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SUPAR at the Great Lakes Sturgeon Bowl Competition

SUPAR students once again competed in the Great Lakes Sturgeon Bowl Competition, taking Third Place in the Silver division and the prize for good sportsmanship.  Students studied across a wide range of topics to prepare for the competition, including:

• learning about plate tectonics and how those affect the shape of the ocean floor, ocean water chemistry, currents, and ocean life;
• how scientists monitor conditions in the deep ocean;
• the mechanics of ocean currents and waves, how these are affected by the physics of the earth's rotation, and how these are changing in response to climate change;
• and many more topics.

Students had to answer pop-up questions in multiple-choice format.  After answering a pop-up question correctly, the team could answer an open-ended question to earn additional points.  Each round also included a Team Challenge Question, which was a multi-part question that the team had to answer in writing.

The Sturgeon Bowl is the Wisconsin Regional Competition of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, an oceanography competition for high school students across the country. "Lake Sturgeon Bowl is a round robin, double-elimination academic tournament that provides a forum for students who excel in math and science. Students receive national recognition for their diligence and talent while broadening their awareness and understanding of the oceans and Great Lakes" (UWM Great Lakes WATER Institute, http://www.glwi.uwm.edu/sturgeonbowl/). 

"The Lake Sturgeon Bowl is coordinated by the UWM School of Continuing Education, the WATER Institute, and the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Advisory Services, and is made possible by the support of numerous partners, sponsors, and contributors. More than 100 volunteers, including UWM students, faculty, staff, and community members helped run this year's event" (UWM Great Lakes WATER Institute, http://www.glwi.uwm.edu/features/news/WATERNews2010LakeSturgeonBowl.php).

For more news coverage of the Sturgeon Bowl, see this story from:

• the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/83736442.html; and
• Centers for Ocean Sciences and Education Excellence, http://coseenow.net/2010/02/nosb/

SUPAR's goal: move into the Gold division and, one of these years, take the top prize!

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