G-Team (Guidance To Engage Active Minds)
STEM OLYMPIAD COMPETITION
Date: Friday, May 6th, 2016
Where: Paris High School
Depart From:OUE - GT room @ 8:10
Competiton Time:9:00 – 2:30
Cost:$3 per student/per event
Lunch:Bring sack lunch or money for food booth.
Wear: A Purple Hillbilly T-shirt if possible
What is STEM?
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
What is the STEM Olympiad Competition?
We have been invited to compete against other schools to test the Students knowledge and skills. There are seven cateories that the students have been able to sign up for in class. This is completely on a volunteer basis. All projects will be worked on outside of the classroom.
and each category allows the students to participate as an individual or team to complete their selectedc challenge(s)> their selected challenge.
Admission for each event is $3 per student/per event. Students should bring a sack lunch and/or money for the food booths.
Each category allows the students to participate on a team or individual
Base to complete their selected challenge(s).

____ Yes, he/she may attend and compete in the STEM challenge.
____ No he/she may not attend and compete in the STEM Challenge.
Student Name:
______
Parent Signature/Contact Number:
______
______
Note: We should be back in time to go home their regular way, but just in case please have alternate way home planned.
/ Competition Categories:
Engineering Challenge
Powered by Wind ( wind mill)
People Powered Vehicle
Bridge Design
Egg Buggy
Catapults
Water Filtration Challenge
First, second, and third place medals will be awarded in each category.
Other planned activities include:
Educational Booths
Laser Tag
Karaoke
Drones
Bounce Around Games
GPS Competition
(Most are free, some will require a small charge.)

Catapult Challenge (team of two)

5-6 Grade

Objective: To create a catapult that will launch a free flying marshmallow as far as possible within an 8ft fairway lane. The final resting place of the marshmallow on the target will be recorded as your team’s attempt.

Guidelines:

  • The dimensions of the catapult or trebuchet will not exceed 30” high by 24” wide by 24” deep in the size of the base.
  • The lever arm MAY NOT exceed 36”
  • The Device must be triggered to set it off; simply pulling the lever arm back and letting go WILL NOT be allowed.
  • You will be given one throw
  • You may power your catapult by rubber bands, counterbalance weights, elastic lever arm or such like products.
  • The winner will be determined by the student whose catapult throws the marshmallow the farthest distance that stayed within the 8ft Fairway.
  • Once launched, the marshmallow may not be subjected to any additional force other than gravity and the wind, and it cannot be in a powered vehicle.
  • Other than limited reshaping, you may not alter the physical or chemical state of the marshmallow. Also, you may not increase or reduce the weight or mass of the marshmallow. The marshmallow must be completely edible at all times.
  • When the marshmallow comes to rest, it must be in direct contact with the competition surface and must be completely detached from any foreign object.
  • The final location of the marshmallow is defined as the location on the target where the marshmallow comes to rest (no longer moves).
  • No chemical reactions using fire or explosives may be used.
  • No AC current will be allowed.
  • The marshmallow must travel with no solid connection to the ground
  • On the day of the competition, any competition judge may disqualify your team based on safety issues.
  • Marshmallows will be provided
  • School and student name should be on the catapult or trebuchet.
  • In case of a tie the students will each get three launches and the distances will be averaged to determine the winner.

Engineering Challenge

Teams may be formed from 2-4 students. Each school may select ONE team from each division for the competition.

Upon arrival/registration/check-in; the teams will be given a problem to solve and they must develop, design, and create a possible solution for this problem. The primary focus during 2016 competition will be PHYSICS.

All materials and instructions will be provided on site. NO TEACHER may enter room during the competition. Competition can involve any branch of engineering, science, or design so choose your team accordingly.

Students will be given one hour to complete this task. This is from beginning to end!

Egg Buggy Challenge

Objective: To create a safety harness/strap that will protect an egg from cracking at the highest incline and fastest speed. You may work individually or as a team of 2 on this event.

  • Egg will be inserted into a zip lock bag before it goes into the seat. Plan accordingly.
  • The egg must be visible from the outside of the vehicle.
  • 3. The vehicle must not exceed these dimensions: length- 25 cm; width- 11cm; height- 12cm. (buggy must be self-engineered, not from a kit)
  • The egg must be suspended inside the buggy and cannot be packed with liquid or packing materials. (no cushioning)
  • All buggies will be released from the same starting position at the top of the ramp at

increasing intervals/inclines.

  • Competitors are eliminated when egg cracks or if the buggy leaves the ramp.
  • The winning egg buggy will have the fastest speed without damage to the egg.
  • In the event of a tie; the buggy with the lighter mass will be declared the winner.

Ramp construction dimensions 2 m x 20 cm with a 2.5 cm lip on each side of the ramp

Ramp will be provided by the site host. A “gate” will be used at start to prevent variations in release.

Bridge Design Challenge

Objective: for each student to construct a bridge out of wooden toothpicks. You may work individually or as a team of 2 for this competition.

● Wooden toothpicks no longer than 3 inches in length

● Width must not exceed the length of a toothpick

● Bridge will be suspended for competition purposes (suspension area will be provided at competition.

● Must be an open frame construction design with NO roadbed.

● Elmer’s Wood Glue can be applied at the joint or seam ONLY. This is where two toothpicks meet together to form a joint.

● The bridge must span a 12” gap for testing purposes. The bridge must be longer than 12” to span the 12” gap.

● The weight of the bridge must be LESS than 6 oz.

● Toothpicks CANNOT be bundled or painted.

Bridge cannot be built onto or attached to, in any way, a platform.

Weights will be looped with a string around the bottom framing central point of bridge where the road bed would be.

Bridge is considered out of the competition when any seam or toothpick ruptures.

