1. Disease Detectives*
2. Don't Bug Me*
3. Keep Your Cool*
4. Food Science*

* These are Trial Events

 

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DISEASE DETECTIVES - Division B

DESCRIPTION: Students will be asked to identify probable causes of various public health problems and to propose possible strategies to control or prevent those problems. This event combines a basic understanding of biologic and physical agents that cause disease with an ability to analyze, interpret, evaluate and draw conclusions from simple data.

EVENT PARAMETERS: Non programmable calculators are permitted. Reference materials and notes are not permitted.

A TEAM OF UP TO: 2 competitors

APPROXIMATE TIME: 50 minutes.

THE COMPETITION:
1. Students will be presented with one or more descriptions of public health problems such as an outbreak of food poisoning, a cluster of cases of West Nile encephalitis or state data on bicycle injuries.
2. Based on these descriptions, they will be expected to do the following:
a. generate hypotheses and recognize various fundamental study designs,
b. evaluate the data by calculating and comparing simple rates and proportions, c. identify patterns, trends and possible modes of transmission, sources or risk factors.
d. propose interventions based on promoting positive health behaviors, eliminating or reducing environmental sources or breaking clearly identifiable chains of transmission.
3. They will also be expected to:
a. define basic epidemiologic and public health terms (e.g., outbreak, epidemic, pandemic, surveillance, risk, vector, fomite, zoonosis, etc.).
b. recognize various categories of disease-causing agents and give examples of illnesses caused by each.
c. recognize and understand differences between the major groups of infectious agents (e.g., viruses, bacteria, protistans, fungi and animals).
4. Calculations and mathematical manipulations should be consistent with middle school math skills and should be part of the competition. Data may be contrived or modified to make it more appropriate for this age group as long as it does not radically alter results or interpretation.
5. Concepts and principles should be limited to those presented on CDC's EXCITE website (www.cdc.gov/excite). Problem sets, however, may be taken from any source.
6. This event may be run as stations.

SCORING:
1. Points will be assigned to the various questions and problems. Both the nature of the questions and scoring rubric should emphasize an understanding that is broad and basic rather than detailed and advanced.
2. Depending on the problem, scoring may be based on a combination of answers, including graphs/charts, explanations, analysis, calculations, and closed-ended responses to specific questions.
3. Points should be awarded for both quality and accuracy of answers, the quality of supporting reasoning, and the use of proper scientific methods.
4. Each completed graph or table is worth up to five points; open-ended questions that require a paragraph of explanation to report the proper interpretation are worth up to ten points; closed-ended responses are worth up to five points each.
5. Ties may be broken using a separate set of questions that do not enter into the regular score. If teams tied on the basis of their regular scores also have the same total score on the tie-breaker questions, individual scores on a pre-selected sequence of tie-breaker questions can be used to resolve the ties.

SAMPLE PROBLEMS:
Students will read a series of reports or summaries of reports adapted from newspapers, scientific publications or Internet sites dealing with outbreaks or other public health problems in a community or population. They will then answer a series of questions related to the epidemiology of the problem and potential intervention or prevention activities.

- When given a line listing of symptoms, onsets and outcomes in a group of persons associated with an outbreak, students will be able to calculate frequency distributions for symptoms, average incubation periods (when given exposure time),
- When given a description of a public health problem (outbreak or case-cluster), students will be able to determine the most likely category of agent involved in the problem and either come up with likely agents or describe a series of steps that would lead to an identification of the agent.
- When given examples of epidemic curves, students will be able to identify those from point source outbreaks, continuing source outbreaks and person-to-person transmission.
- When given examples of reservoirs, vectors or exposure sources for particular diseases, students will be able to propose a group of reasonable prevention and control strategies.
- When given a description of the distribution of a disease in terms of person, place, and time, students will be able to generate hypothesis about what lifestyle or environmental factor(s) might be causing the disease.
- When given an example of a possible relationship between a lifestyle or environmental exposure and a certain disease, students should be able to describe possible explanations for finding the relationship. The student should be able to describe the most likely explanation(s) for the relationship.
- When given an example of a known relationship between a lifestyle or environmental exposure and a certain disease, students should be able to describe a variety of possible prevention and control strategies and the strengths and limitations of each.
- When given an example of a prevention / control strategy, students should be able to describe the best study design for determining the effectiveness of the strategy. Students should be able to describe why the study design is better than others. Students should be able to describe the evidence from which they would infer the success or failure of the strategy.

