This was Chris' second year to compete in the Southern California Science Olympiad - the (self-proclaimed by estimate) largest Science Olympiad in these United States! There were 43 elementary schools in the venue, along with numerous Junior and Senior High teams. This year the team was composed entirely of 5th graders, so the bar was set high to bring home a 5th consecutive gold medal for Washington Elementary.
Chris (and Karyna's) first event was "Starry, Starry Night" - a study event which required the 2 of them to know (among other things) - all the planets, all types of celestial bodies in the solar system, about 20 constellations and any major stars within them, eclipses, seasons, the celestial sphere, and more! A tough event, but they came out with a perfect score (30 out of 30)!
Next event was Paper Rockets with Gina. The challenge was to build a paper rocket with just paper and tape in 20 minutes, then launch it with a breath-powered straw to a target somewhere between 3 and 8 meters. After trying several designs in practice, they settled on a very simple design which could be easily constructed. They both landed the rocket on the target plain, which few teams were able to do, thereby earning Washington an additional 30 points!
The most sophisticated of the events Chris participated in was the "Tennis Ball Catapult" along with his friend Dex. They had to build (with some help from the dads) and position the catapult so it could land in a cup 2-4 meters from the launch. Here you see them taking careful aim based on hours of testing to hit the target...
The crack team of judges measure from where the ball first lands to the center of the target. While both the official shots landed in the sandpit, the competition for this event was tough. However, the boys still came away with 20 out of 30 points for the team!
Way to go, and congratulations!
