The 2016 North Bay Science Challenge - March 12, 2016

The North Bay Science Challenge:

A Science Competition for Students in Grades 4-8

What is the Science Challenge?

The Science Challenge is a fun and educational team event for students in grades 4-8. It allows students to demonstrate their science knowledge, understanding, and skills while competing in a variety of science-based events. The 2016 Science Challenge events are described below. 

   

The 2016 North Bay Science Challenge will be held on
March 12 at St. Vincent High School in Petaluma!

What are the benefits of the Science Challenge?

• Students who participate in the Science Challenge increase their science knowledge and skills. They also develop valuable skills such as teamwork, creativity, persistence, problem solving, and cooperation. Most importantly, students have fun while learning and developing those skills and knowledge.

·       Schools that participate in the Science Challenge report that participation leads to increased interest in and enthusiasm for science among students, staff, and parents.

Who can participate in the Science Challenge?

Any North Bay area school may enter a team of 12 to 17 students in grades 4-8, pending space availability. There will be two divisions: Division I is for teams of students in grades 4-6, and Division II is for students in grades 6-8.

How can I find out more information, volunteer, or contribute?

The Science Challenge is dependent on community support for both funding and volunteers.

How can I sign up to participate?

On time registrations are due November 2. Late registration closes December 11.

To find out more information, volunteer, or donate, contact Mike Roa, Science Challenge Coordinator, at:  mroa@sonic.net

The events in the 2016 Science Challenge are listed below.

·       Taking Flight Whirlybirds (Make and fly paper airplanes (for distance) and helicopters (for slow descent))

·       Catapult (Use limited simple materials and build a catapult to launch a projectile for distance.)

·       Describe It, Make It (Using only words, tell your partner how replicate a Lego structure.)

·       Jeopardy (Played like the television game show…but all questions/answers are science based.)

·       Critters R Us (Guess the identity of an animal in 20 questions.)

·       Investigations (Use the provided materials to design and carry out experiments to answer questions.)

·       Picture This (Illustrate scientific terms while your teammates try to identify the terms…like the game Pictionary.)

·       Tower of Strength (Use only simple materials such as paper and straws to build a structure to support a tennis ball. The highest structure wins.)

·       Categories (Think of science terms starting with certain litters, like the game Scattergories.)

·       Nature Relay (Relay style, run to a collection of items such as skulls and leaves and select items to represent scientific terms…and then explain why those items were selected.)

·       Who Am I? (Students identify and answer questions about a variety of specimens.) Identifying a track in Who Am I?

·       Naked Egg Drop (This is the grand finale!) Build an egg catcher from 9 sheets of paper. Then drop raw eggs from increasing heights to see which catcher can catch the egg from the greatest height without the egg breaking.

While the events are presented as competitions, the focus is on having fun while doing science…to encourage students’ interest in and passion for science and engineering. To make the competition fair, there are two divisions: Division I is for teams of students in grades 4-6, and Division II is for students in grades 6-8.

How is the Science Challenge different from the Sonoma County Science Olympiad?

The Sonoma County Science Olympiad is sponsored by the Sonoma County Office of Education, is for students in grades 4-6 from Sonoma County schools. In 2016, it will be held on April 16.
 

The North Bay Science Challenge is sponsored by the community, is open to students from any school in the North Bay area, and is for students in grades 4-8. In 2016 it will be held on March 12, 2016.

Volunteer help and donations are not only appreciated, they are needed. Contact Mike Roa at: mroa@sonic.net