Fast Facts B

[hgmsscienceolympiad]

This is what I meant...sorry for unclear wording. There are no specific topics. You can't just go in expecting everything on it to have been covered by 8th grade standards. There must be a possible answer but it could be about next to anything. I have seen some of the Fast Facts tests one of my friends took. Some are simple and others are obscure. Please don't say that I am making no sense. I am not just coming up with random responses you know.

Rule 3i states that "Categories will be age appropriate and aligned with grade level science standards." T Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that I CAN expect specific topics, or at least topics which are consistent with grades 6-9 level standards. Will they have some leeway? Absolutely. I'm not disputing that nor am I asking for a list of all possible categories. However, I wanted to know if anyone knew which science standards we could expect because different states consider themselves aligned with different specific grade level standards- some CCSS and some Next Gen standards.

I'm well aware, as someone who was on a state championship team, that the categories will become more rigorous from invitationals to regionals to states to nationals. That's not my question. I'm also not disputing that some categories may have obscure answers-that's a given. All I am asking is if anyone knew which grade level standards nationals would consider THE "grade level standards" referenced in rule 3i.

I'm perfectly well aware that you are not coming up with random responses and the words you are typing make sense with one another. However, you responses seem more geared toward some sort of justification that "Science Olympiad is hard" or "the point of Science Olympiad is to challenge you" instead of simply answering the question, which is "WHAT STANDARDS ARE NATIONALS USING PER RULE 3i?!"

To (attempt to) answer the question, Science Olympiad often makes a point of their alignment to NGSS (or at least, they do so toward sponsor-types), so I figure those are a little more likely.

Thank you, Unome! That's all I needed. Next Generation Science Standards it is.

And yes, I am aware that the standards have some latitude for interpretation. It's the joy of being a teacher; however, knowing which standards to start with provides a great starting point from which to grow.

[hgmsscienceolympiad]

What are some possible topics you all have come up with? While I realize that we cannot hope to make THE definitive list, it wouldn't hurt to at least share ideas of what we might see.

After combing through the Next Gen Science Standards for grades 6-9 and discussing their implications with two science teachers who teach multiple grades, this is what we have so far:

Matter
Atomic Properties
Molecular Properties
Chemistry (chemical traits, physical traits, etc.)
Physics (laws of physics are key parts of the NGSS)
Forces (falls within physics, yes, but doesn't hurt to be its own area)
Energy
Metric system
Ecology
Heredity
Genetics
Evolution
Microorganisms/Microbiology
Cell theory
Plants/Agronomy/Botany
Biodiversity (not otherwise included in other areas)
Geology (Earth Science per NGSS language)
Astronomy (Space Science per NGSS language)

As stated, I know we cannot hope to make THE list, and I am aware that many of these areas can be broken down into sub areas, so let's go: see how many possible lists we can think up.

[Hartman]

What are some possible topics you all have come up with? While I realize that we cannot hope to make THE definitive list, it wouldn't hurt to at least share ideas of what we might see.

After combing through the Next Gen Science Standards for grades 6-9 and discussing their implications with two science teachers who teach multiple grades, this is what we have so far:

Matter
Atomic Properties
Molecular Properties
Chemistry (chemical traits, physical traits, etc.)
Physics (laws of physics are key parts of the NGSS)
Forces (falls within physics, yes, but doesn't hurt to be its own area)
Energy
Metric system
Ecology
Heredity
Genetics
Evolution
Microorganisms/Microbiology
Cell theory
Plants/Agronomy/Botany
Biodiversity (not otherwise included in other areas)
Geology (Earth Science per NGSS language)
Astronomy (Space Science per NGSS language)

As stated, I know we cannot hope to make THE list, and I am aware that many of these areas can be broken down into sub areas, so let's go: see how many possible lists we can think up.

The ones that I did mostly just ripped off of a lot of study events in science olympiad

[OrigamiPlanet]

What are some possible topics you all have come up with? While I realize that we cannot hope to make THE definitive list, it wouldn't hurt to at least share ideas of what we might see.

After combing through the Next Gen Science Standards for grades 6-9 and discussing their implications with two science teachers who teach multiple grades, this is what we have so far:

Matter
Atomic Properties
Molecular Properties
Chemistry (chemical traits, physical traits, etc.)
Physics (laws of physics are key parts of the NGSS)
Forces (falls within physics, yes, but doesn't hurt to be its own area)
Energy
Metric system
Ecology
Heredity
Genetics
Evolution
Microorganisms/Microbiology
Cell theory
Plants/Agronomy/Botany
Biodiversity (not otherwise included in other areas)
Geology (Earth Science per NGSS language)
Astronomy (Space Science per NGSS language)

As stated, I know we cannot hope to make THE list, and I am aware that many of these areas can be broken down into sub areas, so let's go: see how many possible lists we can think up.

These categories are very broad, and I know test makers LOVE to use subcategories instead. You might want to know your taxonomy, geologic time periods, optics, biological processes, specific rocks, minerals, animals and plants, plate tectonics and anything of the sort, periodic table of elements and definitely SCIENTISTS. For scientists though, it's the surname that counts for the letter, not the first name, but that doesn't allow you to disregard the first name entirely. Normally I see it that you need both parts to earn the points for it. There's many more subcategories I can think of, but from what I've seen when I did this event, those appear more often than others.

[MINorth]

Category Engineering Design Terms

B Blueprinting
D Design / Dynamics
G Gravitational / Geometry
M Mach number / Mechanical
T Tensile / Temperature

[Anomaly]

For anyone who's been to a competition this season:
Are they actually following the grade level standards rule, or do they still ask things that aren't really part of that (ex. Dinosaurs)?

[HWLongfellow]

Has anyone else had trouble with the www.thesciencedictionary.com website referenced in rule 3(i)? I am writing a fast facts test and have been unable to do a search and their customer support link doesn't work. (Note: the website worked in December when I wrote another test.) I haven't had luck finding a comparable online science dictionary. Any suggestions?

[NinjaKat748]

Does dinosaurs usually come up on tests?

[Tailsfan101]

Does dinosaurs usually come up on tests?

It's very common. At my state test last year when I did Fast Facts, I distinctly remember "Dinosaurs" being a category. I think test writers look for categories that aren't way off the grid, and dinosaurs usually works well.

[Anomaly]

Today at Fast Facts, I may not have known anything about most of them, but I knew all the dinosaurs. It’s pretty much guaranteed to be there.