MS SCIENCE OLYMPIAD

Currently, there are three Science Olympiad divisions: Division A (grades 3-6); Division B (grades 6-9); and Division C (grades 9-12). The following events are for divisions B and C only. The letter in parenthesis after the subject denotes the division level. Division A competitions are held within individual schools and their districts.

 

Event resources can be found on the national website: www.soinc.org AND www.scioly.org

 

Eye Protection - Make sure all teams know their categories' requirements. (A, B, or C). https://www.soinc.org/eye_protection

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• Events in RED are new for 2025. 

• Events in GREEN are MSO trial events only. They will be replaced with other TBA events at Nationals.

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Air Trajectory (B/C) - Prior to the competition, teams will design, construct, and calibrate a single device capable of launching projectiles onto a target and collect data regarding device parameters and performance.

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Anatomy & Physiology (B/C) - Participants will be assessed on their understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the human Skeletal, Muscular, and Integumentary systems.

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Astronomy (C) - Teams will demonstrate an understanding of Stellar Evolution, Star Formation, and Exoplanets.

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Bungee Drop (C) - Each team will design, construct and calibrate a single elastic cord to conduct two separate drops at a given height(s) and attempt to get a drop mass placed in a bottle as close as possible to, but without touching, a landing surface.

 

​​Chemistry Lab (C) - Teams will complete one or more tasks and answer a series of questions involving the scientific processes of chemistry focused on the areas of Equilibrium and Chemical Reactions/Stoichiometry.

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Codebusters (B/C) - Teams will cryptanalyze and decode encrypted messages using cryptanalysis techniques for historical and modern advanced ciphers.

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Crime Busters (B) - Given a scenario, a collection of evidence, and possible suspects, students will perform a series of tests. Test results, along with other evidence, will be used to solve a crime and answer questions.

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​​Disease Detectives (B/C) - Participants will use their investigative skills in the scientific study of disease, injury, health, and disability in populations or groups of people.

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Dynamic Planet (B/C) - Participants will demonstrate an understanding of the large-scale processes affecting glaciers.

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Ecology (B/C) - Students will answer questions involving content knowledge and process skills in the area of ecology, specifically deserts and grasslands.

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Electric Vehicle (C) - Teams design, build, and test one vehicle that uses electrical energy as its sole means of propulsion to travel as quickly as possible and stop close to a Target Point.

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Entomology (B/C) -  Students will be asked to identify insects and selected immature insects by order and family, answer questions about insects, and use or construct a dichotomous key.

 

Experimental Design (B/C) - This event will determine the participant’s ability to design, conduct, and report the findings of an experiment entirely on-site.

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​​​Forensics (C) - Given a scenario and some possible suspects, students will perform a series of tests. These tests, along with other evidence or test results, will be used to solve a crime.​

 

Fossils (B/C) -  Teams identify and classify fossils and demonstrate their knowledge of ancient life. Tasks will be related to the interpretation of past environments and ecosystems, adaptations, evolutionary relationships, and the use of fossils in dating and correlating rock units.​

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Geologic Mapping (C) -  Teams will demonstrate an understanding of the construction and use of topographic maps, geologic maps, and cross-sections, and their use in forming interpretations regarding subsurface structures and past depositional environments on Earth and other planetary bodies.

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Helicopter (B/C) - Prior to the tournament, teams will construct, collect data on test flights, analyze and optimize free flight rubber-powered helicopters to achieve maximum time aloft.

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Materials Science (C) - Teams will build and bring 1 puck, complete lab activities and answer a series of questions related to the materials science of ceramics with an emphasis on chemical and crystalline structure, and behavior. 

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Meteorology (B) - Participants will use scientific process skills involving qualitative and quantitative analyses to demonstrate an understanding of the factors that contribute to, cause, and influence World Climate and Climate Change.

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Metric Mastery (B) - Teams will estimate and then measure properties of identical objects including mass, area, volume, density, force, distance, time, and temperature. Teams will also perform metric unit conversions. 

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​Microbe Mission (B/C) - Teams will answer questions, solve problems, and analyze data pertaining to microbes.

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Mission Possible (B) - Prior to the competition, participants design, build, test, and document a Rube Goldberg-like device that completes required Start and Final Actions through a series of specific actions. 

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Optics (B/C) - Teams will participate in an activity involving positioning mirrors to direct a laser beam toward a target and complete a written test on the principles of geometric and physical optics.

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Potions and Poisons (B) - This event is about chemical properties and effects of specified toxic and therapeutic chemical substances, with a focus on household and environmental toxins or poisons.

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Reach for the Stars (B) - Participants will demonstrate an understanding of the formation and early-stage evolution of stars and their observation across the electromagnetic spectrum.

 

​Road Scholar (B) - Participants will answer interpretive questions that may use one or more state highway maps, USGS topographic maps, Internet-generated maps, a road atlas, or satellite/aerial images.

 

Robot Tour (C) - Teams design, build, program, and test one Robotic Vehicle to navigate a track to reach a target in a set amount of time as accurately and efficiently as possible.

 

​Scrambler (B) - Teams design, build, and test a mechanical device, that uses the energy from a falling mass to transport an egg along a track as quickly as possible and stop as close to the center of a TerminalBarrier (TB) without breaking the egg.

 

Tower (B/C) - Teams will design and build a Tower (Structure) meeting requirements specified in these rules to achieve the highest structural efficiency.​

 

Wind Power (B/C) - Teams construct a blade assembly device prior to the tournament that is designed to capture wind power and complete a written test on the principles of alternative energy. 

 

Write It/Do It (B/C) - One participant will write a description of an object and how to build it. The other participant will attempt to construct the object from this description.

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Trial Events at State Tournament only:

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Botany (B/C) - Participants will demonstrate their knowledge of plant life and general botany principles.

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Engineering CAD (B/C) - Teams will read a set of engineering drawings and collaboratively create CAD parts and assemblies that match the drawings while incorporating provided components and be able to answer questions about the drawing and generated model. 

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