2019 Division A Virginia Science Olympiad...2019/05/13 · Astronomy – Evolution of a Star (30 Minutes – Scheduled Event) 20 Boomilever (1 hour – Sign Up Event ... questions

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2019 Division A

Virginia Science Olympiad

All portions of this manual are covered by Copyright 2019 Science Olympiad, Inc. and/or Copyright 2019 Virginia Science Olympiad

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Table of Contents 2019 Competition Rules 4 Team Structure 4 Team Registration 5 Awards and Scoring 5 Volunteer Requirements 5 Writing an Event 6 Setting up the Team 6 The Tournament 7 Preparation for Technology Events 8 Science Olympiad Code of Ethics 9 Students’ Pledge 9 Spirit of Competition 9 Parent Participation and Pledge 9 3rd Grade Only - Dynamic Planet – Volcanoes (30 minutes – Scheduled Event) 12 3rd Grade Only - Gunk – Ice Cream Tower (30 minutes – Signup Event) 13 3rd Grade Only - Life Cycles - (30 Minutes – Scheduled Event) 15 3rd Grade Only - Ologies - (30 Minutes – Scheduled Event) 16 3rd Grade Only – Tower Building (1 hour – Sign Up Event) 17 Anatomy – Homeostasis (30 minutes – Scheduled Event) 19 Astronomy – Evolution of a Star (30 Minutes – Scheduled Event) 20 Boomilever (1 hour – Sign Up Event) 21 Build-a-Catamaran – Buoyancy (30 minutes – Signup Event) 23 Cell Biology - (30 Minutes – Scheduled Event) 25 Code Busters - (30 minutes – Signup Event) 26 Describe it. Build it. (30 Minutes – Sign Up Event) 27 Dynamic Planet – Volcanoes (30 minutes – Scheduled Event) 28 Flying Fossils – (30 minutes – Scheduled Event) 29 Kinematics (30 minutes – Scheduled Event) 30 Logical Thinking – (30 minutes – Scheduled Event) 32 Orienteering (30 minutes – Scheduled Event) 33 Parachute Straw Egg Drop (60 minutes – Sign Up Event) 34 Pentathlon (30 minutes – Sign Up Event) 35 Shock Value (30 minutes – Scheduled Event) 36 Simple Machines (30 minutes – Scheduled Event) 37 Submersibles (60 minutes – Sign Up Event) 38 Virginia Ornithology (30 minutes – Scheduled Event) 39 The Wright Stuff (30 minutes – Scheduled Event) 40

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2019 Competition Rules

● Parents will wait in the team area at the start of the competition. No parents will loiter in the hall and passageways waiting for their child to complete and event. Each school will provide 1 hallway volunteer to help children to and from events and to remind their parents that they must wait in the team area.

● Parents found in the hallways or passageways will penalize their child 10% of their score for all events. ● Parents found in rooms other than the team area will penalize their child 10% of their score for all

events. ● Some events have a requirement that students wear eye protection. We do not have any events that

requires lab or protective clothing, but students may wear if they wish.

● The awards ceremony will not begin until all team areas are clear of materials and waste. A Science

Olympiad representative will meet with each head coach to check the team area before releasing them to the awards.

● Each school will run at least one event and will provide the necessary volunteers to help run the competition based on these parameters:

o 15 student team: 2 Event Supervisors – 1 Parent Volunteer to help with events o 30 student team: 2 Event Supervisors – 2 Parent Volunteers to help with events o 31 students or more: 2 Event Supervisors – 3 Parent Volunteers to help with events

● ALL EVENTS will have 2 Adults Supervisors in the room when students are present. ● Building event supervisors must stay with their event for the entire competition. ● Each Event Supervisor and volunteer of an event will help until all examinations are graded and

winners determined. ● Event Supervisors must follow the same safety protocols as the participants and must ensure that all

participants are following the safety protocols at all time. Wear your goggles and safety glasses! ● The Event Supervisor must be reachable for the entire competition day in the event of an appeal with

the running of the event. ● You must have prior approval for purchases of materials through the Division A Treasurer to receive

reimbursement. ● Event Supervisors will provide plans/assessments one month prior to the competition for review. ● Written test events have a set time. These times are not changeable. ● Head Coaches schedule students for building events through a signup process determined by Science

Olympiad. All schools, whether your school is team 1 or team 27, may have event conflicts with what they feel is the optimal time for their team. It is up to the Head Coach of the team to schedule students, so they have no conflicts.

● Students may participate individually in events where feasible.

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Team Structure ● A team is defined as a group of students residing within the same school attendance zone and

attending the same school. ● The head coach is the person chosen by the school to be responsible for all the actions of their team

and parents. ● Teams must have one Head Coach and may have one designated Co-Head Coach that will answer all

questions from their team and are the only adults that may talk with Virginia Science Olympiad officials.

● All other individuals working with a team are mentors and may not discuss the running of events or the interpretation on the rules.

● Students from different schools that attend the same after school or weekend activity may not enter as a team.

● A team may be any number of students up to a total of 45. (Teams may further break this larger team into smaller groups as they like.)

● Science Olympiad will recognize Home School Teams consisting only of students who live within the boundaries of two contiguous (side-by-side) geographic counties in a single state. As of July 20, 2011, the two-contiguous-county/single state policy will apply to all Science Olympiad Home School Teams who wish to attend to the Science Olympiad National Tournament and Science Olympiad will no longer qualify multi-county or multi-state Home School Teams. (This home school portion of the policy was adopted in 2008 and a three-year grace period of qualification followed.)

● Students in grades 3-5 are eligible to participate in Division A. Smaller groups within a team may be mixed with some students from each grade level, or they may be based on grade level with students all coming from the same grade level.

● Students in grade 5 may choose to participate in either Division A or Division B. They may NOT compete in both divisions in the same school year.

Team Registration

● Teams, regardless of size, will pay a minimum team entry fee minimum of $350.00 for the first 15 students. On the 16-student fee is $15.00 per student up to 45 students.

● Schools that are Title 1 or have at least 33.3% have their population receiving free or reduced lunch receive a 25% discount on their registration fees. These teams will pay a minimum team entry fee of $262.50. On the 16th student fee is $11.25 per student up to 45 students.

● Schools that have at least 44% have their population receiving free or reduced lunch receive a 50% discount on their registration fees. These teams will pay a minimum team entry fee of $175.00. On the 16th student fee is $7.50 per student up to 45 students.

● Teams will only select their competition date after receipt of payment and verification by the treasurer.

Awards and Scoring

● The awards ceremony will not begin until all team areas are clear of materials and waste. A Science Olympiad representative will meet with each head coach to check the team area before releasing them

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to the awards. ● Division A does not have team awards. So it does not use results from the events to create a combined

team score. This is to allow students and teams more flexibility in trying events, without the added pressure of filling all events to get a good team score.

● The top 8 performing pairs of students in each event earn medals. (Subject to change.) ● Scoring varies by event. Each event description includes an explanation of how it will be scored. ● There are also individual impact awards for students that, in the mind of an Event Supervisor, have

shown the most Olympic spirit. Volunteer Requirements The Division A Tournament cannot be run without teachers, parents, and mentor volunteers. ● Each School will run at least one event and will provide the necessary volunteers to help run the

competition based on these parameters: o 15 student team: 2 Event Supervisors – 1 Parent Volunteer to help with events o 30 student team: 2 Event Supervisors – 2 Parent Volunteers to help with events o 31 students or more: 2 Event Supervisors – 3 Parent Volunteers to help with events

● ALL EVENTS will have 2 Adults Supervisors from different schools in the room when students are present ● Building event supervisors must stay with their event for the entire competition. ● Each Event Supervisor and volunteer of an event will help until all examinations are graded and the

winners are determined. ● Event Supervisors must follow the same safety protocols as the participants and must ensure that all

participants are following the safety protocols at all time. ● Head Coaches do not need to run their event. ● Where needed, each school will write assessments for their assigned event. ● Each school will also provide volunteers on competition day to help

o Setup o Cleanup o Hospitality

● Each school will provide 1 Volunteer to monitor hall and passageways for parent interference. ● The Event Supervisor must be reachable for the entire competition day in the event of an appeal with

the running of the event. ● All volunteers must sign in at the volunteer room for their assignment. ● Schools will not receive their medals if they do not meet their volunteer obligations. Writing an Event

● Division A will only reimburse expenses that the Division A treasurer approves before the purchase of materials.

