January 29, 2018 with Corrected web address for SC Academy of Science E Contest / M Contest

2018 MESAS MAIL-IN CONTEST Sponsored by the South Carolina Academy of Science

Get Additional Copies of the 2018 MESAS Contest at (note: updated 01 29 18)

http://artsandsciences.sc.edu/cse

Ref: 2018 South Carolina Academy of Science MESAS Mail-in Contest Grades 4 - 8

To: All of South Carolina: Please Share

Principals, Teachers; District Leaders; Parents and Students.

All Regions: Western Region I; Midlands Region II; Upstate Region III, Sandhills Region. IV; Low Country

Region. V; Aiken Savannah River Region and, Sea Island Region VII (To all of South Carolina)

Please find enclosed information about the mail-in contest for the Middle/Elementary School Academy of Science

(MESAS) sponsored by The South Carolina Academy of Science (SCAS) and produced by faculty and staff at the

University of South Carolina & members of SCAS.

I have attached two MESAS Contests for your students (one for grades 4-6 “E Contest” and one for grades 6-8 “M

Contest”). Please make as many copies as you need and distribute to your students. I hope your students have fun

and learn something by competing in the contest. Each student who participates will be recognized and each school

that participates will have at least one winner. Winners will be announced in the SCJAS and SCAS newsletters and

the SCAS Bulletin. The deadline for entry is Thursday, March 1, 2018. The authors of the 2018 contest include

Dr. Don Jordan, Kristin Jackson, Gabrielle Herrin, & Isaac Jones of USC and many members of SCAS, with support

from the Center for Science Education.

We encourage students to use reference resources of all types, including the internet. However, we strongly

discourage parent’s assistance in finding the answers. This is a competitive contest meant to teach the

children new methods of learning and exploring. We love the parent’s involvement, but require the students

find the answers on their own for this contest. Questions are prepared with respect to the standards for SC.

The South Carolina Academy of Science Annual Meeting will be a Saturday April 14, 2018 at Presbyterian College

Clinton, South Carolina. We hope to announce the winners of the SC Academy of Science MESAS Mail-in Contest

by that date.

There will be lots of winners, not just one or two. We recognized at least one winner at each school and sometimes at

each grade level. Certificates and prizes will be mailed out to each student’s principal so that the awards can be presented

at the school’s Awards Assembly. We have four levels of winners: School, Region, State, and Grand Winners.

Results will be returned to Teachers/Parents/Principals. (See contest rules next page for more details)

We also encourage MESAS students to participate in their regional science fair in March of 2018. Check with your

regional science fair director whose address can be found on the web at www.scacadscience.org

{Correction} http://scacademysci.org or directly to South Carolina Science Fairs use for specific dates. At

http://scacademysci.org/%3CSF%3E or click here

If you have questions please call me at 803-777-7007 or better email djordan@sc.edu

Sincerely,

Don Jordan, USC

State Executive Director & Founder, MESAS

E Contest Rules

South Carolina Academy of Science E Contest Mail-In Contest

South Carolina Middle/Elementary School Academy of Science

2018 MAIL-IN CONTEST FOR SOUTH CAROLINA

Contest to be emailed to All Schools in South Carolina that contains a grade 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 in Early January 2018

Contest Rules:

1. Mail your contest to:

Don Jordan, Executive Director SCAS/MESAS, Science Education Center, College

of Arts & Sciences, Sumwalt Room 321, Columbia SC, 29208; Phone (803) 777-7007.

Email: djordan@sc.edu (There is a $5.00 entry fee for each contest)

2. Entrants must complete all questions on entry form sign and mail entry and $5.00 fee to:

SCAS MESAS CONTEST c/o Dr. Don Jordan, Science Education Center, College of Arts &

Sciences, Sumwalt Room 321, Columbia SC, 29208. If the entrant AND sponsor do not sign

this form, they cannot receive any possible award.

3. Deadline: Entry must be postmarked by Thursday, March 1, 2018. (note contest is emailed in early January 2017)

4. There will be lots of winners, not just one or two. Each school will have at least one winner.

5. A student member of SCAS/MESAS can enter only one contest- either the MESAS E-Contest for

grades 4-6 or the MESAS M-Contest for grades 6-8. (Students in the sixth grade have the option

of choosing either the E 4 - 6 or M 6 - 8 contest.)

6. Everyone participating will be recognized. Teachers/Parents will collect the entries and mail as a

package to the above address. Results will be returned to Teachers/Parents/Principals.

