Science Olympiad A Primer Lance Clifner November 2015 11/2015Science Olympiad Primer1.

Science Olympiad Primer 1

Science OlympiadA Primer

Lance ClifnerNovember 2015

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Who I Am• Meteorology Coach at Solana Pacific and Carmel Valley

Middle School (CVMS) – 2 years• Selected State Team for CVMS for SO 2014• Drafted to be Head Coach at CVMS for SO 2014 - 2015• Educated by Zoom Duong (Head Coach Black

Mountain Middle School) on how to run an SO program

• Worked with Joan Chen and ~10 other parents at CVMS to completely revamp the CVMS SO program for 2014-2015

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Science Olympiad• What is It About?• The Basics• Competitions & Logistics• Starting and Running an SO Program– Philosophy– Event Assignment– Team Selection– Event Training– Coaches & Coaching– Student Participation– Dispute Resolution– More Coaches & Coaching

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What is SO about?

1. It’s about the students.2. It’s about exposing the students to STEM –

science, technology, engineering & math.3. It’s about the students learning and growing.4. It’s about helping the students succeed as well

as letting them falter.5. It’s not about the parents.6. It’s not about winning at any cost.7. Zoom’s Rule: Head Coach’s decision is FINAL!11/2015


The Basics (1)1. The rules for the events are created by the National Science

Olympiad. The website is www.sonic.org 2. Each year’s rules are in the Rules Manual. Each registered team

will get a Rules Manual – either B or C. You may also order the Rules Manual from the National website.

3. There are two divisions in San Diego SO:i. Division B – 5th thru 9th grade ****ii. Division C – 9th thru 12th grade ****

4. A team may have anywhere between 1 and 15 students.5. A team may compete in 1 - 23 different science and engineering

related events.6. Almost all events are designed to be accessible to any school

demographic/budget. One robot event can be expensive.7. Consider attending the CalTech SO Summer Workshop (July)

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http://www.sonic.org/


The Basics (2)There are three basic event types:1. Study – books, presentations, lectures2. Lab – hands-on, test tubes, powders, liquids3. Build – hands-on, design and build a device to

perform a specific task or series of tasksPlus two other categories:4. Hybrid – Study/Lab, Study/Build5. Other – “Write It, Do It”, Experimental Design,

Picture This11/2015


The Basics (3)1. A typical single student will compete in 2 to 4 events (sometimes only

1, very occasionally 5).2. A typical student will spend around 2 - 4 hours/event/week, with

build events sometimes requiring more time to get the device working.

3. Students compete in pairs (or triples) on their events.4. In written events, a pair of students from a team work together on

one set of questions and answers.5. Students often are paired with different partners in each of their

events.6. 6 to 9 events change every year.7. Permanent – like Meteorology B - events rotate through sub-topics.8. Good idea to build up a file cabinet of event lesson plans over time.

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CompetitionsThere are two types of Competitions1. Invitationals– Division B – Ladera Vista, Mesa Robles, Muscatel– Division C - Troy

2. Official SO Tournaments– Regional – San Diego, LA, Orange Counties, etc.– State – SoCal, NorCal, Ohio, etc.– National – The FinalsEach level of Tournament increases the difficulty of the questions and tasks tested.

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Competition Logistics1. Register your School/Teams2. Pay registration fees.3. Paperwork

– Waivers– Insurance Certificates/Declarations (Liability, Release)– School Field Trip Permission Slips (from every student, if required by district)– Photo/Video Release (from *every* attendee: students and parents)– Medical Release (from *every* attendee: students and parents)– List of teams and students on each team– Emergency Contact Info

4. Volunteer Staffing: at least one volunteer per participating team. These competitions cannot function without these volunteers, so make sure you sign up reliable adults for these duties!

5. Head Coach Certification & Coach Guarantee Forms11/2015


Day of Competition Logistics

Good Behavior and Sportsmanship.1. Don’t let your students run amok.2. Don’t let your parents run amok. 3. Don’t cheat.4. Don’t ‘boo’ or denigrate other teams. Don’t cheer

if their device fails.5. Cheer for other teams if their devices do well.6. Please spectate at the build events!7. Pick up trash – at your campsite and elsewhere

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Day of Competition Logistics (2)School Camps 1. Each school selects (or is assigned) a base-camp area. 2. Students and adults should try to hang out at the base-camp.3. Please encourage your students to visit the spectator events (build events).4. Have students police the area, picking up trash, throughout the day and during

packing up.