● Writing an event involves creating a hands-on activity or written assessment based on the rules set forth in this event manual; running the event the day of the competition; providing materials for the event; and administering the event including setup, cleanup and scoring.

● Event Supervisors will provide plans/assessments one month prior to the competition for review. Setting up the Team

● Assignment of team numbers occurs after team registration closes and verification of registration fees

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● Publishing of the competition day schedule occurs once we acquire building space. There is a sample schedule below based on 20 schools.

● A team may enter up to 6 students per study event and 2 students per 15 team members for building events. (If a team has 10 members then they may have 2 participate in each building event. If a team has 16 students, they may have 4 participate in each building event.) For most events the students will work in groups of two. There are some events that will have more than 2 students per team.

● All students from the same school will take all written assessments at the same time. For example; elementary school team 5 has six students entered in the Anatomy event. All six students will attend the event at the same time and will participate against each other.

● Written test events have a set time. These times are not changeable and all students from the same school will participate in the test events at the same time.

● Head Coaches schedule students for building events through a signup process determined by Science Olympiad. All schools, whether your school is team 1 or team 27, may have event conflicts with what they feel is the optimal time for their team. It is up to the Head Coach of the team to schedule students, so they have no conflicts.

● In setting up your team schedule, be sure not to schedule one student for two events that meet at the same time. Please consult the schedule to determine those conflicts.

● When selecting student pairs, it is advisable that you select students that you know will work well together in a team situation. Both should be equal members of a partnership. If one member dominates the partnership, the two will most likely not work well on the day of the competition.

● Students may participate individually. The Tournament

● Parents will wait in the team area after the start of the competition. No parents will loiter in the hall and passageways waiting for their child. Each school will provide 1 hallway Volunteer to help children to and from events and to remind their parents that they must wait in the team area.

● Parents found in the hallways or passageways will penalize their child 10% of their score for all events.

● Parents found in rooms other than the team area will penalize their child 10% of their score for all events.

● Coaches and families will complete online registration forms before competing. The combined online forms include a pledge signed by students and parents vowing to follow a code of ethics during the competition, a photography release, and a participation and consent form.

● Families that do not complete the online forms will not participate in the tournament. ● Head coaches may change the number of student participating on their team up to 30 days before

competition. ● Each Head Coach will turn in an online roster of the student names and the events they will

participate 30 days before competition. The roster will include a place for alternates in each event. ● Division A reserves the right to turn away any schools, students, or parents that do not complete the

forms by the published deadlines. Division A will refund registration fees of teams turned away. ● Students must understand and follow all safety rules. Students that do not have proper safety

equipment may leave an event to retrieve safety equipment before seeing event tests. ● Students may start an event without their partner. The missing partner may join an event in

progress.

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● No student may leave an event once a test starts and return later. ● The tournament can be long for some students, due to "down time" between their events; however,

there will be opportunities for fun in addition to competing at different points in the day. Snacks may be offered for sale at the competition. There may also be opportunities for recreation outside with supervision.

● Head Coaches are responsible for their students at the tournament. Students are not required to stay for the entire tournament. Coaches should communicate their expectations for their students prior to the tournament.

● Students must make any event appeals in writing to the tournament director or designee using the appeals forms with the help of their Head Coach or Co-Head Coach within 30 minutes of the end of their event.

● Appeals will be dealt with on a first come, first served basis and will be resolved on competition day. ● We have a closing awards ceremony where students receive their medals for earning a top 8

placement in each event. Head Coaches will receive participation ribbons for all students the day of the competition.

● All schools must have at least one adult available through to the end of the awards ceremony. ● Participants will leave all building event projects intact and with the Event Supervisor so they can all be

graded at the same time and will receive a scheduled time to retrieve their projects. ● Projects not retrieved before the awards ceremony will result in a 10% score penalty for that student

team for that event. ● Division A does not return any written assessments given the day of competition.

Preparation for Technology Events ● All technology events this year will have a written test about the basic principles of the structure or device the

team needs to build for the competition.

● Division A does not allow teams to bring pre-built devices. Our objective is to ensure a team's performance is their own, and to have them learn and demonstrate skills they will need to compete successfully as they continue to Division B.

● The students retain control of the process of preparing for a Science Olympiad event. This means that they should have the last word about how something will be done.

● Encourage the students to gather information and ideas from library books, teachers, parents, engineers, scientists and other available resources. The intent is not to reinvent the wheel nor to be given a finished design, but to integrate and build on information gathered. Example: A book on crossbows may contain information on how to make the trigger mechanism for a catapult.

● An important part of any design process is brainstorming. The entire team may be encouraged to participate in the discovery process, not just the two or three that will be involved at the tournament. An adult may act as mentor for the group and ask questions or offer ideas. Don't forget the students should make the final choices.

● Coaches can best prepare their teams for the competition by teaching underlying principles and skills, suggesting ideas, and advice on methods, tools or materials to accomplish the task. Students should practice their events using different materials (suggested materials are included in each event description), and be familiar with the concepts so that they can apply them regardless of the materials provided at the tournament.

● Some events require the collection and interpretation of data; students will be most successful if they

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have had the opportunity to do this at their practice sessions. ● Keep in mind that the purpose of Science Olympiad is to encourage the exploration and pursuit of

science while having fun in the process.

Science Olympiad Code of Ethics

Student participants are expected to compete in tournament events with honest effort to follow the rules and the spirit of the competition. Team members are expected to be the builders of all the devices used in the events. The goal of competition is to give one's best effort while displaying honesty, integrity, and sportsmanship. Students, coaches, parents, and guests are expected to display courtesy and respect toward Olympiad officials, other teams, and guests of the Olympiad. Failure to show honesty and/or courtesy by a participant, coach, or guest of the team may result in the disqualification of the team from that event, the entire tournament or future tournaments. Students’ Pledge I pledge to put forth my best effort in the Science Olympiad tournament and to uphold the principles of honest competition. In my events, I will compete with integrity, respect, and sportsmanship towards my fellow competitors. I will display courtesy towards Event Supervisors and Tournament Personnel. My actions will exemplify the proud spirit of my school, team, state and myself. Spirit of Competition

• All teams are expected to participate in the competition in a positive manner.

• Science Olympiad will not tolerate the disrupting of the competition in any way by student competitors.

• Students, who belittle or make fun of the work of other students, as determined by the judges, will be disqualified from their event and/or the competition.

• Any team caught cheating or interfering with the work of another team during an event will be disqualified from that event.

Parent Information and Pledge

• This competition is for your child.

• It is the students’ and Head Coaches’ responsibility to ask questions and discuss events with Event Supervisors.

• Parents are not to interfere with the judging of any event and may not discuss the administration of an event with the Event Supervisor.

• Division A has the right to ask any parent interfering with an event to leave the competition. I pledge to be an example for our children by:

• Respecting the rules of Science Olympiad • Encouraging excellence in preparation and investigation

• Supporting independence in design and production

• Respecting the decisions of Event Supervisors and judges

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Tournament Schedule • The tournament is a one-day event. This schedule assumes that there will be 20 schools registering.

• Schools will receive their team number after they register, paid their fees, and have chosen their competition date. Use your team number plan your team schedule.

• Assigning events to students before you register your school will cause conflicts to occur in your schedule. We will not modify the schedule to accommodate individual conflicts.

• All schools will have simultaneous scheduled morning and afternoon events leading to conflicts if students are not scheduled correctly.

Sample 20 Team Regional Competition Schedule All teams will receive a team number after registration closes. (1-4 means School numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4)

All students from the same school must participate at the same time for these events.

Morning Sessions 9:00-9:30 9:40-10:10 10:20-10:50 11:00-11:30 11:40-12:10

Anatomy - Homeostasis 1-4 17-20 13-16 9-12 5-8

Dynamic Planet – Volcanoes 5-8 1-4 17-20 13-16 9-12

Flying Fossils 9-12 5-8 1-4 17-20 13-16

Kinematics 13-16 9-12 5-8 1-4 17-20

Shock Value 17-20 13-16 9-12 5-8 1-4

Virginia Ornithology 1-4 17-20 13-16 9-12 5-8

3rd Grade Ologies 5-8 1-4 17-20 13-16 9-12

Afternoon Sessions 12:20-12:50 1:00-1:30 1:40-2:10 2:20-2:50 3:00-3:30

3:40 Clean

Up

5:00 Parade

of Schools

And Awards

Astronomy – Star Evolution 1-4 17-20 13-16 9-12 5-8

Simple Machines 5-8 1-4 17-20 13-16 9-12

Cell Biology 9-12 5-8 1-4 17-20 13-16

Logical Thinking 13-16 9-12 5-8 1-4 17-20

Wright Stuff 17-20 13-16 9-12 5-8 1-4

3rd Grade Dynamic Planet 1-4 17-20 13-16 9-12 5-8

3rd Grade Life Cycles 5-8 1-4 17-20 13-16 9-12

Schools will send your assigned students at different times for these events.

