Mental Gymnastics Science Olympiad Challenges Eastern Washington Students To Exercise Accuracy, Innovation
The race goes to the swift, normally. But at an “Olympic” competition Saturday, students won based on the strength of their math and agility of their logic.
Middle and high school students in Saturday’s regional Science Olympiad competed in real-time problem-solving science events where the most accurate and innovative solutions won.
Winners advance to state and national competitions.
The all-day competition at Spokane Community College attracted 430 Eastern Washington students from 16 high schools and 10 middle schools.
“The idea is that we try to set this up like the Olympics,” said tournament coordinator Bob Peregoy, SCC agribusiness management instructor. “But instead of shot put and the 100-meter dash, we have students compete in qualitative events like bridge-building and identifying rocks and minerals.”
Challenges specifically designed for the students involve general science, biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, geology and engineering.
In the Wright Stuff event, for instance, students make model planes powered by rubber bands and compete to see who can keep them in the air the longest. The planes are made from balsa wood and Japanese tissue paper to keep them light, and are calibrated for maximum lift and minimal drag.
The careful construction and calculation that goes into making the planes test students’ mechanical ability, mathematics and knowledge of flight principles.
Chase Middle School student Owen Elder-Bailey, 15, built a plane that weighed just over 8 grams - the minimum under contest rules - and could stay in the air for 1 minute, 50 seconds in a test run.
When a spectator picked up the delicate craft, however, the wing foils shifted and the “LBF-2” put in a disappointing 28-second flight, Elder-Bailey said.
It was frustrating, he said, but most important was what he learned.
“Mainly, just working on it and doing a good job, that’s what I get out of it,” he said.
The Olympiad also sported metric measuring competitions, written tests and several orienteering races, combining students’ skills in map reading and natural history with science knowledge.
Science Olympiad challenges are developed, monitored and evaluated by volunteer event coordinators, who typically are involved in the sciences themselves.
This year, Eastern Washington University will play host to the National Science Olympiad May 19 and 20. The event is expected to draw more that 4,000 students, teachers and parents from all over the United States.
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IF YOU GO
National challenge
The National Science Olympiad is May 19 and 20 at Eastern Washington University.