Argonne sponsors regional Science Bowl

ARGONNE, Ill. (Jan. 29, 2003) — Argonne National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy will sponsor the 2003 Chicago Regional Middle School Science Bowl to be held during two separate contests this spring.

The goal of the Science Bowl is to encourage student involvement in math and science activities. It will consist of an academic competition held Saturday, April 5, at Argonne and a solar car competition held Saturday, May 3, at CNH in Burr Ridge.

Teams of sixth, seventh and eighth grade students can participate in one or both events. Of those participating in both events, the team with the best combined score will represent the region at the national Science Bowl competition in Golden, Colo., June 25-28. To be eligible for the national competition, teams must consist of four students from one school with one or two coaches. Teams of four home-school students, ages 11-14, also are eligible.

Registration for both events opens Feb. 3 on a first-come basis. There are 16 slots available for teams participating in both events. Teams registering for both contests must do so no later than Saturday, March 15. There are an additional 16 slots open for teams participating only in the solar car competition. Registration for these slots will remain open until April 2.

"This is a great opportunity for students to learn more about both basic and applied sciences," said Harold Myron, director of Argonne's Division of Educational Programs. "We hope it encourages them to pursue scientific and technical careers. Providing quality education to tomorrow's researchers is essential to help the United States retain its preeminence in science and technology."

Academic competition

The academic competition will take place Saturday, April 5, at Argonne. Teams will compete in a fast-paced, quiz-show-style, head-to-head competition, which will include round-robin and double-elimination components.

Questions will be both multiple choice and short answer and will focus on science and math facts or concepts. Questions will fall into two categories. First, there will be "toss-up" questions, which may be answered by any member of either team with no collaboration. Teams successfully answering a toss-up question will receive a bonus question on which the team may collaborate. A representative set of practice questions will be sent to participating teams.

13th annual solar car competition

Argonne and the Department of Energy along with CNH, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs and the Society of Automotive Engineers will sponsor the solar car portion of the Science Bowl.

The competition requires students to use aerodynamics, applied science and engineering skills to build solar-powered model cars. Developing a successful design requires experimentation, teamwork and organization.

All participating teams will use a standard solar car kit consisting of a solar cell and motor. Cars are restricted to about shoebox size and must be powered entirely by the sun. The race will be run in heats until the top-performing cars are determined.

Prizes will be awarded to top-performing cars. In addition, design awards will be given based on technology, craftsmanship, appearance of the car and a working knowledge of the car's design.

For more information fax the school name, contact person, address and phone number to Christine McGhee at (630) 252-3443 or visit the website at www.dep.anl.gov/science-bowl.

The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory conducts basic and applied scientific research across a wide spectrum of disciplines, ranging from high-energy physics to climatology and biotechnology. Since 1990, Argonne has worked with more than 600 companies and numerous federal agencies and other organizations to help advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for the future. Argonne is operated by the University of Chicago as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's national laboratory system.

For more information, please contact Steve McGregor (630/252-5580 or media@anl.gov) at Argonne.