1. 2013-14 Contest Orientation

2. This Years Challenge Communicate a Message Carnegie Science Center – –Friday, December 13, 2013 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM

3. Chain Reaction Contraption Contest Pre-contest day activities Register and set-up(7:00 – 8:00) Preliminary Round(8:00 – 11:30) Operations Judging Special Awards Judging Special Awards Winners & Finalists(12:00-12:30) Final Round(12:45-3:30) Operations Judging Final Awards Ceremony(3:45-4:00)

4. Awards Operations Judging The top 3 teams will receive prizes For the School For the 4 Official Team Members Special Awards Judging Best Use of Gravity Rookie of the Year Longest Successfully Executed Contraption Best Presentation Most Mechanical Most Efficient Reset Best Execution of a Theme

5. Official Handbook Check out the handbook for a complete list of rules, score sheets, forms, available points, potential deductions and important dates! www.chainreactioncontest.org

6. Conceptual Design An illustrative drawing or drawings of your ideas for your contraption Does not need to match contest day contraption High level, not detailed steps Due October 11 th

7. Photographic Progress Reports A picture or two of the contraption's evolution Summary of what has happened Current list of steps Issues/challenges Innovative applications Due Oct 23 rd, Nov 13 and Dec 4 th

8. List of Materials Detailed list of items on the contest day contraption New – donated or purchased materials Used – recycled or scavenged materials Estimate the value Due Contest Day

9. 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.

10. 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 starting over (a restart) Time Limit Each contraption must take at least 30 seconds to run completely through its steps and must not run longer than 2 minutes. Your reset must take less than 4 minutes.

11. Several Key Questions How well does the contraption complete the requirements of the task? How unique and creative is the approach to achieving the task? How creative is the engineering design of the contraption?

12. Tips for Success – Pre-contest Step 1 – Read the Handbook! Pay attention to the score sheets while planning your contraption and contest day strategy. Come up with a design and construction plan Set a schedule Complete all activities on-time and in-full Dream, Build, Test and Revise – Think Repeatable Be patient, allow time to correct the flaws Be bold: change a step if it does not perform consistently Be creative and dont get discouraged Practice

13. Tips for Success – Contest Day Anticipate what could happen Emergency supplies and consumables (your triage kit) Transportation issues Show your hard work A polished verbal presentation sells your contraption Highlight key, unique and creative approaches and steps 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. Relax and have Fun!

14. Contraption Demonstration 2009-10 Contest – Construct a Building

15. Contraption Demonstration 2012-13 Contest – Fill a Container and Close It

16. Questions?

17. Step Definition A step is defined as an action that results in another action working towards the final goal of the contraption. 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) is considered to be one step in the spirit of the Chain Reaction Contraption Contest.