Science Olympiad is an American elementary, middle, or high school team competition which tests knowledge of various science topics and engineering ability. Over 6,200 teams from 49 U.S. states compete each year.[1][2] Most teams compete in three levels of competition: regionals, states, and nationals. In addition, some schools hold 'practice tournaments' called invitationals.[3]
Science Olympiad is not in any way associated with the International Science Olympiads, which follow a completely different format and set of rules.
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The first recorded Science Olympiad was held on Saturday, November 23, 1974 at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, North Carolina. Dr. Donald Barnes and Dr. David Wetmore were the originators of this event. Fifteen schools from North and South Carolina participated in this event. This Olympiad was a day-long affair, with competitions and demonstrations for high school students in the areas of biology, chemistry, and physics. There were four event periods during this day, and each event period had one fun event (like beaker race or paper airplane), one demonstration (like glassblowing and holography), and one serious event (like periodic table quiz or Science Bowl). An article by David Wetmore was published in the Journal of Chemical Education in January 1978 [4] documenting the success of recruiting students through Science Olympiad. St. Andrews Presbyterian College continues to host a Science Olympiad tournament to this day.[5] Mr. John C. "Jack" Cairns was a teacher at Dover High School in Delaware when he learned learned about Science Olympiad taking place in North Carolina. He shared this information with Dr. Douglas R. Macbeth, the Delaware State Science Supervisor. Mr. Cairns was appointed to a steering committee to organize the first Olympiad in Delaware [6] which took place at Delaware State University in the Spring of 1977. A write-up in The Science Teacher of December 1977 caught the attention of Dr. Gerard Putz, who proposed that the program be expanded throughout the United States. After competition tests in Michigan at the Lawrence Institute of Technology and Oakland University in 1983 and 1984, Putz and Delaware director John Cairns took their plan for a national competition 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 greatly, with 60 teams present in each division at the United States National Competition.[7]
There are four divisions in the hierarchy of Science Olympiad:
However, the national tournament and generally state and regional tournaments are only for divisions B and C. Division A teams usually have separate interscholastic tournaments, apart from the more common intra-school competitions. Note that 6th and 9th graders have the option of competing in either of the two divisions in which they meet the grade requirements and are part of the competing school. A middle school may, however, only use up to 5 members who have graduated to the next school if they are in 9th grade or lower. Students in grades lower than the division in which the school competes in may also be on the team. Teams are restricted to five 9th graders for division B and seven 12th graders for division C. Students may not participate on multiple teams, i.e. a 9th grader on both a high school and middle school team would not be allowed.[9]
Students compete in twenty-three main events, which usually occur 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 on earth science, physics, astronomy, biology, and chemistry), hands-on (i.e. participants perform various lab experiments), or engineering-based (i.e. participants construct a device to do specified tasks).[10]
Knowledge-based events generally have two participants either taking a test or mathematically analyzing data. Examples of such events are Designer Genes, Forensics, and Chemistry Lab.
Hands-on events generally consist of two participants performing experiments or interacting with physical objects to achieve a certain goal. Some examples are Bio-Process lab, Forensics, or Science Crimebusters.
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 Robo-Cross, Bridge/Tower Building, and Storm The Castle.
The majority of events require two team members, though a few 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.If the team has one available, a back-up team member may be placed with the member as opposed to their former partner.
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 more experienced teams.
Anatomy (B) - Teams will be tested on their knowledge of anatomy and health concepts including respiratory and digestive systems.
Anatomy & Physiology (C) - This event encompasses the anatomy and physiology of selected body systems, this year limited to respiratory, 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 Ia supernovas.
Awesome Aquifers (B) - Students will construct an aquifer and answer questions about groundwater concepts - includes a presentation.
Bottle Rocket (B) - Prior to the tournament, teams construct two rockets designed to stay aloft for the greatest amount of time.
Chemistry Lab (C) - Teams will demonstrate chemistry laboratory skills related to selected topics.
Compute This (B) - Teams will be presented with a problem which requires quantitative data capture from the Internet and the presentation of data in a graphical format. The 2012 domain is www.cdc.gov.
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.
Disease Detectives (B/C) - This event requires students to apply principles of epidemiology to a published report of a real-life health situation or problem. (Food Borne Illness)
Dynamic Planet (B/C) - Teams will work at stations that display a variety of earth science materials and related earth science questions. (Earth's Fresh Waters)
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 (C) - Students will construct and test free flight rubber-powered helicopters prior to the tournament to achieve maximum flight times.
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.
Meteorology (B) - This event involves the use of process skills as applied to meteorology (Climate).
Microbe Mission (B/C) - Teams will answer questions, solve problems and analyze data pertaining to microbes.
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.
Optics (B/C) - Teams compete in activities and answer questions related to geometric and physical optics. Students will use lasers, mirrors, and will need to collect data and measure accurately.
Protein Modeling (C) - Students will use computer visualization and online resources to guide them in constructing physical models of proteins and in understanding how the structure of the protein determines the function. For 2012, students will model proteins involved in the regulation of apoptosis as they explore the discovery and treatment of a rare (one in a billion) genetic trait discovered through genome sequencing.
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.
Sounds of Music (C) - Prior to the competition, students will build two different instruments of any type 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.
Storm the Castle (B) - Prior to the tournament, teams design, construct and calibrate a device that uses only the energy of a falling counterweight to launch a projectile as far and as accurately as possible.
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.
Towers (B/C) - Team members design and build the most efficient tower.
Water Quality (B/C) - The event will focus on evaluating aquatic environments.
