Short Event Descriptions

Science Olympiad Events are balanced among the three broad areas of the Science Standards.

Click on Event Name for a short description of the event.

EVENT DESCRIPTIONs

Anatomy (B) - Teams will be tested on their knowledge of anatomy and health concepts including skeletal and muscular systems.

Anatomy & Physiology (C) - This event encompasses the anatomy and physiology of selected body systems, this year limited to skeletal, muscular and endocrine systems.

Astronomy (C) - Teams identify deep sky objects and solve astronomy problems.

Battery Buggy (B) - Teams will construct a vehicle that uses electrical energy as its sole means of propulsion, quickly travels a specified distance, and stops as close as possible to the center of the finish line.

Bio-Process Lab (B) - Teams will demonstrate biology laboratory skills related to selected topics.

Can't Judge a Powder (B) - Students will test and characterize one pure substance and then, based only on data they collect, answer a series of questions about that substance.

Cell Biology (C) - Students will demonstrate their understanding of cell biology and biochemistry.

Chemistry Lab (C) - Teams will demonstrate chemistry laboratory skills related to selected topics.

Compute This (B) - Teams will be presented with a problem which requires quantitative data capture from the Internet and the presentation of data in a graphical format.

Disease Detective (B/C) - This event requires students to apply principles of epidemiology to a published report of a real-life health situation or problem.

Dynamic Planet (B/C) - Teams will work at stations that display a variety of earth science materials and related earth science questions. (earthquakes/volcanoes)

Ecology (B/C) - Students will answer questions involving content knowledge and process skills in the area of ecology and adaptation by examining different ecosystems. (Grasslands/Taiga)

Egg-O-Naut (C) - Teams will design, construct and launch rockets to stay aloft and carry a raw egg without breaking.

Elevated Bridge (B/C) - Teams will design, build & test the lightest bridge to carry a maximum load.

Environmental Chemistry (C) - Teams will be asked questions pertaining to environmental chemistry, which may include chemical reactions, characterization, and quantification

Experimental Design (B/C) - Given a set of unknown objects, teams will design, conduct, analyze and write-up an experiment.

Forensics (C) - Students will identify polymers, solids, fibers, and other materials in a crime scenario.

Fossils (B/C) - Students will identify, describe, and classify various specimens.

It's About Time (C) - Using a pre-constructed non-electronic device, students will measure time in intervals.

Junkyard Challenge (B) - Students will partially pre-construct an device with final construction and adaptation onsite to complete a published challenge.

Meteorology (B) - This event involves the use of process skills as applied to meteorology (everyday weather).

Mission Possible (C) - Prior to the competition, participants will design, build, test and document a "Rube Goldberg-like device" that completes a required Final Task using a sequence of consecutive tasks.

Mousetrap Vehicle (C) - Teams will design, build and test a vehicle that uses one or two snap mousetraps as the sole propulsion energy source to travel a distance and return to the starting line center as quickly as possible.

Ornithology (B/C) - This event will test knowledge of North American birds on the official list.

Pentathlon (B) - Teams will compete in an academic pentathlon to demonstrate their overall understanding of five major science content areas.

Physics Lab (B/C) - Teams will demonstrate physics laboratory skills related to selected topics including wind power and alternative energy. Teams will build a blade assembly used to capture wind power and generate voltage.

Picture This (C) - Draw representations of a set of scientific terms or concepts and guess the term being drawn.

Remote Sensing (C) - Teams use maps and remote sensing technology to explain human impact on the Earth.

Road Scholar (B) - Requires the accurate interpretation and understanding of various map features using a variety of road and topographic maps.

Science Crime Busters (B) – Teams will identify the perpetrators of a crime or crimes by using paper chromatography and analysis of unknown solids, liquids, and plastics found at the scene of a crime.

Shock Value (B) - Students will compete in activities involving basic understanding of electricity, magnetism and simple electrical devices.

Solar System (B) - Teams will demonstrate knowledge of the Sun, planets and their satellites, dwarf planets, comets, asteroids, the asteroid belt, meteoroids, Oort Cloud and the Kuiper Belt.

Technical Problem Solving (C) - Teams will gather and process data to solve problems.

Trajectory (B/C) - Teams will design, construct, calibrate and operate a device capable of launching a projectile into a target using energy provided by nonmetallic elastic solids.

Wright Stuff (B) - Teams will design and build a propeller propelled aerodynamic device for greatest time aloft.

Write It/Do It (B/C) - A technical writing exercise where students write a description of a contraption and other students will attempt to recreate it using only the written description.

Short Event Descriptions

Science Concepts and Knowledge

Science Processes and Inquiry Skills

Science Application and Technology

EVENT DESCRIPTIONs