Academic Bowl Club

  • In a 1979 protest in this city, students put “big character posters” on the Democracy Wall. The Monument to the People’s Heros is in a square where a man stood in front of a line of tanks in 1989. The Tiananmen Square protests took place in what Chinese city?
  • This disease can be diagnosed with a “methacholine challenge,” which is assessed using spirometry. A common treatment for this disease is Flovent, which is taken through an inhaler. What inflammatory disease of the lung airways manifests itself through namesake “attacks”?
  • This was the first country whose constitution recognized the Rights of Nature. Guayaquil is the most populous city in this country that controls that Galapagos Islands. Quito is the capital of what South American country whose name reflects its location along the equator?

(See answers below)

History, Literature, Mythology, Science, Math, Sports. Some kids love absorbing information from reading and current events. Some love the competition of testing their knowledge. Compass has an Academic Bowl Club (ABC) just for them! Kids who love the nitty gritty of almost any topic will get together *ONLINE* each week to test their knowledge, challenge each other, and practice as they prepare for area quiz bowls.

About
Each week, the Academic Bowl Club will divide into teams and participate in mock quiz bowls to test their knowledge and build their confidence. The ABC is structured around the National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT) and the International Academic Competitions (IAC). Quiz bowl is a competition in which two student teams face off to answer questions from a variety of areas including history, literature, science, fine arts, current events, popular culture, sports, and more. Quiz bowls use a buzzer system which adds anticipation and excitement to the competition. Bowls also have the challenge of toss-up and bonus questions. Club activities will also prepare members for academic bees (individual events.)

Membership
Club members must be homeschooled students in 4th-8th grade*. Grade* is defined by student’s age-based enrollment if he/she were in traditional school without acceleration, grade skipping, or delayed entry.

Eligibility
Just by joining the ABC, homeschooled kids from northern Virginia (Fairfax, Arlington, Loudon, and Prince William Counties) are eligible to participate on a Compass team in upcoming tournaments. [If your child is from another area or you have questions about eligibility, please contact the team organizer through Compass for clarification.] If requested by tournament organizers, participants may be asked to provide evidence of good standing as homeschoolers with their county’s current year acknowledgement/receipt of Notice of Intent and Evidence of Progress.

Meetings
Club members will meet ONLINE on Tuesdays from 4:00 pm- 5:00 pm. Meetings may occasionally extend until 5:15 pm to practice focused subjects with guest instructors/experts.

Competitions
The tentative competition schedule is:

  • National History Bowl Fall Middle School League: Each team may have up to 6 students, but only 4 students may compete at any one time. ABC members, therefore, need not compete every week to participate on a team. This tournament may qualify teams for Nationals.
  • National Academic Bowl Fall Middle School League Each team may have up to 6 students, but only 4 students may compete at any one time. ABC members, therefore, need not compete every week to participate on a team. This tournament may qualify teams for Nationals.
  • Thomas Jefferson Middle School Tournament

In each of the above competitions, ABC members will compete as a team in a single age group (8th grade and below). Although encouraged, participation from each student in each tournament (and tournament segment) is optional. ABC members will also have the opportunity to qualify for the IAC Regional Finals and Nationals, which host individual (bees) and some team (bowls) events in history, science, academic and geography categories.

Join
Sign up for the Academic Bowl Club through the Compass Activity Fees page. The membership fee covers team registration for area competitions, some team supplies, and expert monthly instruction on history topics most likely to appear at quiz bowls. If the team decides to participate in additional competitions, advances to finals or nationals, or individuals compete in bees, participants will incur additional registration fees.

Questions?
Contact ABC sponsor by e-mail: AcademicBowlClubCompass@gmail.com

Answers: Beijing, asthma, Ecuador