Competition tests students' ingenuity, science know-how
By Alicia A. Caldwell
Sentinel Staff Writer
March 9, 2003
Jena McGovern decided to join a science club Monday and was told about the
2003 Florida Science Olympiad.
Six days later, the home-schooled student from Crystal River and teammate
Jillian James of Longwood took first place in "The Wright Stuff"
rubber-band-powered airplane contest at a statewide science competition in
Orlando.
The idea was to create an airplane that could be launched by twisting a
rubber band tightly around a propeller to catapult it into the air, have it
fly around the Cypress Creek High School gymnasium and land on its wheels.
The contestants from 50 schools -- both middle and high schools -- were
ranked by how long their planes flew. Jena's plane was aloft for more than a
minute. The next-closest high-school competitor by midday Saturday was
airborne for about 30 seconds.
"I just got a kit from the Internet and left out about half the sticks to
make it light enough," the 14-year-old girl said of her yellow
paper-and-wood plane.
Despite her apparent success, Jena lamented what could have been.
"I just wish I could have gotten as good a flight as [Friday]," she said of
a trial run that lasted nearly two minutes.
Unlike many of the competition's other participants, Jena said she had only
taken one introductory physics class -- it lasted a week -- when she decided
to join the statewide science competition.
"The Wright Stuff" was one of 23 events in which the students competed
during Saturday's Florida Science Olympiad. The competition, separated
between middle- and high-school students, is designed to be fun but with an
educational goal in mind, Florida Science Olympiad Director Mike McKee said.
"It all ties in with the FCAT," McKee said.
Students and their science teachers are encouraged to prepare for the
competition throughout the school year, said McKee, a Cypress Creek High
physics teacher.
The longer you prepare, he said, the better you are likely to fare in
competition and on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
Another of Saturday's events, "Qualitative Reasoning," was a bit more
scientific and required that students go into a lab and use a set of
chemicals to find the chemical compound of several small objects. They also
had to fill out a six-question lab sheet and write out the scientific
formulas that they used to get their answers. They were given 50 minutes to
get it all done.
"We've designed the events in a way that we anticipate them going out of
there crying," McKee said with a grin.
The tougher the competition, he said, the less likely there will be ties and
perfect scores in the challenges that meet National Science Olympiad
standards but with a few alterations to help keep the focus on FCAT success.
Some competitions also were altered for middle schools that participated,
McKee said. Many of their challenges, he said, have less-stringent
requirements or required less science knowledge.
"We want to get those kids excited about science," McKee said.
The overall winners of Saturday's competition, which were determined by
points students earned in each individual event, will go on to the 20th
annual National Science Olympiad at Ohio State University in May. The
winners were Gulf Breeze Middle School and Gulf Breeze High School in the
Panhandle.
Alicia A. Caldwell can be reached at acaldwell@orlandosentinel.com or
386-851-7924.
Copyright © 2003, Orlando Sentinel
Vishal Patel of
Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale combines chemicals in the 'Qualitative
Reasoning' part of the contest.
(BOBBY COKER/ORLANDO SENTINEL)
March 9, 2003