Chicago Regional Middle School Science Bowl

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Photos from the 2008 Car Competition at Cass Junior High School

Regional Competition Dates:
Teacher Workshop -- January 19, 2008
Academic Competition -- February 28, 2009
Model Fuel-Cell Car Competition -- April 18, 2009

National Competition -- April 30-May 5, 2009, Washington D.C.

What is the Argonne Middle School Science Bowl?
It’s a Chicago area program, but part of a national program sponsored by the Department of Energy, conducted at over 30 locations across the country. Any school or organization within driving distance from a regional site may participate if age requirements are met.

Teams (4-5 students) of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders are invited to participate in one or more competitions. A participating school needs a coach (teacher or school-approved person) who will work with  team(s) with one or both competitions.  Team registration must be done by the coach at the national website - http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/nmsb/default.htm  see floating blue box

Academic Competition
Ten or more teams will compete in this fast-paced "quiz-show" style, head-to-head competition, which will include preliminary and double-elimination matches. In this competition students answer either multiple-choice or short-answer questions relating to science and math facts or concepts. Ten rounds are played until a champion is determined.

Model Fuel Cell Car Competition
The car competition requires students to use applied science, and engineering skills to meet technical challenges comparable to those that scientists and engineers face to provide a lightweight vehicle with efficient gearing, fuel storage, and performance. Developing a successful design requires experimentation, teamwork, and organization. Teams will be given a fuel cell, motor, and assorted parts, the rest of the car is provided by the team. Cars will be raced in heats until the top performing winner is determined. http://teachers.dep.anl.gov/

Watch video of the 2007 event — 38.5 MB .mpg file

Chicago Regional Science Bowl Sponsors
The Chicago Regional Science Bowl is sponsored by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The Model Fuel Cell Car portion of the competition is also sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers and Case New Holland.

Rules, Practice Questions, Additional Resources