A IS FOR ANATOMY
5TH Grade Event
Description:
Students will identify anatomical structures of the human
cardiovascular, respiratory, and nervous system, which may
include naming parts of the brain and heart, ear and eye.
Number of Participants: 2
Approximate Time: 25 minutes
The Competition:
Teams will move through stations which may have models or
pictures of anatomical structures of the human nervous, special
senses, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems. Questions will
relate to these areas.
Scoring:
Each question will be worth 1 point and there may be multiple
questions per station. The team with the highest point total
will be the winner. Correct spelling may be used as the
tiebreaker.
AERODYNAMICS
4TH Grade Event
Description:
Teams will build paper airplanes of different styles to be flown
towards a predetermined target. Crumpled wads of paper do
not qualify.
Number of Participants: 2
Approximate Time: 40 minutes
The Competition:
1. Each student will be given supplies to construct 2
airplanes. They will learn what types they will be creating at
the event.
2. Planes will be hand launched towards a given target.
Scoring:
1. After each flight, the distance will be measured from the
center of the target to the nose of the airplane where it
landed. The distance from the target will become part of
the team’s score.
2. Each team member will fly the 2 planes s/he created.
3. Team score will be determined by adding the four scores.
4. The lowest team score, signifying the closest to the target,
will be the winner. In case of a tie, the best single flight
will break the tie.
BUILD A BOAT
3RD Grade Event
Description:
Teams will construct a clay boat from a chunk of clay about 25
grams in weight. Students will float their clay boat in a tub of
water. Objects (to be determined) will be loaded into the hull of
the clay boat one at a time until the boat sinks.
Number of Participants: 2
Approximate Time: 25 minutes
The Competition:
1. Each team will have 10 minutes to construct their boat.
2. The student boat captain & his partner must predict the number
of pieces of cargo that the boat will hold and record their
prediction.
3. Participants may not practice filling the boat during the building
period.
4. Load the barge – one piece at a time while the boat is floating in a
pan of water – with the pieces of cargo until it sinks. (Sinking
occurs when water enters the boat.)
5. Count the actual number of pieces of cargo used and record it.
The piece that caused the boat to sink will not count in the total
cargo count.
Scoring:
Total Points = (# of pieces of cargo held x 10) -- difference between
predicted amount and actual amount.
CATAPULT CHALLENGE
5TH Grade Event
Description:
Students will create a catapult using the materials provided at the
event. The catapult will then be used to project an object towards a
predetermined target.
Number of Participants: 2
Approximate Time: 40 minutes
The Competition:
1. Teams will construct a simple catapult with given supplies.
2. After a practice session, teams will launch an object ( may be a
marshmallow, pompom, cotton ball, etc.) towards a given target.
3. Each team member will launch the object once from their
constructed catapult.
Scoring:
1. After each launch, the distance will be measured from the center
of the target to the spot where the object lands. The distance
from the target will become part of the team’s score.
2. After each team member launches the object once from their
constructed catapult, a team score will be determined by adding
the two scores together.
3. The lowest team score, signifying the closest to the target, will be
the winner. In case of a tie, the best single launch will break the
tie.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE PENTATHLON
3RD Grade Event
Description:
Five physical skills are interspersed with science questions in an
obstacle course that will be run in a relay race format. The
questions will focus on the Interdependent Relationships in
Ecosystems (NGSS: LS2,LS4). The team must be balanced with
2-3 boys and 2-3 girls. Contact me if this team configuration is
a problem for your team.
Number of Participants: 4-5
Approximate Time: 5 minutes per team
The Competition:
1. Sneakers are an appropriate footwear for this activity.
2. The physical activity may include such events as jumping
rope, bouncing a ball, hula hoop, etc.
3. One student will be placed at each position, A (start)-D.
The last student completes stations D & E (finish).
4. A question will be asked at each table and should be
answered as rapidly as possible.
5. Each physical obstacle and academic question must be
completed correctly before proceeding to the next station.
Scoring:
The total team time to complete the event will be kept by the
event supervisors.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE PENTATHLON
4TH Grade Event
Description:
Five physical skills are interspersed with science questions in an
obstacle course that will be run in a relay race style format.
The questions will focus on the Earth’s System-Weathering
and Erosion. (NGSS: 4-ESS2-1). The team must be balanced
with 2-3 boys and 2-3 girls. Contact me if this team
configuration is a problem for your team.
Number of Participants:
4-5
Approximate Time: 5 minutes per team
The Competition:
1. Sneakers are an appropriate footwear for this activity.
2. The physical activity may include such events as jumping
rope, bouncing a ball, hula hoop, etc.
