“Expanding participation in the NOSB is essential since it plays a critical role in cultivating future leaders in ocean science, management, and education – leaders responsible for ensuring these resources and the benefits they provide will be available for generations to come.” -Admiral James D. Watkins (Ret) Founder, National Ocean Sciences Bowl

NOSB Finals Training Program Overview

NOSB: Objectives & Impacts NOSB was initiated in 1998 to: Support International Year of the Ocean and promote ocean literacy Stimulate student interest in the ocean sciences Give students opportunities to examine marine science as a field of study and possible career path Help educators use the oceans as an interdisciplinary vehicle for teaching biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and mathematics

Program Structure Consortium for Ocean Leadership NOSB National Office Regional Hosts Regional Coordinator Teacher/Coach ~350/yr Students ~2,000/yr

AK – Seward CA – La Jolla CA – Los Angeles CA – San Francisco CO – Boulder CT - Groton DC – Washington FL – Ft. Pierce or Miami FL – St. Petersburg HI – Honolulu MA – Boston ME/NH – Biddeford or Orono/Durham MI – Ann Arbor MS – Biloxi NC – East Caroline, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, or Wilmington NJ – New Brunswick NY – Stony Brook OH/PA – Youngstown/Pittsburgh OR – Corvallis SC/GA – Columbia TX – College Station TX – Corpus Christi VA – Norfolk or Gloucester Point WA – Seattle WI – Milwaukee 25 NOSB Regional Sites

NOSB Finals 2009: Washington, DC 2010: St Petersburg, FL 2011: Galveston, TX

NOSB Finals Training Competition Overview

Team Format Teams consist of 4 competitors, 1 alternate, and a coach. Teams are placed into divisions for a round robin competition. Top teams in each division advance to a double elimination round.

Question Format Three Types of Questions: Toss Up (multiple choice) Bonus (usually short answer) Team Challenge Questions (TCQs)

Competition Format Competition is made up of rounds One round consists of a: – 6 minute buzzer half – 2 team challenge questions – 6 minute buzzer half

NOSB Finals Training Volunteer Roles

Officials Teams include: Moderator Science Judge Rules Judge Scorekeeper Timekeeper Room Runner Competition Officials

Ocean Bowl Central: - Handing out questions General/Logistics: - Assisting with registration - Building chiefs/assistants Event Staff

Moderator Reads the questions to the teams. Verbally recognizes the team member before they respond. Announces whether answer is correct or incorrect. Must be very familiar with the rules and the flow of the game.

Science Judge Makes rulings on the acceptability of answers Controls the buzzer system Responds to challenges made by students Passes out, collects, and explains answers to the TCQs

Rules Judge Ensures all officials are performing their roles correctly Keeps close eye on scoring Watches the audience for signaling Responsible for room set up and breakdown

Scorekeeper Maintains a tally of points for both teams Toss up questions = 4 pts Bonus questions = 6 pts Team Challenge Questions = 20 pts

Timekeeper Keeps track of 2 clocks: Game clock for buzzer halves (6 minutes) and TCQs (2-5 minutes) Stopwatch for buzzing in (5 seconds) and answering questions (3 seconds). For bonus questions: 20 seconds to answer.

Room Runner Runs TCQs to the Judges’ Appeals room to be graded. Picks up new questions from Ocean Bowl Central between rounds. Answers room needs.

Once a question is read by the moderator, the students can respond in three ways, they can either: Wait to be recognized by the moderator before answering Interrupt the reading of the question, be recognized, then answer. Blurt out the answer before being recognized. Types of Responses from Students

Scoring Matrix for Toss Ups CORRECTINCORRECT RECOGNIZED +4 pts 0 pts INTERRUPT +4 pts -4 pts BLURT 0 pts 0 pts

NOSB Finals Training Rules for When Time Runs Out

Attention Rules Judges!!! Ask yourselves: 1.Was the question in play when time ran out? 2.Was the question interrupted when time ran out (more likely scenario) or was the question read in its entirety?

NOSB Finals Training Rules Regarding Challenges

Types of Challenges 1.Challenges to the enforcement of the competition rules 2.Challenges to the scientific answer *Challenges must be made before the moderator begins the next question*

Example of a Rules Challenge Moderator asks a toss up question  Team A’s captain buzzes in  Moderator recognizes the captain  Captain looks at team member & confers before answering  Captain then answers Possible Outcomes: 1.Moderator does not accept Team A’s answer because there was conferring and question goes to other team. 2.Moderator says “that is correct” accepting Team A’s answer and is about to move on to the bonus question when Team B challenges.

If Team B’s challenge is accepted, what should the moderator do next?

ANSWER: Go to the next question pair and read that question to Team B. --When the moderator inadvertently gives out an answer, he or she needs to skip to the next pair of questions in the round. --

Review of Rules #22 and #23 With multiple choice questions the answer may be the letter (W, X Y, Z), the scientific answer, or both (Rule 22). With the exception of articles, the answers to a multiple choice/toss-up question must be exactly as those on the written page (Rule 23). Prefacing an answer with “May answer is…” is NOT acceptable. *Short answer/bonus questions must have the same meaning, but do not need to match exactly what is on the written page*

The answer is written on the page as: W. Sea urchin Examples of Acceptable Answers: 1. W. 2. Sea urchin 3. a sea urchin 4. W. Sea urchin 5. W. a sea urchin Examples of Unacceptable Answers: 1. X. 2. Urchin 3. an urchin 4. X. sea urchin 5. X. an urchin Review of Rules #19 and #20

Toss-up Question: To what order do whales, dolphins, and porpoises belong? Answer W: Mammalia Answer X: Cetacean Answer Y: Chordata Answer Z: Reptilia Correct Answer: X Example of a Science Challenge

Possible Outcomes: 1.Reject the challenge and proceed to the bonus question for Team B. 2.Decide question is poorly worded in that both answers are correct. Throw the question out and proceed to the next toss-up question.

When in Doubt… Stop the clock Discuss with other competition officials Be confident in your decisions and stick with them! If the problem can not be resolved in the room, take it out of the room to the Judges Appeals Room.

Any questions? Let’s Play!!!

Kathleen Meehan Coop NOSB, Director National Ocean Sciences Bowl