SCIENCE OLYMPIAD

2018 EVENTS

What is Science Olympiad?

• National Science Competition comprised of 24 events.
• Events are tests, labs, and engineering projects
• Events cover all areas of science
• All middle schools compete on a B level
• Student works in pairs on almost all events
• Awards are given based on individual events and overall team score

​

FORMATIONS OF TEAMS

• We can have 15 students on each team. We may have two teams (30 students max).
• We try and create teams based on grade level initially but this is not always possible
• We can have both teams attend invitationals and regionals, but only one for states
• While we will do our best to honor each student’s request for a certain event, it may not be possible to give each student each of their top 4 picks.
• Students may not participate in solely engineering events

​

Team Expectations

• Constant contact with partner
• Constantly worked on shared notes sheet on Google Docs
• Consistently visiting the Science Olympiad Canvas page for updates and information
• Arranging times for extra meetings with partners and teachers
• Sharing the workload and understanding each other’s strengths for a specific event
• Deciding which event to attend if participating in multiple events same day after school

​

EXPECTATIONS OF WORK

• Meet Tuesdays and Thursdays after school for an hour, it will be an intramural. Meet Mondays during Enrichment Seminar time.
• Students come prepared to work and take ownership out of school
• Stay in touch with coaches in charge of their event. Coaches prepare in advance for students. If a student does not show, we need to know this ahead of time.
• Students spend 2 hours weekly studying and/or preparing for their events.
• Prepared for actual competition 2 weeks before a competition. This includes having engineering projects completed.
• Work cooperatively and be supportive of each other. If needed, we will move groups to help the team.

​

2017-2018 CALENDAR

• Today - First LEMS meeting. All students should attend.
• A Saturday in December- Practice Invitational at CMS (Tentative)
• Saturday, Jan 27th- Garnet Valley Invitational (Glen Mills, PA)
• Saturday Feb 17th, 2018- Maryland State Regional Competition @ University of Maryland (tentative). All teams attend.
• Saturday, April 14th, 2018- Maryland State Competition @ JHU (Only 1 team)

​

​

TYPICAL EVENT SCHEDULE

• 7:00am- Arrive at home base at event.
• 8:00- 4:00- Students attend events all over campus, take breaks, eat, do HW, and study in between their 3-4 events.
• 4:00-6:00- Cleanup and Dinner break
• 6:00-9:00- Awards Ceremony

​

Students may leave if they choose after their events are completed

LOGISTICS/COSTS

• LEMS has paid the registration fee for teams ($450 per team)
• We are asking each student to pay $50 for the year’s material fees including team shirt (We need to design this).
• Tournaments will have a separate cost, but limited. For example, LKMS will pay all tournament registration fees. Extra costs would simply include any necessary hotels, transportation, and food.
• Parents are needed to help manage carpool for invitationals. Parents are also needed on the day of the events to help chaperone students to their events and provide snacks for the day.
• We NEED parental assistance on engineering events to help students with construction and space to build!

Event Selection

• Students will be in 3-4 events with a partner.
• We guarantee that you will be placed in at least one of your preferred events.
• Once we have the regional/state schedule events may change based on overlap so students must be flexible.
• As we go over events, note 1 to 5 with 1 being the most interested and 5 being the least interested next to each event
• Please return the events paper with your top 4 events listed at the top in order of preference asap.

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

This event encompasses the anatomy and physiology of selected body systems, this year limited to the respiratory, digestive, and immune system.

​

You will bring only a calculator and 2 pages of notes to answer test questions in 50 minutes.

BATTERY BUGGY--engineering event

Teams will construct a vehicle that uses electrical energy as its sole means of propulsion, quickly travels a specific distance, and stops as close as possible to the finish point.

​

This is an engineering event with no test. Teams must bring practice logs.

​

CRIME BUSTERS

Given a scenario, a collection of evidence, and possible suspects, students will perform a series of forensic tests that along with other evidence will be used to solve a crime.

​

This is a lab event with a write-up at the end.

DISEASE DETECTIVE

Participants will use their investigative skills in the scientific study of disease, injury, health, and disability in populations or groups of people with a focus on Food Borne Illness.