3. One student will be placed at each position, A (start)-D.
The last student completes stations D & E (finish).
4. A question will be asked at each table and should be
answered as rapidly as possible.
5. Each physical obstacle and academic question must be
completed correctly before proceeding to the next station.
Scoring:
The total team time to complete the event will be kept by the
event supervisors.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE PENTATHLON
5TH Grade Event
Description:
Five physical skills are interspersed with science questions in an
obstacle course that will be run in a relay race format. The
questions will focus on Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and
Dynamics (NGSS: 5-LS2). The team must be balanced with 2-3
boys and 2-3 girls. Contact me if this team configuration is a
problem for your team.
Number of Participants:
4-5
Approximate Time: 5 minutes per team
The Competition:
1. Sneakers are an appropriate footwear for this activity.
2. The physical activity may include such events as jumping
rope, bouncing a ball, hula hoop, etc.
3. One student will be placed at each position, A (start)-D.
The last student completes stations D & E (finish).
4. A question will be asked at each table and should be
answered as rapidly as possible.
5. Each physical obstacle and academic question must be
completed correctly before proceeding to the next station.
Scoring:
The total team time to complete the event will be kept by the
event supervisors.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT AND ENERGY
5TH Grade Event
Description:
This event is designed to determine student knowledge of basic
food groups; the function in the body of carbohydrates, sugar,
sodium, proteins, and fats; additives and their effect on foods
and humans; and diet analysis.
Number of Participants: 2
Approximate Time: 25 minutes
The Competition:
1. Moving through stations, teams will be asked to complete
the various activities, such as examining packaging and
reading labels, comparing protein, fats, carbohydrates,
sodium, and sugar.
2. Students may be asked to list the food groups and place
foods with the correct grouping.
3. Vitamin and mineral importance may also be explored.
4. Students should be familiar with the terms: under
nourished, malnourished, plaque, and cholesterol.
Scoring:
The team with the highest score wins. Pre-determined
questions will be used as tie breakers.
“KNOCK, KNOCK-WHO’S THERE?”
5TH Grade Event
Description:
This event is designed to examine student knowledge and
awareness of their fellow travelers on planet earth. Teams will
be asked to identify a variety of naturally occurring evidence
that indicate the presence of, the passage of, or the existence
of some living organism in the environment.
Number of Participants: 2
Approximate Time: 25 minutes
The Competition:
1. Teams will move through stations where they will be
asked to identify or answer questions about the station
focus through models, pictures, diagrams, etc.
2. Questions may be multiple choice or short answer.
3. Sample specimens may include animal tracks or skins,
feathers, animal houses, skulls, fossils, plant damage, etc.
Scoring:
Each correct answer will be worth one point. Certain specimens
or examples may be designated as tiebreakers.
MAP READING
3RD, 4TH, 5TH Grade Event
Description:
Teams will navigate themselves around a Michigan and/ or
USA map.
Number of Participants: 2
Approximate Time: 25 minutes
The Competition:
1. Each team will be given a map with an itinerary to travel
from a starting location to a final destination.
2. Questions may include locating and interpreting symbols,
locating and interpreting features, determining the
distance between features, and using the map index, key,
inset maps, and data tables.
Scoring:
The number of correct answers will determine the placement
of the teams. In case of a tie, the team using the least amount
of time will be given the higher place.
MYSTERY ARCHITECTURE
4TH Grade Event
Description:
Students will be given a bag of materials to build a freestanding
tower as high as they can. The tower should be constructed to
support a tennis ball at its top.
Number of Participants: 2
Approximate Time: 25 minutes
The Competition:
1. Each team will be given a bag of building materials. All
teams will receive the same materials, which may include
paper cups, drinking straws, paper clips, tape, string,
scissors, paper, etc.
2. Teams will have 15 minutes to construct a tower to support
a tennis ball at its highest point. The top of the tennis ball
must be the highest part of the structure. The event
supervisor will do the measuring.
3. Teams will inform the judge when they complete their
structure. They will then place the tennis ball provided by
the event supervisor on top of their tower.
4. The tower must be completely free standing, not attached
to anything. Also it must remain standing long enough for
the height and base to be measured.
Scoring:
All towers that support the tennis ball will be ranked above
those that do not. Towers will then be ranked according to
their measured height. (Tallest is first, shortest is last.)
MYSTERY BOXES
3TH Grade Event
Description:
4. Object
Texture: Hard or
soft? (circle the
Inference:
What is It?
