Optics Project - Creating a Book

For the optics unit project, I decided to have the students create a picture book with Optics as the title. Each student is doing a page spread on a different sub-topic and then we'll combine all the pages and print them as a whole book. All the page-spreads need to be done on computer with the same layout, then handed in to me as a .pdf. At the end, the students will get a book of all these topics, one of the pages being theirs, the rest will come from their peers.

There is a very important part to this project: The students are not allowed to take photographs / drawings from other sources. I told them that everything has to be made by them. If they are including photographs, they must take them themselves. If they are including drawings, they must draw it themselves. This was important for me, because now with the internet so at hand, it so easy just to grab a picture from some site and put it on your own work. This however is illegal, if done without permission (just like plagarism). Since this is a project, I wanted the students to put in some more effort, and I don't think I'm asking for too much.

There has been a few bumps so far. Here are some questions that students had along the way:
1. "What is .pdf?"
I can't believe that with all the technology savy of the "new young", that most of my students didn''t know what "pdf" is. I guess there is a reason for the kids to take technology / computer courses after all.

2. "I don't have access to a camera or a scanner. What do I do?"
For this, I told my students that they can come with their drawings to school, and we'll scan the pictures in and email them. Also, I said they could use the school camera to take photographs if need be. It is always important to have a back-up plan, especially for kids that don't have all the access to technology. Because of this, I am always cautious at what I assign and what I can expect from EVERYBODY (in terms of technology). However, my course is actually called "Science and Technology". Also, I'm at a private school - all the students here should have access to at least a computer and the internet. I think I'll be safe with this project.

3. "Can we trace?"
I said no. I think tracing is just the old form of photocopying. I want the students to put in their own effort, not copy someone else's. I don't think I can actually monitor whether the students traced from a book, but my opinion is that the pictures / photographs should not be traced.

One student already handed in their page-spread and it is absolutely fantastic. She did her page on REFRACTION. She took a few photographs and laid them out so well, that it looked like a professional did it. She explained Snell's Law and everything else to do with refraction. I can't wait to see the rest of the student's work, but the project is not due for another two weeks. I'll publish the book here as soon as I put it together.

Attached is the project info sheet itself.