High School Science Department
Science Contests
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A SAMPLING OF SCIENCE CONTESTS
SCIENCE ESSAY AWARDS PROGRAM: THE DUPONT CHALLENGE
This is an individual project. Write an essay on a major scientific challenge to society. Your essay can be on any area of science. You should show enthusiasm and organizational skills. Your essay should have all quotes and facts properly noted and have a bibliography. Spelling, grammar and punctuation are very important. Your essay must be between 700 and 1000 words. It must be double-spaced, typed. You will need to do research on your idea and document all sources you used. Talk to your teacher for ideas and other requirements. For more information check out Dupont.
PRIZES: money, trip to Houston Space Center
DEADLINE:
EXPLORAVISION: (sponsored by Toshiba and N.S.T.A.)This is a group project. Groups of four students will work in groups called Research and Development (R&D) teams, along with a teacher advisor and an optional community advisor. Each team will select a technology that is present in the home, school and/or community. You will explore what it does, how it works, and how, when and why it was invented. You will then project into the future what that technology might or could be like 20 years from now. Finally, you must convey your vision to others through both a description and storyboards (series of frames from a would-be movie). Each team must prepare a description of their project. The description may be a combination of text and artwork and must not exceed ten pages. Text should be typed, double spaced on 8.5" by 11" paper. The description must include the following sections, in order. A. Present technology: Give an overview of the present form of the technology, including some scientific principles, involved in its functioning. B. History: Research the history of the technology from its inception. C. Future Technology: Describe your vision for what this technology will be in 20 years,
including scientific principles involved in developing the technology. D. Breakthroughs: Research and describe breakthroughs that are needed to make the technology design for the future a reality. E. Consequences: Recognizing that all technologies have positive and negative consequences, describe the potential positive and negative consequences of the new technology on the community. The team must also prepare 5 graphics simulating web pages to promote their technology. Each of the five web page graphics must be presented on a photocopy of the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Awards Web Page Graphic Form. For more information, see ExploraVision.PRIZES: 1st team: $10,000 savings bond each, 2nd team $5,000 savings bond each, etc.
DEADLINE:This is an individual or team project (no more than 3) which is based on designing and conducting a scientific experiment. It consists of (1) an abstract, (2) a project board which displays the experimental design, data, analysis, and conclusion (3) research paper, and (4) data notebooks and equipment used in the project. All experiments must follow International Science Fair guidelines and have an adult sponsor. The LBSS science fair is usually in January; the Fairfax County Regional Fair is usually in March. Prize winners at these fairs may go on to the state and international science fairs. Check out this web site for Science Fair forms.
PRIZES: ribbon and medal recognition, cash, trips, dinners, science materials, scholarships, etc.
OTHER:
Some contests may be new, only run for one year or be applicable only to students who did research in a lab. These competitions will be announced when information is received so check with your science teacher.
*****FURTHER INFORMATION AND ENTRY FORMS MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DEPARTMENT CHAIR OR ANY SCIENCE TEACHER .*****