Science Olympiad at LHS 2012-2013

1. Science Olympiad at LHS2012-2013

2. What is Science Olympiad? • Science Olympiad is a track and field type of academic sport that revolves around science knowledge dealing with Chemistry, Physics, Medicine, Earth Science, and Engineering • There will be one state science meet where students will perform in a chosen number of events. Individuals and teams will receive awards. • The State Meet will be on April 20th on East Campus in Lincoln.

3. Is Science Olympiad For Me? • 1. Do you love science? • 2. Do you think you are talented at science? • 3. Do you want to be a doctor, engineer, chemist, geologist, environmentalist or work in physics for your life’s work? • 4. Do you want to build robots, engineer buildings, and learn how solve crimes… and all for FREE? If you said YES to any of these questions then Science Olympiad is for YOU! Contact these guys if interested Wally Mason(wmason@lps.org) in s230 Bryan Penas (bpenas@lps.org) in s231

4. Meeting Info • 1.Science Olympiad Coaches: • Wally Mason(wmason@lps.org) in s230 • Bryan Penas (bpenas@lps.org) in s231 • You are free to meet at Lincoln High to work on your events any day of the week, you are encouraged to work on them at home as well. • The coaches will pay for all supplies…. Pick an event, research supplies, and give Mr. Mason a list of supplies that need to be bought.

5. Events • Anatomy and Physiology • Astronomy • Boomilever • Chem Lab • Circuit Lab • Designer Genes • Disease Detectives • Dynamic Planet • Elastic Launched Glider • Experimental Design • Fermi Questions • Forensics • Forestry • Gravity Vehicle • MagLev • Materials Science • Remote Sensing • Robot Arm • Rocks and Minerals • Tech Problem Solving • Thermodynamics • Water Quality • Write It/Do It

6. Anatomy and Physiology • In Anatomy students are given time to move to as many stations as possible or given a packet to answer questions about the human body. The event will be related to two or three major body systems. Division C will typically test a student's knowledge of three body systems. Topics may include diseases in those systems as well as the general anatomy and function of each system from the cellular to the holistic scale.

7. Astronomy • Students will be tested on two topics dealing with Astronomy. For Example, the 2012 test involved Stellar Evolution and Supernovas. Tests will include graphical and mathematical problem as well as short answer or fill in the blank options.

8. Boomilever • A Boomilever is a device built to hold a specified weight a given distance from a vertical surface. Rules include a maximum vertical height for the device, how far the device must hold the weight from the vertical surface, the max weight, and the mode of attaching the device to the wall. It falls into the same category of building events as Elevated Bridge Tower.

9. Chemistry Lab • Chemistry Lab is an event where participants must learn the respective year's selected aspects of chemistry and perform a lab or a set of labs regarding those topics • 2013 Topics Equilibrium, Periodicity

10. Circuit Lab • Circuit Lab is a laboratory event which deals with the various components and properties of direct current (DC) circuits. Historically, the fields which have been tested in this event are DC circuit concepts and DC circuit analysis (both theory and practice).

11. Designer Genes • Involves a written test revolving around basic genetics and molecular biology including introns/exons, mitosis/meiosis, leading/lagging strand, etc).

12. Disease Detectives • Disease Detectives focuses on epidemiology, that is, the study of diseases and how they spread. The 2012-2013 focus topic is environmental quality.

13. Dynamic Planet • Dynamic Planet is an event concerned with the processes which change the Earth Glaciers are the topic of 2013

14. Elastic Launched Glider • This event is a building event consisting of two parts: a glider made to be launched by the pulling and releasing of a rubber loop, which can be constructed based on plans of the competitor, or from a kit, and a flight log similar to that of other aviation events.

15. Experimental Design • Experimental Design has been an event in Science Olympiad in both divisions for many years. In this event, you will be given several materials and asked to perform an experiment on a certain science topic. You will then be required to write-up the experiment in the "lab write-up," which will be used to score you.

16. Fermi Questions • What is a Fermi Question? A fermi question is one where you estimate the answer. Questions like "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop", where you have little or no data to use and have to make assumptions. Fermi questions are named after Enrico Fermi, a physicist who was very good at these types of questions.

17. Forensics • Forensics is a chemistry event that involves identification of powders, polymers, fibers, and hair samples, blood serum and fingerprint analysis, and interpretation of chromatography. Given a scenario and some possible suspects, students will perform a series of tests. These tests, along with other evidence or test results will be used to solve a crime.

18. Forestry • Forestry is an identification event for both divisions. The event consists of identifying trees on the Official Tree List and answering general questions about them

19. Gravity Vehicle • Gravity Vehicle is a vehicle where the the energy for travel comes solely from gravitational potential energy

20. Maglev Car • Maglev Car-Competitors are required to build a vehicle. It must move down a track and must magnetically levitate using permanent, non-rare earth magnets.

21. Remote Sensing • In Remote Sensing, teams will "use remote sensing imagery, science and math process skills to complete tasks related to an understanding of Earth's Hydrosphere

22. Robotic Arm • The event involves the construction of a robotic arm to grab, lift, and deposit specific items in prescribed locations

23. Rock and Minerals • Rocks & Minerals is a face paced assessment where teammates identify rocks and minerals from the Official List and answer questions about them. This competition is usually in a station format. Items competitors are allowed to bring to the competition include one 3-ring binder of any size and one field guide.

24. Technical Problem Solving • Technical Problem Solving involves the gathering and processing of data to solve some sort of mathematical analysis. According to the 2012 event rules, "the event will consist of up to three lab stations and use materials found in a high school laboratory". The use of calculators and probes by supervisors is encouraged. It has a very wide range of potential test topics, so it is advised to put people with a very wide base of science knowledge on this event.

25. Thermodynamics • In this event you create a model or device that simply insulates a 250ml Pyrex beaker filled with 100ml of hot water. Your goal is to create a device that loses the least amount of heat after a period of time determined by the instructor (20-30 minutes). While your device is being tested you take a short test on heat (conversions, specific heat, etc). The starting temperature can be anything from 60 degrees Celsius to 90 degrees Celsius (determined by the instructor). Participants will also need to estimate the amount of heat lost according to graphs made prior to the competition

26. Water Quality • Important components of Water Quality include identifying aquatic invertebrates and understanding the indicators of water quality. Water quality includes the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water.

27. Write It Do It • In Write It Do It, one team member is given a structure built from some sort of construction materials, which may be anything from toys (like Legos) to craft materials (popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners) to lab equipment. Anything and everything could be used. This team member (often referred to as "The Writer") has 25 minutes in which to examine the structure, without touching it, and write instructions for how to build it