How to Participate – Guide for Educators

1. Reserve your place in Chemagination by January 15, 2012

   • Communicate your intent to participate to the Chemagination Coordinator.
      

2. Launch the competition in your school.

   • Alert other teachers, science club advisors, and students in grades 9-12 to the competition. (The competition offers possibilities for cross-curricular planning with Art and English teachers—in some areas students have received a grade in several classes for different aspects of their work on Chemagination.)

   • Photocopy the materials for distribution to students.

   • Review the rules with the students.

   • Oversee the formation of teams and selection of categories.

   • Advise the students as they research their ideas, suggest resources like the ACS website www.acs.org/education and/or contact mentors.
      

3. Remain in contact with the local section of ACS sponsoring the competition.

   • You will receive several informative communications from the local Chemagination Coordinator.

   • We welcome dialogue about the competition.
      

4. Select the top four to eight entries from your school (1 or 2 per category) – 8 maximum.

   • Evaluate the articles and select a maximum of two articles per category. Notify students selected that they should prepare their visual display and rehearse answers for judges’ questions.
      

5.  Complete the “Article Submission Form” by March 23, 2012 and submit copies of each article to your local Chemagination Coordinator as described on the form.

   • Your form and entries must be received on time to allow the program to be created and to allow the judges enough time to give the articles their first score (emphasizing article content).

   • Please print or type the information on the form, and be sure the articles are labeled with school name, student names and category!

   • Go to http://www.princeton.edu/~pacs/ for an entry form.
      

6.  Attend the Chemagination contest at Princeton University (tentative date: April 14, 2012).

   • A tabletop display, much like what one would make for a science fair, is brought to the meeting, showing the students’ design for the cover of the issue of ChemMatters, a visual representation of the article’s content with a minimum of text and a list of references cited.

   • At least one member of each competing team must attend the judging.

   • A second score is received, based on the display and the ability to convey ideas in the interviews.

   • Team members will be responsible for the set-up and removal of their entries.

   • Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony following the judging.

Questions? e-mail  the Chemagination Coordinator

Must be returned by:

March 23, 2012

Additional resources:

* Competition Overview

* Guide for students