History

The Science Olympiad began as the creative endeavors of Dr. Gerard Putz and Mr. Jack Cairns who thought it necessary to do something about science education in the United States to get students not only interested in, but excited about, science. It was tested in schools to determine student response and then enlarged to make it a multiple-school competition. It has since grown from a one county competition to one which now includes teams from all 50 states and parts of Canada.

How it Works

The Science Olympiad is designed to be a hands-on event. The rules are written such that they may be adapted for use in the average science classroom. The Science Olympiad encompasses all areas of science in the same competition. Biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics are emphasized with engineering and technology applications that combine several of these disciplines. One of the unique things about the Olympiad is its ability to combine these areas by varying the way the students are tested in them. The range of testing modes includes everything from paper/pencil tests to lab practical-type events to design and building devices that require the students to calibrate devices to accomplish a goal before competition.

The Competitions

The Illinois Science Olympiad has divided the state into eight regional competition sites. Most of the sites host both middle school and high school competitions on the same day that run simultaneously. The sites and the dates of competition are listed later in this newsletter. Approximately 20 schools send their team to a local site to compete in these events on a Saturday in February or March. Each event is evaluated according to the scoring criteria that is published in the coaches manual. The top students in each event receive medals according to their rank. The scores of the team in each event are then combined for an overall score for the team. At the end of the day, the top percentage of the teams then advance to the State Tournament. The scenario begins again there and the top teams advance to the national competition.

The Teams

The team for a school may have at most 15 students. For a team that will compete in all 22 events, there must be at least two female students (one event requires two boys and two girls). Division B is for middle and junior high schools, recommending 5th-9th graders. Division C is for high schools and should consist of 9th-12th graders. A middle school team may have at most 5 ninth graders on it and a high school team may have at most 7 twelfth graders. If the school has many grades in it, the team may have students younger than the prescribed grades.

The National Science Olympiad office has issued a policy for small schools that states that if a school has enrollment of less than 300 in the grades in question, it may combine with another school if the total enrollment in those grades does not exceed 300. Please contact the ISO office for further information regarding this policy.

For More Information

Visit the National Science Olympiad website!!
See some Movies about Science Olympiad here!!