ChemSurvivor.html

Chem Survivor
Creighton University
and the
University of Nebraska at Omaha's
Chemistry Field Day

Objective: To survive a number of chemistry intellectual and decision-making challenges in four different sets of circumstances.

Instructions: The room will be divided into two regions, the Sea and the Shore. Teachers and spectators are on Shore.

In the Sea there are four islands of challenges:

Island of Amazing Chemical Names: Answer questions to be guided through a maze.
Island of the Periodic Pillar: Where the Periodic Table and Jenga meet.

Island of Crossed Words: A crossword puzzle with a chemistry theme

The Formula for Staying Afloat: Predicting chemical formulas makes “cents”, but know when to quit!

Rules.
Each island has its own Field Day Volunteer (FDV). The FDV may not communicate in any form (including verbal, gestures, facial expressions) any information, strategy or advice to the island survivors. The FDV does not speak except (a) when determining who stays on the island; (b) when selling a hint; (c) when delivering a message in a bottle (and then only speaks on Shore); (d) enforcing the rules. Island survivors may not ask questions of the FDV. FDVs assure game rules are obeyed.

Only three survivors can stay at each island. Before the surviving begins, the FDV will determine, by luck of the draw, who stays and who has to wait on shore. With each move to a new island, all participants (including those who may have been on shore) draw to see who stays on the new island.

Field Day Books may not be used on the islands. (They were ruined when the boat sank.)

Teams spend 6.02 minutes per island and then move to the next island as directed by the FDV.

Scoring. At each island teams can earn up to 25 points by successfully completing the survival challenge. (Fees for hints and message-in-a-bottle delivery are deducted). The four scores are added together at the end of the event for a total of 100 possible points.

Message in a Bottle. Each island has a bottle that can be used to send questions to shore for anyone to answer, including your teacher, but excluding Field Day personnel. Team members specify whom they want to receive the bottle. The FDV will deliver the bottle to the intended recipient on Shore. The FDV will return the bottle (with written answer) to the island. Sending a message costs 2 points each and there is a 3-message limit per island.

Get a Clue! Island survivors can buy a clue from the FDV for 1 point (rather useless information: “The palm tree is fake!”), 2 points (a good hint: “You made a mistake here (pointing)”) or 3 points (BIG nudge!: “The answer is ‘D’.”).

Important WARNING! No Undo! Some decisions made by the survivors can never be undone. If the team makes a decision that results in catastrophic loss of points, our sincere condolences — but nothing more! Don’t even ask! Hey! Every once in awhile, the boat flips!

Complete Rules for each Island:

Instructions: An empty boat awaits you at this island — and the chance to load it up with doubloons before you leave the island! All you need to do is correctly identify the formula of a compound and one doubloon is yours — if you can load it on the boat without sinking it!

The Rules:
1. Field Day Manuals may not be used at this island. (Your team will discover that some ol’ pirate nailed a periodic table to the tree on this island.)
2. The Field Day Volunteer (FDV) introduces the game and these rules.
3. The FDV determines what team member(s) must return to shore.
4. The FDV starts the game and the team has 6.02 minutes to work.
5. The Survivor answering the question and handling the doubloon is called “Skippy”.
6. Members of the team take turns at being Skippy. Each Skippy is given one turn and then the role of Skippy passes in a clockwise direction around the island.
7. Skippy starts her/his turn by drawing a chemical name from the treasure chest.
8. Skippy always has first choice in providing the correct answer without the help of teammates. Skippy reads the formula privately without showing teammates. Skippy then writes the chemical formula on the paper provided and gives it to the FDV sitting at your table. If Skippy can answer it alone, he/she will be given two doubloons to load onto the boat.
9. If Skippy cannot provide the answer, he/she can ask the team to help. If the group of survivors can correctly write the formula, the team will earn one doubloon.
10. If no survivor on the island can identify the atomic symbol, the team can (a) send a message in a bottle to the team’s survivor on shore or (b) tell the FDV that they cannot answer the question (See “Wrong Answers/No Answer” to learn about the consequences of this.) “Messages in a bottle” can be sent for free from this island!
11. The FDV will ascertain the correctness of all answers. If the answer is correct, the FDV will hand one or two doubloons to Skippy and he/she must load them on the boat. If two doubloons are to be loaded, and the team thinks the second one will sink the boat, they elect to forfeit the second doubloon and end the game.
12. WRONG ANSWER/NO ANSWER: If the answer is incorrect or the team cannot provide the formula, the doubloon is thumb-flipped in the direction of the cup by the FDV. The FDV will rest her/his hand within the square on the game sheet and flip the doubloon towards the cup placed over the circle on the game sheet. If the boat sinks, the game is over! Let’s hope the palm tree deflects some of these!
13. Play continues until the boat sinks or until the team decides to quit or until the time runs out.

Scoring.
1. Minimum score: 0 points; maximum score: 25 points.
2. Your team will receive one point for every doubloon safely loaded onto the boat. If the boat sinks, the doubloon that caused the sinking is not counted.
3. Your team will receive a 5 point bonus if the boat did not sink.