7. Prizes will vary in value. All winners at each level will be recognized or awarded prizes.

8. We recognized at least one winner at each school and sometimes at each grade level. We had 550 winners

out of 822 participants (approx 66.95% of the total number of participants were winners).

Certificates and prizes were mailed out to each student’s principal so that the awards could be presented

at each school’s Awards Assembly. We congratulate each and every contestant for his or her excellent

effort! Grand and State Winners and sometimes Regional Winners receive cash awards.

9 Winners will be announced on the SCAS web-site, Arts & Sciences, Center for Science

Education web-site and Bulletin. In addition, results have been published in the SCJAS

Newsletter in May/June. Schools will be asked to announce winners at one of their assemblies

for students. Winners will receive honors certificates from the S.C. Academy of Science.

10. Each student is held to the code of ethics for entry into this contest. The use of resource

materials is encouraged. Each student must work on his/her own except for the group or team

activities (if any). Group activities can include parents, friends, or classmates.

__________________________________ __________________________________ Student Signature Sponsor (Teacher/Parent) Signature

See www.artsandsciences.sc.edu/cse Under Programs (left side) then select MESAS for 2018 contest

E Contest 2018 Entry Form

Official E CONTEST Grades 4 - 6 Entry Form for SCAS MESAS Mail- In Contest

2018

*(Whoever is mailing this form in should be considered the sponsor)*

STUDENT’S HOME INFORMATION SPONSOR’S INFORMATION (see above)

NAME NAME:

ADDRESS

CITY,

STATE, ZIP

WK. PHONE:

AREA

CODE/

PHONE #

GRADE IN

SCHOOL

EMAIL:

SPONSOR

NAME

STUDENT’S

SIGNATURE

(REQ’D)

SCHOOL INFORMATION

NAME of SCHOOL

ADDRESS OF SCHOOL

CITY, STATE ZIP

AREA CODE/ PHONE #

SCHOOL DISTRICT

PRINCIPAL’S NAME

SPONSOR’S SIGNATURE

(REQ’D) *

* If the parent is the sponsor then the parent signs

INSTRUCTIONS: (Failure to follow these instructions properly can lead to disqualification of the entrant’s

contest. However, they will still receive a certificate of recognition for entering.)

1. Print CLEARLY in the boxes above. Have your teacher, parent or legal guardian fill in the sponsor’s

information. Finally, ask your teacher/sponsor to fill in the school/teacher information.

2. You can find a copy (or extras, if needed) of the South Carolina Academy of Science MESAS Mail-In Contest at

www.artsandsciences.sc.edu/cse/MESAS as well as dates and other important information.

3. Place all answers to MESAS test questions on the pages of the contest.

4. This contest is for students ONLY. We encourage their use of any and all resources available, including the

internet. Adults supplying the answers take away from the spirit and goals of this contest: to allow children to find

new ways of learning, and encouraging the use of various methods of research, especially the scientific method.

5. Attach and return all entry & rule forms with your completed contest and entry fee of $5.00 (see below) by

Thursday, March 1, 2018. 6. Mail to: Dr. Don M. Jordan, USC / Center for Science Education / Sumwalt Room 321 / Columbia, SC

29208.

E Contest 2018 Grades 4 – 6 (Total No of Points = ________________ out of a possible 40) Page 1

2018 MAIL-IN CONTEST

The E Contest MESAS GRADES 4 – 6

1. What are the five most famous and important numbers in the whole world?

Disposable – Sustainability – Future Generations!

2. Which of the following is not recyclable in most home recycle bins? . Ans: ____________________

(a) Plastic bottles (b) Styrofoam (c) Paper (d) Cardboard

3. Which of the following is not compostable? Ans: _____________________

(a) Apple (b) Paper (c) Bread (c) Fish

4. Why is it important to live sustainably? Ans: ______________________

a. We must leave the Earth in a good condition for future generations

b. To reduce harmful impacts on the environment

c. Natural resources are limited and need to be conserved

d. All of the above

5. Why do disposable plastic water bottles say “No Refill”? Ans: ______________________

a. Plastic bottles photodegrade and grow bacteria when they are refilled

b. Plastic bottles will break if they are refilled

c. Plastic bottles biodegrade and grow bacteria when they are refilled

d. Plastic bottle companies want you to buy a new bottle instead of refilling one

