On December 3, 2011 – United States
Academic Decathlon presented a scrimmage before the real competition in January
23, 2011. 25 schools gathered at Orange County education department to take the
practice test.
The Academic Decathlon
was formed in 1968 by Dr. Robert Peterson who was the superintendent of schools
in Orange County, California. On December 1968, the first Academic Decathlon was
held with 102 students from 20 local schools. Each year, the first place school
visited the White House and met with the current United States of America
president since President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Scrimmage was a practice
test to prepare students for actual competition on January 23, 2011 at Tustin
high school. Actual test of Academic Decathlon includes subject tests, essay,
super quiz, interview and speech.
In scrimmage, students took all subjects tests
and super quiz only. Subject tests include section on language and literature,
science, art, music, economics, and mathematics. Essay’s topic was not random
like SAT. Essay topic was based on the theme of this year, Age of Empire.
Speech section includes three minutes of personal speech then one minute of chosen
speech. In this one minute, student was to pick a card then make up a speech
for 1 minute based on the topic written on the card. In interview section, two
people ask students about themselves.
Most students who took
this scrimmage said that science section would be the hardest section. This
year, science curriculum presents an introduction to physical science and
includes discussions of significant scientific advances made during the
nineteenth century. More than half of science section included physics, which
is the course that only few sophomores are taking. It would be hard to learn
new science different than what student is learning at school, because science
always includes skill of memorization and understanding. There are also
economics, art, and music that only few students have interest in.
This event was great
opportunity to know how the test would be structured and what students have to
more focus on. It was great that all 25 high schools in Orange County met and
compete each other for Academic purposes.