Outreach and Special Operations
Outreach and Special OperationsMS Science Olympiad Descriptions
State Competition: March 28, 2008
Division B (Grades 6th - 9th)
Amphibians and Reptiles
This event will test knowledge of amphibians, turtles, crocodiles and reptiles.
Anatomy
Teams will be tested on their knowledge of anatomy and health concepts
Balloon Launch Glider
Participants will design, construct and test a glider that will remain aloft for a maximum period of time.
Bio-Process Lab
Teams will demonstrate biology laboratory skills related to selected topics.
Crave the Wave
Students will demonstrate their understanding of waves and wave motion.
Disease Detectives
This event requires students to apply principles of epidemiology to a published report of a real-life health situation or problem. There will be a focus on environmental causes of public health problems.
Ecology
Students will answer questions involving content knowledge and process skills in the area of ecologyand adaptation by examining different ecosystems.
Food Science
Teams will be asked questions pertaining to food chemistry, which may include chemical reactions, characterization, and quantification. Students need to perform developmentally appropriate experiments pertaining to food chemistry.
Meteorology
This event involves the use of process skills as applied to meteorology. skills to be addressed and evaluated may include observing, classifying, measuring, inferring, predicting, communicating, and using number relationships.
Metric Mastery
Students will demonstrate an intuitive feeling for estimating and later for measuring different events/objects using S.I. metric units. The properties to be measured may include mass, volume, density, area, force, distance, time, and temperature.
Mystery Architecture
Teams will design and construct a specified structure on-site that can be tested onsite.
Oceanography
Teams will work at stations that display a variety of earth science materials and related earth science questions with emphasis on physical and geological oceanography.
Reach for the Stars
Teams will identify stars, constellations, and deep sky objects and be knowledgeable about their evolutionary stages.
Road Scholar
Requires the accurate interpretation and understanding of various map features, using a variety of road and topographic maps.
Robo – Cross
Students will design and build a robot capable of performing certain tasks on a prescribed playing field.
Rocks and Minerals
Students will identify, describe, and classify various specimens. Teams have to demonstrate their knowledge of rocks and minerals.
Science Crime Busters
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. Students may also be asked to interpret the results of DNA evidence, identify hair, fibers, shoe prints, tire treads and fingerprints.
Science Word
Teams will take turns using a set of scientific terms or concepts while the other team member guesses the terms.
Scrambler
Teams will design and build a mechanical device which uses the energy from a falling mass to transport a Grade A uncooked chicken egg along a straight track, stopping as close to a terminal barrier as possible without breaking the egg.
Simple Machines
Teams will demonstrate physics laboratory skills related to simple machines. Teams will be expected to determine the IMA, AMA and/or Efficiency of simple machines.
Tower Building
Teams will design, build & test the lightest tower to carry a maximum load. Each team may bring and enter only one tower. Teams should maintain and submit a log containing data to help them improve future designs. The log will be used only for breaking ties.
Trajectory
Teams will design, construct, calibrate and operate a device capable of launching a projectile into a target using energy provided by nonmetallic elastic solids.
Write It/Do It
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.
Division C (Grades 9th - 12th)
Astronomy:
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the basic concepts relating to variable star astronomy. Teams identify deep sky objects and solve astronomy problems.
Boomilever
Teams will design, build & test the lightest boomilever to carry a maximum load. . Teams should maintain and submit a log containing data to help them improve future designs. The log will be used only for breaking ties.
Cell Biology
Students will demonstrate their understanding of cell biology and biochemistry.
Chemistry Lab
Teams will demonstrate chemistry laboratory skills related to selected topics with focus on chemical reactions and energy.
Circuit Lab
Students will compete in activities involving knowledge of direct current electrical circuits. Event includes both a theoretical portion and a practical portion.
Disease Detective
This event requires students to apply principles of epidemiology to a published report of a real-life health situation or problem. There will be a focus on environmental causes of public health problems.
Ecology
Students will answer questions involving content knowledge and process skills in the area of ecology and adaptation by examining different ecosystems.
Electric Vehicle
Students will construct a vehicle that uses electrical energy as its sole mean of propulsion. They should be able to adjust the vehicle to travel a distance specified by the judges and to predict the time it will take to travel the distance.
Experimental Design
Given a set of unknown objects, teams will design, conduct, analyze and write-up an experiment.
Fermi Questions
Teams seek a fast, rough estimate of quantity in power(s) of ten, generally these are either difficult or impossible to measure directly.
Five Star Science
Teams will compete in an academic pentathlon to demonstrate their overall understanding of five major science content areas.
Food Science
Teams will be asked questions pertaining to food chemistry, which may include chemical reactions, characterization, and quantification. Students need to perform developmentally appropriate experiments pertaining to food chemistry.
Forensics
Students will identify polymers, solids, fibers, and other materials in a crime scenario.
Health Science
Teams will be tested on their knowledge of health concepts.
Herpetology
This event will test knowledge of amphibians, turtles, crocodiles and reptiles.
Oceanography
Teams will work at stations that display a variety of earth science materials and related earth science questions with emphasis on physical and geological oceanography.
Physics Lab
Teams will demonstrate physics laboratory skills related to work, energy and power.
Remote Sensing
Teams use maps and remote sensing technology to explain human land use patterns and the relationship of a region's physical environment to the cultural landscape.
Robot Ramble
Students will design and build a robot capable of performing certain tasks on a prescribed playing field.
Rocks and Minerals
Students will identify, describe, and classify various specimens. Teams have to demonstrate their knowledge of rocks and minerals.
Sound of Music
Teams will build musical instruments, describe the scientific principles behind their operation and perform a musical selection on them.
Wright Stuff
Teams will design and build a propeller propelled aerodynamic device for greatest time aloft.
Write It Do It
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.
Last modified:
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 4:34 PM
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The University of Southern Mississippi
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