Welcome to the information meeting

1. Welcome to the information meeting

2. What is the Science Olympiad? • Annual science competition • 23 individual and team events • Students focus on 4 events • Compete against other San Diego middle schools in February

3. Sci-O Benefits • Promotes teamwork & collaboration • Improves study skills • Exposure to sciences outside of regular science class • Great addition to academic resume • Scholarship program for alumni

4. Science-O Student Commitment • 12 weeks of training Oct 9 – Feb 10 • 4-6 hours per week • Attendance & participation at all trainings • Completion of work assigned by coach(es) • Adherence to VMS rules

5. Science-O Captain Commitment • Adherence to coaching schedules • Bulletins updating you on progress, dates, schedules etc. every 2-3 weeks • Work to accommodate student interest

6. Registration Form • Complete contact information • Student info • Parent info • Read & sign acknowledgement • Stop • Donation for team • Last day to sign up is September 25

7. Science-O Event Selections • Rank top 5 on registration form • Students are grouped by desired event(s) and coaching schedules • Build vs. Test event • Train for 2 builds and 2 tests • Students crossed trained as much as possible (may train, but not compete) • Teams formed week prior to Olympiad

8. Science Olympiad Events:Build Event AWESOME AQUIFERS • Design and build a model aquifer that will allow a team to demonstrate and explain groundwater concepts • If you’re into nature, ecosystems or model building, this event could be for you

9. Science Olympiad Events:Build Event BALLOON LAUNCHED GLIDER • Design, construct and test a gilder that will remain aloft for a maximum period of time • Do you like aerodynamics or aviation, model building, or paper planes? • Engineering inclination

10. Science Olympiad Events:Build Event BALLOON RACE • Attach a weight to helium-filled Mylar balloons and race to a predetermined level • Like messing with balloons and good at math? • Trial and error with different variables

11. Science Olympiad Events:Build Event MISSION POSSIBLE • Design and build a Rube Goldberg like device to accomplish a specific tasks • Love to build things? Contraptions? Did you play Mouse trap? Ability to build simple machines to make something happen • Engineering and ability to talk about your invention

12. Science Olympiad Events:Build Event STORM THE CASTLE • Teams design, construct, calibrate and operate a device capable of launching • Understand the dynamics of Slingshots or Catapult devices? Good at math? • Engineering inclination

13. Science Olympiad Events:Build Event TOWER • Teams design, build and test the lightest tower to carry a maximum load • Were you a Lego builder? House of Cards? Enjoy Engineering, Mathematics • Miniature/precision model building

14. Science Olympiad Events:Build Event WHEELED VEHICLE • Design and construct a vehicle that uses a non-metallic elastic solid as its sole means of propulsion • Like to build things that go? Did you design Lego robotics? • Design and build your own vehicle

15. Science Olympiad Events:Test Event ANATOMY • Test your knowledge of anatomy and health concepts (focus on digestive and nervous systems) • Interested in the human body? • Want to be a doctor? • Written and verbal tests skills

16. Science Olympiad Events:Test Event DISEASE DETECTIVES • Students apply principles of epidemiology to a published report of a real-life health situation or problem • CSI fan? • Do you have good logic skills, good detective? • Written test skills

17. Science Olympiad Events:Test Event DON’T BUG ME • Demonstrate your knowledge of taxonomic keys, habitats, life history and geographic distribution • Dig bugs? Able to memorize and categorize? • Good written & verbal test skills

18. Science Olympiad Events:Test Event ECOLOGY • Answer questions involving content knowledge and process skills in the area of ecology and adaptation by examining different ecosystems • Love nature? Forest Life or Marine Biology interest? • Verbal test skills & teamwork

19. Science Olympiad Events:Test Events FOOD CHEMISTRY • Team answer questions about food chemistry, which may include chemical reactions, characterization and quantification • Into the vinegar volcano experiment? Like to see things blow up? Like to cook? • Verbal testing skills & teamwork

20. Science Olympiad Events:Test Event HEREDITY • Solve problems and analyze data or diagrams using your knowledge of basic principles of genetics • Interested in why your eyes are blue and your brothers are brown, dog breeding or plant mutations • Verbal & written test skills

21. Science Olympiad Events:Test Event METEOROLOGY • Involves the use of process skills as applied to meteorology with respect to everyday weather • Are you in tune with the weather and good at math? • Great event for surfers

22. Science Olympiad Events:Test Event METRIC MASTERY • Demonstrate an intuitive feeling for estimating and later for measuring different events/objects using S.I. metric units • Do you have a lot of common sense? Good knowledge of the metric system? • Good at taking written tests

23. Science Olympiad Events:Test Event OCEANOGRAPHY • Work with your team at stations that display a variety of oceanography materials and related questions • Enjoy or want to learn about Marine & Ocean life and locations • Good memorization and verbal testing skills

24. Science Olympiad Events:Test Event ROAD SCHOLAR • Requires the accurate interpretation and understanding of various map features using a variety of road and topographic maps • Are you a traveler? Like navigating, finding your way using a variety of maps? • Simple mathematical computations

25. Science Olympiad Events:Test Event ROCKS & MINERALS • Identify, describe and classify various specimens • Good at categorizing, enjoy rocks & minerals • Organization and team work

26. Science Olympiad Events:Test Events 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 • Like CSI? Want to be a forensics detective? • Logic, analysis & verbal communication

27. Science Olympiad Events:Test Event SCIENCE WORD • Teams take turns using a set of scientific terms or concepts while the other team member guesses the terms • Like game shows? Fast on your feet? • Memorization & organization • Team player

28. Science Olympiad Events:Test Event SIMPLE MACHINES • Teams demonstrate physics laboratory skills related to simple machines • Working with levers, screws, pulleys, did you love the book “How Things Work?” • Engineering skills and ability to talk about how things work

29. Science Olympiad Events:Test Event SOLAR SYSTEM • This event addresses the Sun, planets and their satellites, comets, asteroids, the Oort Cloud, the Kuiper belt, meteoroids, meteorites and meteors • Are you a space cadet? Do you own a telescope? • Good memorization skills, great at taking verbal and written tests

30. Science Olympiad Events:Test Event WRITE IT DO IT • Technical writing exercise where students write a description of a contraption and other students will attempt to recreate it using only the written description • Ability to write clear instructions • Ability to decipher written instructions and construct a something

31. Parent Volunteers • Parent supervisor at Coaching Sessions • 2-4 hours a week • Snacks • At weekday VMS coaching sessions • Event day • Set up • Food • Supplies

32. Important Dates • September 12 Team Name selections • September 19 Coaches Meeting (schedules) • September 29 Schedules delivered • October 5 Coaches Meeting (materials) • October 9 Training Begins this Week • October 10 Rubios Fundraiser • February 6 Pre-Olympiad meeting • February 10 Science Olympiad • February 24 Science-O Picnic & Awards

33. Captain Contacts Robbin Lynn, Captain • 760 579 2261 | highgreen@earthlink.net Michelle Breyer, Captain • 760 931 9160 | michelle.breyer@smusd.org Official website for National Science Olympiad www.soinc.org