5TH AND 6TH GRADE

Art
This contest involves the study of paintings from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and paintings or pictures from selected Texas museums. As part of their study, students will demonstrate an understanding of art history and interpret ideas and moods in original artworks while making informed judgments about the artwork. Part A of the contest requires the contestant to identify the names of 15 selected artists and titles of pictures selected randomly by the director from the official list of 30 pictures. Part B consists of 30 questions about art history and art elements characteristic of the 30 art selections.

Map's Graphs and Charts
The maps, graphs & charts contest is designed to help students learn to get information from a variety of maps, graphs and charts including world maps, pie charts, bar charts and local area maps. Students will be given an objective test containing approximately 75 multiple choice and true/false questions, which must be answered in 45 minutes.

Oral Reading
Students in grades 4, 5, and 6 read a selection of poetry. Each selection may be one poem, a cutting of a poem, or a combination of poems. The same selection may be read in all rounds, but different selections are permissible. Selections must be published although the poet may be unknown or anonymous.

Number Sense
Concepts covered include, but are not limited to: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, proportions, and use of mathematic notation. Students will be given a 10-minute, fill-in-the-blank test which they must complete without doing calculations on paper or on a calculator. Erasures and mark-outs are not permitted.

Music Memory
The focus of the Music Memory contest is an in-depth study of fine pieces of music literature taken from a wide spectrum of music genres to expose students to great composers, their lives and their music. In the course of preparing for the contest, students should be given the opportunity to describe and analyze the music, relate the music to history, to society and to culture, and to evaluate musical performance. Students will listen to approximately 20 seconds of up to 20 musical selections and identify the name of the major work, selection and the name of the composer.

Social Studies
There will be a 5th and 6th grade team. This years topics include: United States - Civil War, concepts in Citizenship and History and Economics. World Geography and Economics. Texas Civil War and Citizenship.


6TH GRADE ONLY

Impromptu Speaking
This contest provides opportunities for students in grades 6, 7 and 8 to evaluate speeches given by others; to explore the use of the voice and body in speaking situations; to examine the different purposes for speaking; to organize ideas; to prepare and deliver various speeches; and to develop self-confidence. Contestants will draw three topics and have three minutes to prepare a speech, which must be presented without any notes.

Science
Emphasis for the Science contest, for students in sixth through eighth grades, will be placed on knowledge of scientific fact, understanding of scientific principles and the ability to think through scientific problems. Each test will consist of approximately 50 multiple choice questions which will be taken from current state-adopted science textbooks and the curriculum. There will be approximately 15 questions for each grade level and five wild card or general questions on the test.

Modern Oratory
In Modern Oratory contestants will select one of the topics, determine the critical issues in the topic, and acknowledge both pro and con points citing support discovered in their research. Students will choose a side they will defend and support that side with additional evidence.

Mathematics
This contest includes problems covering, but not limited to: numeration systems, arithmetic operations involving whole numbers, integers, fractions, decimals, exponents, order of operations, probability, statistics, number theory, simple interest, measurements and conversions. Geometry and algebra problems may be included as appropriate for the grade level. The contest, designed for students in grade 6, 7 and 8, consists of 50 multiple choice problems.