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Sleek Geeks Science Prize - Secondary School
WINNER - The Copernican System
Youngest Ever Eureka Entrant Blows His Stack
The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes attracted the youngest ever entrant this year when four-year-old Aydin Neighbour from Byron Bay entered a video about volcanoes in the Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Schools prize. Aydin's video, What?! A mountain blows its top off?, has been highly commended in the primary section of the prize. With the help of a whiteboard, ruler, water, baking soda and vinegar, Aydin gives a slick demonstration of a mountain blowing its top, complete with enthusiastic commentary.
The Sleek Geeks prize is part of the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, the Oscars of Australian science. Coveted among science prizes, the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes were announced at a glittering event in Sydney on 19 August attended by a ‘who's who' of Australian science, government, academia and industry - and young students including Aydin!
Michael van Drempt from the University of Sydney won $3,000 in the university section of the Sleek Geeks Eureka prize with his irreverent entry A Fundamental Misunderstanding: a commentary on the evolution of physics.
This fast-paced animation takes a light-hearted look at a pretty heavy topic -the evolution of our understanding of the fundamental make-up of our universe. It covers everything from Newtonian physics to particle accelerators - with flight and weather prediction thrown in for good measure. And all in three minutes flat!
"Michael's use of very simple, often hand-drawn graphics proves that you don't need sophisticated animation to convey ideas well. His work captures the spirit of the Sleek Geeks Eureka prize," says Australian Museum Director, Frank Howarth.
Mitchell Connolly from Melbourne High School used Lego characters and mind-blowing animation in his video The Copernican System. The Year 10 student's video recounts the history of major scientific discoveries and illustrates the movement of the planets in our solar system. As winner in the secondary school category, Mitchell receives $2000 cash and a $500 book voucher - plus winning $2000 for his school. And there must be something happening in the science labs at Melbourne High, as last year's Sleek Geek winner was also from there.
A group of students from Tasmania's Table Cape Primary School won $500 cash, $500 in book vouchers and $500 for their school in the primary school category, with a delightful ‘clay-mation' video serendipitously titled Eureka!. Their video follows Archimedes as he hops in and out of his bath, puzzling over the rise and fall in the water line. Eureka!, inspired by Pamela Allen's book ‘Mr Archimedes' Bath', explains just where all the water goes.
The University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize is awarded for a short video piece that communicates a scientific concept in an accessible and entertaining way. The winning students will be profiled on Channel Ten's Totally Wild and the winning videos shown on Ten's TTN.
All winning entries can be seen on the ABC Science website. Go to http://www.abc.net.au/science/sleekgeeks/eureka/2008/
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Sponsor
The University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize is sponsored by University of Sydney, Faculty of Science.
Description
The University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize encourages students with a passion for science and for communicating ideas to tell a scientific story via a short film.
Entries must tell a real scientific story, which may be a scientific concept, discovery, invention, or the producer's own scientific hypothesis! Anything goes, but keep the science in the story, and keep the science real.
Entries are to take the form of a 1-3 minute film.
This competition is about scientific content and communication of the content, not production values ie. judging criteria are not related to how much money is spent on production and editing. While good quality production is encouraged, this will not be a major consideration in judging entries. After all, the Sleek Geeks use simple slides and stand-up comedy (with excellent research and writing) to effectively communicate science to thousands of people each year.
Please read the Judges Hints & Tips before creating your entry.
prize
1st - $4,000 plus a $500 book voucher from Abbey's Bookshop, Sydney
2nd - $3,000
3rd - $2,000
Purpose
Communicating scientific ideas and discoveries to the world is a tricky task. Each year, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki (Julius Sumner Miller Fellow at the University of Sydney) and Adam Spencer enlighten thousands of Australians with their National Sleek Geek Week Tour.
The idea is to communicate a scientific concept(s) in a way that is accessible and entertaining to the public as a whole, while painlessly increasing their science knowledge or, as the Sleek Geeks like to say, "Learn something without even noticing".
Winning students will share cash and prizes. In the Secondary School categories, prize money is divided equally between the winning students and their school. Book vouchers are shared equally by members of the winning team.
Each student in a winning team in the Secondary School category will receive a copy of Microsoft Student. Each winning team will win for their school a copy of Microsoft Expression Web Designer.
PLUS: A representative of the 3 finalists in the Secondary School category will win a trip to Sydney for the 2008 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes Award Dinner on 19 August.
The top entries will receive significant media exposure. Channel Ten's TTN, the weekly news program for school-age children, will report on the secondary school winners and their entries.
