Valley High School Students Converge on Scottsdale Community College for 2009 Math-Science Field Day
~High school students team up for fun and educational day at SCC—Student teams build miniature working trebuchet to fire ‘cannonballs’ at castle defenders!
Scottsdale, AZ (January 12, 2009) – Valley High School students are gearing up for a day of educational fun at SCC. The 13th Annual Scottsdale Community College Math/Science Field Day will be held on Thursday January 15, 2009 at the SCC campus from 8:45am – 1:30pm.
During Math-Science Field Day, high school students will have the opportunity to win special prizes and scholarships to SCC by participating in a variety of competitions. Over 250 students from over 13 high schools around the Valley attended last year. This year 300 students and faculty are expected. Math-Science Field Day consists of the following activities:
· Math Exam: Teams of high school students will be tested on Algebra 2 / Geometry, Pre Calculus, or Calculus.
· Science Preliminary Competition: Teams of students compete in a one-hour team format exam on biology, chemistry and physics.
· Project Competition: Teams of students will be given a task to complete (build a working trebuchet) in a fixed amount of time, utilizing skills from mathematics and science, as well as teamwork.
· Math/Science Final Competition: At the end of the day, the students show off their projects, and the top three schools compete in a final round question and answer session on biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics.
Students will have a special project this year: to build a working trebuchet! The students will be building the 2 foot tall structures from 10:00AM to 11:00AM in various math classrooms, and they will shoot the ‘cannon balls’ at a castle at 11:30AM in SCC’s south gym. Students will be aiming at castle defenders – in this case – Artie the Artichoke miniatures, which will be stationed at various points on the castles.
To prevail in the project competition, students must be accurate, and perform the necessary calculations to estimate and test the trajectory – to be able to throw the cannon ball the farthest. Students are given a base for the trebuchet, but need to install the arm so that it will pivot, using two weights, pins, a hammer, string, and a pouch. A trusty can of play dough will be used to create the cannon balls, and students will experiment with various sizes to determine which size will go the farthest.
In addition to the competitions, SCC math faculty, Bill Johnson, and his students will demonstrate the robots which are part of SCC’s Robotics program.
For more information about the event, visit www.scottsdalecc.edu/events/math/index.html.
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About Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale Community College offers over 1,500 academic and non-credit classes each semester. Located on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the campus is known for its serene atmosphere and beautiful plant and wildlife. With nearly 12,000 students, Scottsdale Community College is proud to offer high-quality, affordable programs in small class settings. From Motion Picture/Television Production and Culinary Arts to Nursing and American Indian Studies, students have a wide variety of programs from which to earn credits for university transfer, launch their careers, train for new ones, or pursue a special interest. The SCC Business Institute offers customized programs to meet the needs of local business. Scottsdale Community College is one of the ten Maricopa Community Colleges.
To learn about the many academic programs at Scottsdale Community College, call us at (480) 423-6000 or visit our website at www.scottsdalecc.edu.
Media contact:
Denise Kronsteiner
(480) 423-6567
denise.kronsteiner@sccmail.maricopa.edu
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