7 Tips to Forming a Successful NOSB Team #2

Make a Study Schedule

Make an agenda or study schedule during your first meeting. Your team needs to decide how many hours they will spend per week practicing. Initially, practice times may be short, but as the competition nears you may want to schedule more intensive practices. Finding the time for all the students to meet can be difficult; establishing the same day and time every week for a practice session is usually the most efficient way to handle many conflicting schedules. Decide how long your meetings will last. An hour meeting might be broken up with 30 minutes of review of the subject for the week, and 30 minutes of knowledge games.

The difficulty of the practice questions is more important than the length of time spent practicing. Brainstorm on what your team thinks are good ideas for review and practice. At least 2 practice competitions are recommended. This will help familiarize the students with the rapid fire, oral presentation for the questions (which is quite different from answering review questions from their text books). Keep the team enthusiastic and focused on the task at hand each week. Bring in science teachers or the school principal to act as practice moderators. Be sure the contest rules are adhered to stringently.

Example Schedule:

Week 1: Introductions/Fun meeting.

Week 2: Biology and Chemistry

Week 3: Physics and Technology

Week 4: Marine Geology and Geography

THANKSGIVING BREAK

Week 5: Current Events, Marine Policy, and Social Sciences

Week 6: Review Rules and Strategies

Week 7: Practice Competition

WINTER BREAK

Week 8: Biology and Chemistry

Week 9: Physics and Technology

Week 10: Marine Geology and Geography

Week 11: Current Events, Marine Policy, and Social Sciences

Week 12: Review Rules, Strategies, and 7 Disciplines

Week 13: Practice Competition

Week 14: Practice Competition

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