​

Students may bring a calculator for this test.

DYNAMIC PLANET

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the large-scale processes affecting the structure of the Earth and global and environmental changes in the past, present, and future.

​

This is a test.

ECOLOGY

Participants will answer questions involving content knowledge and process skills in the area of ecology and adaptations in featured North American biomes.

​

This is a test

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

This event will determine a team’s ability to design, conduct, and report the findings of an experiment actually conducted on site.

​

​

Teams will create an experiment from a random set of materials, write out that experiment, and complete a checklist of expectations including data collection and analysis.

​

FAST FACTS

Teams will provide terms that begin with a given letter and match given science categories to fill in a grid.

​

​

This is a type of game that is a cross between Jeopardy and a trivia contest.

HERPETOLOGY

The event will test knowledge of amphibians and reptiles including turtles and crocodilians.

​

This is a test where students may travel to stations and have to answer questions in limited amounts of time.

HOVERCRAFT--engineering event

Participants will be tested on their knowledge of classic mechanics and related topics as well as their ability to construct a self-propelled air-levitated vehicle that moves down a track.

​

This is an engineering event that also requires a test.

METEOROLOGY

Teams will use scientific process skills to demonstrate an understanding of factors that influence world climate and use of models to understand/estimate impacts of different changes.

​

This is a test.

MICROBE MISSION

Teams will answer questions, solve problems, and analyze data pertaining to microbes.

​

This is a test not a lab. It will involve microscopes but no experiments.

MYSTERY ARCHITECTURE

At the beginning of the event, teams will be given a bag of building materials and instructions for designing and building a device that can be tested.

​

Students will building either a bridge, tower, cantilever, or a boat.

OPTICS

Teams participate in an activity involving positioning mirrors to direct a laser beam towards a target and are tested on their knowledge of geometric and physical optics.

​

This is a test and an activity that involves a laser shoot.

POTIONS AND POISONS

This event is about chemical properties and effects of specific toxic and therapeutic chemical substances, with a focus on household and environmental toxins or poisons.

​

This is a test that also includes a lab.

ROAD SCHOLAR

Teams will answer interpretive questions that may use one or more state highway maps, USGS topographic maps, Internet- generated maps, a road atlas, or satellite/aerial images.

​

This is a test that involves the ability to read and analyze maps.

ROCKS AND MINERALS

Teams will demonstrate their knowledge of rocks and minerals.

​

This is a test based on a specific list of rocks and minerals.

ROLLER COASTER--engineering event

Prior to the competition, teams design, build, and test a roller coaster track to guide a vehicle that uses gravitational potential energy as its sole means of propulsion to travel as close as possible to a target time while minimizing the height of the vehicle with bonuses for gaps.

SOLAR SYSTEM

Students will demonstrate an understanding and knowledge of the geologic characteristics and evolution of the Earth’s moon and other rocky bodies of the solar system.

​

This is a test along with a hands-on/Interpretative task such as looking at a map or diagram.

THERMODYNAMICS--engineering event

Teams must construct an insulated device prior to the tournament that is designed to retain heat and complete a written test on thermodynamic concepts.

​

This is an engineering event with a 20-min test.

TOWERS--engineering event

Prior to competition, teams will design and build a Tower meeting requirements specified in the rules to achieve the highest structural efficiency.

​

Towers will be constructed with hard-fibrous wood.

WRIGHT STUFF--engineering event

Prior to the tournament; teams design, construct, and test free flight rubber-powered monoplanes to achieve maximum time aloft.

​

​

WRITE IT DO IT

This is a game type of event where one student will write a description of an object and how to build it, and then the other student will attempt to construct the object from his description.

Example of an Engineering Event (Mission Possible)

Helpful Websites

marylandscienceolympiad.com

​

soinc.org

​

scioly.org

What Now?

• Choose your top 4 events and return the form to the media center on the first day of school
• Attend the first meeting Tuesday, Oct. 3rd until 4:30
• Follow the schedule provided at the first meeting
• Constantly pay attention to the SciOly Canvas Page
• Get to know your partners