1. Themes & Problems

Topics:

• Cashless Society
• Tablets vs Textbooks
• Virtual Appointments
• Police Body Cameras
• Standardized Testing

Design Challenge: Participants design an interactive book for an elementary school aged student in grades 3-5 on the role of thermal energy in weather related phenomena including thunderstorms and hurricanes.

To prepare for MS Coding competition, teams should have knowledge of concepts (software development, computer science, and coding topics) that will be on the Coding written test. They also should be familiar and comfortable with using the Scratch programming language.

Scratch is a free visual programming language available from the MIT Media Lab (https://scratch.mit.edu/starter_projects/). An offline version of the Scratch tool should be downloaded and available on each team’s laptop. 

Teams that advance to the semifinalist level, based on written test performance, will perform a challenge using the Scratch programming language. Semifinalist teams will receive the challenge on site and will have two hours to complete it. (PLEASE NOTE: Semifinalist teams MUST have a version of this program available for offline use, as there will be no Internet access available during the semifinalist level of the competition.)

Examples of the types of challenges students may be asked to complete can be found at this link: http://scratched.gse.harvard.edu/resources/short-scratch-programming-challenges.

Problem Challenge: Stark Industries recently had a virus that affected their daily operations. It was discovered that the compromise was related to a virus that created a botnet army of remotely controlled computers capable of stealing financial data. Explain some measures to identify viruses, as well as firm-wide measures that could be implemented in the workplace. 

Problem Challenge: In 2020, the United States government is conducting a national census. Using publicly available data sets, analyze and conduct research on population and demographic trends in your state.  Predict the outcomes and how the results could potentially impact your home state.

Theme: Nature

Please check the Competition Updates page for clarification regarding specifications.

Digital Communication has become a part of all levels of our daily lives. And most recently, an integral part of our socially distant world. Corporations of all sizes use digital communication to conduct business. Educational institutions use digital communication to conduct virtual learning between students and teachers and to communicate with parents. And, digital communication has become a primary tool for staying in touch with friends and family.

Write an argumentative essay in which you discuss different forms of digital communication and the positive and negative effects digital communication has on

• the corporate world
• education
• personal life

Teams need to be familiar with, and be able to demonstrate the following forensic science concepts:
1. Handwriting analysis
2. Dusting and lifting fingerprints
3. Crime scene sketching

Theme: Entertainment  

Design Challenge: Create a product to assist with disinfecting or encouraging healthy habits in a classroom.

Design Challenge: Teams design and build a "Rube Goldberg" mechanical device. This device will contain four (4) subsystems that when combined make up a larger system. Each subsystem will contain only two (2) types of simple machines in a fun and inventive way. Each type of simple machine must be used at least twice in the subsystem in which it is placed.  All six (6) simple machines must be represented in the final subsystem. The transfer of energy in the device will travel a specific path from start to finish for a minimum of seven (7) seconds per board. The device must be self-powered utilizing kinetic energy after the initial touch that starts the device. The device must be capable of repeating demonstrations with the reset time for the entire system to be less than three (3) minutes. The size of each sub system must not exceed 12” wide x 12” deep x 18” tall. The entire system must fit within an area of 24” wide x 24” deep x 18” tall. Each subsystem should be self-contained to its own 12”x12” base made from a material of your choice (please refer to the attached diagram for a visual reference)

Design Challenge: Design an interactive platform to promote reading and math to early elementary schoolers.

Design Challenge: Design a home for a family of five (5) in an economically developing country of your choice. The house must be designed in an area that has no access to the power grid.  The house must solve one other problem that is specific to the area that the house is being built other than no power grid access.  

Theme: Together Towards Tomorrow 

Design Challenge for the TSA Marketing Tool Kit:
You should approach your design with the following scenario in mind:  You are inviting participants to a fictitious special interest session on solar energy at the National TSA Conference that discusses the effects of solar energy on the earth’s surface.  You should use fake names for any presenters, speakers or organizations that you have taking part in your special interest session.  Your tool kit needs to include the following three items.

• Printable: Design an 8 ½ by 11 sheet advertising your special interest session to pass out at the conference
• Wearable:  a T-shirt that incorporates solar energy on the earth’s surface
• Digital Signage:  To be displayed at the Rosen Shingle Creek conference space that promotes this theme

Theme: The Gaming PC

Context: Tech hobbyists, enthusiasts, and casual gamers have turned to building DIY gaming PCs to pass the time, develop skills, and entertain in the midst of recent world events.