Instructions: A Jenga pillar of wood greets you at this island. Each piece of wood contains the name of an element (Atomic Numbers 1 – 92). Your team’s job is to push these pieces out, one at a time and identify the atomic symbol of the element written on the wooden piece. Points are earned by correctly identifying the atomic symbol of the element listed. Play continues until the team decides to quit, time runs out, or the pillar crashes!

The Rules:

1. Field Day Manuals may not be used at this island.
2. The Field Day Volunteer (FDV) introduces the game and these rules.
3. The FDV determines by lottery what team member(s) must return to shore (with everyone’s manuals).
4. The FDV starts the game and the team has 6.02 minutes to work.
5. The Survivor removing the piece of wood is called the “pillar prodder”. The prodder may use only one hand. The other one must not be on the table.
6. Members of the team take turns at pillar prodding. Each prodder removes only one piece and the role of prodder passes in a clockwise direction around the island. Only pieces below the square pillar cap can be removed.
7. The prodder always has first choice in providing the correct atomic symbol by writing the atomic symbol on the paper provided and give it to the FDV sitting at your table.
8. If the prodder cannot provide the element’s atomic symbol, other members of the team may help.
9. If no survivor on the island can identify the atomic symbol, the prodder can (a) send a message in a bottle to the team’s survivor on shore or (b) place the piece on top of the pillar. Note: Messages in a bottle can be sent for free from this island!
10. The FDV will ascertain the correctness of all answers. If the answer is correct, the FDV will keep the piece and it will count towards the team’s score. If the answer is incorrect, the piece must be placed on top of the pillar by the prodder.
11. It is forbidden for team members to touch the pillar. Touching the tower to support it, straighten or adjust it, or prevent it from collapsing is considered the same as causing the pillar to fall (see rules below).
12. Play continues until the pillar falls or until the team decides to quit or until the time runs out.

Scoring.
1. Minimum score: 0 points; maximum score: 25 points.
2. Your team will receive one point for every piece removed and correctly identified.
3. Your team will receive a 5 point bonus if the pillar did not fall.

Instructions: A chemistry maze greets you at this island. The three survivors work together to complete it within the allotted time.

The Rules:

1. Field Day Manuals may not be used at this island.
2. The Field Day Volunteer (FDV) introduces the game and these rules. The FDV will also go over the instructions on the maze clue sheet.
3. FDV explains that shore-based team members cannot speak or communicate in other ways with anyone (on shore or on the island) during this entire event. Penalty is 3-points charged against the team’s final score.
4. The FDV determines by lottery what team member(s) must return to shore (with everyone’s manuals).
5. The FDV starts the game and the team has 6.02 minutes to work.
6. The Survivors travel through the maze to the best of their abilities. They may work together.
7. Island survivors can send a message in a bottle to the team’s survivor(s) on shore. Messages sent to shore from this island cost 2 points each and there is a 3-message limit.
8. Island survivors can buy a hint for a fee from the FDV. Prices: for 1 point: rather useless information, 2 pts: a pretty good hint (Exact words will be either “You are correct up until the question you are working on” or “You have made a mistake prior to the question you are working on.”) or 3 pts for a BIG nudge — the correct answer for any single question specifically requested by the team. (Ask the FDV, using these words, “For 3 points, tell us the answer to Intersection #3”, for example.
9. The FDV will ascertain the correctness of all answers after the island visit is over. Check the score-board!
10. It is forbidden for team members to talk to anyone other than their island-based survivors.
11. Play continues until the maze is complete or until the team decides to quit or until the time runs out.

Scoring.
1. Minimum score: 0 points; maximum score: 25 points.
2. Team will receive one point for each correct answer, ten points for correctly completing the puzzle (the highlighting matches our key), two points for trying.
3. Your team will be charged 1 - 3 points for information purchased from the FDV.
4. Your team will be charged 2 points for every message sent in a bottle.

Instructions: A small chemistry-themed crossword puzzle greets you at this island. The three survivors work together to complete it within the allotted time.

The Rules:

1. Field Day Manuals may not be used at this island.
2. The Field Day Volunteer (FDV) introduces the game and these rules.
3. FDV explains that shore-based team members cannot speak or communicate in other ways with anyone (on shore or on the island) during this entire event. Penalty is 3-points charged against the team’s final score.
4. The FDV determines by lottery what team member(s) must return to shore (with everyone’s manuals).
5. The FDV starts the game and the team has 6.02 minutes to work.
6. The Survivors complete the puzzle to the best of their abilities. They may work together.
7. Island survivors can send a message in a bottle to the team’s survivor(s) on shore. Note: Messages in a bottle are fee-paid from this island! Each message costs one point.
8. The FDV will ascertain the correctness of all answers after the island visit is over. Check the score-board!
9. It is forbidden for team members to talk to anyone other than their island-based survivors.
10. Play continues until the puzzle is complete or until the team decides to quit or until the time runs out.

Scoring.
1. Minimum score: 0 points; maximum score: 25 points.
2. Your team will receive two points for every correct word in the puzzle.
3. Your team will be charged 1 point if the for every erroneous word or word left blank.
4. Your team will be charged 1 point for every message sent in a bottle.
5. Puzzles perfectly completed are scored 25 points.