6. The glaucus atlanticus, enemy to the deadly Portuguese man o’ war, shares its

taxonomical class with which backyard critter? Ans: ______________________

(a) Spider (c) Snail (c) Caterpillar (d) Dog (e) Worm

7. Order from least to greatest: 3 4/7, 3 3/5, 3 1/2, 3 11/20. Ans: ______________________

(a.) 3 1/2 , 3 11/20 , 3 4/7 , 3 3/5 (c.) 3 1/2 , 3 3/5 , 3 11/20 , 3 4/7

(b.) 3 1/2 , 3 3/5 , 3 4/7 , 3 11/20 (d.) 3 3/5 , 3 1/2 , 3 11/20 , 3 4/7

8. Which of the four fundamental forces is responsible for holding solid objects together?

a.) Gravity b.) Electromagnetism c.) Strong nuclear force Ans: _______________

d.) Weak nuclear force e.) Love

Student Name: ________________________________

Sponsor: ______________________________________

Sponsor Email: _________________________________

School: _______________________________________

Score: Total of _________________, out of 223 Points.

Would you believe that the five most famous & Important

numbers in all the world {1, e, i, 0, } could be connected

to {a, e , i, o, u} Well you tell me how they are? Show in

the box below?

1 _____, e _____, i _____, o _____, _____

Page 2 E Contest 2018 Grades 4 – 6 Total Points = _______________ out of a Possible 43 Points

Fly me to the Moon - Name the Moon Phases

Please Write the correct answer in the space provided in ink

1. Place your answer on the line above each Moon Phases (Each Phase named counts 2 points)

The Great American Solar Eclipse (questions 2 – 6 counts 5 points each)

2. This was the first total solar eclipse in the continental U.S. in _________________ years

A. 19 B. 38 C. 379 D. 561

3. The moon must in in which phase in order to have a solar eclipse?___________________

A. Full Moon B. Waning Crescent C. New Moon D. First Quarter Moon

4. What famous shape appears around the Eclipse during totality? ________________________

A. Triangle B. Circle C. Diamond D. Star

5. Which of these places is the farthest inhabited terrestrial point from Santa’s workshop at the North Pole?

Ans: ________________________

A. Heard Island B. The Amundsen-Scott Station C. Alert

D. The International Space Station E. Stewart Island

6. What is the scientific name for the northern lights? ______________________

A. Princess Aurora B. Aurora Borealis C. Aurora Bologna D. Aurora Equinox

Moon Landing Word Bank

Page 3 E Contest 2018 Grades 4 – 6 (Total No of Points = _____________ out of a Possible 70 Points)

JUST FOR FUN!

Questions 1 – 8 count 5 points each and Question 9 counts 30 points

1. Which Shakespearian tragic hero has a name that, when not capitalized, can be misread as a small town?

a.) Hamlet b.) Othello c.) Julius Caesar d.) King Lear e.) Macbeth Ans: _________________

2. The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri is most closely based on which type of arch?

a.) Parabolic arch b.) Horseshoe arch c.) Catenary arch Ans: ______________________

d.) Circular arch e.) Elliptical arch

3. Which organ is the body`s largest? Ans: ______________________

(a) Heart (b) Liver (c) Skin (d) Kidneys (e) Stomach (f) Brain

4. Which one of these animals never eats plants? Ans: _____________________

(a) Bear (b) Snake (c) Hippo (d) Koala (d) Spider (c) Turtle

5. The First Toy to be advertised on TV was Ans: ______________________?

(a) Slinky (b) Mr. Potato Head (c) Easy-Bake Oven (d) Yo-yo

6. Which of the following Animals is not found in Africa? Ans _____________________

(a) Ostrich (b) Anaconda (c) Baboon (d) Aardvark (e) Hedgehog

7. I am about half the size of Earth, but I have the largest mountain in our solar system. If you weigh 100 pounds (100 kg) on Earth, you would weigh 37.7 pounds (37.83 kg) here. What planet am I?

Ans: ______________________

(a) Mars (b) Jupiter (c) Saturn (d) Mercury (e) The Moon

8. If you eliminate the continent where Mount Everest lies, the tallest mountain in the world

would be in which mountain range? Ans: _______________________

a.) The Appalachian Mountains b.) The Alps c.) The Rocky Mountains

d.) The Andes e.) The Great Dividing Range

9. My Name is ___________________________________(5) and I am _____________________(5) cm tall.

my BMI is __________________________(10) and my BSA is _________________________________(10)

Hint Your Body Mass Index BMI is found by divided you mass (weight) in kg by your height in meters squared.

