How does SciOly work?
Science Olympiad is like an academic olympics where different schools’ teams compete in a myriad of STEM events at invitational competitions. This year, we’ll attend 3-5 competitions with the most important one being the annual Bay Area Regional Science Olympiad (BARSO), where we can qualify for state and even national competitions! School teams have 15 students at most, with 2-3 students working together for each of the 23 Division C (high school) events - which means each student prepares for 3-4 events. At Amador, we’ll have 2 or 3 teams, meaning 30 or 45 team member spots. More info on our tryout process will come during our first meeting!
Not only do events cover all aspects of STEM, they also in come in a mix of formats: build, lab, and study. Build events are hands-on and focus on building something before or during competition- this could be a plane, bridge, or much more. Lab events are also hands-on and involve, well, lab tasks! Lastly, study events are similar to a standard science test at school (but much harder). Most of the 23 events mix some things from different formats. To find out what each of the Division C events cover, expand the widgets below:
Not only do events cover all aspects of STEM, they also in come in a mix of formats: build, lab, and study. Build events are hands-on and focus on building something before or during competition- this could be a plane, bridge, or much more. Lab events are also hands-on and involve, well, lab tasks! Lastly, study events are similar to a standard science test at school (but much harder). Most of the 23 events mix some things from different formats. To find out what each of the Division C events cover, expand the widgets below:
2022-2023 Events
Anatomy & Physiology
Are you low density lipoprotein cholesterol? Because you stopped my heart 🥰 Or are you a lymphocyte? Because you're a natural killer 😍 How about a kidney? 🥺 This year A&P will be covering the cardiovascular, lymphatic, and excretory system (urine luck, no poop jokes this year 😜). Tasks range from labeling anatomical diagrams to clinical identification (choose this event if your parents are telling you to become doctor 🤗).
Microbe Mission
Why did the bacteria cross the microscope? To get to the other slide! 🤣 If you are interested in anything related to cell biology, microscopy, or microbiology, this is the event for you. Microbe Mission covers the topics ranging from microscopes themselves to the living things you see under a microscope. I hope your sodium channels are open because I see some action potential between us!!! 😳😉😏
Disease Detectives
Outbreak! Epidemic! Oh no, now there's a pandemic! In this study event, disease detectives, become the detective and study how diseases/viruses spread, how they affect the population, and how public health officials deal with such situations. Join DISEASE DETECTIVES and investigate within SCIENCE OLYMPIAD!
Youtube playlist on major SciOly concepts Quizlet - great place to start looking at terms! CDC Youtube - great to familiarize yourself with how the CDC works Ecology
The ecology event is about studying the macrobiological processes around us, and how we as humans impact them. This includes topics such as energy transfers in ecosystems, geochemical cycling, and biodiversity. Cultivate your understanding of ecosystem interactions and the challenges faced by ecosystems in the ecology event!
Forestry
Trees! They’re everywhere, but did you know that scientists don’t have a formal definition for them? Sure, a dictionary will give you a decent one, but there’s no proper taxonomic grouping for trees. Welcome to Forestry, a simple identification event that focuses on competitors’ ability to recognize North American trees. Tests will ask participants to identify a tree based on various features, and a mix of questions regarding habitats, adaptations, and symbiosis. Need a straightforward event to introduce you to Science Olympiad or a quick memorization-based one for more experienced members? Join Forestry this season!
Chemistry Lab
You know those cartoony mad-scientists donning frizzy hair, wearing white lab coats, and blowing up test tubes? Well, the closest we'll ever get to that in real life is Chem Lab, without the explosions, of course! :) This year, we'll be studying and doing LOTS of hands-on lab activities about equilibrium (acids and bases, titrations, and more!) and also learn about periodicity. So, join chem lab for a shocking year :>
*Note: if you took/are taking AP Chem, we recommend doing Chem Lab since there's lots of material overlap! Forensics
Have you ever wanted to be the hero who solves those fictional crime scenes? Forensics will give you this chance! We will learn to examine different kinds of physical evidence, including powders, hairs, fibers, and plastics, to help us find the fictional “criminal.” There will be a given scenario with possible suspects, and through different methods of qualitative analysis, such as flame testing, pH analysis, and more, you will have a much better shot at identifying the criminal correctly! We will also have a lab portion to this event where we would have to perform these tests to identify what the given evidence entails. So, join forensics for an opportunity to catch the criminal!
|
Astronomy
Have you ever looked up at the night sky and marveled at the shining stars, or wondered what the universe is like beyond what you can see? Well, we can understand all of these things through astronomy. This year, we'll be combining what we know about celestial bodies, like stars, galaxies, and black holes, with universal laws of nature, like relativity and quantum mechanics, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the universe in which we reside. Blast off on this journey with us!
