The Department of Energy's Jefferson Lab, in Newport News, Va., hosts the Virginia/Maryland Regional Middle School Science Bowl tomorrow (Saturday, March 5).
A dozen schools have registered teams for the event, according to Jan Tyler, Science Education program manager. This is JLab's second year hosting the Middle School Science Bowl.
"The Science Bowl is an annual, highly visible academic competition among teams of high school or middle school students," Tyler explains. "These events champion an interest in science and math across the nation. We're always excited to host these events. They are a great way to promote education, academic excellence and an interest in math and science. And, competing with their peers is a great confidence builder and a fantastic way to motivate young minds."
The tournament begins with a round robin session, followed in the afternoon with a double-elimination playoff that ends in a semi-final and final round. The top three teams will earn cash prizes for their respective schools, and the top team wins a trip to the Middle School Science Bowl Nationals held in Golden, Colo., June 27-29.
This nation-wide, academic competition among teams of students has been sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy for the past 15 years. Each team is made up of four to five students and a teacher who serves as an advisor and coach. Contestants answer multiple choice and short answer questions in the categories of chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, astronomy, and the general, earth and computer sciences.
Participating Schools:
- Chancellor Middle School, Fredericksburg, VA
- Huntington Middle School, Newport News, VA
- John J. Wright Middle School, Spotsylvania, VA
- Lancaster Middle School, Kilmarnock, VA
- Larkspur Middle School, Virginia Beach, VA
- Northampton Middle School, Machipongo, VA
- Robert Frost Middle School, Rockville, MD
- Salem Middle School, Virginia Beach, VA
- St. Pius X School, Norfolk, VA
- Star of the Sea School, Virginia Beach, VA
- Tidewater Academy, Wakefield, VA
- Virginia Beach Friends School, Virginia Beach, VA