30 minute Signup Student Events

Morning Sessions 9:00-9:30 9:40-10:10 10:20-10:50 11:00-11:30 11:40-12:10

Afternoon Sessions 12:20-12:50 1:00-1:30 1:40-2:10 2:20-2:50 3:00-3:30

Describe It, Build It Multiple student events are 30-minute events. Each school may send two groups of students. The two groups do not have to compete at the same time. Signup: up to 2 Schools Per ½ Hour.

Orienteering Pentathlon

Code Busters

1 Hour Tech Events 9:00-10:00 10:20-11:20 11:40-12:40 1:00-2:00 2:20-3:20 3:40 Building Project Pickup

5:00 Parade

of Schools

And Awards

3rd Grade – Gunk Ice Cream Tech events are hands-on and require the students to create, test and compete with a student-built device. Some of these events will not take a full hour. Signup: up to 4 Schools per Hour; 2 groups of 2 students per school.

Towers3rd Grade – Tower

Boomilever

Parachute Straw Egg Drop

Submersibles

Trial 9:00-10:00 10:20-11:20 11:40-12:40 1:00-2:00 2:20-3:20

Cryptology Trials are events the rules committee discussed but want to test to see if we can modify them from Division B down to our competition. They are a great filler of time. Students will not earn awards for these events. Some of these events will not take a full hour. Signup: up to 4 Schools per Hour; 2 groups of 2 students per school.

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3rd Grade Only - Dynamic Planet – Volcanoes (30 minutes – Scheduled Event)

For a school to successfully run this event they need: ● 1 Event Supervisor

● 1 Volunteer

Maximum Number of Participants per School: Six: 3 teams of 2 Description: Teams will demonstrate their understanding of how volcanoes form, the current and historic volcano activity of the United States, and the anatomy of a volcano. This event has a written test.

Teams need to bring: Pencils

Optional Materials: One double sided 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper with any notes the students want to bring.

Safety Requirements: None

The Competition: Teams will answer questions on a written test. Topics may include but not limited to:

o Types of volcanoes o Parts of a volcano o Current and historic volcanic activity

Scoring: Points will be awarded for each correct response. The team with the highest accumulated score is the winner.

● Ties will be broken by the accuracy or quality of answers to select questions chosen by the event supervisor prior to the competition.

Or ● The event supervisor will compare tests and the team that incorrectly answers the first question in

order will place below the other team. o E.g. Team one correctly answers the first three questions and team two correctly answers the

first two questions but misses the third. Team one will place higher than team two. Possible Resources: United States Geological Survey: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/education.html Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/search?page_search_query=volcanoes

https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/education.html

https://www.khanacademy.org/search?page_search_query=volcanoes

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3rd Grade Only - Gunk – Ice Cream Tower (30 minutes – Signup Event)

For a school to successfully run this event they need: ● 1 Event Supervisor ● 3-5 Volunteer Judges Maximum Number of Participants per School: 2 students per 15 registered or portion thereof Description: Using given materials, teams will create the tallest free-standing ice cream sculpture possible. Teams may also answer questions about the properties of carbohydrates, sugars, and starches found in ice cream. This event has a building component and a written test. Approximate Time: ● 30 minutes (5 minutes for setup, up to 15 minutes for mixing, 5 minutes for shaping and scoring, and 5

minutes for cleanup) Safety Requirements: Indirect-vent Safety Goggles. ● Because this is an event that uses liquids, all competitors must always wear their

eye protection. ● If a team does not have the required eye protection, they will be given the

opportunity to obtain it, time allowing, but will not receive extra time. ● If a team is unable to obtain eye protection, the team will not compete and will receive a no-show score. Teams Need to Bring: ● 1-1 gallon and 1-1-pint size Ziploc or another brand sealable plastic bag. No twist tie bags allowed. ● Teams receive a 10-centimeter penalty if they do not bring their own materials. Optional items:

• Gloves

• A one page note sheet describing their experimentation results

• Mixing bowls and/or measuring equipment Materials Provided at Event: The Event Supervisor will provide the same amounts of supplies to all teams. Teams do not need to use all the materials. ● Up to 125 mL of milk, cream, or half and half. ● Up to 15 mL of sugar ● Up to 90 mL of salt. ● Enough crushed ice to fill between 1/3 and 1/2 of the gallon bag. The Competition: Teams will not start creating their gunk at the same time. They may begin at different intervals at designated by the Event Supervisor to ensure that all teams have the same amount of time to mix, build, receive a score for their ice cream sculpture and answer the written portion of the event.

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Written Test

• The test will consist of between 10 and 20 questions on the properties of carbohydrates, sugars, and starches found in ice cream.

Mixing: ● The amount of materials given at the start of the event is all that each team will receive, so students

should work carefully. ● No announcement on the amounts or type of materials will occur until the day of the event. ● Each team will receive the same quantity of materials; milk, sugar, salt, and ice. ● Teams may bring a one page note sheet describing any experimentation results. ● If they desire, teams may bring their own room temperature mixing bowls and/or measuring equipment. ● Judges will time each team while they mix their ice cream. ● Teams will decide and declare to their Judge, how long they wish to mix their ice cream, but may have no

longer than 15 minutes. Building: ● When the team’s announced time ends, they must immediately begin building their ice cream sculpture. ● Each team will have up to 5 minutes to make the tallest ice cream sculpture possible. ● Teams may shape their sculpture in any way they wish, unless the Event Supervisor specifies a shape for all

teams. ● Teams may ask for a measurement at any time during the 5-minute building phase. The Event ● Supervisor or designated Judge will measure the height to the nearest millimeter. ● Teams may only have one measurement. Scoring: ● Supervisors will score all written tests to include tiebreakers. ● Supervisors will measure each ice cream sculpture to the nearest millimeter. ● Supervisors will record the amount of time a team uses for mixing their ice cream. ● The Supervisor’s decisions are final on all timings and measurements. Tiebreakers ● Shortest amount of time for mixing. ● Answers to selected questions on the written test. ● Least amount of materials used. Determining the placements ● Each team will receive a final placement based on the average placement on the written test and their ice

cream sculpture.

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3rd Grade Only - Life Cycles - (30 Minutes- Scheduled Event) For a school to successfully run this event they need:

● 1 Event Supervisor

● 1 Volunteer

Maximum Number of Participants per School: Six: 3 teams of 2

Description: This event tests participants’ knowledge of simple life cycles. This event has a written test and may/may not include “hands-on” stations. This event has a written test.


Optional Materials: Any notes that fit on one piece of paper double sided.


The Competition: ● Students will take a written test and may answer questions about the following life cycles….

● Ants

● Bees

● Monarch Butterfly

● Lady Bugs

● Frogs

● Birds

● Students may use “hands-on” stations to…

● Solve puzzles about life cycles

● Be timed in sorting life cycles correctly

Scoring:

● Points will be awarded for each correct response. ● Ties will be broken by the accuracy or quality of answers to select questions chosen by the event leader

prior to the competition.

Possible Resource:

● Ask a Biologist – Arizona State University – Example: use a search engine and search for Ask a Biologist Ants

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3rd Grade Only - Ologies - (30 Minutes - Scheduled Event) For a school to successfully run this event they need:


● 1 Volunteer


Description: This event tests participants’ knowledge of professions or studies that end in the suffix -ology. This event has a written test.


Optional Materials: Any notes that fit on one piece of paper double sided.


