How many drops of water are in lake Erie?
William Lyon MacKenzie Collegiate Institute Grade 11 students Wajeeh Syed and Umar Riaz make a few last minute adjustments on their Rube Goldberg Machine at the London District Science Olympics held at Western May 21.
How many house bricks are there in London?
Doesn’t sound like your typical science-filled day – and the laughter, cheering and high-fives at the annual London District Science Olympics proved that science is more than beakers and Bunsen burners.
Providing the opportunity for secondary school student teams to experience the challenge and excitement of competing against the clock in a number of science-related events, the Science Olympics has been part of Western Physics & Astronomy professor emeritus Patrick Whippey’s agenda for the last 26 years.
“It’s a blast,” says Whippey, who admittedly enjoys the day as much as the students. “The science is the same each year, but the kids are what change and each year this new group makes it just as exciting as the previous year.”
The events students participate in, such as Compound Boggle, Dante’s Peak and Rube Goldberg – which involves making a machine that performs a simple task in the most complicated way possible – requires problem solving and cooperative group work as teams pit knowledge and skills against each other.
This year, 26 schools, from as far away as Barrie, brought 188 teams and more than 770 students to the North Campus Building for the day-long competition.
Forrester Dunbrook, a Grade 11 student from St. Joseph’s High School in Barrie, didn’t hesitate in lauding his first Science Olympics.
“This is a great way to get students into liking science,” says Dunbrook, who says the day put to rest the stereotypical notion that “science is for nerds.”
“A lot of the events keep you on your toes and have you thinking quickly. It’s been a lot fun. I can’t wait to return again next year.”
While the events cover most aspects of the science curriculum, Whippey says there’s a lot of “cross-fertilization” of ideas being shared by the students, which they can take back to their own classroom.
“You just never know when that light will click on in their heads,” says Whippey. “And when it does, it’s a great to see.”