2011-12
Contest Orientation
This Year’s Challenge
Play a Musical Instrument

Contest Day
– Carnegie Science Center
– Friday, December 9, 2011
 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Student Participation

Team
– Four students, a teacher and a mentor

Only one team can represent your school
– We encourage any and all interested students to participate.
 Multiple teams and send best contraption
 Entire class on one contraption
Chain Reaction Contraption Contest

Key activities for the contest
– Pre-contest day submissions
– Arrive on contest day to register and set-up
– Preliminary Round
 Operations Judging
 Special Awards Judging
– Special Awards Winners and Announcement
of Finalists
– Final Round
 Operations Judging
– Final Awards Ceremony
Rules
The complete contest rules are available on
the web site
(included in the Official Handbook)
http://www.chainreactioncontest.org
Rules

Changes
– Score Sheet 1 – Presentation
 Sample Question 1
– What did this project teach you about science and
engineering?
 Question 1
– How well did the students describe the principles used
in, and answer questions about, their contraption?
Rules

Changes
– Score Sheet 2 – Contraption Operation
 Question 17 - How much of the contraption
consists of used/recycled rather than new donated
or purchased materials?
– 0 points if no items are used/recycled; 5 points if half the
items are used/recycled; 10 points if all of the items are
used/recycled.
 Corresponding change in the list of materials
Rules

Key Questions
– How well does the contraption complete the
requirements of the task?
 0 points if the task was completed poorly or unsuccessfully;
20 points if the task was completed extraordinarily well.
– How unique and creative is the approach to achieving
the task?
 0 points if approach to achieving the task is not unique or
creative at all; 10 points if the approach to achieving the task
is very unique and creative.
– How creative is the engineering design of the
contraption?
 0 points if the contraption had no engineering creativity;
15 points if sophisticated engineering creativity was used.
Points
Conceptual Design
 Photographic Progress Reports
 Verbal Presentation
 Chain Reaction Contraption Operation

(5 pts)
(10 pts)
(20 pts)
(110 pts)
145 Points

Also see the handbook for potential deductions.
Tips for Success

Building a great contraption
– Come up with a design and construction plan
– Set a schedule
– Find a stable and easily transportable platform
– Be patient, allow time to correct the flaws
– Be bold: change a step if it does not perform
consistently
– Be creative and don’t get discouraged
Tips for Success

Pre-contest day Activities
– Read the Official Handbook
 Pay attention to the score sheets while planning
your contraption and contest day strategy.
– Complete all activities on-time and in-full
Tips for Success

Contest Day
– Be ready for assigned times
– Turn in required items
– Be prepared for ‘changes’ to the contraption
because of the transportation
 Bring a box of emergency supplies and
consumables.
Tips for Success

Operations Judging
– Verbal presentation
 A polished verbal presentation “sells” your
contraption to the judges. Rehearse and plan for
contest day.
 Highlight key/unique/creative approaches and
steps to the judges.
 “teach” the judges how to watch your contraption
and when it is complete.
Tips for Success

Operations Judging
– Contraption Operation
 Have a checklist and use it to make sure
everything is right before starting each run.
 Check with the judges before touching the
contraption.
 The judges are looking for a well coordinated reset
 Relax
Contraption Demonstration

2009-10 Contest – Construct a Building
Contraption Demonstration

2010-11 Contest – Make Change for a Dollar
Questions?
Additional Information
Step Definition
A step is defined as an action that results in
another action working towards the final goal of
the machine. For example, the act of tipping over
a block of wood with a rolling ball is a step. The
actual tipping motion of the block is NOT a step,
unless it causes another action to occur. A series
of the same actions repeated (such as dominoes
knocking each other over or a ball hitting another
ball) are considered to be one step in the spirit of
the Chain Reaction Contraption Contest.
Rules

Administrative Rules
– Set up by assigned time on contest day.
– No new construction is permitted at the contest site.
– Contestants are responsible for removing their
contraption and any debris after the contest.
– Judging will be based on the rules set forth in the
Official Handbook.
– The judges will inspect the contraption for safety and
rules infractions. The judges decisions are final.
– The team must not spend more than $100 on the
contraption.
Rules

Dimensions
– The finished contraption
must not exceed
5 ft x 3 ft x 2 ft. The
contraption, while
operating, must remain
inside the dimensions.
The platform is included in
the maximum dimension
measurement.
Rules

Time Limit
– Each contraption must take at least 30
seconds to run completely through its steps
and must not run longer than 2 minutes.
– You will be required to run your contraption
completely through its steps, reset your
contraption, then run it through its steps
again.
– Your reset must take less than 4 minutes.
Rules

Restarts & Human Interventions
– If your contraption should fail during its
operation, you may decide whether to:
 continue the run by helping a step along (a human
intervention)
 give up on the run and call a restart.
– A restart
 before the contraption completes its final step
 only when the contraption is stalled
– Only one restart will be allowed per run
during the contest.
Rules

Miscellaneous
– Each step must be marked on the contraption
– No objects may leave the contraption boundary
– Teachers, mentors and spectators are not allowed to
coach or ask questions of the team
– Turn in the Media Release Forms for each team
member
– Turn in your List of Steps, List of New Donated or
Purchased Materials & Contraption Photo
– We will not tolerate Unsportsmanlike Conduct by
team members
Important Dates
October 3
October 10
October 24
November 7
November 21
November 28
December 9
Registration
Conceptual Design Proposal Due
Photographic Progress Report 1 Due
Photographic Progress Report 2 Due
Photographic Progress Report 3 Due
Media Release Forms Due
Chain Reaction Contraption Contest
Orientation Agenda
Introduction
 This Year’s Challenge
 Student Participation
 Contest Day
 Rules
 Tips for Success
 Questions
 Contraption demonstration