The Competition: Students will take a written test and may answer questions about the following ologies. There might be questions on famous scientists related to these fields as well. Scoring:

● Points will be awarded for each correct response. ● Ties will be broken by the accuracy or quality of answers to select questions chosen by the event leader


Possible Resources:

● Dictionaries

● Science Books

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Ology Study List

-ology Word Description

acarology The study of mites and ticks.

acridology The study of grasshoppers and locusts (infraorder Acrididea).

aerobiology A branch of biology that studies organic particles, such as bacteria, fungal spores, very small insects, pollen grains and viruses, which are passively transported by the air.

allergology The study of the causes and treatment of allergies.

amphibiology The branch of zoology that deals with the class Amphibia.

anemology The study of wind.

anesthesiology The study of anesthesia and anesthetics.

anthropology The holistic scientific and social study of humanity, mainly using ethnography as its method.

apiology The scientific study of honey bees and honey-making.

arachnology The scientific study of spiders and related animals such as scorpions, pseudoscorpions, and harvestmen, collectively called arachnids.

archeology The study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture.

archeozoology The study of faunal remains or the items left behind when an animal dies.

arteriology The branch of angiology dealing with arteries.

arthropodology The study of arthropods.

astacology The study of crayfish.

astrometeorology The study of the theoretical effects of astronomical bodies and forces on the Earth's atmosphere.

atomology The study or doctrine of atoms.

audiology The study of the auditory and vestibular systems, and associated disorders.

bacteriology The scientific study of bacteria, especially in relation to disease and agriculture.

barology The study of gravity and weight and their relation.

biology The study of life and living organisms and their morphology, anatomy, and physiology.

biospeleology The branch of biology dedicated to the study of organisms that live in caves and are collectively referred to as troglofauna.

brontology The study of thunder.

cardiology The study of the heart.

carpology The study of the structure of seeds and fruit.

cartology The creation of charts and maps based on the layout of a territory's geography.

cerebrology The science that deals with the cerebrum or brain.

cetology The branch of zoology concerned with the order Cetacea, which includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises.

chelonology The study of turtles or tortoises (order Chelonia).

chemoimmunology The branch of chemistry that studies the chemical processes in immunology.

chromatology The study of colour.

chronology The study of things in order of time or the study of time.

cirripedology The study of barnacles.

climatology The science that deals with climates, and investigates their phenomena and causes.

clownology The study of being a clown.

coccidology The study of scale insects, mealybugs, and organisms within the superfamily Coccoidea.

coleopterology The scientific study of beetles (order Coleoptera).

conchology The study of mollusks and their shells.

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coprology The study of feces.

crustaceology The branch of zoology dealing with crustaceans.

cryptology The study and practice of analyzing encoded messages, in order to decode them.

cyclonology The study of cyclones.

cynology The study of dogs.

cytology The study of cells.

demology The study of human populations, activities, social conditions, and behaviour.

dendroarcheology In archeology, the science that uses dendrochronology to date wooden material from archeological sites.

dendrochronology The science that uses the spacing between the annual growth rings of trees to date their exact year of formation.

dendrogeomorphology

The science that uses dendrochronology to study changes to the Earth's surface over time.

dermatology The study of skin.

dermatoneurology The study of nerves of the skin.

desmidiology The study of single-celled algae.

eccrinology The study of the secretion of the eccrine glands.

ecohydrology The study of the interactions between water and ecosystems.

ecology The scientific study of interactions among organisms and their environment.

encephalology The study of the brain and its function, structure and anatomy, and diseases.

enterology The study of the intestinal tract.

entomology The scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology.

epidemiology The study and analysis of the patterns, causes, and effects of health and diseaseconditions in defined populations.

eremology The study of deserts.

ethnology The branch of anthropology that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different people and the relationship between them.

exogeology A planetary science discipline concerned with the geology of the celestial bodies such as the planets and their moons, asteroids, comets, and meteorites.

felinology The study of cats.

filicology The study of ferns.

gastroenterology The branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders.

gelotology The study of humour and laughter.

gemology The scientific study dealing with natural and artificial gemstone materials.

geohydrology The area of geology that deals with the distribution and movement of groundwater in the soil and rocks of the Earth's crust (commonly in aquifers).

geotectology The study of the structure of the Earth's crust; geotectonics.

gerontology The study of the social, psychological, cognitive, and biological aspects of aging.

glaciology The scientific study of glaciers, or more generally ice and natural phenomena that involve ice.

graminology The scientific study of the grasses (family Poaceae).

grossology The study of things that are disgusting or gross.

heliology The study of the sun.

hemipterology The study of true bugs (order Hemiptera).

hepatology The branch of medicine that incorporates the study of liver, gallbladder, biliary tree, and pancreas as well as management of their disorders.

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herpetology

The branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians (gymnophiona)) and reptiles (including snakes, lizards, amphisbaenids, turtles, terrapins, tortoises, crocodilians, and the tuataras).

heteroptology The study of true bugs (suborder Heteroptera).

hippology The study of horses.

hydroecology The study of support systems in wetlands such as the interactions between water and wildlife habitats.

hydrology The scientific study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability.

hyetology The scientific study of precipitation.

hypnology The scientific study of sleep.

iatrology The study of medicine.

ichthyology The branch of biology devoted to the study of fish.

immunology A branch of biomedical science that covers the study of immune systems in all organisms.

irenology The study of peace.

kinology The branch of physics that deals with the laws of motion.

kymatology The study of wave motion.

laryngology A branch of medicine that deals with disorders, diseases and injuries of the vocal apparatus, especially the larynx.

lepidopterology A branch of entomology concerning the scientific study of moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies.

limacology The branch of zoology which deals with slugs.

lithology The study of rocks, with particular emphasis on their description and classification.

meteorology The study of the atmosphere and related phenomena such as weather.

metrology The science and study of measurement.

microbiology The study of microorganisms.

microclimatology A branch of climatology that studies microclimates which are small, local region having a unique pattern of weather or weather effects that differ from the local climate.

microphytology The study of very small or microscopic plant life.

mnesiology The study of memory.

momiology The study of mummies.

mycetology The study of fungi.

myrmecology The branch of entomology focusing on the scientific study of ants.

nephology The study of clouds.

neurobiology The study of the nervous system including the brain.

noology The systematic study and organization of everything dealing with knowing and knowledge.

oceanology The branch of Earth science that studies the ocean; oceanography.

odonatology The study of dragonflies and damselflies (order Odonata).

olfactology The study of smell.

oncology The branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

oology The study of eggs, especially those of birds.

ophidiology The study of snakes (clade Ophidia).

ophthalmology The branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye.

ornithology A branch of zoology dealing with the study of birds.

osteology The scientific study of bones.

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otology A branch of medicine which studies normal and pathological anatomy and physiologyof the ear (hearing and vestibular sensory systems and related structures and functions).

paedology The study of children's behavior and development.

paleoanthropology The scientific study of human fossils, and the evolution of modern man.

paleobotany The branch of paleontology that deals with the study of plant fossils.

paleoentomology The study of prehistoric insects.

paleoichthyology The study of fossil and ancient fish.

paleoornithology The study of ancient and prehistoric birds and their evolution.

paleophytology The study of ancient plants and plant fossils; paleobotany.

parasitology The study of parasites and how they interact with their hosts.

pestology The study of pests.

pharyngology The scientific study of the pharynx and its diseases.

photoecology The study of or application of aerial photography to ecology and land management.

photology The study of light.

phycology The scientific study of algae.

planktology The study of plankton.

psychology The study of behavior and mind, embracing all aspects of conscious and unconscious experience as well as thought.

pulmonology The study of the respiratory system and its organs.

radiology A medical specialty that uses imaging to diagnose and treat diseases seen within the body.

rhinology The study of the nose, including the sinuses.

scatology The study of feces.

sedimentology The study of natural sediments (silt, clay, and sand) and of the processes by which they are formed.

seismology The scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other planet-like bodies.

serpentology The study of snakes.

spongiology The study of sponges (phylum Porifera).

taxology The technique or study of identifying, naming, and classifying things; taxonomy.

theriology The study of mammals.

tidology The science or study of tides.

toxicology A branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals (poisons) on living organisms.

trachelology The study of the neck and related injuries and disease.

urinology The study of urine and the urinary system.

venology The study of veins.

vermeology The study of worms.

volcanology The study of volcanoes, lava, magma, and related geological, geophysical and geochemicalphenomena.

woodpeckerology The study of woodpeckers

xenology The study of extraterrestrial life

zoology the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems.

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3rd Grade Only – Tower Building (1 hour – Sign Up Event)

Description: Teams will build the tallest tower to hold the largest mass for the longest amount of time using the least amount of supplies.

For a school to successfully run this event they need:


● 2-4 Volunteer Judges (at least 2 per session)

Maximum Number of Participants per School: 2 students per 15 registered or portion thereof

Description: Teams will build the tallest tower to hold the largest mass for the longest amount of time using the least amount of supplies. This event has a building component and a written test.

