2005-2006

Utah Academic Decathlon

General Curriculum Notes

The curricular theme for 2005–2006 will be The European Renaissance. Following is some general information on the topics in each of the subject areas.

• SUPER QUIZ: The Super Quiz topic will focus on the European Renaissance from a social science perspective. The Super Quiz Resource Guide will include readings on such topics as the Italian Renaissance, the diffusion of humanism, the Renaissance in northern Europe, and the Protestant Reformation..

• LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE: The language and literature curriculum will include critical reading, two plays, five poems, and one essay. The featured plays will be William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleoptra and Much Ado About Nothing.

• Art: The art curriculum topic will be Renaissance art, and the curriculum will include eighteen selected works by Renaissance artists. Twelve of the selected artworks are from the collections of the National Gallery of Art, three of the artworks are works of architecture, and three of the artworks are works located in Italy.

• Music: The music curriculum will focus on the music of the Renaissance. The Music Resource Guide will cover such topics as the role of music in Renaissance society, general characteristics of Renaissance musical style, sacred and secular vocal music of the Renaissance, and instrumental Renaissance music. The music curriculum will also introduce students to some of the most noteworthy composers and works of the period. The curriculum will include a companion CD, featuring fourteen listening selections.

• Science: The science curriculum will provide students with an introduction to the study of anatomy and physiology, a field of study that received increased attention during the Renaissance. The Science Resource Guide will include sections on the skeletal and muscle systems, the nervous system, and the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and endocrine systems. The science curriculum will also include a discussion of medical imaging techniques as well as brief historical overviews of significant scientists and advancements in the field of anatomy.

• Economics: The economics curriculum will focus on fundamentals of economics, including general topics in macro- and microeconomics and international trade and global economic development. The economics curriculum will also include a thematic section focused on the European economy during the Renaissance.

• Math: The math curriculum will cover topics in the fields of general math, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and differential calculus.
   

• In each subject area except for Super Quiz, a percentage of the test items will require students to do some independent research beyond the USAD Resource Guides. The percentage breakdown of guide-based versus research-based test items for each subject area is indicated in the following graph.

Essential Information for Coaches

·         The Academic Decathlon competition is comprised of ten events. There are seven multiple-choice exams—one in each of the following subject areas: Art, Economics, Language and Literature, Mathematics, Music, Social Science, and Super Quiz (Science). The Super Quiz event includes an oral relay portion in addition to the written exam. Both the Super Quiz written exam and the Super Quiz oral relay are in multiple-choice format. Students will also take an Essay exam and will be judged in a Speech event as well as an Interview event.

·         The multiple-choice exams in Art, Economics, Language and Literature, Music, and Social Science each have 50 questions. The Math exam has 35 questions. The written Super Quiz exam has 40 questions, and the Super Quiz oral relay has either 5 or 10 questions per student. (Coaches can contact their State Director to find out whether the 5- or 10-question format will be used for the Super Quiz oral relay.)

·         The Art Reproductions Booklet contains reproductions of the 18 artworks that are included in this year’s art outline. However, please be aware that no text beyond the title, artist, date, etc., accompanies these reprints.

·         USAD permits students to use calculators for the Math exam only. Coaches can view USAD’s calculator policy on USAD’s web site or contact USAD to receive a copy of the calculator policy.

·         The subject area outlines contained in USAD’s Study Guide will indicate specifically which topics in each subject area will require independent research beyond the USAD Resource Guides.

·         The Language and Literature test items will largely be derived from the selected works of literature, though some test items may also be based on information provided in the Language and Literature Resource Guide.

·         The USAD competition tests will be written in accordance with the topics and percentages noted in the subject area outlines that are published in the USAD Study Guide.

·         All of the Super Quiz test items—both oral and written—will be derived from the Super Quiz Resource Guide. The student’s oral Super Quiz score accounts for 40 percent of his/her overall Super Quiz score. The student’s written Super Quiz score accounts for 60 percent of his/her overall Super Quiz score.

·         USAD offers Resource Guides in Art, Economics, Language and Literature, Music, Social Science, and Super Quiz (Science). Whereas the Super Quiz Resource Guide is a compendium of previously published articles, the other Resource Guides are written by individual writers under contract with USAD. The Resource Guides will assist students in their study of the topics listed in the subject area outlines.

·         USAD offers Basic Guides in Art, Economics, Language and Literature, Math, and Music. Whereas the Resource Guides focus on the specific topics listed in this year’s subject area outlines, the Basic Guides offer a reference that can be used by teams year after year. The Basic Guides provide an enduring resource for fundamental subject matter information and concepts that generally do not change from year to year.

·         The content of the Art Basic Guide, the Economics Basic Guide, the Math Basic Guide, the Language and Literature Basic Guide, and the Music Basic Guide is the same as it was for the 2003–04 season. Therefore, if you or your students retained your copies of these guides, you do NOT need to purchase these guides again for the 2005-06 season.

·         The Math Basic Guide can be downloaded at no cost from USAD’s web site <www.usad.org>.

·         Test writers have been instructed to construct tests such that at least 10–20% of the questions on each test require the use of higher-order thinking skills.

·         Students will be given 30 minutes to complete each of the written multiple-choice exams. Students will have 50 minutes to complete the Essay exam.

·         While the Art Resource Guide includes information relevant to the 18 selected artworks, this guide contains text only and does NOT include images of the artworks.

·         In each of the subject areas except for Super Quiz, a percentage of the test items will require students to do some independent research beyond the USAD Resource Guides. The percentage breakdown of guide-based versus research-based test items for each subject area is indicated below.