Massachusetts
Science Olympiad
Bob Goldstein, High School Director
(617) 842-6483
Tad Sudnick, Co-Director, Event Coordinator
Dwayne Bell, Co-Director /
340 Windjammer Lane
Eastham, MA 02642

September 2, 2016

Dear Science Team Coaches,

The purpose of this letter is to update you on the Science Olympiad. Tad Sudnick, Martha Moore, Dwayne Bell, Catherine Dignam and I (Bob Goldstein) will be running the State Competition again this year. Sarah Pilkenton and Carol Russell will be available to help. This will be Tad’s last year with the Science Olympiad and Martha will be assuming his duties in subsequent years. Henry Apfelbaum (who was in charge of the scoring) has retired, and will help Lauren Spano from Schepens Eye Research Institute to do scoring remotely this year. We need a volunteer to take over scoring for subsequent years. We will have the competition at Framingham State again this year. I will be distributing the coach’s manuals and collecting the registration fee ($120) at the Coaches Meeting. I have included brief descriptions of the events so that you can look them over before the meeting. The Level C (High School) events are those marked with a (C) or (B/C). Please look at the trial events at prior to the Coaches meeting.

We will hold the Coaches Meeting on Saturday, October 15th 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at Framingham State University in room HA 425. The main purpose of this meeting will be to discuss which events would be most appropriate and to make an initial list of event runners and helpers. The tentative date of the Science Olympiad is Saturday, March 18, 2017. Framingham State’s Academic Calendar determines this date. Very soon after this meeting, I will send out more detailed information about the events and how to register for the state competition. The information will also be posted on the Massachusetts State Science Olympiad web site

I have also enclosed a pre-registration form and dues invoice. The dues amount is $120. Please note that the due date for the pre-registration form is November 18, 2016. Please note that our capacity is 50 teams, determined by the number of lab stations. Teams over that number may be considered on a conditional basis.

If anyone has any feedback about which events should be included, but cannot attend the meeting, feel free to call me at (617) 842-6483. I look forward to working with all of you this year. If you have any questions, feel free to call me. Hope to see you on October 15th!

Sincerely,

Bob Goldstein, Ph.D.

Senior Computer Analyst

Schepens Eye Research Institute

20 Staniford St

Boston, MA 02114

work: 617 912 2513 cell: (617) 842-6483

mailto:

  1. Anatomy & Physiology (B/C) - This event encompasses the anatomy and physiology of selected body systems, this year limited to nervous and endocrine systems and sense organs.
  2. Astronomy (C) - Teams will demonstrate an understanding of stellar evolution and Type Ia supernova.
  3. Chemistry Lab (C) - Teams will demonstrate chemistry laboratory skills and answer questions related to thermodynamics and gas laws.
  4. Disease Detectives (B/C) - Students will use investigative skills in the scientific study of disease, injury, health and disability in populations or groups of people with a focus on Food Borne Illness.
  5. Dynamic Planet (B/C) - Students will demonstrate an understanding of the large-scale processes affecting the structure of Earth's crust (Tectonics).
  6. Ecology (B/C) - Students will answer questions involving content knowledge and process skills in the area of ecology and adaptations in featured North American biomes.
  7. Electric Vehicle (C) - Teams must design, build and test one vehicle that uses electrical energy as its sole means of propulsion to travel as quickly as possible and stop close to a Target Point.
  8. Experimental Design (B/C) - Given a set of unknown objects, teams will design, conduct, analyze and write-up an experiment.
  9. Forensics (C) - Students will identify polymers, solids, fibers, and other materials in a crime scenario.
  10. Game On (C) - This event will determine a team's ability to design and build an original computer game incorporating the theme provided to them by the supervisor using the program Scratch.
  11. Helicopters (C) - Prior to the tournament teams design, construct and test free flight rubber-powered helicopters to achieve maximum time aloft.
  12. Hovercraft (B/C) - Competitors may construct a self-propelled air-levitated vehicle with up to two battery-powered motors that turn one propeller each to levitate and move the vehicle down a track. Competitors must also be tested on their knowledge of classic mechanics and related topics.
  13. Hydrogeology (C) - Students will manipulate a groundwater computer model, answer questions about groundwater concepts, and evaluate solutions, based on hydrogeological evidence, to reduce anthropogenic effects on groundwater.
  14. Invasive Species (B/C) - This event will test student knowledge of invasive species in local and national ecosystems.
  15. Materials Science (C) - Teams will answer a series of questions or complete tasks involving the science processes of chemistry focused in the areas of materials science.
  16. Microbe Mission (B/C) - Teams will answer questions, solve problems and analyze data pertaining to microbes.
  17. Optics (B/C) - Teams must participate in an activity involving positioning mirrors to direct a laser beam towards a target. Teams must also be tested on their knowledge of geometric and physical optics.
  18. Remote Sensing (C) - Participants will use remote sensing imagery, data and computational process skills to complete tasks related to climate change processes in the Earth system.
  19. Robot Arm (C) - Prior to the competition, teams must design, build, document and test one robotic device to move scoreable items.
  20. Rocks and Minerals (B/C) - Teams will demonstrate their knowledge of rocks and minerals.
  21. Towers (B/C) - Prior to the competition, teams will design and build a Tower meeting requirements specified in the rules to achieve the highest structural efficiency.
  22. Wind Power (B/C) - Teams will build a blade assembly that consists of any kind of propeller/pinwheel/rotor attached to a CD which will be used to capture wind power. Students will also be tested on their knowledge relating to alternative energy.
  23. Write It/Do It (B/C) - A technical writing exercise where students write a description of a contraption and other students will attempt to recreate it using only the written description.