General Question Do’s & Don’ts Do:  Include clues in the question that vary in difficulty  Let the reader (moderator) know exactly what answer will be accepted as correct (or note similar answers that are not to be accepted)  Begin the question with an interrogative identifier, i.e. who, what, where, when, how, etc. Don’t:  Submit questions that have been published elsewhere  Write or submit questions that are lengthy (several sentences) or attempt to teach or persuade the listener prior to asking the question

Question Writing Tips from the Kansas Association of Scholars’ Bowl Coaches

Questions about Writing and Submitting Questions? It’s the time of year when I start to get antsy and excited because scholars’ bowl season is starting. It’s also the time of year when I realize the resolution I made with myself in January, to keep up with writing questions for scholars’ bowl, didn’t happen. I know I need questions for practices, my own tournament and to submit to KSHSAA and now I have to scramble to get those questions done. Where has the year gone? Why haven’t I written any questions that can be used for the upcoming season? Because life got busy and other things were bigger priorities.

mind, KASBC would like to offer some tips and tricks for writing questions, especially geared to those to be submitted to KSHSAA for the regional and state tournaments. Do you ever wonder why it seems as if none of the questions you submitted make the cut for regional or state tournaments? We have tried to provide some answers about what types of questions catch the eyes of those who work

Question Validation. Approximately 35 coaches, from all classifications, volunteer at KSHSAA in November to read through and validate all questions submitted. Questions will then be selected, based on specific criteria for each category, and used to create the rounds for regional and state tournaments. On behalf of KASBC, we hope you find the information contained in this newsletter to be helpful and informative. Please do not hesitate to contact your classification representative or any KASBC officer for clarification or assistance.

Now, however, is the time for writing questions to be a priority! With that thought in

Here Are the Categories...

Inside this issue: Nicht Deutsch Sprechen?

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Henry Ford or (Henry) Ford?

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“O Captain! My Captain!”

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The Fine Art of Fine

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10 Things I Know About Math

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Busting the Myths

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The Year that Was...

Fall 2015

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Dates to Remember

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Who We Are

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KASBC Board

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KSHSAA requires the electronic submission of 35 quality questions by Friday, October 23. Only questions submitted online will be accepted. No regional placement will be made until 35 questions have been submitted to KSHSAA. There is a $10 penalty for late submissions (after Oct. 23). To submit, you will need your KSHSAA login and password. If you have not been given this information, please ask your A.D. or building administrator. The categories for submission are as follows:  World Language: The same expression must be written in French, German and Spanish (IN THAT

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ORDER). Social Studies: Geography; Economics; World Government; US Government; World History; US History; Psychology Language Arts: American Literature; British Literature; World Literature-Russian, French, Latin American; Grammar & Usage; Spelling & Vocabulary; Religion-Bible, etc.; Mythology-Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian, etc. Mathematics: Algebra; Geometry; Trigonometry; Calculus; Probability & Statistics; Misc. Science/Health:

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Chemistry; Physics; Biology; Earth/Space Science. Fine Arts: Composers/ Artists; Definitions; Works/ Compositions; Philosophy; Dance/Theater; Misc.Woodworking, Textiles, Architecture. Year in Review: Government (US & World); Science, Technology & Health; Business & Finance; Entertainment & Sports; General News (US & World); Obituaries.

These categories can also be found on pages 8 & 14 of the 2015-2016 Scholars’ Bowl Manual and online here.

Question Writing Tips

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Nicht Deutsch Sprechen? (Don’t Speak German?) Tips for writing foreign language questions for submission to KSHSAA: 1. Questions should only be written in French, German and Spanish...IN THAT ORDER (alphabetical, please!) 2. DO NOT use an online translator. These are often incorrect because they translate exactly

what you asked, not the common usage in that language. This leads to awkward translations and multiple answers. 3. If you don’t have access to all three languages, skip the category and write more questions in other categories. Validation workers will set aside incomplete

submissions and work with those where all three languages are present first. 4. Keep in mind all classifications, 1A-6A, use the same regional and state questions. Smaller schools may not offer levels 3 or 4 of foreign languages.

Henry Ford or (Henry) Ford? Social Science Tips It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning. —Henry Ford

Do: Use the social science curriculum taught at your school as the basis for questions. Don’t: Write questions which require a date as the answer. Here’s an example of a quality social science question: Name the man who is known for perfecting the moving assembly line which built Model T cars at an amazing pace. (Henry) Ford Note there are two clues here that could lead to the answer of Henry Ford. The first clue is more obscure and the final clue is well known. This type of question allows students with more knowledge to answer early, but provides more information as well. Also note that the first name in the answer is in

parentheses. This helps denote what is required for a correct answer. Often questions are submitted without any determination by the author (you!) of what is required in the answer. Parentheses indicate that the first name is acceptable, but is NOT required, for the answer to be correct. First names are generally not required, except in cases when there are multiple people with the same last name that could be the answer, i.e. John Quincy Adams and John Adams or George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. Good, Better, Best You can take a basic question, and by focusing on the importance of an event or fact, re-word it to make it a better question. Basic question: Who founded behaviorism?

