Science Olympiad

The District 64 Science Olympiad is a morning filled with science and engineering challenges in an Olympic-type format. Students in 4th and 5th grade work in teams to represent their schools. "Winning teams" receive first, second, or third place medals. All students receive a special Science Olympiad certificate and souvenir. The Science Olympiad will be on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at Emerson Middle School and District Office from 9:00-11:00 am

Helpful Resources For The Science Olympiad

Event Information 

Using one sheet of paper and 5 centimeters of masking tape, can you make a paper airplane fly so that it will land on a target 8 meters away? 

See Aerodynamics video or click here for detailed guidelines.

Please contact the event coordinator with any questions. 

With 10 sheets of paper, 15 inches of tape, and scissors, can you make a landing pad for an egg so that the egg doesn’t crack when you drop it 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet, 7 feet, 8 feet or higher?

See Egg Drop video or click here for detailed guidelines.

Please contact the event coordinator with any questions. 

Can you blindly identify the characteristics of an object hidden inside a mystery box?  Just using your sense of touch, can you tell its weight?  Its length?  Its texture?  Can you identify the object?

See Mystery Box video or click here for detailed guidelines.

Please contact the event coordinator with any questions.  

Can you build a catapult that will shoot a rubber band so that it lands on a target placed between 4 to 10 meters away? Can you create a chart and explain it?

See Rubber Band Catapult video or click here for detailed guidelines.

Please contact the event coordinator with any questions. 

Can you build a tall, free-standing structure out of 250 round wooden toothpicks and 1 stick of clay?  

How tall can you build it……… before it tips?

See Structures video or click here for detailed guidelines.

Please contact the event coordinator with any questions. 

Information For Parents Who Want To Coach/Judge

Parent-coach volunteers MUST complete a fingerprinting process due to teams typically practicing for the Science Olympiad at the coach's home. Teams do not become official until the background check process is completed and you are notified to begin coaching. 

  • Please do not come to the District Office for fingerprints until an Event Coordinator has reached out to you to let you know it's okay to proceed. 
  • The fingerprinting process must be done at the District Office (8182 Greendale Ave, Niles, IL), from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday.

Please note that there is no need for fingerprinting if a parent only wishes to help judge an event.  Parents who serve as judges do so only on the day of the event and so require no background check.

Do you want to volunteer as a coach or a judge but you're not a science expert? No problem! 

  • Coaches simply need to learn the event alongside the children and use common sense ideas to guide them.  Coaches must clear the fingerprinting process prior to starting any practices. Coaches need to be available to practice with the students on their team.
  • Judges simply need to learn the event alongside their child on the day of the Olympiad to work under the guidance of the event coordinator.  Parents do not judge their own children’s teams.

Together We Discover, Learn, Grow & Care

At D64, our mission is to foster opportunities for discovery, engagement, and growth for all students. We accomplish this by nurturing interdependence, appreciation of differences, and care for self and others.

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