2007-2008 Science Olympiad Events and Descriptions

Grades 6-12

Olympiad events fall into 5 major categories: 1) Life, Personal and Social Sciences (L); 2) Earth and Space Science(E); 3) Physics and Chemistry(PC); 4) Technology(T); 5) Inquiry and Communication(I)

EVENTS COMMON TO BOTH DIVISIONS
(high school events are more advanced)

 1. Amphibians and Reptiles (Herpetology ) : Students move from station to station, being timed at each station. No returning to stations. Various pictures or actual specimens of reptiles and amphibians from the list on national web site (www.soinc.org). Questions involve placing the organism in its correct taxonomic group and answering things about habitat, life cycle, economic importance etc. Students may bring reference materials with them, but many stations may have many specimens, so students must be able to make some ids quickly. Each year one of life science events deals with taxonomy of some group or groups.

2. Anatomy/Health Science: Students move from station to station, being timed at each station. No returning to stations. Various pictures or actual specimens of normal and diseased brains and parts of circulatory systems. Questions about identifying function of various parts of brain or heart Some stations may involve merely questions about the effects of addiction on either or both system. Students can also expect to see graphs, probably ekgs, eegs, and possibly economic questions on addiction. Each year, one of life science events deals with two body systems.  

3. Disease detectives: An event sponsored by the CDC, dealing with some aspect of epidemiology. Students are usually given a scenario, asked to answer a series of questions pertaining to possible sources, possible future preventative measures, and possible ultimate sources of the given outbreak (either environmental or organismal). Almost always a purely paper-pencil test. Students can expect to see numerous graphs/tables and also have some vocabulary-type questions. A long test to grade, so it is often given early in the day.

4. Ecology: Numerous questions about ecological principals relating to two major-type biomes. The biomes change yearly. Usually a paper pencil event, with much vocabulary. Some sites will run the event as stations where students have to make measurements, set up testing devices contrast different methodologies, etc. Making calculations, interpreting graphs and making predictions about the future are often the types of questions that may appear. There may be questions about why a particular ecosystem is being destroyed.

5. Oceanography: usually a paper-pencil type event. Questions about currents, ocean temperatures, depths, mineral content, pollution, etc. A good test will often have some remote sensing images, graphs, etc. Students may be asked how long it will take to get to a certain place given a certain velocity or to interpret various aerial images.

6. Rocks and Minerals: Students move from station to station, being timed at each station. No returning to stations. Various pictures or actual specimens of rocks at each station. Student will be asked about comparing rock hardness, composition of the rocks, sources, economic uses of some of the rocks. Reference materials allowed, but students must not spend all the time looking through reference material. Click here for picture of event.

7. Food Science: A lab based event. Proper safety equipment and attire required to participate . Students will perform a number of lab tests, such as determining presence and quantity of protein in various foods, possibly comparing various components of two or more foods. Expect students to have to calculate calories at least once. Requires students to spend much time learning how to perform various procedures. Students will need to prepare and bring a reagent kit to event.

8. Crime Busters/Forensics: A lab based event. Proper safety equipment and attire required to participate. A detailed reagent kit needed. Students must be able to chemically distinguish among a number of different powders, be able to compare inks via chromatography, visually compare tire treads, foot and fingerprints, and or DNA fingerprints. Students should be able to distinguish different types of fur and synthetic fibers. If the crime scene is set up properly, many students will not finish the entire analysis, for some students will take a long time to set up a test. Each student should being doing different tests. Determination of pH and blood types are critical. Students must be aware that none, all, or more than one of suspects could fit the data.

9. Scrambler/electric vehicle: Although different, these events which change almost yearly, are very similar. Prior to the day of competition, students build a vehicle that will travel a certain distance and be able to stop (sometimes without breaking an egg as in the case of scrambler). The actual distance to be traveled is not told to students until the day of competition. Vehicles are impounded before actual competition and students may make no changes to vehicle until they are ready to compete. Requires much practicing with vehicle and developing some type of braking mechanism as well as a log book.

10. Tower /Boomilever/ Bridge : Similar but different events. Each device is measured for its overall efficiency for supporting up to 15 kg of mass (sand). Devices are built prior to competition, usually of balsa or bass wood. Ideally, students should build and test more than one device prior to competition. . Buy the wood in bulk if possible. Very important for students to follow building specs in rules. Device are tested by adding sand to a bucket that is hanging from the device until the device breaks or is still intact after 15 kg. Be sure device can hold the specified bolt in the specified place. Some sites will impound the devices.

11. Write it Do it: An event all about writing clear instructions and following these instructions. One member of a team enters a room and examines some type of structure, with 20-40 pieces. Without touching the object, this team member has 20 minutes to write building instructions (with no pictures) for the partner. This team member, then hands instructions to partner who then acquires a bag of building materials. Following the written instructions, the builder tries to recreate the original structure. After handing the instructions to the builder, the writer must leave the room and have no communication with partner. Structures are judged based on how many correct pieces are placed in correct position. Usually held early in day, for the event takes a long time to grade.

12. Experimental Design (usually for both divisions): Students are given a problem and asked to design and perform an experiment that will possibly explain the problem. Identifying different types of variables, writing the procedure, performing the experiment (at least 2x), recording data, drawing graphs and conclusions are all parts of the evaluation. Students need to be organized and able to communicate with each other. Usually constructing tables and graphs are crucial. Grading takes a long time, so expect this event early.