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Pre-College/Youth Programs

Academic Competitions

State of Jefferson Scavenger Hunt - Middle School

Participants in the State of Jefferson Scavenger Hunt have three days to complete answers to academic, artistic, current news, and internet questions using library resources and documentation. Middle and high school teams involve as many students and adults as possible in the high-pressure task of finding and documenting the right answers. The Hunt culminates in an adjudication session chaired by a judge. During the adjudication, competing teams have the opportunity to challenge and defend their responses. Students learn teamwork, organization, library skills, critical-thinking skills and verbal communication. The High School and Middle School Scavenger Hunts usually take place during fall term.

The 9th Annual State of Jefferson Middle School Scavenger Hunt
October 30, 31, November 1 and 5, 2007

Adjudication was held Monday, November 5 from 9:00am to 2:00pm
Rogue River Room, Stevenson Union, Southern Oregon University

Steve Boyarsky, Superintendent of the Southern Oregon Education Service District and Judge
Carol Jensen, Director of Pre-College Youth Programs, Southern Oregon University
Bill Street, Hunt Director
Pam Turner, Judge

2007 RESULTS

In a very close contest Pinehurst School won for the fifth year in a row with a score of 101 points. Second place went to Ashland Middle school with 97 points, and third place went to Scenic Middle School with 96 points. Thank you for the good work that ALL our teams contributed this year!

Picture of Pinehurst School scavenger hunt participants

Pinehurst School 2007 Scavenger Hunt first place winners

 

Category Ashland Eagle Point McLoughlin Pinehurst Rogue River Ruch Scenic Talent
Internet
31
24
27
32
27
22
29
29
Print
22
13
20
22
19
16
22
22
Bring Ins
13
12
12
14
12
12
14
12
Audio
6
6
5
6
4
5
6
6
Images
15
15
16
16
14
14
14
16
Where in the World
10
6
8
11
9
10
11
9
Total Points
97
76
88
101
85
79
96
94
Place
2nd
 
 
1st
 
 
3rd
 

 

2007 Middle School Scavenger Hunt Questions and Answers

Part I: Internet Questions: Documentation is required for Internet questions.

The source is the URL of the home page or actual page on which your answerappears. Required documentation is a printout of the answer from the specificpage and must include a URL. Documentation should refer to the underlined portionof the question, but need not contain the exact wording unless it is a propername or in quotes. Two valid internet sources are required to challenge theHunt Director's answer.

Dedicatee: "Most of her stories are about imaginarycountries inhabited by imaginary people who have real problems."

  1. Our dedicatee is the daughter of a writer. She grew up in California, but now lives in Oregon. What is her name? (F, Middle Initial &L)? (3 points)

    Answer: Ursula K. Le Guin
    Source:
    Source:
  2. Our dedicatee knows a lot about wizards. One of her first creations won an award in 1968. What was the name of the award? (2 points)

    Answer: Boston Globe-Horn book award
    Source:
    Source:
  3. Why did our dedicatee want to correct Wikipedia? (2 points)

    Answer: "I still get questions about how my name is pronounced, and have been meaning to put something about it here on the website. And I wanted to correct Wikipedia, which led off its entry with the strangest screw-up in International Phonetic Alphabet: Ursula as pronounced in America, Kroeber as pronounced in Germany, and Le Guin as pronounced in France. Wierd!"
    Source:
    Source:
  4. What kind of office computer does the founder of Wikipedia use? (2 points)

    Answer: A Mac
    Source:
    Source:
  5. How many Wikipedia articles are written in Muscogee? How many in Volapük? (If your answer differs from the Hunt Director's, it must come from the Wikipedia website! :) (2 points)

    Answer:
    a. 3
    b. 112,037
    Source:
    Source:
  6. Name J.K. Rowling’s favorite band! (2 points)

    Answer: The Beatles
    Source:
    Source:
  7. What does J.K. have in common with a minor celestial object? (2 points)

    Answer: the name Rowling
    Source:
    Source:
  8. Name the Duck who has won the most games in school history! (2 points)

    Answers: Jessie Chatfield
    Source:
    Source:
  9. What anniversary did OSU celebrate recently? (2 points)

    Answer: 35th anniversary of Title IX
    Source:
    Source:
  10. What major university was described as demonstrating "arrogant ignorance" of young athletes' needs? (Your answer to #9 will help you to answer #10.) (2 points)

    Answer: Louisiana State University
    Source:
    Source:
  11. What do Auctioneers, Cottonpickers, Dynamiters, Nimrods and Spongers all have in common? (2 points)

    Answer: They are all school mascot names
    Source:
    Source:
  12. Which American company is the biggest consumer of organic cotton? Which countries grow the most? (Name two.) (3 points)

    Answer:
    a.Wal-Mart
    b. India and Turkey
    Source:
    Source:
  13. Everyone in the world should have a computer, right? (No need to answer that question!) What’s the name of the man who not only agreed with the statement above, but decided to do something about it? (Answer this one!) (first and last) (2 points)

    Answer: Nicholas Negroponte
    Source:
    Source:
  14. The goal is to make the boards out of totally sustainable raw materials. If only this Central American company, with offices in the U.K., can find an adaptable natural resin, they will have achieved their goal. Name the company! (2 points)

    Answer: Ocean Green
    Source:
    Source:
  15. Watch Onslaught and Evolution on the campaignforrealbeauty website. What are the first sentences to appear on the screen at the end of each film? (One sentence for each film) (2 points!)

