Elementary Science Olympiad
Clarification of Rules
General Rules:
 Each school may enter 2 separate teams
 Each team may contain up to 12 students
 You may enter two groups of students per event per team with the exception of Egg Drop, Paper
Rocket, and Chopper Challenge each team may enter up to 4 groups in those events
 Walk in events for Pentathlon, Chopper Challenge and Egg Drop only on the schedule it is marked with
a red “ALL”.
 Students must compete in their events during the time period that their school is assigned
 Good sportsmanship is a must. Any student not showing good sportsmanship will be disqualified from
their event (s)
 Parents may not assist their children during the competition
 Students must print their names, include name of school and team number on all papers and building
objects
 Open time period means the judges will have that period off
Spirit Award:
 Will be given to the school that shows the most spirit and sportsmanship
 Award will be selected by event judges and director
Barge Building: (Pioneer Peak)
 Barges will be made with precut aluminum sheets are 30.48 cm by 27.3 cm (12 inches by 10 ¾ inches)
 Barges will be tested with pennies
Bridge Building: (Sherrod / Willow)
 No pins will be used
 1 inch masking tape will be used
 Students will receive 1 meter of 1” masking tape
 No scissors will be allowed
 No String will be used
 Students can’t tape bridge to desk
 Wooden blocks will be used instead of white board erasers. Blocks will have the same dimensions and
weigh around 90 to 100 g each.
Crime Buster: (Larson)
 Chemical splash goggles must be worn during competition
 Students wear a lab coat or apron (long sleeve shirt under apron)
 No shorts or dresses, legs must be covered
 No open shoes
 Students will identify powders listed in rules – 50% of score
 Students must identify fingerprints (whorl, loop and arch) 10% of score
 Chromatography – Overhead markers work great along with filter paper – 15% of score
 Identification of criminals – 25% score
 Vinegar will be used. No hydrochloric acid will be used
Chopper Challenge: (Butte)
Deep Blue Sea: (CTHS Science Olympiad Students)
Be able to identify these bodies of water on a map.
1. All 5 Oceans
2. Major Seas, including but not limited to: Caribbean Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Red
Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Sea of Okhotsk.
3. Major Rivers, including but not limited to:
a. Amazon River
b. Nile River
c. Mississippi River
Be able to identify and answer questions related to these marine organisms:
1. Flora
a. Seaweed (Kelp, wracks,
b. Brown algae, red algae, green algae
c. Types of coral
d.
2. Fauna
a. Phylum Mollusca
i. Types of Mollusks (Cephalopoda, Bivalvia, Gastropoda)
ii. Parts of a generalized Mollusk
b. Mammals - Polar bear, whales, sea lions, manatees, seals, etc.
Be able to identify oceanic structures and features:
1. Trenches, Seamounts, Abyssal Plain, Continental Shelf, Seamounts, etc.
2. Zones of the Ocean (epipelagic, mesopelagic, etc.)
Understand and answer questions about these phenomena:
1. Waves
2. Tides
3. Currents (label major currents)
Be able to identify and describe the function of SCUBA equipment and different parts of a vessel.
Egg Drop: (Cottonwood)
Number of Participants: 2
Approximate Time: 20 minutes
1.
2.
Grade “A” Large Eggs and masking tape will be provided.
Loading of the egg must be completed 30 minutes prior to the drop. The vehicle will be constructed prior to the
day of the competition.
3. One student should be standing at the top of the balcony with the vehicle, while the other is at the bottom by
the target instructing his/her teammate when to drop.
4. A plum line can be used. If a team is planning on using one, they should know how to use it.
5. A PLUM LINE WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE COMPETITION. Do not bring your own.
6. NEW
a. No parachutes7. NEW
a. Each member of the team is required to construct their own individualized vehicle. Duplicate vehicles
are not allowed.
These NEW rules are based on feedback received during the competition last year.
8. The package size and weight limitation is no more than 20 cm on a side and no more than 1 kg. Glass, wood and
metal may not be used. The package must be constructed by the participants and brought to the tournament.
The package may not contain anything that would aid in the adhering to the target. Example: doubled sided
taped
9. The drop area will be approximately 60cmx60cm. There will be a tarp with “X” taped to
floor.
Scoring:
Eggs that do not break or show cracks will be ranked first. Those that break or crack will be ranked after those
that do not. The farthest distance of any part of the package to the center of the target will determine the
score. The package with the shortest distance wins. Ties will be broken by the lighter package (without the
egg).
Measurement/Metric: (Iditarod)
Mystery Boxes: (Knik)
Paper Rocket: (Snowshoe)
 It is NOT an open event
 Rockets must have fins but they can vary from the “official” picture.
Pentathlon: (Tanaina)
 Only teams of 4 will be allowed
Rock Hound: (Finger Lake)
Starry, Starry Night: (Talkeetna)
Straw Tower: (Machetanz)
 No pins or glue will be used
 1 meter of 1 inch masking tape will be given to each team
 Scissors will be allowed
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You may not tape the tower to the table
Top of the tower must accommodate a loading block that is 5 cm x 5 cm.
Loading block will have eye bolt going through the block
Chain will be placed on the eye bolt via a S hook
Chain will go through the center of the tower
The chain will be attached to a bucket via an S hook
Sand will be loaded into bucket until tower breaks.
Weight of sand, bucket, chain, loading block with eye bolt will be weighed
Scoring (height in centimeters x 2) + (mass supported in grams)
Greatest score wins
Write It Do It: (Shaw)