Short Event Descriptions

Science Olympiad Events are balanced among the three broad areas of the Science Standards. Click on Event Name for a short description of the event for the 2012-2013 school year. Individual Event Info Pages for the 46 events are updated with 2013 content throughout the fall.

EVENT DESCRIPTIONs

Anatomy (B) - Teams will be tested on their knowledge of anatomy and health concepts including nervous and digestive systems.

Anatomy & Physiology (C) - This event encompasses the anatomy and physiology of selected body systems, this year limited to nervous, excretory and digestive systems.

Astronomy (C) - Teams will demonstrate an understanding of the basic concepts of math and physics relating to stellar evolution and Type II supernovas.

Boomilever (B/C) - Students will build a cantilevered wooden structure.

Chemistry Lab (C) - Teams will demonstrate chemistry laboratory skills related to periodicity and equilibrium.

Circuit Lab (C) - Students will compete in theoretical and practical activities involving knowledge of direct current (DC) electrical circuits.

Crime Busters (B) - Teams will identify the perpetrators of a crime or crimes by using paper chromatography and analysis of unknown solids, liquids, and plastics found at the scene of a crime.

Designer Genes (C) - Students will solve problems using their knowledge of molecular genetics and biotechnology.

Disease Detective (B/C) - This event requires students to apply principles of epidemiology to a published report of a real-life health situation or problem. (Environmental Quality)

Dynamic Planet (B/C) - Teams will work at stations that display a variety of earth science materials and related earth science questions. (Glaciers)

Elastic Launched Glider (C) - Students will design, build and test two elastic launched gliders capable of the highest time aloft.

Experimental Design (B/C) - Given a set of unknown objects, teams will design, conduct, analyze and write-up an experiment.

Fermi Questions (C) - A Fermi Question is a science related question that seeks a fast, rough estimate of a quantity which is difficult or impossible to measure directly. Answers will be estimated within an order of magnitude recorded in powers of 10.

Food Science (B) - Using their understanding of the chemistry and physical properties of baking ingredients, teams will answer questions at a series of stations.

Forensics (C) - Students will identify polymers, solids, fibers, and other materials in a crime scenario.

Forestry (B/C) - This event will test student knowledge of North American trees that are on the Official National Tree List.

Gravity Vehicle (C) - Teams design, build and test one vehicle and ramp that uses gravitational potential energy as the vehicle's sole means of propulsion to reach a Target Point as quickly, as accurately and as close to their predicted time as possible.

Helicopters (B) - Students will construct and test free flight rubber-powered helicopters prior to the tournament to achieve maximum flight times.

Heredity (B) - Students will solve problems and analyze data or diagrams using their knowledge of the basic principles of genetics.

Keep the Heat (B) - Teams must construct an insulated device prior to the tournament that is designed to retain heat. Students must also complete a written test on thermodynamic concepts.

MagLev (C) - Competitors may construct up to two self-propelled magnetically levitated vehicles powered by batteries that turn up to two propellers to move the vehicle down a magnetic track. Students will also be tested on their knowledge of magnetism and related topics.

Materials Science (C) - Teams will answer a series of questions or complete tasks involving the scientific processes of chemistry focused in the areas of materials science.

Meteorology (B) - This event involves the use of process skills as applied to meteorology. (Everyday Weather)

Metric Mastery (B) - Students will demonstrate an intuitive feeling for estimating then measuring metric units including mass, volume, area, surface area, force, distance, time and temperature.

Mission Possible (B) - Prior to the competition, participants will design, build, test and document a "Rube Goldberg-like device" that completes a required Final Task using a sequence of consecutive tasks.

Mousetrap Vehicle (B) - Teams will design, build and test a vehicle using one mousetrap as the sole means of propulsion to reach a target as quickly, accurately and close to their predicted time as possible.

Reach for the Stars (B) - Students will demonstrate an understanding and basic knowledge of the properties and evolution of stars, open clusters and globular clusters, and normal and star-forming galaxies.

Remote Sensing (C) - Teams use remote sensing imagery, science and math process skills to complete tasks related to an understanding of Earth's Hydrosphere.

Road Scholar (B) - Requires the accurate interpretation and understanding of various map features using a variety of road and topographic maps.

Robot Arm (C) - Prior to the competition teams must design, build, document and test one robotic device to move scored items.

Rocks and Minerals (B/C) - Teams will demonstrate their knowledge of rocks and minerals.

Rotor Egg Drop (B) - A team will construct a helicopter device which uses one or more helicopter rotors to safely transport a raw chicken egg from a specified height to the floor.

Shock Value (B) - Students will compete in activities involving basic understanding of electricity, magnetism and simple electrical devices.

Sounds of Music (B) - Prior to the competition, students will build two instruments based on a 12 tone tempered scale, prepare to describe the principles behind their operation and be able to perform a major scale, a required melody and a chosen melody with each.

Technical Problem Solving (C) - Teams will gather and process data to solve problems.

Thermodynamics (C) - Teams must construct an insulated device prior to the tournament that is designed to retain heat. Teams must also complete a written test on thermodynamic concepts.

Water Quality (B/C) - The event will focus on evaluating aquatic environments. (Freshwater/Estuaries)

Write It/Do It (B/C) - A technical writing exercise where students write a description of a contraption and other students will attempt to recreate it using only the written description.

Short Event Descriptions

Science Concepts and Knowledge

Science Processes and Inquiry Skills

Science Application and Technology

EVENT DESCRIPTIONs