Teams need to bring: ● Pencil, pen or marker, a ruler/straight edge, scissors and

protractor. Safety Requirements: ● Indirect-vent Safety Goggles or Safety glasses labeled ANSI Z87.1+ (impact rated). All competitors must

always wear their eye protection during the competition. Eye Glasses are not Eye Protection. Materials Provided at Event: ● 1 meter of masking tape ● 30 – Paper Straws ● an object with a mass no less than 50 grams and no more than 500 grams The Competition: Construction Phase: Timed 35 Minutes ● For student safety, the craft sticks may not be broken or cut. ● Teams will construct a tower that rises the greatest possible distance from its base and be able to support

the object when placed at the top most point of the tower. ● The manufacture of the straws will remain secret until the day of the competition. ● The Event Supervisor will announce on the day of the competition the object, its flat base size, the mass of

the object each tower will have to hold, and the manufacturer of the straws. ● The mass of the object will be no less than 50 grams and no more than 500 grams. ● The tower must support the object for a least ten seconds and no more than 30 seconds. ● Teams may cut the tape into any shape or size. ● The Event Supervisor will record the amount of masking tape and straws left for each team. ● Any team using any tools or materials other than those listed above will be ranked below all other teams.

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Challenge Phase: ● Teams will have 3 minutes to complete the challenge phase. ● The Event Supervisor will measure the height of the tower to the nearest millimeter (1mm) to the point

where the weight will be placed before the challenge begins. ● When given permission teams will place the tower on a flat surface ● The tower may not be placed so that it is supported in any way by any horizontal or vertical obstruction. ● No sticky part of the tape may touch the top or sides of the flat surface. ● Timing begins when teams place the mass on the tower and remove their hand. ● The challenge will end when the tower fails to hold the object or the end of the 30 seconds. ● The Event Supervisor or appointed judge will be the official timekeeper.

Written Test

● The written test for this event will cover the basic concepts of building towers and bridges. It may include: ○ Tension ○ Compression ○ Truss ○ Type of bridges ○ Types or towers ○ Building techniques (L vs X vs K etc.)

Event Supervisor Records: ● Height of Tower ● Time to structural failure ● Amount of unused masking tape and straws for each team

Scoring: To calculate the total team score the Event Supervisor will average the team placements for the building and written test to find the final team placement.

● Teams with the highest tower that holds for the longest time will rank ahead of all others measured to the nearest millimeter (1mm) and 1/100th of a second by the Event Supervisor or appointed judge. Will account for 50% of the total team score.

● The written portion of the event will account for 50% of the total team score.

Tiebreakers: ● Least amount of masking tape. ● Time to structural failure. ● Selected questions on the written exam.

Possible Resource: ● Science Olympiad Student Center Wiki - https://scioly.org/wiki/index.php/Towers

https://scioly.org/wiki/index.php/Towers



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Anatomy – Homeostasis (30 minutes - Scheduled Event)


● 1 Volunteer


Description: Teams will demonstrate their knowledge of homeostasis in the human body. Homeostasis refers to stability, balance, or equilibrium within a cell or the body. It is an organism’s ability to keep a constant internal environment. This event has a written test and may/may not include “hands-on” stations.


Optional Materials: Any notes that fit on one piece of paper - double sided.


The Competition: Students will take a written test to answer topic questions on the cardiovascular which may include:

● To identify the process by which body systems are kept within certain limits. ● To explain the role of feedback mechanisms in homeostasis. ● To distinguish negative feedback from positive feedback. ● To identify and example of two organ systems working together to maintain homeostasis. ● To summarize the role of the endocrine system in homeostasis. ● To outline the result of a disturbance in homeostasis of a body system.




order will place below the other team. ● E.g. Team one correctly answers the first three questions and team two correctly answers the

first two questions but misses the third. Team one will place higher than team two.

Possible Resources: Open Curriculum: https://opencurriculum.org/5385/homeostasis-and-regulation-in-the-human-body/ Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-human-body-systems/hs-body-structure-and-homeostasis/a/homeostasis

https://opencurriculum.org/5385/homeostasis-and-regulation-in-the-human-body/



https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-human-body-systems/hs-body-structure-and-homeostasis/a/homeostasis



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Astronomy – Evolution of a Star (30 Minutes - Scheduled Event)


● 1 Volunteer


Description: Teams will demonstrate knowledge about the evolution of star from birth to death. This event has a written test.


The Competition Students will take a written test to answer topic questions about stars which may include:

● Star Life Cycle

● Protostars

● Interstellar Clouds

● Cloud Collapse

● Comparing

● relative sizes

● temperature

● composition

● density

Scoring: ● Points will be awarded for each correct response. ● Ties will be broken by the accuracy or quality of answers to select questions chosen by the event

supervisor prior to the competition. Or

The event supervisor will compare tests and the team that incorrectly answers the first question in order will place below the other team.

E.g. Team one correctly answers the first three questions and team two correctly answers the first two questions but misses the third. Team one will place higher than team two.

Possible Resources NASA: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve

Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/cosmology-and-astronomy/stellar-life-topic/stellar-life-death-tutorial/v/birth-of-stars

https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve



https://www.khanacademy.org/science/cosmology-and-astronomy/stellar-life-topic/stellar-life-death-tutorial/v/birth-of-stars



Page 23 of 44

Boomilever (1 hour – Sign Up Event)


● 2-4 Volunteer Judges (at least 2 per session) Maximum Number of Participants per School: 2 students per 15 registered or portion thereof Description: Teams will build the longest boomilever to hold the largest mass for the longest amount of time using the least amount of supplies. This event has a building component and a written test. Teams need to bring: ● Pencil, pen or marker, a ruler/straight edge, scissors and protractor. Safety Requirements: ● Indirect-vent Safety Goggles or Safety glasses labeled ANSI

Z87.1+ (impact rated). All competitors must always wear their eye protection during the competition. Eye Glasses are not Eye Protection.

Materials Provided at Event: ● 4 – Popsicle/Craft sticks ● 1 meter of masking tape ● 20 – Paper Straws ● an object with a mass no less than 50 grams and no more than 500 grams ● a wooden wall for attaching the boomilever and testing The Competition: Construction Phase: Timed 35 Minutes ● For student safety, the craft sticks may not be broken or cut. ● Teams will construct a boomilever that extends the greatest possible distance from the base and be able

to support the object when placed at the most 5 cm from the end of the boomilever that is furthest from the testing wall the team.

● The manufacture of the straws will remain secret until the day of the competition. ● The Event Supervisor will announce on the day of the competition the object and the mass of the object

each boomilever will have to hold, and the manufacturer on the straws used. ● The mass of the object will be no less than 100 grams and no more than 750 grams. ● The boomilever must support the object for a least ten seconds and no more than 30 seconds. ● Teams may cut the tape into any shape or size. ● The Event Supervisor will record the amount of masking left for each team. ● Any team using any tools or materials other than those listed above will be ranked below all other teams. Challenge Phase: ● Teams will have 3 minutes to complete the challenge phase.

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● The Event Supervisor will measure the length of the boomilever to the nearest millimeter (1mm) before the challenge begins.

● When given permission teams will attach the boomilever to the side of the testing wall, within a 12 cm by 12 cm, area using a clamp. (The teams will choose from either a pressure clamp or c-clamp.)

● The clamp may only hold the boomilever to the wall and may not support any part of the boomilever. ● All support parts of the boomilever must rest against the testing wall. ● No sticky part of the tape may touch the top or sides of the flat surface. ● Timing begins when teams place the mass on the end of their boomilever and remove their hand. ● The challenge will end when the boomilever fails to hold the object or the end of the 30 seconds. ● The Event Supervisor or appointed judge will be the official timekeeper. Written Test

● The written test for this event will cover the basic concepts of building boomilevers and bridges. It may include: ○ Tension ○ Compression ○ Truss ○ Type of bridges ○ Types of Boomilever/Cantilever ○ Types or towers ○ Building techniques (L vs X vs K etc.) ○ Principles of Cantilevers

Event Supervisor Records: ● Length of boomilever ● Time to structural failure ● Amount of unused masking tape by each team ● Team score on the written portion of the test Scoring: To calculate the total team score the Event Supervisor will average the team placements for the building and written test to find the final team placement.

● Teams with the longest boomilever that holds for the longest time will rank ahead of all others measured to the nearest millimeter (1mm) and 1/100th of a second by the Event Supervisor or appointed judge.

● The written portion of the event will account for 50% of the total team score.

Tiebreakers: ● Least amount of masking tape. ● Time to structural failure.