(B.F.) Skinner Better question: What psychological movement, written about by B.F. Skinner, focused on the use of operant conditioning? Behaviorism Best question: Identify the psychologist who wrote The Behavior of Organisms and is considered to have founded Radical Behaviorism through his use of operant conditioning. (B.F.) Skinner The final question gives three clues, the first of which is lesser known, followed by two more which are commonly known. When adding details to a question, avoid using very obscure facts that only a doctoral student would know. Identifying the important contributions or points before writing might help clarify what a questions should focus on.

If you have knowledge, let others light their candles with it. —Winston Churchill—

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“O Captain! My Captain!” When writing questions for submission to KSHSAA, it is especially tempting to submit questions that ask students to name authors when given titles of their major works. For example: What American poet is best known for his collection of poetry entitled Leaves of Grass? (Walt) Whitman This is a legitimate question. In fact, a committee working on selection questions might well choose it for use at regional or state. However, it is important to note that hundreds of questions very similar to this one are submitted each year, and the world of literature is much richer than title and author. Before submitting your questions, think about asking that question a bit differently: Name the collection of poems by Walt Whitman that includes the works “Song of Myself,” “I Sing the Body Electric,” and, in later editions,

Whitman’s elegy to assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d.” Leaves of Grass Questions meant for state competition, perhaps even in a final round, might have a slightly different approach: Name any two of the four poems in Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass that deal with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” “O Captain! My Captain!” “Hush’d be the Camps ToDay” “This Dust Was Once the Man” It is important to note, however, that we don’t want all the answers to language arts questions to center on author names and titles of works. Remember, literary terms are an important part of language arts. The word elegy, for example, is a term that showed up in one of the

questions above. That is a term that could make a great question: Give the literary term that describes a mournful, melancholic, or plaintive poem, especially a funeral song or lament for the dead. Elegy (NOT Eulogy) It is also legitimate to ask more specific questions about literary texts. For example, asking about specific characters is fair game. Name the character in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible who, when wrestling with his conscience over whether to confess to witchcraft, says, “How may I live without my name? I have given my soul’ leave me my name!” (John) Proctor It is also important to note that once a question on a topic (such as Walt Whitman) has been selected, all other questions on the topic are eliminated.

In other words, submitting multiple questions on a specific topic is not as helpful as writing multiple questions that deal with different topics in language arts. None of this is, of course, meant to suggest that American literature must be the basis of all question writing in language arts. On the contrary, the selection committee looks for a balance of questions from all language arts categories listed on page 1.

The Fine Art of Writing Fine Arts Questions Here are some tips to help when writing fine arts questions: 1. REMEMBER: questions must be appropriate for all classifications, 1A6A. Most 1A-4A schools do not teach music theory or art appreciation.

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Questions shouldn’t be too easy, but also not so difficult that only a student in a theory class would know the answer. Vary the questions. Don’t always ask for a composer/ artist name or his composition/works. Use a variety of sources for questions. Social science and language arts

teachers sometimes teach philosophers and philosophy, as well as periods in art and music. FACS teachers could help with textile questions and Industrial Arts teachers would love to share their knowledge of woodworking and may even be well-versed in architecture!

Question Writing Tips

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10 Things I Know About Math...Questions,That Is 1. Write the question how you want it read. Most moderators ARE NOT versed in mathspeak. Write out, in words, how you would ask the question. 2. Include the expected time limit. Questions submitted without times will likely be put aside. If in doubt, do the problem yourself. If you are mathematically gifted, double or triple the time it takes you to solve the problem. Time limits to be used are 10, 30, 45, 60, 90 or 120 seconds. Questions with 10 second limits are often vocabulary or theorem based.

3. Try to limit the total time of any set of 3 questions to 3 minutes or less. 4. Keep questions short. If questions are too long, teams loose track or interest, weakening the question. 5. Make sure questions reflect curriculum (CCR Standards) at your school. Don’t overload with differential calculus or number sense problems. 6. Put the units in the question. For example, “Find the area, in square feet, of a regular quadrilateral with edge length of 12 feet.” 7. Avoid multipart

questions. Some paired questions work, such as slope and yintercept of a linear function. When we receive questions like “Find the mean, median, mode and interquartile range of the following set of data…,” we end up stripping it down to just one part of the question. 8. Don’t use questions that might give different answers based on how you solved the problem. 9. Remember, technology is not allowed in scholars’ bowl, so make sure questions can be answered by hand computation.

