Science Olympiad
- This page is about the Science Olympiad competition for secondary schools in the United States. For information on the science olympiads such as the International Physics Olympiad or the International Chemistry Olympiad, see International Science Olympiad.
Science Olympiad is a primarily American elementary, middle school, or high school team competition that requires knowledge of various science topics and engineering ability. Over 14,000 teams from 45 U.S. states and Canada compete each year.
History
Science Olympiad began as the Delaware Science Olympiad. A write-up in The Science Teacher of December 1977 caught the attention of Dr. Gerard Putz, who proposed that the program be expanded beyond Delaware. After tests in Michigan at the Lawrence Institute of Technology and Oakland University in 1983 and 1984, Putz and Delaware director John Cairns took their idea to the National Science Teachers Conference in Boston. The first National Tournament was attended by representatives of 17 states, held at Michigan State University in 1985. Since then, the program has expanded to reach 45 states and Ontario, Canada.[1]
Divisions
There are four divisions in the hierarchy of Science Olympiad:
- Division A1 for elementary school (grades K-3)
- Division A2 for elementary school (grades 3-6)
- Division B for middle school (grades 6-9)
- Division C for high school (grades 9-12)
However, the national tournament and generally state and regional tournaments are only for divisions B and C. Note that 6th, and 9th graders have the option of competing in either of the two divisions in which they meet the grade requirements. For example, a 9th grader can become part of the middle school team rather than the high school team if the high school has no team.[2]
Events
There are twenty-three events in which competitors face off on a single day. Events fall under three main categories: Science Concepts and Knowledge, Science Processes and Thinking Skills, and Science Application and Technology. They are either knowledge-based (i.e. written tests or laboratory tasks in earth science, physics, biology, and chemistry) or engineering-based (i.e. participants construct a device to do specified tasks). [3]
Knowledge-based events generally have two participants either taking a test, performing experiments, or mathematically analyzing data. Examples of such events are Designer Genes, Forensics, and Chemistry Lab.
Engineering-based events have a team of two to three participants. They are to construct a device following a specific event's parameters and test the device against others. Examples include Robot Ramble, Bridge/Tower Building, and Storm The Castle.
The majority of events require two team members, though some require more. If one member is unable to attend an event, the other is able to continue, depending on the event, with the competition, though at an obvious disadvantage.
The list of events, and rules for events, change and are updated every year to keep the competition interesting and to limit the advantages of older teams
Division B events for 2007
- Anatomy (Digestive and Nervous)
- Awesome Aquifers - construct an aquifer and answer questions about groundwater concepts
- Balloon Race - design and construct a weight which when attached to a helium balloon will rise the slowest
- Balloon Launch Glider - constructing a glider to be launched from a balloon, trying to achieve the longest flight time
- Crave the Wave - Test on all types of waves (e.g. earthquake waves, ocean waves, sound waves, and light waves)
- Disease Detectives (Epidemiology)- students are given data in which they are to do calculations to answer questions which may include where the source of this disease is located, what is the agent, how it can be prevented from spreading and so on
- Don't Bug Me
- Oceanography (Formerly Dynamic Planet)
- Ecology (Forests/Marine Biology and Estuaries)
- Food Science - students are to answer questions about basic scientific experiments.
- Heredity - students are to answer a series of questions that are heredity related
- Meteorology (Everyday Weather)
- Metric Mastery - An event in which students present knowledge on how to correctly estimate, and measure with, metric units
- Mission Possible - based on the Rube Goldberg machine(take the longest possible amount of time to do a simple task)
- Road Scholar - students read through a story and answer questions throughout the story while having to interpret the multiple maps given
- Rocks & Minerals-an event in which students test their skill at identifying certain rocks and minerals base on giving them characteristics, or actual samples.
