For release: Jan. 26, 2008

Contacts: 
Steve Karsjen, Public Affairs, (515) 294-5643

STUDENTS TO PUT THEIR SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE TO THE TEST

19th annual Ames Laboratory/Iowa State University Science Bowl Jan. 31

AMES, Iowa –In the classification of organisms, four of the five kingdoms are Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, and Protista. What is the fifth? If you answered Monera, you might be able to compete with the 48 teams of high school students from across Iowa in the 19th annual Ames Laboratory/Iowa State University Regional Science Bowl on Jan. 31. But your scientific knowledge will also need to include astronomy, biology, physics, chemistry, earth science, general science and math if you don’t want to be left in the dust.
The 2009 Ames Lab/ISU Science Bowl begins at 8 a.m. in Hoover and Howe Halls on the Iowa State campus. The 48 participating Iowa high schools each send a team of up to five students for the fast-paced, daylong competition to answer questions from a broad range of science and math topics.
Since it’s inception in 1991, 149 different Iowa high schools have participated in Science Bowl. This year four schools –– Albia, Fairfield, Schaller-Crestland, and Waukon –– are competing for the first time while three schools – Ames, Ankeny, and Cedar Rapids Kennedy – will be competing for the 19th straight year.
The event is one of 64 regional competitions being held throughout the nation. Throughout its history, more than 100,000 high school students have participated in regional tournaments leading up to the National finals. Regional champions will advance to DOE’s National Science Bowl®, April 30 – May 5, 2009 in Washington, D.C.
The competing students will answer questions like the one above and in the other categories listed. The 16 teams that fare best in the morning rounds will advance to the double-elimination competition in the afternoon. Approximately 80 faculty, staff and students from Ames Laboratory and ISU serve as moderators, judges, timekeepers and scorekeepers during the event.
“We take our mission to help educate students very seriously,” Karsjen said. “Many of our scientists, staff, and students eagerly volunteer to support this important science outreach opportunity and look forward to working with the brightest students in the State of Iowa.”

Schools participating in the 2009 Science Bowl:

* - Late substitutions for teams that dropped out of the event

Schedule of events for the Ames Lab/ISU Science Bowl:
8:00 a.m. – Registration (Hoover Hall Atrium)
8:15 a.m. – Welcoming remarks (Hoover Auditorium)
8:30 a.m.-noon – Round-robin competition (various rooms)
Noon-1:00 p.m. – Lunch break
1:00-4:30 p.m. – Double-elimination competition of the top 16 teams (various rooms)
4:30-5:30 p.m. – Championship match and awards ceremony (Hoover Auditorium)

Ames Laboratory is a  U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science research facility operated by Iowa State University.  Ames Laboratory creates innovative materials, technologies and energy solutions. We use our expertise, unique capabilities and interdisciplinary collaborations to solve global challenges.

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