RESOURCES: The following websites and their links contain material that may be useful to event supervisors, coaches and competitors.
http://www.cdc.gov/excite - Centers for Disease Control Office of Science Education - includes primer of epidemiology, problem sets and examples.
http://www.montclair.edu/detectives - Montclair State University site with a curriculum for teaching epidemiology at the middle school level.
http://www.collegeboard.com/yes - Young Epidemiology Scholars program - in addition to information on competition, this site contains a number of teaching modules that can be used in training. Although targeted at a high school audience, this material may be useful for training competitors at the middle school level.

THIS EVENT IS SPONSORED BY THE U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC)

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DON'T BUG ME Division B and C

DESCRIPTION:

In this event, students will be asked to identify insects and selected immature specimens as to their order (Div.B&C) and family (C only). Students should be able to use an insect identification resource.

Insect specimens (nymph or larva for selected orders and families) will be exhibited so that students will be able to see pertinent features with the unaided eye, a hand lens or a dissecting microscope. Specimens will be used from any of the 26 common orders and families of insects as listed below and on the next page:

Protura (proturans) Phasmatadea (walking sticks)
Coleoptera (beetles) Thysanura (silverfish)
Collembola (springtails) Heteroptera (true bugs)
Mecoptera (scorpionflies) Emphemeroptera (mayflies)
Mallophaga (chewing lice) Trichoptera (caddisflies)
Odonata (dragonflies, damselflies) Anoplura (sucking lice)
Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths) Plecoptera (stoneflies)
Thysanoptera (thrips) Diptera (flies)
Orthoptera (crickets, grasshoppers, katydids) Siphonaptera (fleas)
Isoptera (termites) Mantodea (mantids)
Homoptera (aphids, cicadas, hoppers) Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps)
Neuroptera (dobsonflies, lacewings, antlions) Dermaptera (earwigs)
Diplura (diplurans) Blattodea (cockroaches)

In addition to identification, students should become familiar with insects that are beneficial to mankind and those that are considered harmful either to agriculture or man's health.

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 2 APPROXIMATE TIME: 45 minutes

THE COMPETITION:

1. Each team will be given an answer sheet on which they will record answers. Students may bring and use resources for identification (printed or photocopied with illustrations and diagrams). Battery handheld computers may be used.

2. Approximately 35 specimens will be lettered or numbered for identification. The contestants will record on the answer sheet

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KEEP YOUR COOL Division B

DESCRIPTION: Teams will construct an insulated structure prior to the tournament, hereafter called the device, which will fit into a 30 cm cube. The device will be designed to maintain the temperature of 100 ml of cold water in a standard, unaltered, empty, Pyrex 250 ml beaker (supplied by students).

A TEAM OF UP TO: 2 APPROXIMATE TIME: 60 minutes

THE COMPETITION:

1. The device will be impounded at least of one hour before the event and left open with the beaker outside the device. At the beginning of the event, a pre-measured amount of water will be provided to the students by the judges. (All teams will be given the same amount of water, which will be at least 25 ml. but no more than150 ml.) The students will quickly add the water to their beaker and load the beaker in the device. Timing begins when the students are given the water. The loading process will be observed by the judges. Judges could use water taken from a constant temperature ice bath. No ice will be used in the devices. Temperatures will be measured in degree Celsius (°C).

2. The beaker must be removable from the device and there must be easy access to the interior of the device for easy loading and rapid temperature measurement of the water sample at the end of the competition period. Loose fiberglass must be covered, plugs are allowed. No free fiberglass will be allowed.

3. At the end of a 20 - 30 minute time period (determined by the judges), the temperature of the water in the devices will be measured in the same order in which they were loaded by the teams. All devices will be given the same time interval. The devices may be opened or not depending upon the temperature measurement method chosen by the judge(s). All devices will be measured using the same method. Temperature measurements will be taken and recorded immediately by the judges. Judges will supply the thermometer(s) (digital or thermocouple would be best). At least one student from the competing team must be present during the entire event.

