Year 9 & 10 Science Tournament Preparation
Below you will find all the details, tips and tricks to a successful science tournament. For the full rules please click here.
Things you should do:
-
allow plenty of time: at least 20 student hours per problem.
-
start early: it is difficult to be a creative problem solver on the spot. Most people get their best solutions when they sleep on them. Allow thinking time.
-
get help – use the Internet, contact experts, ask teachers and parents, get your friends to help with the experiments. Just remember that you will have to answer questions about your presentation, so make sure you understand it really well.
-
information research and practical research
-
use a log book (an exercise book)
-
keep the references for all your information sources (and the names of people who helped you)
-
keep all the data from your practical research
- practice your presentation before the tournament – check that you can deliver it in 10 minutes
-
back up your presentation and your data – keep it in at least two places in case one place gets lost
-
support your other team members
Things you shouldn’t do:
- collaborate with other teams (in your own school, or other places. If you know each other’s work it is difficult to have a good fight)
-
miss out practical work
-
write your results on an old bit of paper that will get lost
-
use other people’s photos/videos/data without stating this in the presentation (can be small writing underneath)
-
pass off other people’s work as your own
-
get stressed or give up
On Tournament Day
Your presentation:
- Introduce your problem – as per website
- Demonstrate the effect – either by showing a video or a live demonstration
- Explain the science – use science that you understand. If other people have given you ideas, make sure you also understand what’s going on and why
- Describe experimental tests of your idea – show photos/videos, use tables or graphs and make sure you label everything clearly
- Summarise your findings – state what you have found in answer to the problem, also include things that you didn’t do or would have done differently
- Use as many slides as you need
Reporting
- Presentation of the report – 10min
- Clarifying questions of the Opponent to the Reporter – 2min
- Preparation of the Opponent – 3min
- Statement by the Opponent – 4min
- Discussion between the Opponent and the Reporter – 6min
- Clarifying questions of the Jury to the Opponent and Reporter – 3min
Teammates play an important role! They can visually prompt you to speed up or slow down, help with your technology or pass you notes with answers to questions. However, they cannot speak to you.
- Prepare a speech for your report
- Tell the story of your investigation
- Show your understanding
- Use a slideshow with pictures/video/graphs/ equations as visual aids
- You may have a live demonstration
- Cite all your sources
- Keep to time
- Discuss your report with your opponent
- Answer questions from the jury
- Score up to 30 points
Opposing
- Presentation of the report – 10min
- Clarifying questions of the Opponent to the Reporter – 2min
- Preparation of the Opponent – 3min
-
Statement by the Opponent – 4min
-
Discussion between the Opponent and the Reporter – 6min
-
Clarifying questions of the Jury to the Opponent and Reporter – 3min
Teammates play an important role! They can visually prompt you to speed up or slow down, help with your technology or pass you notes with answers to questions. However, they cannot speak to you.
-
Introduce yourself
-
Acknowledge the effort put in by the reporter
-
Your statement should show your understanding
-
Praise good science
-
Challenge poor science
-
You can use a slideshow as a visual aid
-
Use your statement time
-
Ask questions that have a purpose
-
Follow up your questions
-
Answer questions from the jury
-
Score up to 20 points
Rules
Each school team is composed of between two and up to six students, plus one teacher/mentor.
Three teams participate in a ‘science fight’. In each stage of the fight one team will act as a Reporter and present the solution to the problem. Another team will act as an Opponent that will critique the presentation. The third team in this stage acts as
Observer.
During the fight, the students of a team can communicate only with each other. Team leaders and spectators cannot interact with the students during any one stage. Before the beginning of a fight, the jury and the teams are introduced.
During the tournament each team member can report and oppose only one problem. The performance order of a fight: (maximum time in minutes shown)
• Presentation of the report – 10min
• Questions of the Opponent to the Reporter and answers of the Reporter – 2min
• Preparation of the Opponent – 3min
• The Opponent takes the floor – 4min
• Discussion between the Reporter and the Opponent – 6min
• Clarifying questions from the Jury – 3min
• Awarding of marks – 2min
• Juror feedback to the teams – 3min
Total time of stage is 33 minutes
Break between stages is only 5 minutes if all the allocated time is used.
The Reporter presents the essence of the solution to the problem, attracting the attention of the room to the main physical ideas and conclusions. The Opponent puts questions to the Reporter and criticises the report, pointing to possible inaccuracy and errors in the understanding of the problem and in the solution. The Opponent analyses the advantages and drawbacks of both the solution and the presentation of the Reporter. The Opponent can raise new physical concepts that clearly apply to the work of the Reporter but cannot present his/her own solution. During a fight only one member of a team takes the floor as Reporter or Opponent. Other student members of the team are allowed to pass notes to the person on the floor, make brief clarifying remarks or help with the presentation technically.