- Science Word - one student is given a word and in 1-2 words have to give a simple definition of that word in which the other student who doesn't know what the word is has to guess it
- Science Crimebusters - students try to use provided material to find unknown materials (e.g. plastics, powders, liquids) and identify them
- Simple Machines
- Solar System - students answer a series of questions related to the solar system
- Storm the Castle - building a device (for instance, a trebuchet) that launches a projectile using the energy of a falling counterweight
- Tower Building - designing and building the lightest tower (made out of wood), with the highest structural efficiency, capable of supporting a load of up to 15 kg
- Wheeled Vehicle
- Write It, Do It - one student is given a model, in which the other student can not see, they are to write instructions on how to create that model, after the time is up, the other student is given the set of instructions with the materials and are to try to build a replica of the model
(State and national tournaments can have other alternate events [see below])
Division C events for 2007
- Astronomy (Variable Stars)
- Boomilever
- Chemistry Lab (Gases/Nuclear)
- Circuit Lab
- Designer Genes (Molecular Genetics/Biotechnology)
- Disease Detectives (Environmental Quality)
- Ecology (Forests/Marine Biology and Estuaries)
- Entomology (Formerly Don't Bug Me)
- Experimental Design
- Fermi Questions
- Five Star Science
- Food Science
- Forensics
- Health Science (Circulatory, Nervous, Endocrine)
- Map It†
- Metric Mastery†
- Oceanography (Formerly Dynamic Planet)
- Physics Lab (Rotational Motion)
- Remote Sensing (Mars)
- Robot Ramble
- Rocks and Minerals
- Scrambler
- Sumobots†
- Sounds of Music
- Wright Stuff
- Write It, Do It
(State and National competitions may have Alternate events†)
†Alternate events (also known as Pilot and Trial events for building and academic events, respectively) are events designed for the alternates. These events do not affect the team score but medals are awarded for top finishers as in the other events. At Nationals in 2006, two of another type of Alternate event, called "Just For Fun" events, were held on a previous day, with prizes given out for the top 3 finishers (as opposed to the top 6) at a pre-competition assembly.
Team structure
Teams are hosted by the school from which the participants attend. A teacher, parent or student, usually a volunteer, coordinates the team in practice and preparation for the competition. Often there are others who coach individual events as well. A team can consist of up to 15 students (plus alternates) and any amount of alternates at the national level; some states allow more students per team. In the middle school level, only 5 ninth graders are allowed to compete on one team, and at the high school level, only 7 twelfth graders are allowed per team. Homeschool groups may also form teams to compete.
A lot of strategy usually goes into the forming of a team. Since events go on as the same time as other events during a competition, and creates conflicts, the coach or coordinator must make decisions based on the competitor's specialty and ability in order to correctly place them. Sometimes, usually during the reformation of competitors when a team advances a level, a competitor who wasn't originally planned to compete in a certain event is put into it to fill the certain event slot.
Scoring
The winner of the competition is determined by each team's overall score. Each school is ranked in every event based on that event's rules. The team's overall score is then calculated by adding together the rank of the school in all events (e.g. 1st place receives 1 point, 2nd place 2 points, etc.). The team with the lowest overall score is declared the winner. However, it should be noted that some state competitions choose to score the competition by awarding more points per place (e.g. 13 points for 1st place, 12 points for 2nd place, etc.) and having the team with the most points being declared the winner.
There are several ways to break a tie (draw):
- Before a competition, the event organizer decides on several events to be used as tie-breakers. If two teams get the same score overall, the team that rates highest in that one event will take the lead.
- Another method for tie-breaking is based on medals where the team with more first place medals wins, if both teams have the same amount of first places, it moves to second place medals and so on.
- A third way of tie-breaking is to use a team's score in trial/pilot events. The team with the best combined score in trial events would win the competition when this method is used.
Competition levels
Science Olympiad competitions occur at a regional, state and national level. Normally, the top few teams advance from regional competition to state; the exact number depends on how many regions there are and how many teams compete. For example, the regional Science Olympiad competition in Albany, New York, which is held at The College of Saint Rose typically will send the top three finishing teams to the state competition. However, an additional team or teams can be sent to the state competition if one of the top three has been victorious (or has gone to the state competition) multiple times in a row. Also, no school can take more than one team to the state competition. If a "B team" to an already qualified team finishes in the top three of a regional competition, the next team not already in is allowed to go to the state competition in place of the "B team." In most states, the top team advances from state to the national competition. Some states with a larger number of teams are able to send two teams to the national competition to represent their larger presence. About 120 teams compete at the national level each year (60 from Division B and 60 from Division C); the number has changed over the years to accommodate growing participation and is dependent on the number of teams attending a particular state's state tournament.