(fill in the blank)
(fill in the blank)
1 point
2 points
1 point
the answer)
1 point
Hard or soft
Smooth or Bumpy
Hard or soft
Smooth or Bumpy
Hard or soft
Smooth or Bumpy
Scoring for Correct Answer
A
B
C
Number of
Objects
answer)
Texture:
Smooth or
Bumpy? (circle
And so on…
Students are asked to identify the contents of containers using
all their senses other than sight and record their responses on a
chart similar to the one above.
Number of Participants:
2
Approximate Time: 25 minutes
The Competition:
1. Various objects such as rocks, balls, feathers, etc., will be
placed in containers covered with socks.
2. Students will complete an inference chart detailing the
evidence they have gathered.
3. There will be about fifteen stations, with one minute per
station. Teams may not look into the containers.
Scoring:
Two points will be given for each correct inference (guess)
about the contents of each container. One point will be
awarded for the correct number of objects in each container.
OWL PELLETS-FOOD CHAINS
4TH Grade Event
Description:
Students will observe and examine the exterior and interior
features of an owl pellet, as well as reconstructing the
skeletons of the animals devoured by the owls.
Number of Participants:
2
Approximate Time: 40 minutes
The Competition:
1. Teams will be given an owl pellet to observe and examine.
2. Students will attempt to reconstruct the skeletons of the
birds and rodents devoured by the owls and identify them.
3. Students are to work quietly and cooperatively.
4. Teams will be supplied with a pellet, toothpick, tweezers,
and magnifier.
5. Questions will be asked on the diet of owls, food webs,
and predator-prey relationships.
Scoring:
Teams will receive points for each correct answer given on the
written activity. The team with the most correct responses will
be the winner. Pre-determined questions will be used as a tie
breaker to establish team placement for the event.
STEM CHALLENGE
3RD, 4TH, 5TH Grade Event
Description:
Each team will be given a bag of mystery supplies. It will also
contain a description of what the team is to build using the
materials found in their bag.
Number of Participants:
2
Approximate Time: 25 minutes
The Competition:
1. Teams will have 10 minutes to strategize and build their
device.
2. The completed device may be a freestanding structure, a
device to launch something, or a race able mobile.
Scoring:
Points will be given on the completion of the object and how
well it performs the task it may be given.
WEATHER OR NOT
4TH Grade Event
Description:
Students will test their knowledge of meteorological terms,
techniques, and events.
Number of Participants: 2
Approximate Time: 25 minutes
The Competition:
1. Teams will travel through stations focused on basic
weather terms and techniques. Material may include cloud
charts, simple weather instruments, weather patterns,
severe weather photos, etc.
2. Questions may include states of water, water cycle,
weather terminology, seasonal changes in weather, and
types of severe weather watches/warnings.
3. Students may be asked to make readings on a
thermometer, barometer, and anemometer.
Scoring:
The team achieving the highest score will be the winner.
Ties will be broken by pre-selected questions.
WHAT WENT BY?
3RD Grade Event
Description:
Teams will be asked to identify and provide information about
various items that were left behind by something else.
Number of Participants: 2
Approximate Time: 25 minutes
The Competition:
1. Teams will travel through stations where questions will be
answered or objects identified. An example question may be is
this a right or left footprint placed by an animal track.
2. There will be animal track samples at several stations.
3. Answer sheets will be turned in after the final station rotation.
Scoring:
Points will be given for each correct identification and correct answer.
WILDLIFE SAFARI-REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
3RD Grade Event
Description:
In this event students will demonstrate their understanding of
basic ecological concepts and ability to identify various reptiles
and amphibians found in Michigan.
Number of Participants: 2
Approximate Time: 25 minutes
The Competition:
Each team will travel from station to station where they will be
required to complete the questions presented to them.
Scoring:
The scoring will be based on the number of correct answers.
WRITE IT/DO IT
3RD, 4TH, 5TH Grade Event
Description:
This event tests students’ ability to clearly communicate
through writing and following written directions.
Number of Participants: 2
Approximate Time:
55 minutes total
The Competition:
1. Student 1 will be shown a contraption made from blocks
or other inexpensive materials. The student has 25
minutes to write a description of the object and how to
recreate it.
2. Student 2 will then take the description and attempt to
recreate the original object in 20 minutes.
3. No diagrams are allowed and no verbal/or other
communication allowed in passing.
Scoring:
The team in which Student 2 recreates the object nearest to
the original is the winner. A point will be given for each piece
of material that is placed in the proper location. No penalty will
be assessed for parts that were not assembled. Time may be
used as a tiebreaker.