Definitions:

Roadbed - toothpicks layered in adjacent design being less than 1 cm apart.

Center of bridge - ½ of the 12” gap of the suspension the bridge will be setting on.

Hints:

Draw your design on graph paper.

Construct the structure on wax paper taped over the graph paper.

Toothpicks may be cut to fit exactly.

If any ONE toothpick is coated in glue; you will be disqualified.

People Powered Vehicle Competition

Rules:Can have a minimum of 2 team members and maximum of 3 team members. One team per car.

  • Must have four wheels.
  • Grades 7 through 12 must be able to steer.
  • Must be a maximum of 36 inches wide by 72 inches long, including the tires.
  • Must have a driver and someone to push.
  • No pre-made vehicles (like shopping carts, go carts, lawn mowers, strollers).
  • You will be racing on concrete.

5-6 will be racing on straight track

7-9 will steer around 1 cone

10 - 12 will have several S curves and an incline

  • You will have one redo for foot crossing the start line.
  • First push will be a 25 ft push. Winner will be determined by furthest distance traveled.
  • **Absolutely no other means of movement by the driver other than initial push and steer around cone or curve**
  • Winners will be awarded at each grade division.

In the event of a tie, push will be moved to a 10 ft push and then if another tie, moved to a 5 ft push.

Water Filtration System Challenge

(Teams of two to four in each division)

One of our most valuable and often overlooked resources is water. We can survive for weeks without food, but only two or three days without water. Having clean water to drink is a luxury. The water that eventually comes out of our faucets sometimes does not start off being safe to drink. In most cases, it has gone through a water treatment plant designed by engineers prior to reaching our faucets.

Most water for public use comes from lakes and rivers. Water from these sources, as well as underground water, often has contaminants that make it unfit for drinking. The water may contain dirt, rocks and other objects that can be easily identified. The water may also contain bacteria, impurities, and even microscopic organisms that cannot be seen easily. For these reasons, water that is delivered to our homes must go through a water treatment process. This is typically a five-part process that consists of aeration, coagulation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection. This STEM challenge only involves filtration, which removes most but not all of the impurities from the water.

Project Description: Students will develop a filtration box that will filter most impurities (measured as Total Dissolved Solids) from water provided by judges. Each group will be provided one quart of water with a known high level of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). The water will be placed through the student filtration box for a total of thirty minutes. TDS of the filtrate will be measured. The winning group will consist of the group having the lowest TDS after filtration. Ties will be broken by the amount of water filtered during the thirty minute cycle.

Judge will provide the TDS probe and the same probe will be used to test each sample.

Rules and regulations are the same in each category, 5-12.

  1. Students must use a plastic see-through box (Walmart or similar storage box) of a size no larger than 10 quarts. Remember, the size of the container will influence the amount of filtrate that can be drained during the thirty minute time period.
  1. The filtration box must have an outlet drain or tube where filtrate can be collected.
  2. Filtrate materials can consist of any-item, both natural and man-made but cannot include any commercially made drain system. Filter boxes containing commercial faucet or house filtration systems will not be allowed to compete.
  3. The filtration system must contain enough space to allow a minimum of one quart of water to be inserted at the top of the filtration system.
  4. Water will be collected in glass Pyrex beakers for measurements.
  5. The Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) system supplied by the officials will be the official and accepted measurement of TDS. The same instrument will be used for the entire category of participants.
  6. Ties will be broken by measurement of the amount of filtrate collected in the beakers during the thirty minute time period.

Windmill Challenge

Team of 3 students

Material List

  • 20” Box Fan
  • Standard Screw eye
  • Basic white kite string TBD

Windmill will sit in box 50 cm deep x 60cm wide.

Back shaft must be from 25cm - 35cm from table height.

Distance from box fan to back of windmill

  • 5th and 6th - short
  • 7th -9th - medium
  • 10-12th - long

OR

Adjust the weight in the lift bucket - One shot - Fastest time to lift the bridge.

Marshmallow Catapult Competition

7-8 Grade

Objective to launch a free flying marshmallow using a catapult or trebuchet at a target 50 feet away and land it on the target’s bulls-eye. The 50 feet will be measured from the designated launching area to the target’s bulls-eye. The final resting place of the marshmallow on the target will be recorded as your team’s attempt.

Rules

  1. The dimensions of the catapult or trebuchet will not exceed 30” high by 24” wide by 24” deep in the size of the base.
  2. The lever arm MAY NOT exceed 36”
  3. The Device must be triggered to set it off; simply pulling the lever arm back and letting go WILL NOT be allowed.
  4. You will be given one throw
  5. You may power your catapult by rubber bands, counterbalance weights, elastic lever arm or such like products.
  6. The marshmallow will be provided at the competition site. The marshmallow will be the large type of marshmallow (versus the miniature type).
  7. Once launched, the marshmallow may not be subjected to any additional force other than gravity and the wind, and it cannot be in a powered vehicle.
  8. Other than limited reshaping, you may not alter the physical or chemical state of the marshmallow. Also, you may not increase or reduce the weight or mass of the marshmallow. The marshmallow must be completely edible at all times.
  9. When the marshmallow comes to rest, it must be in direct contact with the competition surface and must be completely detached from any foreign object.
  10. The final location of the marshmallow is defined as the location on the target where the marshmallow comes to rest (no longer moves).
  11. No chemical reactions using fire or explosives may be used.
  12. No AC current will be allowed.
  13. The marshmallow must travel with no solid connection to the ground.
  14. On the day of the competition, any competition judge may disqualify your team based on safety issues.
  15. Ties will be determined by a play-off between equal scoring teams.

Any questions contact:

Dr. Curtis Varnell ()

Ms. Amber Cobb ()

Mrs. Terri Frost ()