Some states, including Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Indiana, Michigan, and Nebraska hold Invitational tournaments. These competitions serve as "practice rounds" for qualifying tournaments, and are hosted by individual high schools and/or colleges. These are also often organized by schools themselves and usually occur some time in January or February. Teams can participate in Invitationals from multiple states depending on availability. Often times, these are not full competitions (meaning the full complement of events are not done). Often, only a few events are held.
National Tournament
The National Science Olympiad competition is held in May at a different university in a different state every year. Teams either stay in student dorms or nearby hotels.
The competition officially begins with opening ceremonies on the day before Saturday's competition (a Friday). Usually a notable speaker, such as a Nobel Laureate, will give a speech. Following this is the traditional Swap Meet, when all the teams bring bags of state memorabilia to trade with other teams from all over the country. The most popular items include hats, license plates, and t-shirts.
Saturday includes several time blocks (this year 8). Each block includes a 50-minute section for each study event, while many--though not all- building events are usually "walk-in," where competitors sign up for a time slot.
That night, a semi-formal Awards Ceremony is held. It opens with a short speech, which is followed by the awarding of medals for the top six teams in each event, including trial events (events that do not count to the overall team score). At the end, the top ten teams are awarded trophies.
In some national tournaments, scholarships are awarded to the top teams in each event. In 2005's competition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, first-place winners received waivers for a four-year undergraduate tuition. Extra prizes are also given out for certain events: in Disease Detectives (Division C), the first-place team is given t-shirts and a trip for the two competitors and their coach to tour the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention facility in Atlanta, Georgia. For the 2006 National Competition, the host, Indiana University, awarded $7000 annual scholarships to Division C 1st place finishers who decide to attend the university for their freshman year.
The 2007 National Tournament was held at Wichita State University in May 18th to the 19th. Future hosts include 2008 - George Washington University, 2009 - Augusta State University, 2010 - University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, WI. [4]
Past national champions
Division B
| Year | School | State |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Slauson Intermediate School | MI |
| 1986 | Slauson Intermediate School | MI |
| 1987 | Gompers Secondary School | CA |
| 1988 | Irmo Middle School | SC |
| 1989 | Irmo Middle School | SC |
| 1990 | Irmo Middle School | SC |
| 1991 | Grandville Junior High School | MI |
| 1992 | Jenison Junior High School | MI |
| 1993 | Thomas Jefferson Middle School | IN |
| 1994 | State College Junior High School | PA |
| 1995 | State College Junior High School | PA |
| 1996 | J.C. Booth Middle School | GA |
| 1996 | Thomas Jefferson Middle School | IN |
| 1997 | J.C. Booth Middle School | GA |
| 1998 | J.C. Booth Middle School | GA |
| 1999 | J.C. Booth Middle School | GA |
| 2000 | J.C. Booth Middle School | GA |
| 2001 | J.C. Booth Middle School | GA |
| 2002 | Rising Starr Middle School | GA |
| 2003 | J.C. Booth Middle School | GA |
| 2004 | J.C. Booth Middle School | GA |
| 2005 | Community Middle School | NJ |
| 2006 | J.C. Booth Middle School | GA |
| 2007 | Community Middle School | NJ |
Division C
| Year | School | State |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Seaholm HS | MI |
| 1986 | Seaholm HS | MI |
| 1987 | Irmo HS | SC |
| 1988 | Haverford HS | PA |
| 1989 | Irmo High School | SC |
| 1990 | Irmo High School | SC |
| 1991 | La Jolla High School | CA |
| 1992 | La Jolla High School | CA |
| 1993 | Grand Haven High School | MI |
| 1994 | Grand Haven High School | MI |
| 1995 | Harriton High School | PA |
| 1996 | Troy High School | CA |
| 1997 | Grand Haven High School | MI |
| 1998 | Solon High School | OH |
| 1999 | Troy High School | CA |
| 2000 | Troy High School | CA |
| 2001 | Harriton High School | PA |
| 2002 | Troy High School | CA |
| 2003 | Troy High School | CA |
| 2004 | Fayetteville-Manlius High School | NY |
| 2005 | Harriton High School | PA |
| 2006 | Troy High School | CA |
| 2007 | Troy High School | CA |