Dynamic Planet
In Dynamic Planet, the big idea is that the Earth has a long, long history, and our main goal is to investigate it all the way through! With this event we'll be perusing through the different rocks and geological features of Planet Earth, and learning cool principles that play a huge role in determining what you see. Join Dynamic Planet to learn exactly how earthquakes may be occurring right under your feet in California :))
Geologic Mapping
Are you a quiz-whiz curious about our natural landscape? Are you an artist interested in drawing stunning geographic models? If so, geologic mapping is the event for you! In this event, you'll gain valuable knowledge of our geologic processes while having a blast analyzing, calculating, and sketching maps. It's definitely "earth" your time ;)
Fossils
Calling all paleontologists! If you're interested in dinosaur fossils and other relics of eons ago, give Fossils a try! In this event, you will be tasked with identifying fossils and answering related questions. It's going to be dino-mite!
Towers
Under a lot of stress? Then you can relate to the towers in the towers event! The tower event involves teams attempting to build the strongest and lightest towers out of balsa wood. The towers are then tested to their maximum to see the greatest amount of weight they can withstand. Learn about buckling loads, work hands on on projects, and destroy a lot of structures in the towers event!
Detector Building
Did you know that LED's are used for water and air purification? Want to know how to display different colored lights given different temperatures with your own handmade Arduino Uno circuit and C++ Arduino Code? Here in Detector Building, you'll be building your own temperature-sensing device from scratch, involving a microcontroller, LEDs, special equations, and soldering! Come join us, and we'll turn up the heat! (⌐■_■)
Robot Tour
Avid traveler? Well robot tour might be for you! Although this event doesn't involve any vacation time, it's a prime event for both programmers and engineers. In this event, students must create an autonomous robot to complete a course as efficiently and rapidly as possible while avoiding various barriers.
Flight
Hey pilots! In Wright Stuff, we will explore various topics about airplanes as well as indulge ourselves in assembling a glider. We will work hands-on in pairs to construct a plane from a kit. The aim is to construct a glider with the longest flight time. If you are interesting in learning more about aerodynamics or planes in general, Wright Stuff is the event for you!
Scrambler
The Scrambler event falls under builds. Team members are tasked with designing, building and testing a vehicle that transports a chicken egg as close as possible to a specified distance. The vehicle is powered by a falling mass ONLY. https://scioly.org/wiki/index.php/Scrambler https://www.soinc.org/scrambler-c https://youtu.be/JIsDkHz2Sak |
Wind Power
Are you interested in alternative energy? Are you curious about how the wind turbines we often see actually work up close? If so, this event is for you! We'll be creating our own wind turbines, while learning about alternative energy, power generators, energy transmission, and wind power. If you enjoy learning about these topics, this event will blow you away!
Air Trajectory
In this event, you'll build a device to launch a projectile (ping pong ball, tennis ball, etc.) and try to hit a target on the ground. This project requires careful calibration of your device to not only know the angle at which it launches but also the distance. The event is called "Air" Trajectory because the projectile has to be launched using an air source, such as a balloon. In order to succeed in this event, you not only need to develop the engineering skills to design and build the device, but also knowledge of projectile motion and the creativity needed to come up with a unique solution!
Optics
Take a moment and look at everything around you. How do we see things? How do colors appear? How does light work? In this event, we'll be learning about light, colors, mirrors, and sight, and working with lasers in the lab component. If you're interested in learning about light, this event will brighten up your season!
Codebusters
Interested in how spies encode or decode texts to find or send hidden secrets? In Codebusters, we will learn how to decode or encode text to solve problems under a time limit. With twenty problems to solve, including one timed question, you will be able to use different ciphers. If you love working with others and using logic and reasoning to solve challenging problems, this event is for you!
Experimental Design
At some point in their lives, every scientist has designed their very own experiments. With lab equipment, Experimental Design allows you to create a lab and follow the procedures that every scientist does. With your background of science, you can help us design many experiments with limited equipment. Join this event to learn more about and practice experimenting!
Fermi Questions
How many pieces of paper stacked together would it take to reach the moon? How many raindrops would it take to fill an Olympic swimming pool? How many grocery stores are there in the US? In Fermi Questions, we’ll learn to use logic and reasoning to make quick, rough estimates of seemingly impossible questions like these. If you love using logic and working with others, join Fermi Questions!
Write it, Do it
Write it Do it is a super fun event if you love teamwork! In the event, one team member ("writer") is given a structure built from some sort of construction materials; the same member then writes a set of instructions on how to build it, but they may not draw the object. With less than twenty minutes, the instructions need to be completed, and the next twenty five minutes is for the "doer", or the person who read your instructions and rebuilds the object. This is one of the most cooperative events, and if you love collaborating and communicating, this event is for you!
|
Questions/Comments/Concerns?
Email us at: [email protected] |
@ 2023 AVHS Science Olympiad. All Rights Reserved.