10. Simplify all answers, and put answers in simplest terms. Include that instruction in the question as well. Probabilities should be noted as to which style of rational number (fraction, decimal, or percent) should be given. For example, an OK question might read, What is the probability of drawing a jack out of a standard deck of cards? An even better question might read, What is the simplified fractional probability of drawing a jack out of a standard deck of fifty-two cards?

Knowledge is to know what you know, to know what you don’t know, and to know when to let others know what you know and what you don’t know. Busting the Myths of Writing Science/Health Questions 

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If questions contain chemical equations or computation, such as in physics, write out how the question should be read. Again, most moderators are not chemistry teachers and may not be familiar with how to read a question containing a chemical formula. If the question requires computation, it must include a time limit of more than 10 seconds. Work the problem to see how long it takes to solve, then double or triple the time. Put units in the question if possible. If a unit is required for a correct answer, make sure to include that. Students should be able to solve all computations and equations by hand, not using a calculator. Science has very specific, and often unusual, vocabulary. Phonetically spell, or include the pronunciation, of any word that might not be familiar to a moderator so they don’t stumble over a word and have to toss out a good question.

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The Year that Was... 3. Citations are a must. Questions without citations are set aside because they require additional time to verify the source, time that the committee does not always have.

Only for the last two years has KSHSAA requested Year in Review questions be submitted. Until recently, YIR question submission was voluntary. While the committee who works with this category of questions at validation had some good submissions, many questions were unusable as submitted. Abiding by the following suggestions will result in questions that will be even better. 1. Questions submitted MUST be news from January 1, 2015 or later. 2. No trivia, please! Questions should be newsworthy, not pop trivia. Sometimes, that line blurs.

Google or Wikipedia. 5. Approved print and online resources are: Time and U.S. News & World Report 6. Approved online resources also include www.reuters.com and www.ap.org. 7. If you remember it being discussed or reported on, it probably will make a good YIR question topic. 8. YIR questions reflect the questions being submitted. If you feel like the questions aren’t topical, remember to submit questions that will be.

4. Use approved resources for citations. PEOPLE Magazine and Sports Illustrated are not appropriate sources. Neither are

Dates to Remember

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Jan. 29, 2016—SB-1 due to regional manager

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Feb. 4, 2016—Regional Scholars’ Bowl Tournament

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Feb. 8, 2016—SB-2 due to state tournament manager (if qualified)

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Feb. 12, 2016—SB-3 due to KSHSAA with state entry fee (if qualified)

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Feb. 13, 2016—State Scholars’ Bowl Tournament

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Who We Are & Why You Should Join Us The Kansas Association of Scholars' Bowl Coaches is an organization dedicated to maintaining and improving Scholars' Bowl in Kansas. The association is composed of coaches coming together to share ideas and material to help advance academic competition in Kansas. Join us as a member of KASBC and enjoy the following:  A collegial relationship with professional and enthusiastic scholars’ bowl coaches from across the state.  Five regional coaches clinics held on Saturday morning with good eats, useful information, and door prizes.  Input on issues that govern the rules of play and participation by KSHSAA through surveys, meetings, newsletters and class-level representation.  Reminders of important dates and events throughout the season.  A multitude of great information via the KASBC website.  Help with question writing, new coach mentoring, and help preparing to your own tournament.  Free access to questions from past KSHSAA regional and state tournaments.  Participation in the KASBC website question exchange. Submit one round of questions and receive access to other coaches’ rounds for practice purposes.  Representation at KSHSAA Board of Directors’ meetings.  The opportunity to volunteer for question validation and help create rounds for regional and state tournaments.

We’re on the Web! http://kasbc.weebly.com KASBC Executive Board Ryan Burrows (Satanta), President Mary Beth Mattingly (Mill Valley),Vice President Sarah House (Wellington), Secretary/Webmistress Paul Wanger (Wichita West), Treasurer Kathy Reddy (ret. DeSoto), Past Officer Bert Lewis (Ft. Scott), KSHSAA Representative Kathy Banister (Brewster), 1A Representative Debbie Hagans (Ransom-Western Plains), 1A Representative Amy Hageman (Medicine Lodge), 2A Representative Scott Huggins (The Independent School-Wichita), 3A Representative TBD ( ), 4A Representative Sheila Blume (Kansas City-Washington), 5A Representative Oather Strawderman (Lawrence Free State), 6A Representative