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Boomilever Testing Wall

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Cell Biology - (30 Minutes – Scheduled Event)


● 1 Volunteer

Maximum Number of Participants per School: Six: 3 teams of 2 Description: This event tests participants’ knowledge of cells and cell processes. This event has a written test and may/may not include “hands-on” stations. Teams need to bring: Pencils Optional Materials: Any notes that fit on one piece of paper double sided. Safety Requirements: None The Competition: Part 1: Students will answer questions about the following….

● Cells, Similarities and differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, and plant and animal cells.

● Structure and function of cell organelles. ● Specialized cells.

o Muscle Cells o Nerve Cells o Red Blood Cells o Leaf Cells o Root hair Cells

● Cell transport. ● Cell Division and Cell Cycle. ● Stem cells and cancer cells.

Part 2: ● Students should be able to identify slides or images of cells and cell organelles.

Part 3: ● Students should be able to predict the outcome of cell transport experiments.

Scoring: ● Points will be awarded for each correct response. ● Ties will be broken by the accuracy or quality of answers to select questions chosen by the event leader

prior to the competition. Possible Resources:

● Biology for Kids: http://www.biology4kids.com/files/cell_main.html ● Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/structure-of-a-cell

http://www.biology4kids.com/files/cell_main.html

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/structure-of-a-cell



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Code Busters - (30 minutes – Signup Event)


● 1 Volunteer

Maximum Number of Participants per School: 1 team of 5 students

Description: Teams will receive a set of up to 10 nonsense letters and numbers and will pass the codes from teammate to teammate.

Teams need to bring: Pencils. On paper

Safety Requirements: None. Materials provided at event:

● Paper

● Codes

The Competition: ● This is a timed event. Each team will have 5 minutes to relay the codes between each other correctly. ● The Event Supervisor will time to the nearest 1/100 of a second. ● Team members must be familiar with all the letters, numbers and symbols created by a computer

keyboard with or without the shift key engaged. ● Handwriting counts. If the code is not legible it will not receive a score. The judge’s decision is final. ● Team member 1 will receive the codes on paper. They may not show the codes to any other team

member. They will whisper the code to member 2; who in turn whispers to member 3 and so on. ● Team member 5 will write the codes after receiving it from team member 4. ● Lower case and upper-case letters are different. A lower case letter will not substitute in scoring for an

upper-case letter. ● Members 2 through 5 may never see the starting codes. Member 1 through 4 may never see the

finished codes. ● The teams may restart the codes as often as they want. ● The time will start when team member 1 receives the first code.

Scoring: ● Teams receive a score for each correct or partially correct code.

o 1 point for each correct letter, number or symbol in the sequence in the correct order. o 1 point for a complete correct answer

Examples ● Code #2 is – 78ghJT4. The team writes 87hgjT4. The team earns 2 points. T, 4 are correct and in the

correct order. ● Code#3 - *&65tyU3. The team writes x^65tyu3. The team earns 5 points. 6, 5, t, y and 3 are correct

and in the correct order. Tiebreakers:

● Teams with the most complete correct answers. ● Teams with the faster time will rank ahead of the second team.

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Describe it. Build it. (30 Minutes – Sign Up Event)

For a school to successfully run this event they need: ● 1 Event Supervisor ● 2-3 Volunteer Scorers

Maximum Number of Participants per School: 2 students per 15 registered or portion thereof Description: One student will describe an object and how to build it, and their partner will try to build the object in real time.

Teams need to bring: Nothing.

Safety Requirements: None. Materials provided at event: For the Describer:

● An object made of small items such as arts & craft supplies, or commercial building sets (e.g., Legos, K'Nex, etc.) or a combination of these items that they will describe to their partner.

For the Builder: ● The builder will have a complete set of materials needed to build the object. (Note that extra materials,

not used in building the object, may be included in the set.) The Competition:

● Each team will have 5 minutes to describe and build the object presented for this competition. ● The builder may not see the object. ● The describer may not see what the builder is creating. ● The builder may begin as soon as the event supervisor starts the timer.

Scoring:

● Event Supervisors will score the completed object based on a point system that awards points for each material placed in the proper location and with the correct connection as on the original object.

● Pieces connected correctly to an incorrect located or connected piece will receive full credit (i.e., no penalty for "error carried forward").

Scoring Penalties:

● Tier violations occur if the builder looks at the object, or the describer looks at the builder’s product. Teams with tier violations will be ranked behind all other teams without violations.

Additional Information:

● A sample object and score sheet from the B division “Write It, Do It,” which is very similar to this event is available on the Virginia Science Olympiad website (www.virginiaso.com), under the Events tab.

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Dynamic Planet – Volcanoes (30 minutes – Scheduled Event)


● 1 Volunteer

Maximum Number of Participants for all Schools: Six: 3 teams of 2 students Description: Teams will demonstrate their understanding of how volcanoes form, the current and historic volcano activity of the United States, and the anatomy of a volcano. This event has a written test.




The Competition: Teams will answer questions on a written test. Topics may include but not limited to:

o Types of volcanoes o Parts of a volcano o Current and historic volcanic activity





first two questions but misses the third. Team one will place higher than team two. Possible Resources: United States Geological Survey: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/education.html Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/search?page_search_query=volcanoes

https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/education.html

https://www.khanacademy.org/search?page_search_query=volcanoes

Page 30 of 44

Flying Fossils – (30 minutes – Scheduled Event)


● 1 Volunteer

Maximum Number of Participants for all Schools: Six: 3 teams of 2 students

Description: Teams will demonstrate their knowledge of the fossil record as it relates to flying species. This event has a written test and may/may not include “hands-on” stations.




The Competition: Teams will answer questions either on a written test or at a series of team stations.

● If this is a station event the participants will move from station to station, with the length of time at each station predetermined and announced by the Event Supervisor.

● No participant may to return to unfinished stations but may change or add information to their original responses while at other stations.

● Topics may include but are not limited to: o Fossil preservation o Sorting fossils into their correct time o Fossil Identification o Largest fossil finds





first two questions but misses the third. Team one will place higher than team two. Possible Resources: The Virtual Fossil Museum: https://goo.gl/tE9qGX

Smithsonian Institute: https://goo.gl/H8yjQ1

https://goo.gl/tE9qGX

https://goo.gl/H8yjQ1

Page 31 of 44

Kinematics (30 minutes – Scheduled Event)


● 1 Volunteer

Maximum Number of Participants per School: 2 students per 15 registered or portion thereof Description: Teams will demonstrate their understanding of the laws of motion and their abilities to calculate data using formulas for force, motion, and vectors. This event has a written test about the basic data points used during an experiment and will include observations of or conducting an experiment.

Team Needs to Bring: Sharpened Pencils, One-four function calculator (non programmable), one sheet of paper with any formulas the team wants to use during the competition.

Safety Requirements: ● Indirect-vent Safety Goggles or Safety glasses labeled ANSI

Z87.1+ (impact rated). All competitors must always wear their eye protection during the competition. Eye Glasses are not Eye Protection.

The Competition: Teams will answer questions on a written test, in a series of team stations, and conduct an experiment calculating the rate at which an object changes position. ● Topics may include:

● Analyzing the motion of an object in terms of its position, velocity, and acceleration (with respect to a frame of reference) as functions of time.

● Interpreting and applying Newton's three laws of motion. ● Solving problems of distance, displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration. ● Independent, dependent, constant, hypothesis, and conclusion

The Experiment: Teams will observe the Event Supervisor conducting a simple experiment twice using a ramp and “vehicle.” They will then complete the Experimental Design Diagram to the best of their ability.

Scoring: ● Points will be awarded for each correct response on the written test. ● Points will also be awarded for each correct response completing the Experimental Design Diagram ● Ties will be broken by the accuracy or quality of answers to select questions chosen by the event leader


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Logical Thinking – (30 minutes – Scheduled Event)


● 1 Volunteer


Description: Teams will demonstrate their problem-solving skills by solving as many logic puzzles as they can within a set given time. These puzzles may be math, language, or picture orientated. This event has a written test.


Optional Materials: None. No notes may be brought to this event.


The Competition: Teams will answer questions either on a written test or at a series of team stations.

● If this is a station event the participants will move from station to station, with the length of time at each station predetermined and announced by the Event Supervisor.

● No participant may to return to unfinished stations but may change or add information to their original responses while at other stations.