Escort to Events – for Division B students5. Keep students quiet and under control6. Check students for required and allowed items7. Hand out goggles, lab coats, test tubes, etc.8. Track down missing students for that Event9. Take a Group Picture with the Coach (and assistant coaches)10. Debrief students after an Event11/2015


Day of Competition Logistics (3)

Things to consider having on hand:1. Pop-up shade tent(s)2. Water3. Food (continental breakfast, lunch, snacks)4. First Aid Kit5. Spare Pencils, erasers, goggles, etc.6. Folding tables (sign in, wrist bands, food control)7. Contact info for students – parents’ cell #s – cell phones are not

allowed in the events, so the students will not have them – keep them at base camp

8. School SO themed t-shirts9. How many people will be with your school teams?11/2015


Starting and Running an SO Program - Philosophy

1. What do you want to achieve? Start small.• Small, medium, or large size SO Program?• Teacher-run, Parent-run, or Teacher-Parent Hybrid?• Cover all events or a limited number of events?

2. Resources, budget, level of interest, and fundamental philosophy will guide your decisions.

3. Decide these questions up front and put them in writing for all participants to see.

4. Ask for help and advice!5. No matter what happens, if the students learn and

have fun, it’s a win!11/2015


BudgetHow are you going to pay for your SO program?

– Donations/fees– Corporate matching funds– Fund raisers– District funds– PTSA funds (501c3 coverage!)

What are the costs?– Competition entry fees (~$150 per team)– Competition day expenses ($3-10 per head)– Event materials (books, CDs, samples, field trips, consumables [balsa wood,

powders, glue], test tubes, robots, batteries, goggles, lab coats, etc. – many available from the school)

– Team T-shirts ($7-15 per head)– Background Checks

Try Rotary, Lions Club, Qualcomm, etc. to help with funding—you might even find a retired engineer who volunteers to coach!

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How Many Events?

1. Start small if your school is new to SO• Perhaps one (or two) team(s)• Perhaps a few events

2. Learn the ropes and don’t overwhelm yourself. The second year you can involve more students and more events.

3. Be flexible.

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Students Teams Events/Coaches % Parent Volunteers

30 2 23 (avg 3 events/student) 23/30 = 77%

30 5 6 (avg 2 events/student) 6/30 = 20%


Student Event AssignmentMethodology choices

1. Assign by head coach2. Student sign up: first-come, first-served3. Student preferences and schedule availability

Considerations4. Each student must compete on only one team.5. Event Time Conflicts – training and competition6. Student Availability and Preferences7. Priority Students8. Team Event Coverage9. Use Software!11/2015


Accepting and Cutting Students in your SO Program

1. What are your rules for accepting students into the program?

2. Do you start the SO year with many extra students – or not? When do you cut the extras?

3. When and How do you select the students who go on the teams?

4. How do you handle disruptive students?5. How do you handle disruptive parents?6. Up front, make sure students and parents will be

available on the date of the Regional Competition and any other important dates.

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Forming Teams1. Maximum of 15 students per team2. Minimum at least 1 student per event (max 2 [or 3])

Except Write It, Do It B/C & Picture This B that require two students.If an event is described as being for “Up to 2” students, that means that 1 OR 2 students from a team may do that event.

3. If you have more than one team: make at least one strong team.

4. Only if you must, form teams at the start of the year.5. It is better to form the teams a bit in advance of the Regional

competition based on the current year performance of the students. A software program or using event flights makes this feasible.

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Team A – Event Coverage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23Jerold

Tosha

Adrianne

Marita

Kathy

Alanna

Eusebio

Ivana

Karie

Bernie

Trudy

Jacinta

Tommy

Kim

Granville

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State Competition Team Selection

If you are invited to the State Competition and have more than one team, how do you pick your State team?1. Highest scoring team at Regional advances to State2. 15 students with the highest medal count advance to State3. Best combination of students from all teams which cover all

23 events advances to State4. 15 students with the most active/involved parents advance to

State5. Head coach’s kid plus their 14 BFFs go to State• Other possibilities

Be transparent, be upfront, be fair.11/2015


Other Thoughts

1. Set expectations for parents and students for their participation in your SO program.

2. Set low expectations for competitions.3. If a student has an issue about something, the student should

communicate with the coaches.4. The only exception for a parent or adult to intervene is when

the health, safety, and/or well-being of the student may be in jeopardy (and, no, being cut from the Regional team list is not a form of jeopardy).

5. Youth Protection Training for Volunteers.http://www.scouting.org/Training/YouthProtection.aspx

6. Consider a Farm System.

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http://www.scouting.org/Training/YouthProtection.aspx

http://www.scouting.org/Training/YouthProtection.aspx


Event Training - Basics1. READ THE EVENT RULES! READ THEM AGAIN!

The Rules Manual, San Diego Regional Clarifications and www.sonic.org are the only sources of rules that count.

2. For the San Diego County Regionals, Event Rules are a reliable predictor of what will be asked on the tests.

3. You may use the resources listed in the Event Rules, but there is also a ton of information about the events on the Internet.

4. Prepare lessons in advance.5. Obtain (download) copies of practice tests.6. Watch SO device videos on the Internet.7. Take field trips8. Guest Speakers9. Assistant Coaches10. Do experiments and live demonstrations11. Make it fun and entertaining.

