North Bay Science Challenge

Mike Roa has spearheaded the North Bay Science Challenge for several years.  While the County of Educations’ Science Olympiad is open to grades four through  eight,  Mike’s Community sponsored NBSC  collaborates widely to sustain science exploration for grades four through six in the shadow of changing state requirements and curriculum adjustments.

 

Principally designed to develop student’s knowledge, understanding and skills for scientific investigation and demonstration Challenge students are offered  multiple categories to explore, collaborate and compete in groups up to seventeen in size.  Verbal communication is challenged in such activities as replicating a lego’s construct from behind a concealing panel.  Students must articulate the pattern of a fixed, glued design as the team member on the other side attempts to build he same with equal numbers of loose legos.

 

Another very popular enterprise is designing and building a structure to protect a falling, uncooked “naked” egg.  The winner’s design safely caught the egg from a height of nearly 10 feet!  Catapults are built, mystery animals identified, tall towers built and this year helicopter flight added.

 

Judging by the number of enthusiastic  participants,  scientific inquiry is alive and well in Sonoma County Schools!

 

For additional information, contact Mike at mroa@sonic.net.