Monthly Archives: March 2013

Science Olympiad Featured on NBC’s TODAY Show

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NBC has a regular TODAY Show feature called Class of 2020 where they are following a class of students in a particular classroom through their 13 years of schooling.  Now 5th graders, the class recently participated in their school district’s Division A Science Olympiad. (See the previous posting giving details about the Division A Tournament recently held in Putnam City that hosted over 270 participants from 15 teams)

TODAY Show cameras were there as students prepared for the Egg Drop and GUNK competitions in advance of the tournament which they also covered in the story.  They picked up the story 2 weeks out from the Tournament that the students began preparing for two months in advance.

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The report also gave a shout out to the Division B and C Science Olympiad.

Feel free to share this story with administrators and teachers (friends, family, school board members, students…).  It gives a very quick look at the excitement for learning generated by a tournament as well as the student engagement in the practices of science that make Science Olympiad such a valuable part of any STEM Education program.

http://www.today.com/id/26184891/vp/51133246#51133246

 

Oklahoma Finals Held at UCO

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The State Finals Tournament of the Oklahoma Science Olympiad was held March 2nd on the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.  9 Division B Teams and 3 Division C teams competed for the right to represent Oklahoma at the National Science OLympiad Tournament at Wright State University in late May.

Metric Mastery

Metric Mastery

Special Thanks go the the staff and faculty of the College of Mathematics and Science at UCO, Dean John Barthell, Dr. Beth Allan, the UCO Tournament Director who coordinated facilities and UCO staff, and Jonna Whetsel, the Tournament Facilitator who coordinated the efforts of University students and volunteers from the UCO chapter of the Tri-Beta National Biological Sciences Honor Society.  Further thanks go to Oklahoma Science Olympiad Clerk and Official Scorers Melinda Porterfield and Brenda Chapman.

State Science Director Tiffany Niell supervising Gravity Vehicle

State Science Director Tiffany Neill supervising Gravity Vehicle

And of course, much thanks goes to the small army of Event Supervisors who developed, set-up. ran, and judged the 40 events that were a part of this year’s State Finals.

Keep the Heat

Keep the Heat

Finally, to the Olympians and their Coaches, Congratulations on a great Tournament Season.  The Oklahoma Science Olympiad experienced tremendous growth this year and together, next year will be even better.  The valuable feedback from this year’s tournament participants is already bearing fruit as plans are already underway for teacher workshops this summer and next fall and the start of the 2013-14 Tournament season in November!

Chem Lab

Chem Lab

Here are the final standing from the State Finals Tournament:

Division B:

1st – Casady

2nd – Whittier

3rd – Dove

4th – Western Oaks

5th – Cooper

6th – Capps

7th – Irving

8th – Haskell

9th – Longfellow

Division C:

1st – Union High School

2nd – Putnam City High School

3rd – Putnam City West High School

 

The Union High School State Champion Science Olympiad Team with Coach Mike Carpenter

The Union High School State Champion Science Olympiad Team with Coach Mike Carpenter