● Topics may include but are not limited to: o Math Puzzles o Language Puzzles o Picture Puzzles




order will place below the other team. ● E.g. Team one correctly answers the first three questions and team two correctly answers the first

two questions but misses the third. Team one will place higher than team two. Possible Resources:

Puzzle Baron’s Logic Puzzles: https://goo.gl/77VSCx Wikipedia Category: Logic Puzzles: https://goo.gl/qRGdMZ Thinkfun Logic Puzzles: https://goo.gl/REMTpR

https://goo.gl/77VSCx

https://goo.gl/qRGdMZ

https://goo.gl/REMTpR

Page 34 of 44

Orienteering (30 minutes – Scheduled Event)

For a school to successfully run this event they need:


● 1 Volunteer


Description: This is an orienteering event. Teams will follow a set of directions using map, pacing and compass skills to find locations within the Science Olympiad competition. This event may be held outdoors in good weather. This event has a written test and a “hands-on” component.


Optional Materials: None. No notes may be brought to this event.

Safety Requirements: None Team Needs to Bring: A liquid-filled orienteering compass; labeled with the team, school or owner’s name, pencils, and a centimeter ruler. A 4-function calculator is the only allowed electronic device. No other electronics allowed including rangefinders and electronic compasses.

● Teams may bring: a protractor, and other measuring devices, 4-function calculator, and a magnifying glass.

Materials Provided at Event: A written test, maps and instructions for each team. Safety Requirements: None The Competition:

● Teams will have to answer questions about the parts of an orienteering compass and Topographic Maps.

● Topics may include map symbols and features, scale, distances between locations/features, compass rose, borders and boundaries, walking/driving directions, map coordinates.

● Teams will have to walk a predetermined route using a compass, map, and their pacing to collect clues. ● Teams will receive a set of directions that, if completed correctly, will bring them back to the starting

point. No team from the same school will have the same directions. No team starting at the same time will have the same directions. All teams may visit the same points at different times.

● At each stopping point in the directions, teams will write down the clues they find. Pacing is important; there will be “dummy” points with incorrect clues.

● An international orienteering symbol will mark all stopping points. ● The Event Supervisor and one judge will time each team to the nearest 1/100th second. ● Teams will estimate the time it takes for them to find all their clues.

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● If the event is indoors, teams caught running during the event will receive a 5 second penalty.

Scoring: Teams will receive a ranking on each of three scoring components. The rankings will then average into a total to the nearest 1/100th of a point.

● Time to complete the course - Correctness of the data collected - Correct number of answers on the written questions - Example: Team #24 ranks 3rd in time, 7th in data collection, and 5th on the written questions. Their average is 5th place.

Tiebreakers

1. Time to complete the course

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Parachute Straw Egg Drop (60 minutes – Sign Up Event)

For a school to successfully run this event they need: • 1 Event Supervisor • 2-4 Volunteers (at least 2 needed)

Maximum Number of Participants per School: 2 students per 15 registered or portion thereof Description: Teams will make a device and parachute out of paper straws, masking tape, Kleenex paper, and thread to hold a large raw egg. The device containing the egg will be dropped from a fixed height to a target. This event has a building component and a written test.

Safety Requirements - Eye Protection Safety glasses labeled ANSI Z87.1+ (impact rated). All competitors must always wear their eye protection during the competition. Eye Glasses are not Eye Protection.

Teams need to bring: Must bring and wear safety goggles; teams may bring plumb lines.

Materials provided at the event: ● 4 paper - non-flexible paper straws ● 25 cm of one-inch masking tape ● Scissors ● One raw egg wrapped in plastic wrap or inside a snack/sandwich size plastic bag ● 1 meter of General-Purpose Thread

The Competition: It is a tier violation if the team does not create a parachute that fully opens for their device.

● Team members will have 20 minutes to construct a device to cushion the egg and prevent it from cracking or breaking.

● No tape may be attached to the egg. ● No tape may be attached to the snack/sandwich size plastic bag. ● The snack/sandwich bag may not be opened, nor may air be added to the bag. ● Each team will have 5 minutes to drop the device from a height of 2-3 meters to a target. ● There will be ONE drop per team from the prescribed height. Plumb lines will be allowed. ● Maximum drop height will be the top of a 2-story school stairway. Minimum drop will be from the top

of an elementary school bleachers. ● A team whose egg is broken before their drop may request a second egg but will be penalized 100% of

the distance from the target (e.g., a measurement of 20cm from the target will be scored as 40cm.) ● The distance measured for each team is the distance from the center of the target to the FARTHEST

point on the container (or the farthest point of any piece of the container, if it breaks during the fall) where it comes to rest in the target area. (There is no penalty for the container bouncing, rolling or breaking on impact, other than the broken egg penalty, if applicable.)

● At the end of their drop the competitors will open their device so the supervisor may check the egg. ● A broken egg is one that when rolled upon a paper towel will leave a damp spot.

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The written test: Items that may be included on the written test are:

• Eggs and Egg Grading

• Basic concepts of skydiving Scoring: Teams will be tiered in three separate groups.

● Tier 1: Teams whose egg does not break during the drop will be ranked by distance from the target (including the "second egg" penalty, if appropriate) to the farthest point of their container or farthest piece of their container.

● Tier 2: Teams whose egg breaks during the drop will be ranked behind Tier 1, in order of distance from the target, again taking any "second egg" penalty into account.

● Tier 3: Teams that drop empty containers will be ranked behind Tier 2, in order of distance from the target.

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Pentathlon (30 minutes – Sign Up Event)

For a school to successfully run this event they need: ● 1 Event Supervisor ● 2-4 Volunteers (at least 2)

Maximum Number of Participants per School: Ten: 2 teams of 5

Description: Five physical skills are interspersed with science questions in an obstacle course that will be run in a relay race style where each student passes the baton or tags the next student. A sixth physical skill and science question may be performed by the group.

Materials provided at event: All materials are provided.

Safety Requirements: Appropriate athletic attire including closed-toe shoes.

The Competition: ● Each leg of the relay will feature questions from any of the following categories: Forces, Motion and

Energy; Life Processes and Living Systems; Interrelationships in Earth Space Systems; Earth Patterns, Cycles and Changes; Resources; Matter; all content is derived from the grade 3-5 Virginia state standards for science.

● Students will work as a team to complete a 5-person relay. ● Each member of the relay must complete 1 physical activity followed by completing an academic

science challenge. ● The relay continues until all 5 team members have finished. ● A sixth activity may have to be completed by the team followed by a question for the team to answer. ● The physical activities will include events such as: a dash, crossing a balance beam, dribbling a

basketball around a row of safety cones, running through 6 tires on the ground, a Frisbee throw for accuracy, etc.

● One student in the relay will complete each stretch of the relay. ● Each team will be timed from the start of the first leg until the team completes the final challenge. For

the academic challenges team members will have a maximum of 2 minutes to answer the questions otherwise they will be forced to pass the baton on to the next team member.

● Students who may not be able to complete the physical challenge due to some physical limitation may designate another team member to complete the physical challenge for them, but they must complete the academic challenge on their own.

● Each physical and academic challenge must be completed before proceeding to the next station. The only exception is if students do not answer the academic challenge in 2 minutes they must pass the baton onto the next teammate.

Scoring: The Event Supervisor or Judge will record the total time for a team to complete the Pentathlon to the nearest 1/10th of a second. The overall lowest time wins.

Tiebreaker: The tiebreaker will be the number of correct answers.

Possible Resources: Virginia Department of Education: https://goo.gl/vo4oEM

https://goo.gl/vo4oEM

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Shock Value (30 minutes – Scheduled Event)

For a school to successfully run this event they need: ● 1 Event Supervisor ● 1 Volunteer


Description: Teams will answer questions and may do hands-on activities involving direct current circuits, basic electricity, and magnetism. This event has a written test.

Team needs to bring: ● Sharpened pencils (2-3)

Optional materials: Teams may bring any notes that fit on a single sheet of double sided paper.

Materials provided at event: ● Event supervisors will provide answer sheets and may provide batteries (AA, C or D), wire, lamps,

switches or similar components; any necessary tools; circuit sets (such as Snap Circuits®), samples of conducting and non-conducting materials, magnets, breadboards, LED lights and similar hands-on materials. This event will not use lithium batteries.

Safety Requirements: ● No AC power will be used.

The Competition: ● This event may or may not include a student rotation through stations assessing knowledge in areas

including dc circuits, batteries (commercial and/or homemade), household electrical safety (questions only - no hands-on activities related to AC power), and conducting and non-conducting materials and their uses.

