Kathryn Atkinson and Tia Talbot are the advisors for the Science Bowl team for Malad.  They recently had a chance to take members of the team to the National Competition.  Since the competition isn’t something we were overly familiar with, we asked Kathryn to talk a bit about the team, and the experience at Nationals. 

For those who might not know, can you explain the Science Bowl team?  (Who is on it, what they do for competition and practice, what the events are like, etc)

Atkinson: We were allowed to take a maximum of two teams to the Regional Competition in Idaho Falls.  The team that won the Eastern Idaho Regional competition and qualified for NSB consisted of Bentley Teeples (7th grader, captain), Seth Huckaby (7th grader), Liam Donnan (8th Grader), Anna Chipman (8th grader), and Andrew Pickett (8th grader).  The other team (designed to gain experience for next year) had Jacob Pickett (7th grader, captain), Luke Schow (7th grader), Liam Atkinson (6th grader), Karmyn Charles (6th grader), and Wesley Asay (6th grader).  Both Bentley and Jacob received “All-Region” team medals voted on by the quiz masters, judges, and timekeepers.  Mrs. Tracy Ward signed us up for the Eastern Idaho Regional Science Bowl about ten years ago and we’ve been going ever since.

A team must have a minimum of four and a maximum of five members.  Only four compete at a time.  Teams are presented with a toss-up question, and the first person (from either team) to buzz in gets a chance to answer it.  If he/she misses the question, the other team gets a chance for one of its members to buzz in.  The team with the person who gets it right can answer a bonus question as a team.  There are two 8-minute halves.  There are a lot of other rules that add an element of strategy.   Both the regional and national competitions consist of pool play, and then the top two to four teams (depending on how many teams were in the pool) move on to the championship bracket.  

The Math and Science Club meets daily during Homeroom.  We try to hold a competition with buzzers at least once a week for experience and to help us see who works well together and who is strongest in each of the five areas that are quizzed:  Math, Physical Science, Earth and Space, Life Science, and Energy (the U.S. Dept of Energy runs the NSB).  Experience is also something that we look at when choosing the teams.  During Math and Science Club meetings, we have lessons and competitions in both math and science to prepare for MathCounts and Science Bowl competitions.  

What was the experience of nationals like?

It was a great experience to meet teams and make friends from all over the country.  We plan to practice virtually with a team from New Mexico in the coming year.  This was our first NSB experience, and teams with more experience and the NSB staff were really good to help us.  We learned a lot about how to prepare for future Science Bowls.  

What did you all do besides the competition?

We were able to spend a day at the National Mall--what an amazing experience!  Bentley made us an itinerary to make sure we made the most of our time.  The first night we were there we went to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (annex of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum).  The rest of our time was spent at the National Convention Center in Virginia.  Our rooms, meals, and competitions were there.  It was a beautiful setting and the students enjoyed the ice cream that accompanied most meals.  The NSB had enrichment activities such as the Cyber Challenge and a drone activity where students learned to problem solve as a team.  Between practice sessions, enrichment activities, and competition, the students enjoyed the lounge where they could play games, make friends, and enjoy treats.

What does the team do for students in terms of their education/knowledge/skills/etc?

These students are amazing!  They are motivated to study on their own time and make the most of the enrichment lessons during Math and Science Club meetings.  When we found out we were going to the National Science Bowl, they also came in to study during lunch.  We took about 20 students to Bengal STEM Day at ISU where they were able to see applications of what we do in Math and Science Club.   It was awesome to add Mrs. Talbot as an advisor this year.  She knows her science and we have all learned a lot from her this year.  Math and Science Club members scored high and showed a lot of growth on their Math and Science ISATs and their benchmarks this year.  We had one 8th grader earn a perfect score on their Math ISAT and a different 8th grader earn a perfect score on their Science ISAT.  Both were members of the Math and Science Club.  We can’t remember anyone earning a perfect ISAT score in this current format until this year.  

Who can join and how?

We wish we had room for everyone that wants to join, but we need to keep it to about 12 students/grade so that chaos doesn’t happen too often.  The number one qualifier is the desire to be there and participate every day.  Joining the Math and Science Club is a commitment.  We put a lot of weight for returning members on whether or not they chose to go to activities/competitions last year.  Other things that we look at are work ethic, behavior, teacher recommendation, grades, and test scores.  If a student wishes to join the Math and Science Club, they should contact Mrs. Atkinson or Mrs. Talbot at the beginning of the school year.

What were some of your favorite moments this year?

Qualifying for and participating in the National Science Bowl is my favorite moment of my 34-year career.

What else would you like people to know?

We appreciate the support of our administration at Malad Middle School and the Oneida County School District for making this possible.  Thank you to the OEF for helping us get a buzzer system that allows more students to practice at a time and thank you to the whole community for your support.  We also appreciate the U.S. Department of Energy and the Eastern Idaho and National Science Bowl staff for creating and paying for this amazing experience.  These students are awesome and the future is bright!