Science Olympiad
Science Olympiad
Science Olympiad Introduction!
Describe It, Build It - Introduction Session
Competition Event Schedule - Click Here!
New Hanover County's Elementary
Science Olympiad Tournament on
2023 TBA
Science Olympiad Introduction!
Describe It, Build It - Introduction Session
Competition Event Schedule - Click Here!
New Hanover County's Elementary
Science Olympiad Tournament on
2023 TBA
3, 2, 1, Blast Off!
Build Event
Prior to the tournament, teams construct two rockets designed to stay aloft for the greatest amount of time. Rockets are made from 2-liter soda bottles and pressurized with air and water. In 2019, parachutes are allowed and rockets will be launched at 60 psi.
2014 Coaches Institute Handout (2015 Rules)
2012 Coaches Institute Presentation (2013 rules)
2010 Coaches Institute Presentation (2011 rules)
See the event help page for the Middle and High School version of this event (with more pictures)
Nerds, Inc (excellent rocket launchers like the ones used at NCSO tournaments)
NASA Water Rockets – general info, not specific to NCSO event rules
Wiki How – Step by step videos on how to build a bottle rocket – not specific to NCSO event rules
Tim Hesterberg’s How to Make a Water Bottle Rocket Page – not specific to NCSO event rules
Backyard Biologist
Study Event
Teams will be assessed on their knowledge of living organisms that they may encounter in their own backyard. In 2019, the focus will be on trees, plants, and insects. Teams will be required to identify organisms from a provided list and know about the habitat and conditions required for the growth of the organisms.
2017 Coaches Clinic Presentation
Backyard Biologist test from 2015 (birds and plants)
Flora & Fauna of NC – iNaturalist
FREE, really good, printable tree guide
FREE really good ebook on species of the Southeast
Tree id app – scroll to the bottom of the webpage
NCSU / NC Cooperative Extension Tree Fact Sheets
Plant Information Center: North Carolina Trees
The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds
The Teachers Guide- Lesson plans on Plants
Learn NC -Lesson plans on Plant Growth
Carolina Nature: Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of NC
NC Natural: Wildflowers and Plants of NC
Great series of YouTube videos about leaf identification
LeafSnap – an Apple app that lets you take a picture of a plant and get an identification. Sorry, no Android version yet.
The Right Diet for your Plants
Spotify Playlist of Bird Calls
All About Birds– From Cornell University, bird identification and calls.
Body Builders
Study Event
Teams will demonstrate knowledge of the major systems of the human body in terms of their functions necessary for human life.
How Stuff Works: Digestive System – animation traces the path of food along the digestive system and explains how each major organ contributes to the absorption of nutrients and the removal of waste.
The Bloodmobile. Introduction to the circulatory system.
Codebusters
Teams will cryptanalyze (decode) encrypted messages using cryptanalysis techniques and show skill with ciphers by decrypting a message.
Codebusters 2019 Coaches Clinic Presentation (2020 Rules)
The State event supervisor for Codebusters has set up a twitter handle to send out tips and tricks. @NCSO_cb
Important update from the Coaches institute. The K2 alphabet hint is actually a K1 alphabet hint. Everything described works the same, just the label is a K1 instead of K2. You can read on how to solve with a K1 alphabet at http://toebes.com/Ciphers/Solving%20a%20K1%20Alphabet.htm.
Previous tests can be found at http://toebes.com/Ciphers/index.html
Make your own codes:
Hill Cipher
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_cipher
Encode/Decode Tool: http://www.dcode.fr/hill-cipher
Affine Cipher
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affine_cipher
Encode/Decode Tool: http://www.dcode.fr/affine-cipher
Vigenere Cipher
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigen%C3%A8re_cipher
Encode/Decode Tool: http://www.dcode.fr/vigenere-cipher
Duct Tape Challenge
Build Event
Duct Tape Challenge Event Rules
Teams will arrive at the competition and be given a set of materials, including Duct Tape, and a task. They will then have a given amount of time to complete whatever task they are assigned, such as building the tallest tower, widest bridge, most buoyant boat, etc. The task parameters will be clearly outlined for the teams. At the end of the build time, teams will test their structures to determine the winner.