In addition, Channel Ten's award-winning program Totally Wild will prepare a story on students responsible for producing the top secondary school entries. This story will be broadcast nationally and internationally on Totally Wild.
The top entries will also be featured on the ABC science website.
Judging Criteria
In assessing entries, judges will take into account:
1. Originality in the choice of the scientific concept(s)
For example, if everyone chooses to explain Einstein's Theory of Relativity, an entry that chooses Darwin's Theory of Evolution may score higher in this category in that no one else chose this topic.
2. Reality
No fake or loony science concepts please. We welcome innovative entries that may be explaining a new hypothesis or theory - but based on real science!
3. Quality of the science content
The purpose of the exercise is to explain a scientific concept(s) in an entertaining way - so there needs to be some real science content!
4. Originality of the communication method
For example, entries may incorporate music, acting, or multi-media applications in their entry to assist in telling the story.
5. Effectiveness of communication method
Were the communication methods effective? Could a person with no science knowledge understand the concept after watching the entry?
6. Audiovisual quality
Not everyone's audiovisual quality will be perfect. But the quality of the sound and picture needs to be good enough for judges to be able to see and hear the entry clearly enough to make a fair assessment!
In past years, the quality of sound recording - especially of voices - has sometimes made judging difficult. And if using music, remember not to drown out voices. Always check the audiovisual quality before sending in your entry.
The following websites have some great tips on basic video production: www.current.tv/make/training and http://channel4.com/fourdocs/guides/index.html
7. Adherence to time limit
8. Flair
That special "X Factor"!
Judges will also take into consideration the number of participant(s) involved in each entry to ensure that small teams and individuals are not disadvantaged.
The year and age of the entrants in each category will also be considered.
Entrants are required to indicate on their Entry Form the nature and extent of any assistance they receive (eg from teachers, parents, from outside the school) in making their entry.
Teacher notes and lesson plan available here.
Conditions of entry
The prize is open to Australian secondary students.
An individual can only enter once in any year, whether individually or in a group.
In the Secondary School category, the prize is open to an individual student or a team of no more than six (6) students.
An entry should be no less than 1 minute (minimum) and no longer than 3 minutes (maximum) in length, including titles and credits.
Online entry forms close 5pm AEST Friday 2 May 2008. Hard copy entries will not be considered until and unless an online entry form has been completed.
Completed entries must be received by the Australian Museum no later than 5pm AEST on Friday 9 May 2008. Entries delivered to the Australian Museum after this time will not be considered.
Entries must be submitted in one of the 2 following formats (listed in our preferred order, based on quality considerations):
DVD (PAL 720x576 25fps)
DVD-ROM / CD-ROM (High resolution QuickTime is preferred, but other popular formats will be accepted eg. .mpeg, .wmv, .avi).
Note: Programs must be delivered in PAL format (not NTSC), and preferably in PC format. It will also help us if you record a minimum of 15 seconds of black before the start and after the end of your program.
Entrants must keep their original edited material (ie. your Windows Media (.wmv, .avi ) or Mac Quicktime (.mov) format) and may be asked to provide this to the Museum if they become a finalist.
Copyright considerations are the entrants' responsibility. All sources of information, including illustrations and music, should be clearly referenced, acknowledged and/or credited.
It is the entrants' responsibility to ensure that the terms and conditions of any sponsorship or funding agreements entered into with a secondary party to produce the entry are met, and that full disclosure of such agreements is included as part of the supporting documentation for that entry.
Submitted material will not be returned.
The work entered/nominated for this prize may not be entered/nominated for another Australian Museum Eureka Prize.
The deliberations of the judging panel remain confidential. All recommendations and decisions taken are binding and final and no correspondence will be entered into on such matters.
Information provided by the entrant(s) in relation to the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes (including photos), may be used by the Australian Museum for promotional/publicity purposes.
Personal information provided in connection with the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes will be used only by the Australian Museum and only in connection with the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.
How to enter
1. Complete an online entry form
Submit the online entry form before 5.00pm AEST on Friday 2 May 2008. Make sure you print out a copy.
2. Prepare your hard copy entry
Prepare your hard copy entry by:
1) printing a copy of your online entry form as submitted
2) attaching it to a copy of your film submitted in one of the approved formats.
3. Submit your entry
The printed copy of your online entry form as submitted together with one copy of your film in the approved format should be sent to:
Sleek Geeks Eureka Prize - Secondary
Australian Museum
6 College Street
SYDNEY NSW 2010
4. Deadline for submission of entries
Your entry must be sent by post or courier to arrive at the Australian Museum by 5.00pm AEST on Friday 9 May 2008.
Entries received after that time will not be accepted.
