Pentathlon

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Pentathlon

• Presented by Tim Taylor (ttaylor1_at_windstream.net)

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Description

• Teams will compete in an academic and physical
  pentathlon that will demonstrate the teams
  overall understanding of the five major Science
  Olympiad content areas.
• Four participants

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Competition

• Complete five sets of physical and academic
  challenges as quickly as possible.
• Team members will compete individually in four
  sets of challenges as a relay, ending in one team
  physical and academic challenge.

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Competition

• Teams may be asked to pass a baton or other
  object from one member to another or just tag the
  next member.
• The physical and academic challenges will be the
  same for all teams.

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Competition

• Appropriate attire, especially shoes, will be
  required.
• Inside or outside be prepared for both
• If held outdoors, the competition will occur in
  all but hazardous weather conditions.
• Change of clothes

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Competition

• Contestants must stay on course specified by the
  judges.
• Students with a physical handicap must complete
  the academic challenges but may use a substitute
  for the physical challenges.
• Let event supervisor know before you arrive at
  the competition.

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Competition

• Timing begins when the first team member starts
  and ends when the team completes both of the
  group challenges.
• Timing recorded in hundredths of a second

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Competition - physical

• Each physical challenge must be successfully
  completed before moving on.
• May be visible so students can choose the order
  of the team on the physical challenges.
• Ex a bean bag must go through a ring.
• Students start at 10 meters and advances 2 meters
  for each following throw until the task is
  completed.

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Competition - physical

• Ploys to circumvent the challenge, such as
  tossing the bean bag short distances to move
  closer to the target before attempting the
  target, will result in a repeat of the series.
• Remember the supervisor will determine this, not
  individuals

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Competition - academic

• Academic challenges will represent the processes
  of science in the six Science Olympiad content
  areas.
• Life/Personal/Social Science
• Earth and Space Science
• Physical Science
• Chemical Science
• Technology and Engineering
• Inquiry and Nature of Science

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Competition - academic

• Each academic challenge must be
  completed/answered correctly or an established
  maximum time must expire (e.g. two minutes).
• Ask the event supervisor what this is before the
  event begins.
• Then the student passes the carried object to the
  next team member or gets tagged.

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Competition final - team

• The last challenges (both physical and academic)
  must involve all four team members.
• The total time of the Last challenge will be used
  for tiebreaking purposes.
• Still counts in total time of team

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Scoring

• The lowest time, in hundredths of seconds, will
  determine the winner.
• 2 minute penalty added to total time for each
  missing team member.
• Participating team members must complete all
  challenges.
• 2 people 6 minute penalty

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Scoring

• Ties will be broken by the lowest group academic
  challenge time.
• No reason to keep scores on points for task
  completion or correct academic tasks.
• The team with the lowest group academic challenge
  time will be ranked above all other tied teams.

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Examples of academic challenges

• Find the density of a solid
• Rank order five minerals by hardness
• Match several animals with their phylum
• Sort planets in order of size or location
• Sort liquids in order by pH

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Examples of physical challenges

• Bean bag or ping pong ball thrown through a ring
  or into a basket
• Basketball dribbled a given path
• Ride tricycle carrying ping pong ball on a spoon
• Jumping rope 20 times
• Carry golf ball on spoon a given distance

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On the practical side

• While a fun event to watch, might be a closed
  event as it will need to run over several time
  slots and teams scheduled later in the day may
  gain advantage over first teams???
• Scheduling nightmare Walk-in,
• Scheduled time

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On the practical side

• Impossible to study for? Many coaches will see
  who is not involved in an event at assigned time
  slot and chose them.
• Will take a lot of room and may easily end up as
  an outdoor event. Rain gear and proper clothing
  are important.
• If outdoors, can it be closed?