Example If my mass is 80 kg and height is 178 cm (1.78 m) then my BMI is 80 / (1.782) = {25.249 kg/m

2} {Round to

two places} Express all answers with appropriate unit.

To find your Body Surface Area (BSA) you will need to complete the “Body Surface Area (BSA) a metric activity”

attached. Please have a student, teacher or parent help you with this. We have provided a template to make a 100

cm that you will need to use.

Page 4 E Contest 2018 Grades 4 – 6 (Total Points = ______________ out of a Possible 70 Points)

At rest, every line of the Kitty Cat`s body curves into a graceful arc.

1. What is the average mass in kilograms (kg) of an adult cat? Ans: _________________________

(a) 22 kg to 24 kg (b) 2.7 kg to 6.8 kg (c) 9 kg to 11 kg (d) 1 kg to 5 kg

2. What is the average length in centimeters (cm) from nose to base of tail of an adult cat? Ans: ____________ _________

(a) 45 to 52 cm (b) 2.7 dm to 6.8 dm (c) 18 cm to 25 cm (d) 213 cm to 233 cm

3. What is the average height in centimeters (cm) of an adult cat? Ans: ______ _____________________

(a) 20 to 25 cm (b) 9 cm to 13 cm (c) 25 cm to 35 cm (d) 4.5 dm to 5.0 dm

4. What is the approximate diameter in millimeters of the circle above in the picture? _______________ Use a metric ruler.

5. Using the radius of the circle you obtained above what is the circumference in millimeters (mm) of the circle?

Ans: _________________________ 6. Use a string to measure the length (the perimeter = circumference) in mm of the circle above?

Ans: _________________________ 7. If you had a Kitty cat that was 51 cm in length (from nose to the base of its tail) and the cat turned itself into a circle what is the approximate radius of the circle the cat made? Ans: __________________________

(a) 16 cm (b) 51 cm (c) 8 cm (d) 20 cm (e) 160 mm

8. By 1860 SC was one of the richest parts of the world, and the University of South Carolina was one of the most prestigious schools. Ans: ________________________

(a) True (b) False

9. In 1992, BMW came to South Carolina to build a factory for worldwide production of their new car. _________

(a) True (b) False 10. What city in South Carolina historically became one of the leading ports in the world? Ans: __________________

(a) Columbia (b) Charleston (c) Charlotte (d) Cambridge

11. How many vehicles did BMW manufactured in South Carolina in 2015? Ans: ___________________________

(a) 201,077 (b) 320,506 (c) 400,904 (d) 508,303

12. What state leads the nation in per capita employment by foreign companies? Ans: ______________________

(a) Texas (b) California (c) New York (d) South Carolina

13. What state is the largest exporter of vehicles and tires? Ans: ___________________________

(a) Texas (b) Florida (c) South Carolina (d) New York

E contest 2018 Grades 4 - 6

Body Surface Area (BSA) a metric activity (E contest Grades 4 – 6)

Do this in pairs: Need This Sheet and a 100 cm metric tape (see template provided).

WHAT IS THE AREA OF YOUR SKIN in cm2?

Take a wild guess!!! ________________________

To find the surface area of your skin view each part of your body as a cylinder.

The Surface Area of a Cylinder is 2rh + 2r2

(the around part) + (the top and bottom)

1. HEAD C = _______; L = _______; CxL = ________ (C = Circumference and L = Length)

2. ARMS C = _________; L = ________; CxL = ______________by 2 = ___________

Do one arm and multiple by 2

3. LEGS C = _________; L = ________; CxL = ___________by 2 = _____________

Do one leg and multiply by 2

4. FINGERS C = _________; L = ________; CxL = ______________by 10 = _______________

Do one finger and multiply by 10

5. FOOT C = _________; L = ________; CxL = ___________by 2 = ______________

Do one foot and multiply by 2

6. TORSO C = _________; L = ________; CxL = _______________________________

Add 1 – 6 to get a Total:

TOTAL APPROXIMATE AREA OF YOUR SKIN IS ___________________

Don Jordan/Center for Science Education / College of Arts and Sciences: Email: djordan@sc.edu

Hint: Think "Cylinder" Average Area of Skin for a young Adult is approximately 16,500 cm2

Measuring Tape (cm, mm)

2017 M Contest Grades 6 - 8

When Assembling

tape measure:

Cut along dotted lines

Line up and tape together

(overlap if necessary)

After Printing:

Measure this tape with a

metric ruler to see if

1 cm= 1 cm

{tape off 3 mm for

every 25 cm}