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http://www.sonic.org/


Training Notes

• Don’t lecture the students like PhD candidates• Don’t treat them like 5 year olds• Do engage them in discussions, Q&A, quiz

show style competitions (with candy for rewards), and hands-on experiments or demos

• Do make a mistake on purpose and see if they correct you

• Be enthusiastic and have fun with the students

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Event Types

1. Study – books, presentations, lectures (still can do demos, have samples)

2. Lab – need simple lab gear and consumables. Requires more set up and prep work and resources.

3. Build – most resource intense (for both time and money)

4. Other – Hybrid events (build/study, lab/study), WIDI, Experimental Design, Picture This!

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Let the STUDENTS Do It!!1. In any build event, coaches and parents are there to provide support,

guidance, and safety oversight (yes, kids can use power tools if properly instructed and closely supervised). Coaches and parents are not there to design, build, and tweak devices and then, only when it is complete, show the students how to operate it.

2. It is about the students, make sure the students are allowed to build, make mistakes, learn, and improve. Intervene and talk with an over-zealous parent (or coach) and have them step back or, if you have to, ban them from being present during build sessions.

3. Make sure the coaches know they have the authority and responsibility to ask parents to step back and let the students do it.

4. If you have rabid parents/coaches who insist on doing the building, then open up a competition for parents in that event. Let the parents build their own devices and compete against each other.

5. Warn them once and then disqualify any device that is built by an adult.11/2015


Dispute ResolutionDuring Training:1. Parents should not present grievances for their students.2. Students should discuss any problems directly with their event coach. Then,

if needed, with the Head Coach.3. Under NO circumstances should any coach directly contact an event captain.

All communication with event captains up to the day of Competition must go through our Regional Director.

At Competitions:4. Students should bring up any issues first with the Event Captain. Then their

event coach, and if needed with their Head Coach.5. Review the Competition’s Dispute Procedure in advance, and locate the area

where disputes are reported when you first arrive at the Competition venue.6. Don’t bring frivolous disputes to the Competition organizers.

7. Zoom’s Rule: (Regional) Competition Director’s decision is FINAL!

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Student Participation

Consider starting a Student SO Committee or Club• Team Naming• T-shirt design• Fund raisers• Social mixers (team building, spirit building, etc.)• Recruiting students for next year• Team Captains• Planning Competition Day Food• Etc.

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Event Coaches & Coaching (More)

The first question a parent asks is about the time commitment.“It’s overwhelming for a parent volunteer to dig through a mountain of information to create a syllabus from scratch.”How do you address these kinds of questions and support your volunteer event coaches?

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Advice to Head Coaches1. Build up an archive of lesson plans, quizzes, homework, and

example devices.2. Promote the use of assistant coaches.3. Look toward high school and college students.4. Consider not doing an event if you can’t find a committed

coach5. Plan on each event session meeting once per week6. Consider reserving a schedule time block for group meetings7. Study events can support more students, build events are

more 1-on-1 intense8. Build events cost most, lab events next, and study events are

the least expensive9. Balance your coaches

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Advice to New Event Coaches1. Try to pick an event you are familiar with2. Don’t try to re-write or re-organize the rule book your

first year3. For study events, after the first class session, consider

assigning each student a topic to research and present the next week

4. Quiz every week or test every other week5. Hold game-show style contests6. Prep time 2-10+ hours7. Session length 1-2 hours.8. Require students to do clean up.11/2015


Experienced Coaches

• Coaches turnover as students advance through their grade levels.

• Pass along the enthusiastic and experienced coaches that you ‘train’ on to the next school

• Work with feeder schools to snag and retain their trained coaches

• The more quality time you put in as a coach, the more your students learn

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Coaching PayoffAs an event coach, there is no reward better than seeing the light in the faces of your students when:• their device works for the first time• they solve the crime from the forensic clues• they understand the difference between Climate and

Weather• the pieces come together and they do and write up

a complete experiment• They earn an award at a Competition• Or they simply say “That was really cool—thanks!”

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Science Olympiad Primer 3311/2015

Teacher-run Parent-run Teacher+Parent-run

Size 30-45 45-180+ 45-60

Teams 1-3 3-6+ 2-4

Competition All to Regional 6 Regional(alts to Invites?)

All to Regional

Personnel 1-5 teachers 25-30+ parents/adults/HS

1-3 teachers10-25 parents

Schedule School HoursAfternoonsSome Weekends

EveningsWeekendsAfter School

All

Notes + Better chance of consistent performance.- Requires work outside school hours.

+ More students- Coach turnover & variability

+ Program consistency.- Coach turnover & variability

Science Olympiad A Primer Lance Clifner November 2015 11/2015Science Olympiad Primer1.

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