
Exploravision
Ages:Elementary, Middle School, High School
Type:Submission
Category:STEM
Scope:National
Registration
Entry Fee: $
Contact
The Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision science competition for K–12 students engages the next generation in real world problem solving with a strong emphasis on STEM. ExploraVision challenges students to envision and communicate new technology 20 years in the future through collaborative brainstorming and research of current science and technology. Beyond engaging your students in problem solving, team-based learning, critical thinking, and communication skills, ExploraVision aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards.
ExploraVision is a science competition for K–12 students of all interest, skill, and ability levels. The competition encourages students to combine their imaginations with the tools of science to create and explore a vision of a future technology. Students work in groups of two, three or four, and are guided by a team coach and an optional mentor. Each team selects a technology, or an aspect of a technology, which is present in the home, school, or community, or any other technology relevant to their lives. They will explore what the technology does, how it works, and how, when, and why it was invented. The students must then project into the future what that technology could be like 20 years in the future and determine what scientific breakthroughs need to occur to make it a reality.
Students must complete a project describing a science or technology concept 20 years in the future. Each project must include an abstract, description, bibliography, and five sample Web pages. Each student may only submit one project via online per year. However, each teacher/coach can participate in multiple projects per year. Each complete project must consist of:
- Enter your projects via online
- An abstract (150 words max.)
- The project description (11 pages max.)
- Bibliography
- Five sample Web pages
- Present Technology*: An overview of the present form of the technology including scientific principles involved in its functioning. A problem definition or limitation of this present technology that you address in your ExploraVision project.
- History: Research and description of the history of the technology from its inception.
- Future Technology: Description of the team's vision for what this technology would be like in 20 years, including scientific principles involved in developing the technology.
- Breakthroughs*: Research and description of breakthroughs that are necessary to make the future technology design a reality. Description of why this future technology doesn't exist today. (Choose one of your required breakthroughs and describe an investigation that would have to be planned and carried out to test your ExploraVision project. If possible, include the kind of data or measurements that would be collected in the investigation.)
- Design Process*: Description of three alternative ideas of features the team considered for their project. The ideas and features should be directly related to the project. Describe why the team rejected each feature and idea in favor of the ones in the submitted technology. Describe how your future technology feature is better than the rejected design feature.
- Consequences*: Description of recognition that all technologies have positive and negative consequences including the potential positive and negative consequences of the new technology on society.
- Primary Level (Grades K – 3)
- Upper Elementary Level (Grades 4 – 6)
- Middle Level (Grades 7 – 9)
- High School Level (Grades 10 – 12)
- Present technology: 10 points
- History: 10 points
- Future technology: 20 points
- Breakthroughs: 15 points
- Design process: 10 points
- Consequences: 10 points
- Bibliography: 5 points
- Sample Web pages: 20 points
Website: https://www.exploravision.org/
Managing Organization: National Science Teachers Association
Contact:
exploravision@nsta.org
Eligibility:
All projects must meet the following requirements:
<ul>
<li>All entrants must be United States or Canadian citizens and living within the United States, U.S. Territories or Canada and enrolled full-time in a public, private or home school</li>
<li>Students must be no older than 21 years of age</li>
<li>National Science Teachers Association employees, NSTA board members, ExploraVision judges and their respective families are not eligible to enter the competition</li>
<li>Any project that has won at ExploraVision's regional and/or national levels may not be re-submitted in future years</li>
<li>Any project previously awarded a prize in another competition may not be submitted</li>
<li>Any student who was selected as a regional or national finalist in ExploraVision can only compete in subsequent years with a new team — i.e., with students who have not previously been selected as ExploraVision regional or national finalists</li>
<li>Students enter as a team of 2-4 students with a teacher/coach and optional mentor (no individual entries)</li>
</ul>
Registration Opens: July 1, 2019
Registration Closes: February 11, 2020
Overview
The Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision science competition for K–12 students engages the next generation in real world problem solving with a strong emphasis on STEM. ExploraVision challenges students to envision and communicate new technology 20 years in the future through collaborative brainstorming and research of current science and technology. Beyond engaging your students in problem solving, team-based learning, critical thinking, and communication skills, ExploraVision aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards.
ExploraVision is a science competition for K–12 students of all interest, skill, and ability levels. The competition encourages students to combine their imaginations with the tools of science to create and explore a vision of a future technology. Students work in groups of two, three or four, and are guided by a team coach and an optional mentor. Each team selects a technology, or an aspect of a technology, which is present in the home, school, or community, or any other technology relevant to their lives. They will explore what the technology does, how it works, and how, when, and why it was invented. The students must then project into the future what that technology could be like 20 years in the future and determine what scientific breakthroughs need to occur to make it a reality.
Process
- Enter your projects via online
- An abstract (150 words max.)
- The project description (11 pages max.)
- Bibliography
- Five sample Web pages
- Present Technology*: An overview of the present form of the technology including scientific principles involved in its functioning. A problem definition or limitation of this present technology that you address in your ExploraVision project.
- History: Research and description of the history of the technology from its inception.
- Future Technology: Description of the team's vision for what this technology would be like in 20 years, including scientific principles involved in developing the technology.
- Breakthroughs*: Research and description of breakthroughs that are necessary to make the future technology design a reality. Description of why this future technology doesn't exist today. (Choose one of your required breakthroughs and describe an investigation that would have to be planned and carried out to test your ExploraVision project. If possible, include the kind of data or measurements that would be collected in the investigation.)
- Design Process*: Description of three alternative ideas of features the team considered for their project. The ideas and features should be directly related to the project. Describe why the team rejected each feature and idea in favor of the ones in the submitted technology. Describe how your future technology feature is better than the rejected design feature.
- Consequences*: Description of recognition that all technologies have positive and negative consequences including the potential positive and negative consequences of the new technology on society.
Criteria
- Primary Level (Grades K – 3)
- Upper Elementary Level (Grades 4 – 6)
- Middle Level (Grades 7 – 9)
- High School Level (Grades 10 – 12)
- Present technology: 10 points
- History: 10 points
- Future technology: 20 points
- Breakthroughs: 15 points
- Design process: 10 points
- Consequences: 10 points
- Bibliography: 5 points
- Sample Web pages: 20 points
Awards
Participate
Website: https://www.exploravision.org/
Managing Organization: National Science Teachers Association
Contact:
exploravision@nsta.org
Entry Fee:
Eligibility:
All projects must meet the following requirements:
<ul>
<li>All entrants must be United States or Canadian citizens and living within the United States, U.S. Territories or Canada and enrolled full-time in a public, private or home school</li>
<li>Students must be no older than 21 years of age</li>
<li>National Science Teachers Association employees, NSTA board members, ExploraVision judges and their respective families are not eligible to enter the competition</li>
<li>Any project that has won at ExploraVision's regional and/or national levels may not be re-submitted in future years</li>
<li>Any project previously awarded a prize in another competition may not be submitted</li>
<li>Any student who was selected as a regional or national finalist in ExploraVision can only compete in subsequent years with a new team — i.e., with students who have not previously been selected as ExploraVision regional or national finalists</li>
<li>Students enter as a team of 2-4 students with a teacher/coach and optional mentor (no individual entries)</li>
</ul>
Deadlines
Registration Opens: July 1, 2019
Registration Closes: February 11, 2020