Duct Tape Challenge 2019 Coaches Clinic Presentation (2020 Rules)
2019 Duct Tape Challenge Tests
Duct Tape Challenge 2018 Coaches Clinic Presentation (2019 Rules)
Making Sheets of Duct Tape Video
Describe It, Build It
Build Event
This is a 2 part event. In the first part, one team member will view a constructed object (k’nex, legos, tinker toys, pipe cleaners, styrofoam bowls, magnets, beads, etc) and write a description of how to build it without using any pictures, diagrams, or symbols. The written description will then be given to their teammate who has not seen the object. Given a corresponding set of materials, the team member will then attempt to rebuild the object from the written description
Pasta Tower
Build Event
The objective of this event is to design and build the lightest tower, constructed only of pasta and glue, with the greatest structural efficiency, capable of supporting a load of up to 10 kg.
Weather Permitting
Study Event
This event will test the team’s knowledge of conducting investigations and using appropriate technology to build an understanding of Global Weather Patterns.
Weather Permitting Event Rules
Severe Storms:
NASA – Hurricanes & Tropical storms
Tropical Tidbits – great blog explaining current weather phenomena
NOAA – National Hurricane Center click on the Education and Outreach sections on the left side bar
NASA – Meteorology Educator’s Guide
Internet4Classrooms- Weather Links
American Meteorological Society – lots of good info and links
Weather Wiz Kids – Tornados, Hurricanes, Rain and Floods, Safety, and many activities.
Hurricane Sandy – a summary
Climate:
NC State University – Climate Education for K-12
NOAA – Ten Climate Science Activities
Planet Protectors
Study Event
Teams will be assessed on their knowledge of human interaction with the earth, including interacting positively and negatively with the environment, resource use, and consequences of these interactions.
2019 Coaches Clinic Presentation (2020 Rules)
Planet Protectors 2018 Coaches Clinic Presentation (2019 Rules)
Department of Energy Energy Sources
Data Crunchers
Study Event
Teams should be able to create and interpret data tables, bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, and pictographs and perform simple experiments to collect data, graph their results and make predictions.
Data Crunchers 2018 Coaches Clinic Presentation (2019 Rules)
2018 Data Crunchers Test (the rules have changed significantly for Data Crunchers for 2019, this is not the best representation of material that will be covered).
Understanding Distributions of Data
NY Times: What’s going on in this graph? – Different types of graphs are shown to help students critically think about statistics and what is going on in all these graphs.
Stats 101: Toolkit – Studying real-world problems that show statistics in action.
Statistics Education Web (STEW) – Statistics Lesson Plans
Census at School – Students use statistical problem-solving using their own data to analyze results.
Common Core Statistics and Probability Resources – Resources that explain the topics of statistics and probability.
This is Statistics – Why study statistics?
The American Statistics Association – More resources used in classrooms and around the globe, explaining more about the world of statistics.
2017 Coaches Clinic Presentation (with Work It Out and Science Password)
Example Stations from 2014 Institute
I Teach Bio – List of skill-building activities for metric measurement, graphing, data, and more
Math Goodies – Bar graph practice
The Science Spot – Lesson plans on length, volume, density, etc.
2016 Data Crunchers test and answer key
2012 Coaches Institute Presentation (2013 rules for similar event, Measurement Mania)
Sample Event (Station Test from Measurement Mania 2010)
Ecology Experts
Study Event
Teams will be assessed on their knowledge of Deserts, Grasslands, & Forest ecosystems and biomes. Topics include but are not limited to the ecology of the biomes and the roles and interactions of living and nonliving things within them.
Ecology Expert 2018 Coaches Clinic Presentation (2019 Rules)
2017 Coaches Clinic Presentation
University of California Museum of Paleontology – The world’s biomes
NeoK12 – Games, study tools, videos, on ecosystems
Pro Gamers
Teams of students will use the Scratch programming language to recreate a game being shown to them on a screen in the room.
Must bring a writing instrument. Teams may also bring two 8.5” x 11” sheets of paper, which must contain only hand written information on both sides of each sheet from any source.
Videos and more: Young Engineers of Today