4. Prior to the tournament, participants will develop a set of temperature vs. cooling time (30 minutes) curves for various initial starting temperatures in the range of 0°C-35C. These curves will be used by the students to predict the final temperature of the device when used in the competition.

5. The event director will give a short quiz on temperature exchange (cooling and heating) during the time the devices are under test. The quiz will be worth 50 points and will be scored so that the number of incorrect points will be entered into the Scoring Formula. Questions could include temperature conversions; definitions of heat units, thermal conductivity, heat capacity and/or specific heat; or simple calculations of heat capacity and/or specific heat. Teams should be notified in advanced of the range of questions if different than the above.

SCORING: 1. The team with the lowest score will be the winner. The score will be based on the formula:

SCORE = [ (100 x T) + (mass of device without the beaker, in grams)
+ (5 x t prediction ) + (the number of incorrect points on the quiz)]

Where:
T = the actual final water temperature in degrees Celsius
t prediction = |the difference between actual and predicted final temperatures|

(e.g., if quiz score = 20 incorrect pts., the mass of device is 300 grams,
the final water temperature (T) is 15°C and t prediction = 1.5°C
then the score is [ (100 x 15°C) + 300 grams + (5 x 1.5°C) + 20 pts.] [1500 + 300 + 7.5 + 20] = 1827.5

2. In case of a tie, the team with the "Coolest or Most Cool" actual final water temperature (T) will be declared the winner. The second tie breaker will be the smallest t prediction.

3. Winning structures will be inspected to insure that no other source of energy was used
other, than the cool water supplied by the judges.

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FOOD SCIENCE Division B and C

Although this is a walk-in event students must come in at the start of the hour.

DESCRIPTION:
Students will be asked questions pertaining to food chemistry, food microbiology, processing and nutrition. The students will use their knowledge of these areas to complete one or more laboratory experiments. Students must be prepared to use strong acids and bases and deal with non-pathogenic bacteria. Themes to the Food Science event will be assigned each year and may consist of the following: Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins, and Concentrations and for Division B Microbiology will also be included. The laboratories and the quiz questions will pertain to that years' theme. Once the theme for the year is selected specific details will be available on the National web page.

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS:
Students must bring and wear aprons or lab coats that cover the knee, pants or skirts that cover the legs to the ankles, closed-toed shoes and OSHA approved chemical splash goggles with indirect vents or they will not be allowed to participate and counted as a no-show. Tasting or touching the chemicals will result in disqualification. Gloves are optional. Students who unsafely remove their safety clothing/glasses will be disqualified from the event. Anyone observed handling any of the material or equipment in a hazardous manner will be disqualified. None of the solids may be flushed down the drain. All solids should be rinsed into a designated waste container provided by the supervisor.
EVENT PARAMETERS:
Calculators (non-graphing only) and pencils must be supplied by the students. All other necessary materials will be supplied by the event supervisors. Absolutely no reference materials or scientific instruments will be admitted. Any team that does not have the required materials will not be admitted.

A TEAM OF: up to 2 APPROXIMATE TIME: 50 minutes

THE COMPETITION:
Food Science is the sum of the general sciences including physics, biology, and chemistry. Combining all of these sciences and relating them to food brings about many different areas and topics. Food is composed of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and macro/micro-molecules. Participants may be expected to complete tasks including but not limited to the following: drawing or identifying structures, performing calculations, explaining chemical behaviors, performing and interpreting microbiological sampling, and performing qualitative/quantitative analysis of foods. The competition will consist of a series of stations. At each station, the student may be asked to perform a laboratory task and/or answer written questions about the topic.

SCORING:
Points will be awarded for correct answers and/or proper techniques. Cleanup should occur after all materials have been returned or a penalty may be given. All measurements and calculations must be recorded in the correct significant figures and units. All ties will be broken by selected questions chosen by the supervisors. These questions will not be identified to the students.

 

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