Challenge: Create a STEM animation that demonstrates what a gaming PC is, its production process, and what its future holds.

Please click here for the problem statement. 
MS Structural Engineering Analysis and Assessment Form
MS Structural Engineering Verification form

Theme: E-Bikes and Transportation

Context: An electric bicycle, also known as an e-bike or booster bike, is a bicycle with an integrated electric motor which can be used for propulsion. Due to recent global events, e-bikes have been seen as an alternative transportation solution within high-density, metropolitan cities.

Challenge: Develop a website that advertises a fictitious business specializing in electronic bicycles. Teams should strive to develop a business website that is interactive, engaging, graphically interesting, and easy to understand. Teams are reminded that the point of their solution should be to advertise the business to potential customers, who want to experience or convert to electronic bicycles.

Design Challenge: Create an Animatronic exhibit for a science center

Click here for the design problem.

Theme: The use of biotechnology in medicine

Theme: Create a pop-up book in which the pop-ups illustrate the story.  The story should include the use of non-renewable energy resources.

The following programming languages may be used to complete the assigned problems:

• C (version C11)
• C++ (version C++14)
• C# (version 6.0)
• Java (version 10)
• Javascript (NodeJS version 8.10)
• Python (version 3.6)
• Ruby (version 2.5)
• Swift (version 4.2)

Additional languages may become available as we near the conference.

Participants will be presented with a series of coding problems that must be completed on site at the conference. Evaluation will be based on the successful completion of the problems and the time in which it takes students or teams to complete all the challenges.

In addition to the specific HS Coding competition rules and regulations, students also must adhere to TSA’s general rules (found in the HS competitive events guide).

The USA Computing Olympiad website and the ACM-ICPC International website are helpful resources for the Coding event. Additional resources that can be used to prepare for the event are listed below:

• https://icpc.baylor.edu/compete/preparation
• https://www.codechef.com/
• http://www.usaco.org/index.php?page=contests
• http://blog.hackerearth.com/2013/09/competitive-programming-getting-started_11.html
• https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-strategy-to-improve-my-skills-in-competitive-programming-in-2-3-months 

Design Challenge: Create an original design and build a birdhouse. No kits are permitted - the design must be completely original. 

Debate: Internet as a necessity, not a luxury.
Sub Topic 1: The government should prioritize improving or initiating internet connections in rural areas.
Sub Topic 2: School districts must provide hotspots to all students.
Sub Topic 3: Small businesses must receive subsidized internet from the government.

Design Challenge: Interview with your future self

There are no special specifications or theme for 2020. Refer to the event’s regulations and procedures for all specifications. 

Design Challenge: Identify a need in a developing country and design a project that will empower that community to meet basic human needs (for ideas, check out: Engineers Without Borders and other similar organizations that are helping people build better, safer communities).

Design Challenge: In the professional workforce, proper work attire is essential. Students consider the challenges faced in workplace fashion and create proper, professional workplace attire. For example, someone working in an industry surrounded by harmful chemicals would need a uniform to protect them from that environment. Technological elements must be included in the construction of the garment. 

Theme: Nature

Please click here for the problem statement. 
HS Structural Team Verification and Analysis Form

Theme: The History of Supersonic Aircraft.

Theme: An adventure game.

Theme: Medical On Demand

Context:  Due to recent global events, consumers and the healthcare industry were forced to change their medical screening practices. Virtual appointments via mobile interfacing and webcam communications have been used for patients that were unable to or restricted from physically seeing a doctor.

Challenge: Create a fictional medical telecommunications company and design a website. The website should serve as a guide for information about the company and their communication services provided. Present an overview of services as if you were a consumer. Provide the type of solutions your company creates, sells, and/or serves. Sections of the site may include photos, product descriptions, renderings, company history, contact, and news updates.

Problem Challenge: Research a local, regional, state, or national transportation issue.

Design Challenge: Since Perkins vs legislation requires that each school have a Program Advisory Committee populated by local individuals from business and industry, contestants must create a packet of promotional items, with the intent of recruiting those business and industry leaders to serve on the local committee.