Science Olympics

What are Science Olympics?

A series of problem solving events that are fun to do and require students to work in teams to apply their knowledge of science in creative ways.

Teams The school has been broken into 72 mixed ability and mixed

grade level teams of five.

Example

Team 7• Preema Sarkar• Bronson Paul• Annie Muxworthy• Ashley Dimitry• Brock Kennedy

Team 10• Robert Taylor• Christina Terriah• Ryan Burke• Michael Gautreau• Alex Buchanan

Rotation

The same 6 science olympic events will be run simultaneously in each of the four wings of the school. Each event will last 31 minutes and students will rotate from station to station until they have completed each of the six events.

Points will be awarded based on how well they complete the event and the team with the highest point total wins.

Rotations – Grade 7

6

5

4

32

1

Rotations – Grade 6

65

43

2 1

Rotations – French Immersion

6

5

4 3 2 1

Rotations – Grade 8

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2 1

Science Olympics Rotations

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2 1

6

5

4 3 2 1

65

43

2 16

5

32

14

Classroom Stations There will be three teams (five to six students on each

team) at each station competing in the same event. The three groups will be kept separate at the station and will work independently on the task.

5 students

5 students

5 students

Station 1

Classroom Stations At the Math Manip Mania station, students will also

rotate within the classroom among the three stations every ten minutes.

5 students

5 students

5 students

Station 410 minutes

10 minutes

10 minutes

Science Olympics Rotations – Team lists and starting points will be posted a week before the event so students will know who’s on their team and where to report when the bell rings.

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2 1

6

5

4 3 2 1

65

43

2 16

5

32

14

EVENTS STATION 1 - Critter HuntChallengeStudents must take a sample from alocal wetland and find as manyindicator species as possible todetermine the health of a localecosystem. The object is to find asmany organisms as possible.

Materials- a PC laptop computer- a QX5 digital microscope- a water sample from a wetland- an eye dropper- a slide- An organism identification sheet

EVENTSSTATION 2 - The Balance Bean

ChallengePart 1 - Students must use the triple beam balance to weigh 20 individualbeans and calculate the average weight of a single bean. Points will beawarded based on how close groups come to the actual average weight.

Materials- one full jar of beans- one empty jar of the same size- 20 beans- one calculator- one triple beam or single beam balance- one pencil

EVENTS STATION 3 - Math Manip Mania

ChallengeStudents will rotate every 10 minutes within thisstation to try and solve as many of the puzzles aspossible in the allotted time. Students will try tobuild specific objects using cube link blocks andpolydrons and will try to solve math problems usingfraction stax.

MaterialsTeam sets of:-polydrons- cube a link blocks- fraction stax

EVENTS

STATION 4 - Airplane Toss

ChallengeThe object of this event is to construct an airfoil glider which will be used to flythe furthest distance possible. Students will have 20 minutes to build theirairplane and 10 minutes to test it. Gliders constructed must use the circularairfoils as illustrated. Folded airplanes will not be permitted.

Materials5 sheets of paper60 cm of scotch tape6 drinking straws a pair of scissors

EVENTS

STATION 5 Tangoes…it’snot just a dance.

ChallengeIn this station students must useall of the tangoes shapes tomake specific designs that we’veset out for them. Points will beawarded based on the number ofsuccessful designs they complete.

MaterialsA set of tangoes and image cards.

EVENTSSTATION 6 – FlinkersChallengeStudents must design and build anobject that has neutral buoyancy….or inplain English, an object that doesn’tfloat or sink, it flinks! Points will beawarded based on whether or not thatcan successfully build a flinkerMaterialsStyrofoam chipsPaper clipsWashersCork2L bottle filled with water

Schedule

8:20 - 8:30 Homeroom Registration8:30 - 8:40 Students break into their teams and assemble at their

assigned stations.8:40 - 9:11 1st event4 minutes to rotate/event instructions9:15 - 9:46 2nd event4 minutes to rotate/event instructions9:50 - 10:21 3rd event10:21 - 10:36 Nutrition Break10:36 - 11:07 4th event4 minutes to rotate/event instructions11:11 - 11:42 5th event4 minutes to rotate/event instructions11:46 - 12:17 6th event12:17 - 12:20 Students reassemble in their home room classes12:20 – 12:40 Lunch

There will be an afternoon assembly to present the medals to the winning teamsand to have a slide show presentation of the morning’s events. The assemblyshould take up the entire last period of the day.

Spare Periods

Relief Team - A separate team of six teachers will rotate among the

grade 6, 7, 8, and Fr. Immersion locations to relieve the teachers there

for one event. As a result, every teacher will receive a 31 minute spare.

These teachers include:

Station #1 (Critter Hunt) – Mark Burns

Station #2 (Balance Bean) – Tom Coolen

Station #3 (MMM) – Rosemarie Hughes

Station #4 Airplane Toss – Kristy McBride

Station #5 Tangoes – Joanne Meehan

Station #6 Flinkers – Steve Fox

Spare Periods The Relief Team will begin relieving teachers at the start of the secondevent. The teachers in the grade 6 rotation will receive their spare periodduring the second event (9:15-9:46). The teachers in the grade 7 rotation will receive their spare periodDuring the third event (9:50-10:21). The teachers in the grade 8 rotation will receive their spare periodduring the fourth event (10:36-11:07). The teachers in the French Immersion rotation will receive their spareperiod during the fifth event (11:11-11:42).

Andre Ouelette will be rotating from group to groupvideotaping and taking pictures for the afternoon slideshow.