● This event will include written questions. ● Stations may include questions or hands-on activities to assess students’ knowledge of these subjects. ● Students should understand basic electricity concepts, series and parallel circuits, simple Ohm’s Law

calculations, electron flow in circuits, etc. ● How did we get here? Major early historical moments and scientists in electricity.





first two questions but misses the third. Team one will place higher than team two.

Possible Resources: ● Science Olympiad - Shock Value: http://www.soinc.org/shock_val_b ● SciOly: http://scioly.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=166&t=4951

http://www.soinc.org/shock_val_b



http://scioly.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=166&t=4951

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Simple Machines (30 minutes – Scheduled Event) For a school to successfully run this event they need:

• 1 Event Supervisor • 1 Volunteer


Description: Teams will demonstrate their understanding of simple machines. This event has a written test and may include “hands-on” stations. Team Needs to Bring: Sharpened Pencils, scissors, One-four function calculator (nonprogrammable), one sheet of paper with any information the team wants to use during the competition.

Safety Requirements: Must wear safety glasses labeled ANSI Z87.1+ (impact rated) or goggles.

The Competition: Teams will answer questions on a written test, in a series of team stations, or build set of simple machines. Topics may include:

● Types of simple machines

● Identifying the simple machine within a compound machine

● Building examples of simple machines from everyday items

● Discussing with the Event Supervisor or Judges the concept of or the uses of simple machines

Scoring: Points will be awarded for each correct response or simple machine built. The team with the highest accumulated score is the winner.


Or ● The event supervisor will compare tests and the team that incorrectly answers the first question in order will

place below the other team. o E.g. Team one correctly answers the first three questions and team two correctly answers the first two

questions but misses the third. Team one will place higher than team two.

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Submersibles (60 minutes – Sign Up Event)

For a school to successfully run this event they need: • 1 Event Supervisors • 2-4 Volunteers


Description: Teams will build a device to create neutral buoyancy within a saline water environment using a set of given materials. This event has a building component and a written test.

Safety Requirements: Indirect-vent Safety Goggles. ● Because this is an event that uses liquids, all competitors must always wear their eye

protection. ● If a team does not have the required eye protection, they will be given the opportunity

to obtain it, time allowing, but will not receive extra time. ● If a team is unable to obtain eye protection, the team will not compete and will

receive a no-show score.

Teams Need to Bring:

● Sharpened Pencils, scissors, One-four function calculator (nonprogrammable), one sheet of paper with any information the team wants to use during the competition.

● One chart or graph on 8 ½ x 11 paper showing at least 5 experiments to achieve buoyancy.

Materials provided at event:

● Plasticine clay, play dough, or plumbers’ putty, straws (paper or plastic), 25cm of masking tape, small paper clip, a 12 to 16-inch-tall container filled at least ¾ full with a 1% to 10% saline solution.

The competition: Written Test

● Teams will take a written test on buoyancy concepts. The questions may relate to fish, submersibles, and under water exploration. This will account for 50% of the team score.

Submersible

● No teams may squeeze the container.

● No teams will test their submersible in the container at any time.

● Teams will build a Cartesian submersible using the given materials. The diver will then be placed in the container of saline solution so that the diver comes to rest at a designated midway point in the container.

● Teams will mark a reference line on their submersible. This event supervisor will use this reference line to measure in millimeters the distance between the midway point and the reference point.

Scoring: ● The Event Supervisor will rank teams based on the written test scores. Highest score to lowest. ● The Event Supervisor will rank teams based on their distance to the midway point of the container. Lowest

distance to farthest. ● The two rankings will be averaged for the team placement. ● Ties will be broken by using the best written test placement. ● Any rules violation will result in that team being given a tier violation and ranked behind all other teams. Possible Resources Khan Academy: Fluids - https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/fluids

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/fluids



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Virginia Ornithology (30 minutes – Scheduled Event)

For a school to successfully run this event they need: • 1 Event Supervisor

• 1 Volunteer Description: Teams will demonstrate their knowledge of birds the live in or frequent Virginia. This event has a written test and may/may not include “hands-on” stations.


Team Needs to Bring: Sharpened Pencils, one double-sided sheet of paper with any content the team wants to use during the competition, hand lenses, and rulers. Possible materials provided at event: Pictures, drawings, or other items relating to Virginia herpetological life, and assessment materials provided by the event supervisor. Safety requirements: None The competition:

Teams may ● Rotate through stations to identify Virginia bird species. And/or ● Teams may answer questions about the following topics:

1. How habitat and environmental conditions impact ornithological life. 2. How bird species use adaptation to survive. 3. Land management to support ornithological species.





first two questions but misses the third. Team one will place higher than team two. Possible Resources:

● Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/ ● Audubon Guide to North American Birds: https://www.audubon.org/bird-guide

https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/

https://www.audubon.org/bird-guide

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The Wright Stuff (30 minutes – Scheduled Event)

For a school to successfully run this event they need: ● 1 Event Supervisor ● 2 Volunteers

Description: Each team will build one paper plane for the longest time aloft. Students will provide an estimate of their time before their flight. This event has a building component and a written test. Maximum Number of Participants per School: 2 students per 15 registered or portion thereof . Safety Requirements: Must wear safety glasses labeled ANSI Z87.1+ (impact rated) Teams Need to Bring:

● Pencils, a ruler/straight edge, scissors, and a team chart showing testing results for the launching for a practice plane. The chart must be on 8 ½ x 11 inch size paper and contain a minimum or 5 launches for both distance and time.

Materials Provided at Event:

● Each team will receive two sheets of 8 ½ x 11-inch, 20-pound copy paper, one small paper clip, and cellophane tape.

The Competition: Construction Phase: Timed 15 Minutes

● No Coaches, parents, or spectators in the building area. ● The Event Supervisor will inform the teams of the type of plane they are to construct and will

announce the height of the flight area. ● Teams must write their team designator on their plane. ● During the construction phase the team will give the Event Supervisor their estimate, in writing, for the

time that their plane will stay airborne, or the distance it will travel. ● Teams do not need to use all the supplied materials for this event. ● Teams may make more than one plane. ● The plane may not be a wadded up into a paper ball. ● All paper clips must stay in their original shape and may not be bent into another other shape.

Flight Phase:

● Teams will give the Event Supervisor their best estimate for how long their plane will fly before any practice launches.

● Teams will receive one official flight. Students may not artificially launch the plane. ● Each team will have 3 minutes to record an official flight. ● During their 3 minutes, the teams may take practice flights and adjust their plane. The clock will not

stop. The Event Supervisor will give a 30 second warning before the practice time expires. ● Practice flights will not count as an official flight. ● No other teams may practice during another teams’ flight practice.

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● All flights will start from the same starting point and from a flat-footed position with both feet on the ground; No running or fast walking starts.

● Teams must inform the Event Supervisor when they are ready for their official flight. ● If a flight begins before the end of 3 minutes it may continue until the plane comes to a rest. ● Timing will start when judges see the plane leave the hand of a team member. ● The Event Supervisor and at least two other judges, will measure and record the time for each plane to

the 1/100th of a second. ● Teams will receive a second flight if there is a malfunction during timing. ● During an official flight, time will continue if the plane bounces off an object but will stop when the

plane gets stuck or comes to a complete rest. ● Teams must not follow their plane after their official flight. They must wait until the Event Supervisor

allows them to retrieve their plane. ● The Event Supervisor will allow coaches, parents and spectators to watch from a safe distance based

on space constraints, and only in a designated area. ● It is a rules violation if Coaches, parents, mentors or spectators talk to the teams before they have

their official flight. Scoring: ● The Event Supervisor will place teams based on the longest timed flight to the nearest 1/100 of a second. ● The Event Supervisor will place teams based on the differences between the actual flight time and their

estimated flight time. ● The Event Supervisor will place teams based on their scores on the written test. ● Any rules violation will result in that team being ranked behind all other teams. ● The Event Supervisor will average each teams’ three placements to decide on the final team placements. Tiebreakers:

● Tiebreaker No. 1: The team with the closest estimate to the actual flight time to the nearest 1/100 of a second.

● Tiebreaker No. 2: Completeness of the team chart showing testing. Teams showing more testing details will be ranked above others. (Minimum requirement: 5 distance launches and 5 timed launches)

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2019 Division A Virginia Science Olympiad...2019/05/13 · Astronomy – Evolution of a Star (30 Minutes – Scheduled Event) 20 Boomilever (1 hour – Sign Up Event ... questions