Science Olympiad 2006-07

Coaches Clinic Notes

Fundraising

• If schools could come up with $200 for fundraising, it would be a great help.
• Dr. Ohlhorst may be going to the legislature with a proposal to better spread Science Olympiad throughout the state, get more schools participating. The proposal might include:
  • Travel to different parts of the state
  • Presentations to school principals
  • Summer workshops for teachers
  • Summer camps for students
  • We would like to see better activities – not just limited to activities in manual
  • Stipend to get paid for coaching SO
  • Scholarship for new coaches and teams
  • Money for materials
• Suggestions for getting more schools interested are welcome

 

 

# of teams allowed discussion

• With the current configuration there are 36 B team slots and 24 C team slots

Pros & Cons of schools having more than one team

• Pros:  involve more students
• Cons:  certain teams dominate, logistical/scheduling difficulties

Current Proposal:

• One team can medal, but a school can have more than one team participate (non-medal designation)
• For now, one team can register to compete for medals.  After Dec 1, schools can register an alternate team for non-medaling IF there is space.   Still costs $120
• Can have more than 2 alternates on the medal (or not-medal team)
• Middle of November a letter will be sent to recent participating teams not yet registered.

 

Events

• Can compete in 20 events for medals
• 3-6 additional events will be chosen
• alternates can compete in the non-medaling events
• For the non-medal events, teams do get feedback on how you would have placed if you would have been competing for medals.
• Additional events give more kids opportunity to participate.
• 2-tiered competition??

 

Pin Design Contest

• Can involve art students/art program
• Design must have Utah, year (2007), Science Olympiad, use simple # of colors
• 1 1/8” size of text – pins produced exactly as submitted
• Design due in January
• Each school can submit one design and is allowed one vote

 

Event Locations

·        Closing Ceremony is in Browning Center

·        Union Building events will be moved to Dee Events Center

·        Will need more bus drivers

·        Use bus drivers from schools – what is policy?  Legalities?

·        Event schedule will posted later

 

Additional Chosen Events – rules will be posted soon:

 

C-teams

·        Mystery Arch

·        Egg Drop – build on site

·        GPS

 

B-teams

·        Egg Drop

·        Pentathlon

·        Bottle Rocket – Vertical

 

 

Any other proposals for events, requests are still taken – esp. for ideas for next year

 

If there are any questions or comments on chosen events email sohlhorst@weber.edu

 

 

RE: Goggles – make sure you read the event requirements carefully

 

Free awesome aquifer help:

            www.groundwater.org – website that will send 1 free kit per school.

 

 

Vouchers

·        Will need a voucher for each event

·        Vouchers will be mailed out 2-3 weeks ahead

·        B-team vouchers will be blue, C-team vouchers will be red, alternate event vouchers will be white

·        Can trade medal events for alternative event vouchers (if not trying for nationals, but want to involve more kids)

·        It hurts your team in overall points if you DON’T send SOMEONE to an event – send somebody.  However, if you are just trying to give your kids a fun experience, you do not need to send someone to each event.

·        Better chances of medaling in less favored events.

·        There are 26 events scheduled – your team can only compete for medals in 20, others are events that team members or alternates can compete in.  This policy gives more students an experience and gives more teams a chance to medal in events.

·        Read through event rule, make sure you understand them – sometimes this isn’t clear until you actually try the event.

·        A rule clarification page will be posted on website about Jan-Feb – once this is posted check this page often.

 

Event Presentations – cd’s were handed out with many of these notes – if your team does not have a copy call or email us.

 

Donna Ward’s Presentation

 

Awesome Aquifer to be replaced with Oceanography (physical), different from marine life (animals), includes reefs.  Very broad topic

·        www.groundwater.org – can get 1 free kit per school

·        takes 10 minutes to build and clean up

·        bring own materials to build

·        water provided

·        sign up online so we know how many lines and event coordinators we’ll need

·        require that container you bring things in is labeled.  Team must take container with them.

 

Road Scholar

·        will no longer be a story 

·        They will get a set of directions. 

·        Best students for this event are a phenomenal reader/decoder and someone who likes maps.

·        Kids make maps – will be given a USGS map and supplies (protractor, ruler, color pencils)

·        Should have basic understanding of what key is so they don’t have to keep looking at it. 

·        50 minute activity

 

Science Word

·        Quick competition – only have 4 minutes to guess 40 words

·        No gestures

·        Alternates between clue giver & guesser (back & forth – one gives clue, other guesses, then trade)

·        Can’t use form of word i.e., chemist for chemistry

·        Can give 1 2-word clue for each response, although can’t use “again”, “again”

·        3 two-word clues for each word

·        clues have to be scientific (non-science clues 1^st timing, 2^nd time get penalized)

·        Event Coordinator chooses set of 40 words that no one knows

·        Words will be in same order

·        Tiebreaker – longest consecutive # of correct answers?  Use different tiebreaker

·        This event will need at least 2 event coordinators

·        Good way to train for this event is to make flash cards – using words from science books

 

Jesse Hennefer’s Presentation

 

Science Crimebusters

·        for powder portion of event will be using gypsum instead of plaster of paris

·        Crime Scene will include mystery powder; hair & fiber (won’t be doing burning but instead will be given results of burn) due to toxicity from plastic fumes and allergy

·        Write-up – 3 paragraphs for conclusion of data

 

Tower Building/Boomilever

·        Tie breaker – invention testing journal/team log

·        Suggestion:  use hopper (water bottle upside down – hold lever down)

·        Bridges, Boomilever, Tower Building – scooping is unfair to students

 

Balloon Race

·        Measure mass the balloon will carry

·        Kids must know how to zero balance

·        Gusts in room – real problem

·        Launch @ same spot because air currents are different in different spots; everybody seated and doors closed

·        Suggestion:  Make a box 7’ tall with PVC pipe & tarp to launch from

·        2^nd run – must cut a brand new mast

 

Mission Possible

·        marbles falling onto a wheel & axle turning 360 degrees

·        event is based on time

·        suggestion – use funnel at beginning of machine

 

Elaine Clark’s Presentation

 

Ecology

·        knowledge event (usually test)

·        suggestion:  run in stations

·        Focus is on two ecosystems:  North American Forest (Huge – need to define) and Marine including estuaries

·        Short essay test

·        Read graphs

 

Food Science

·        Know basic building blocks

·        B Div doesn’t need to know structure

·        Test protocol will be given

·        Know tests to determine carbs, proteins, etc.

 

Metric Mastery

·        15 Stations (in book)

·        Don’t have instruments, can’t use hands to measure

·        Use eyes

·        Have to use correct unit of measure

·        Make sure student records answers for appropriate stations

·        Estimated digit is 5 in 11.5 ml (for example)

·        1^st time get 30 seconds for each estimation

·        2^nd time get 60 seconds to measure

·        student needs to recognize which unit of measure they’re in

 

Mission Possible

·        Simple machines list due 24 hours prior to event

·        No batteries or electricity allowed

·        Bonus task – must use sand

·        Good capstone event for science & physics

·        North Carolina SO website will have videos of Mission Possible event

 

Simple Machines

·        Stations for levers, pulleys, wheel & axle, and inclined plane

·        Compute ideal mechanical improvement & efficiency

 

Storm the Castle

·        Keep a log from beginning (of training?)

·        Suggestion:  shape Styrofoam like tower then build around the Styrofoam tower – will help it keep it’s shape