The highest turnout in a decade -- and perhaps ever in its 31 years -- is expected for District 64's 2017 Science Olympiad, which will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2017 from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. at Emerson Middle School, 8101 N. Cumberland, Niles.
This year, 159 girls and 181 boys from grades 3-5 will work in teams and represent their home elementary schools in one of five different events. Each event is co-sponsored by one of the elementary school PTO/As.
"Whether they are learning the fundamentals of aerodynamics by flying paper airplanes, designing skyscrapers, engineering ingenious cocoons for delicate eggs to withstand drops from great heights, or one of the other challenges -- each event presents a unique science or engineering problem that inspires students to stretch their creativity in unexpected ways," according to Dr. Tony Clishem, District 64 Curriculum Specialist.
"Students build knowledge, add skills and gain resilience and confidence while collaborating as a team to design solutions and test them out through trial and error to solve problems with specific constraints, like time and materials," he pointed out.
"We think the higher participation may also reflect how energized our elementary students are when engaging with a new science curriculum introduced this school year that is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards," Superintendent Laurie Heinz noted. "We hope the Olympiad will provide additional inspiration for students to take more advanced courses in science and engineering as they move into high school and beyond," she added.
The five Olympiad competition events this Saturday are:
- Aerodynamics: Partners design a paper airplane and throw for accuracy at a target 8 meters (26.3 feet) away. The team that throws with the greatest accuracy wins the competition.
- Egg Drop: Teams of two make an egg catching device that will prevent a raw egg from breaking when dropped from increasing heights. Winners are based on highest drops without damage to the egg.
- Mystery Box: Teams of two identify the characteristics of mystery objects using senses other than sight. Students record their observations on a data chart. The team with the most accurate observations wins the competition.
- Rubber Band Catapult: Teams of two design and construct a catapult that shoots a rubber band at a target placed within a chosen range. Students also present a graph of previous practice results. Winners are based on shooting accuracy plus quality of graph.
- Structures: Teams of two build skyscraping structures with straws and pins. Students who build the tallest, freestanding structure win the competition.
Students who finish their event in first, second, or third place will receive gold, silver, or bronze medals.
Short videos about each event and an introduction to the Olympiad are available on the Science Olympiad webpage.