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. (Competitions may also include Trial/Pilot events†)
Trial/Pilot events are, at Regional and State tournaments, events that are specific to that state that are being considered as events for the next year. At Regionals and States, these events may count towards the team's score. At Nationals, however, there is a completely different set of Trial/Pilot events, sometimes known as "alternate events" because the people entering them do not have to be on the official team. These do not count towards the team's score, but ribbons and medals are usually awarded.
The terms "trial event" and "pilot event" (also called "exploratory event") are sometimes interchangeable, both pertaining to an event that is not an official, national event for the year. However, at the National Tournament, there are often two differences. First, in 2010, it was announced that medals would only be awarded to the top 3 in the Trial events, but not at all in the Pilot events.[11] Also, the Trial event are often much closer to becoming official events for following years than pilot events. Almost all of the Trial events from recent National tournaments have become official events within a few years of the tournament, while the same is not true for almost any of the pilot events.
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 and any amount of alternates; some states allow more students per team. At the middle school level, only 5 ninth graders are allowed to compete on one team; at the high school level, only 7 twelfth graders are allowed per team. Homeschool groups may also form teams to compete.
Although teams may have an unlimited number of alternates, it is implicitly stated within the rules that competitors present at the event must have completed all of the work on their event. This is specifically aimed at building events. It is illegal for teams to have their alternates as "builders" and their formal team members as "thinkers". Judges at the event are allowed to ask any question of the machine or contraption in an effort to keep the scenario above from occurring. Nonetheless, competitors, coaches, and entire teams are expected to have integrity and abide by this rule.
A lot of strategy usually goes into the forming of a team. Since events go on at the same time as other events during a competition and conflicts occur, 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 competes in it to fill the certain event slot.
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):
Science Olympiad competitions occur at a regional, U.S. state and national level. Normally, the top few teams advance from regional competition to state, the exact number depending 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 will typically 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. 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 tournament.
Some states, including Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Indiana, Michigan, Florida, Georgia and Nebraska hold Invitational tournaments. These competitions serve as "practice rounds" for qualifying tournaments, and are hosted by individual middle schools[12](View the portion titled invitational),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. In some states, only a few events are held. However, Ohio and Illinois generally hold Invitational tournaments which mimic regional competitions in their competitive intensity.[13] For example, Solon Middle School holds an invitational each year that has about 45 teams, including 6-7 past national qualifiers. In this way, many teams get a lot of practice through invitationals.
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 nation. The most popular items include hats, license plates, t-shirts, and key chains.
Saturday includes several time blocks (this year 6, plus the "impound" time slot at the beginning of the day). Each block includes a 60-minute section for each study event, plus a 15 minute break time for competitors to get from one event to another.
That night, a semi-formal Awards Ceremony is held. It opens with a short speech followed by awarding 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 theme of the 2009 National Tournament was "The Silver Age of Science" due to the fact that it was the 25th anniversary of the Science Olympiad.[14]
| Division B | Division C | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Location | School | State | School | State |
| 1985 | Michigan State University | Slauson Intermediate School | MI | Seaholm HS | MI |
| 1986 | Michigan State University | Slauson Intermediate School | MI | Seaholm HS | MI |
| 1987 | Ohio State University | Gompers Secondary School | CA | Irmo High School | SC |
| 1988 | Delaware State University | Irmo Middle School | SC | Haverford HS | PA |
| 1989 | University of Colorado, Boulder | Irmo Middle School | SC | Irmo High School | SC |
| 1990 | Clarion University | Irmo Middle School | SC | Irmo High School | SC |
| 1991 | Penn Valley Community College | Grandville Junior High School | MI | La Jolla High School | CA |
| 1992 | Auburn University | Jenison Junior High School | MI | La Jolla High School | CA |
| 1993 | University of Southern Colorado | Thomas Jefferson Middle School | IN | Grand Haven High School | MI |
| 1994 | University of Arizona | State College Junior High School | PA | Grand Haven High School | MI |
| 1995 | Indiana University | State College Junior High School | PA | Harriton High School | PA |
| 1996 | Georgia Institute of Technology | Thomas Jefferson Middle School | IN | Troy High School | CA |
| 1997 | North Carolina State University | J.C. Booth Middle School | GA | Grand Haven High School | MI |
| 1998 | Grand Valley State University | J.C. Booth Middle School | GA | Solon High School | OH |
| 1999 | Chicago Museums and University of Chicago | J.C. Booth Middle School | GA | Troy High School | CA |
| 2000 | Eastern Washington University | J.C. Booth Middle School | GA | Troy High School | CA |
| 2001 | University of Colorado, Colorado Springs | J.C. Booth Middle School | GA | Harriton High School | PA |
| 2002 | University of Delaware | Rising Starr Middle School | GA | Troy High School | CA |
| 2003 | Ohio State University | J.C. Booth Middle School | GA | Troy High School | CA |
| 2004 | Juniata College | J.C. Booth Middle School | GA | Fayetteville-Manlius High School | NY |
| 2005 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | West-Windsor Plainsboro Middle School | NJ | Harriton High School | PA |
| 2006 | Indiana University, Bloomington | J.C. Booth Middle School | GA | Troy High School | CA |
| 2007 | Wichita State University | West-Windsor Plainsboro Middle School | NJ | Troy High School | CA |
| 2008 | The George Washington University | Solon Middle School | OH | Troy High School | CA |
| 2009 | Augusta State University | Solon Middle School | OH | Centerville High School | OH |
| 2010 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Solon Middle School | OH | Centerville High School | OH |
| 2011 | University of Wisconsin–Madison | Solon Middle School | OH | Solon High School | OH |
| 2012 | University of Central Florida[17] | ||||
| 2013 | Wright State University | ||||
| 2014 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | ||||
| 2015 | University of Nebraska–Lincoln | ||||