THINKING CAP QUIZ BOWL IN YOUR SCHOOL!

November 11, 2009

WELCOME...

            to the Great Plains 5th/6th Grade Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl. With all your testing for No Child Left Behind, we believe our quiz bowls can show test taking is fun instead of a chore or something to fear.  They are teamwork at its best!  See the class or team come together as each shares his or her knowledge for a common goal.  Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl offers your students the opportunity to have a fun, but educational, team experience.  We invite you to consider Thinking Cap quizzes for their excellent monetary and educational value - a positive and fun way to compete with others in your area.

            Our policy to group some states together to make viable contests available for all has been received with no negative feedback, so we continue to offer those contests by region.  The states included in the Great Plains 5th/6th grade Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl are Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.   

            If you want more quiz bowl fun and more competition, we proudly offer our 5th/6th Grade America Answers, nationwide online contest for the 6th year.  Last year 396 teams participated from 40 states.  Offered for 2 weeks in the spring and done only via the Internet, which adds security, it can only be taken once.  A separate entry form and information about this is also available on the website under America Answers.

CONTEST RULES...

            Each school may enter as many teams as it wishes, however only one team score will be recorded for each contest disk purchased.  Your school may purchase one disk and use it for more than one team, calling in only the highest score.  Your school may also copy the original disk to use with several teams at once.  To enter both a 5th grade team score and a 6th grade team score, you would need to purchase two disks.

TEAM SELECTION...

            This is a team activity but there is no limit to the number of students on each team.  You may select a special team or enjoy it as a regular class event.  Teams of mixed grade levels enter as the highest grade level represented.  This is not meant to be networked.  The whole team is meant to be around one computer with only one student entering the team's answers on the keyboard. A digital projector can be used for large group participation.

THE CONTEST...

            Approximately one week prior to the event, entrants will receive the official contest CD of 100 outstanding, thought-provoking, multiple-choice questions.  Categories include history, spelling, math, science, English, current events, children's literature, government, sports, geography, general information, and fun trivia.  Color graphics enhance the competition and participants are rewarded for correct answers by points and encouraging comments and sounds.  While a team gets two tries on each question, speed and accuracy on the first attempt build the highest score.  Contest rules and strategy tips will be sent with each disk. System Requirements for our quiz bowl:  PC-Windows 95 or newer and MAC System-OS 10.  PLEASE BE AWARE, our CD software REQUIRES INSTALLATION onto your desktop.  You cannot run the CD directly from the disk.

PRACTICE DISKS...

            While no practice is needed prior to taking the contest, we offer 10 practice disks.  A NEW practice disk this year is the America Answers #5.  This practice disk includes the 100 questions that made up last spring’s online contest.  The preceding four year’s America Answers contests as well the previous two year’s state/region contests are available as practice disks.  Also available is the "Student Authored" Practice Disk that is the winning questions and answers gleaned from a past contest for student composed questions.   We also offer both a "Best of the First Five Years" and "Best of the Second Five Years" Practice Disks, featuring the best questions from our early contests.  These are perfect for people who joined our contest later or whose early disks are no longer technologically compatible.  All practice disks are 100 questions and cover all subjects in the regular contest format for $17.00 each.  PRACTICE DISKS MAY BE COPIED!

THE DAY OF THE CONTEST...

            On the day of the QUIZ, access the preinstalled contest (from CD) on your computer desktop, enter the title and password, and begin!   The program is entirely self-explanatory and definitely easy to use.  The contest disk requires approximately one hour to complete.  If the official test date conflicts with another school activity or a testing schedule, you may take the contest before the official date.  Please indicate in a note on your entry form the date you want to take the contest so it can be sent earlier.  Or you may take the contest on the morning of the following day.  However, scores must be reported by 12:00 (noon) central time on the day following the contest day.  Taking the contest after 12:00 (noon) on the day following the contest is not an option.  Please Note The Contest Date On Your Calendar.  If you don't have your contest disk three school days before the contest date, contact THINKING CAP.   Due to our product's time sensitive nature, no refunds, except for defective disks, will be given after the contest date.  

REPORTING RESULTS...

            When the team has completed the contest, the computer displays the total number of points earned and an encrypted score which is used to verify the reported scores.  The information is then phoned to THINKING CAP where results are tabulated.  Complete printable results of contest ranking will be available online to all teams on the day after the contest.  A team trophy and individual ribbons for the 5th and 6th grade winners follow shortly.  The 5th and 6th grade teams are judged separately for awards so you would need to purchase two disks to enter both pools.

HOW TO ENTER...