    Answers:
    a. Onslaught: "Talk to your daughter before the beauty industry does."
    b. Evolution: "No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted."
    Source:
    Source:

Part II: Print-Based Questions

Each answer requires at least one piece of print-based documentation with two to challenge the Hunt Director's answer. Print-based questions must be originally from copyrighted sources (books,magazines, journals, newspapers or government documents). Documentation should refer to the underlined portion of the question, but need not contain the exact wording unless it is a proper name or in "quotes". See official rules for more details.

  1. "We need the library now more than ever since we are in danger of submergence in a tide of materialism." Where and when did these words first appear? (2 points)

    Answer:
    a. Medford Mail Tribune
    b. 1911
    Source:
    Source:
  2. What's in a name? Recently a couple chose an unusual name for their child. A government official said it was an example of the bizarre names people choose for their kids these days. What was the name? (1 point)

    Answer: "@"
    Source:
    Source:
  3. Wikipedia now has more than 7.5 million articles - in 253 languages! At peak times, how many visits per second are made to the site? (1 point)

    Answer: 15,000
    Source:
    Source:
  4. What do "HMS Pinafore", "Citizen Kane", "A Streetcar Named Desire", "The Shining", and Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven" all have in common? (Two word answer!) (2 points)

    Answer: The Simpsons
    Source:
    Source:
  5. One campaign coordinator said that if we don’t do something, the last of these could be gone in just a few years. Sting and Dave Matthews, and other musicians, are very concerned. What are "these"? (three words) (2 points)

    Answer: Sitka Spruce trees
    Source:
    Source:
  6. Name the three top countries in the world with the most total forest area. (3 points)

    Answer: Russia or Russian Federation; Brazil; Canada
    Source:
    Source:
  7. Bear with me. There was this 250 pound bear, see, and he was hanging onto a bridge. Yeah, there were bear claw marks on the concrete railing…! Name the bridge. How high was the bridge? (2 points)

    8. Answers:
    a. Rainbow Bridge
    b. 80 foot or feet
    Source:
    Source:

  8. " _____'_ face looked like a jack-o'-lantern that had been left out too many days past Halloween - half rotten, with sunken eyes and a drooping smile." Name the face and the author (F, L) (3 points)

    Answers:
    a. Zero's or Zero
    b. Louis Sachar
    Source:
    Source:
  9. Fans and bench jockeys taunted _________ and mocked ______ for being his friend. _______ said nothing; he simply walked over to first base and put his arm around __________, silencing the jeers. Name the man who was taunted (F,L ) and the man who was mocked (F,M,L) (3 points)

    Answers:
    a. Jackie Robinson
    b. Pee Wee Reese
    Source:
    Source:
  10. "[She] flew over the fences. She flew over the woods…. She flew like an eagle now, until she was gone from sight." Who was she? (3 points)

    Answer: Sarah (from "The People Could Fly")
    Source:

Part III: Bring Ins

Bring Ins must be delivered to the Hunt organizers assoon as your team arrives at SOU. Bring Ins will not be accepted once the adjudicationbegins.

  1. Bring in a "bonefolder". (3 points)
  2. Bring in a "newspaper stick"! (3 points)
  3. Bring in a red and white Save Our Libraries bumper sticker. (If your school is outside Jackson County, a photo of the bumper sticker will count!) (3 points)
  4. Bring in the oldest bookmark you can find. (The date must be machine printed on the bookmark.) (3,2,1 points awarded to 1,2,3 oldest)
  5. Bring in a photograph of your team captain with your favorite MLS librarian. (You must have proof of the librarian’s degree.) 3 points

Part IV: Music Identification

There are four music selections on the CD each school was given. You willneed two sources to challenge the Hunt Director's answer.

  1. Audio Track One
    Song Title (2 points): The Wicker Creel
  2. Audio Track Two
    Singer (F, L) (1 point): Johnny Cash
    Songwriter (F, L) (1 point): Hank Williams
  3. Audio Track Three
    Singer (F, L) (1 point): Nick Drake
    Song Title (1 point): Things Behind the Sun
  4. Audio Track Four
    Singer (F, L) (1 point): Regina Spektor
    Song Title: (1 point): Fidelity

Part V: Art Image Identification

There are four art images to be identified on the CD each school was given.You will need two sources to challenge the Hunt Director's answer.

1.
Title (Not English translation) (2 points): Der Goldene Fisch

Artist (F, L) (2 points): Paul Klee		  
2.
Title (Not English translation) (2 points): Les Poissons Rouges

Artist (F, L) (2 points): Henri Matisse		  
3.
Title (2 points): Scholar Reading

Artist (F) (2 points): Rembrandt		  
4.
Title (2 points): A Woman Reading a Lettter by a Window 

Artist (F, L) (2 points): Pieter de Hoogh		  

Part VI: Where in the world are you?

There are also four photographs on the CD. You need to identify the location.You will need two sources to challenge the Hunt Director's answer.

1. Country (1 point): Turkey

Who "built" the building? (F, M, L) (2 points): Gaius Julius Aquila		  
2. Town (1 point): Grants Pass  
3. Country (1 point): Wales or United Kingdom

Famous person who lived there (inside the cottage by the sea) (F, L) (1 point): Dylan Thomas		  
4. Country (1 point): England or United Kingdom

Town (4 points!): Brenchley		  
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