years |
9–12 Years |
13–18 Years |
19-year-olds and up |
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Juried |
Best overall |
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People's Choice |
Most votes in age group |
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Ideas for Builds:
| Tractors and other heavy machines | |
| Tipis/Lodges | |
| Tent camps | |
| Wagons | |
| Boats and Ferry Boats | |
| Ore Cars | |
| Bridges | |
| Ghost Towns | |
| Trestles | |
| Historic Homes | |
| Mines and Mining Related Images | |
| Planes |
Montana Meme-ory Contest 2023
The voting period will run from Thursday, May 18 – Wednesday, May 24, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. (MST). The winning memes will be the top two entries in each age group with the most “likes” at the time the voting period ends. Voting is open to all.
Select the age group you want to browse.
The Montana State Library is hosting a contest to create memes (learn what a meme is here) using historical photo collections in the Montana History Portal.
Please keep a few things in mind when creating your entries:
No swearing, crude language, or mean-spirited entries will be accepted (we are a community, after all).
Do not personally attack the people in the historical images in Montana History Portal. They could be someone’s grandparents!
Be thoughtful about the entries you create—we want to share them with the world and think you can come up with some funny, smart entries.
FIND YOUR IMAGE:
Browse the images in the Portal. Once you have identified the image you will use, save the link to that image as you will need that link when submitting your entry. Then click the “download” button in the column to the left of the image. and save the image.
If the entire collection is too overwhelming, try one of these smaller collections:
Related to Mining Photos with animals Photos of people
CREATE YOUR MEME:
Go to your preferred meme generator to upload your image from the Portal. We recommend https://memebetter.com/generator or https://imgflip.com/memegenerator. Add your text to the image and save it to your device.
SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY:
Submit your entry by emailing it to the link based on your age group:
10-18 - Submit here if you are between 10 and 18 years old.
19-40 - Submit here if you are between 19 and 40 years old.
41-120 - Submit here if you are between 41 and 120 years old.
If you have trouble with the above links, you can send your submission to mmp@mt.gov with the subject line: Historical Photo Meme Contest. For your entry to be considered you must include the following information:
Your name, phone number, and address
Your meme as an attachment
A link to the original image in the Portal
Your age group:
10-18 or 19-40 or 41-120
New Submission option for Teachers and large group entries
Enter your students as a group. Create a spreadsheet with the following column headings.
| Teacher's Name | Student's Name | Student's Age | Link to Image (URL) | Title of Image | Meme File Name as saved in shared folder | Address to send prizes if the meme wins |
Send the spreadsheet via an email to mmp@mt.gov as an attachment. Within the email body send a link to a cloud-based, shared folder where the meme images are saved - be sure to give us access to the folder. If you do not have the ability to use a cloud-based, shared folder system, let us know. We can share a folder with you to upload the meme files. We would appreciate it if you also included in the email body the name of the school, the town and county where your school is located, your email address and a phone number to call if we have questions about the submissions.
HOW TO WIN!
DEADLINE: Submit your entry by Wednesday, May 17, 2023.
FINALISTS SELECTION: Library staff members will review entries and publish the finalists.
On Wednesday May 18, 2023, finalists will be notified via email that their entry has been selected for the final round. The finalists’ entries will be posted to a collection on the Portal site and opened for voting.
VOTING: The voting period will run from Thursday, May 18 – Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. (MST). The winning memes will be the top two entries in each age group with the most “likes” at the time the voting period ends. Voting is open to all.
WHAT WILL I WIN?
The top meme creators will win gifts from our generous sponsors! More details on prizes will be available soon.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
There is no fee to participate in the Montana State Library’s Historical Photograph Meme Contest (“Contest”).
There is no restriction on the number of entries a participant can submit.
Montana State Library does not endorse the content of any memes created for this Contest other than finalists’ entries.
We have the right to reject submissions for violations of, but not limited to, inappropriate content, defamation, or copyright issues.
The Montana State Library reserves the right to disqualify any Entrant or Entry at its sole discretion. No correspondence shall be entered into.
The Montana State Library reserves the right not to select finalists if, at its sole discretion, no suitable entries are received.
Entering the Contest grants the Montana State Library permission to make public and otherwise use an entrant’s name and meme for publicity purposes.
Participation constitutes the entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules. By participating in the Contest, the entrant is representing and warranting that he/she has read and understood, and agrees to be bound by, these rules. Including the guides and rules referred to herein, these Official Rules constitute the entire agreement between the entrant and the Montana State Library in relation to the Contest. They govern the entrant’s participation and supersede any prior or other agreements between the entrant and the Montana State Library relating to the Contest.
Historical Picture Prompt Writing Contest 2023
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Get your story writing skills ready! The Montana History Portal is hosting the 3rd Annual Historical Picture Prompt contest. Using any photo in the Portal collection as a story prompt participants will write a fictional short story (650 words or less) and submit it to the form. Winners will be chosen from grades 3-6, grades 7-12 and adult. The deadline to enter is March 17, 2023.
Where to begin? Browse the photo collection to find an interesting photo. Once you've found an image save the link to that image - you'll need it when submitting your story.
If the entire collection is too overwhelming, try one of these smaller collections:
Related to Mining Photos with animals Photos of people
How to Enter:
Write a fictional short story based on the photo (650 words or less). We are using an online form this year for contest entries. We recommend using a Microsoft Word Doc or a Google Doc to draft your story. Use a basic font and single spacing. Complete the following form and copy and paste your story into the form where asked: https://forms.office.com/g/vw7n7ZvBL8
Remember, the entry deadline is March 17, 2023. Photos and stories will be highlighted on Portal social media accounts.
Prizes
The Portal is proud to partner with Distinctly Montana and the Museum of the Rockies for this contest.
First Prize:
Grades 3-6: $50.00 Gift Certificate to Distinctly Montana Store
Grades 7-12: $50.00 Gift Certificate to Distinctly Montana Store
Adult: $100.00 Gift Certificate to Distinctly Montana Store
All age group first place winners will receive a one-year subscription to the Distinctly Montana Magazine
All age group first place winners will be published in the Distinctly Montana newsletter, web page and other social media channels
Second Prize:
Grades 3-6 and Grades 7-12 second place finishers will receive 3 passes to the Museum of the Rockies;
Adult second place finishers will receive 2 passes to the Museum of the Rockies.
All age group second place finishers will receive a one-year subscription to the Distinctly Montana Magazine
All age group second place finishers will be published in the Distinctly Montana newsletter, web page and other social media channels
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
There is no fee to participate in the Montana History Portal Photo Prompt Contest.
There is no restriction on the number of entries a participant can submit.
The Montana History Portal does not endorse the content of any stories created for this Contest.
We have the right to reject submissions for violations of, but not limited to, inappropriate content, defamation, or copyright issues.
The Montana History Portal reserves the right to disqualify any Entrant or Entry at its sole discretion. No correspondence shall be entered into.
The Montana History Portal reserves the right not to select finalists if, at its sole discretion, no suitable entries are received.
Entering the Contest grants the Montana History Portal permission to make public and otherwise use an entrant’s name and story for publicity purposes.
Participation constitutes the entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules. By participating in the Contest, the entrant is representing and warranting that he/she has read and understood, and agrees to be bound by, these rules. Including the guides and rules referred to herein, these Official Rules constitute the entire agreement between the entrant and the Montana History Portal in relation to the Contest. They govern the entrant’s participation and supersede any prior or other agreements between the entrant and the Montana History Portal relating to the Contest.
