Events Guide
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Photographic Technology
Prepared event
Individual event
Create a portfolio of images based on a theme. The preliminary round is judged by portfolio and the
semifinal round is judged on a new portfolio made onsite and an interview.
Board Game Design
Prepared event
Team or individual event
Build a board game. The preliminary round is judged by the board game and a portfolio and semifinal
round is based on the presentation and interview.
Video Game Design
Prepared event
Team or individual event
Developed and document a video game that focuses on the annual theme. The preliminary round is
judged by the video game and portfolio and the semifinal round is additionally based on the
interview.
Digital Video Production
Prepared event
Team or individual event
Develop a digital video (with sound) and portfolio that reflects the theme for the year. The
preliminary round is judged on the digital video and portfolio and the semifinal round is
additionally judged based on the interview.
Senior Solar Sprint
Prepared event
Team event
Design, build, and race a model solar vehicle that carries a payload.
Technology Bowl
Onsite event
Team event
Demonstrate your knowledge of TSA and concepts addressed in the technology content standards by
completing a written, objective test; semifinalist teams participate in question/response,
head-to-head team competition.
Officers to talk to: Daniel, Rishi
Prepared Presentation
Onsite event
Individual event
Prepare to deliver an oral presentation, using a digital slide deck, on an annual topic. The
preliminary round and the semifinal round are judged based on the presentation.
Officers to talk to: Justin
Structural Design and Engineering
Onsite event
Team event
Apply the principles of structural design and engineering through research, design, construction,
destructive testing, and assessment to determine the design efficiency of the structure.
Audio Podcasting
Prepared event
Team or individual event
Create a podcast about this year’s prompt: product review of a product used daily by high school
aged students. Test your skills in storytelling, voice acting, and sound design.
Extemporaneous Speech
Onsite event
Individual event
Draw a card and talk about the prompt on the card for 3-5 minutes about a technology or TSA related
topic.
CAD Architecture
Onsite event
Individual event
Use computer graphic skills, tools, and processes to develop representations of architectural
subjects such as foundation and/or floor plans, and/or elevation drawings, and/or details of
architectural ornamentation or cabinetry.
CAD Engineering
Onsite event
Individual Event
With time constraints, use CAD to make a 3D representation of a product. The preliminary round is
judged on a 3D drawing and the semifinal round is judged based on the design solution and
interview.
Officers to talk to: Nicole, Rishi
Geospacial Technology
Prepared event
Individual event
Interpret geospatial data in multiple formats and formulate projections about this year’s prompt:
research a local, regional, state, or national weather issue.
Coding
Onsite event
Individual Event
You are given a few coding or logic problems and must solve them in a constrained amount of time.
The preliminary round is judged based on a test and the semifinal round is judged based on the
design and construction of the solution.
Officers to talk to: Rishi, Sidd
Manufacturing Prototype
Prepared event
Team event
Create a product that addresses the theme on the TSA website. Then, an on-site challenge is given to
allow teams to demonstrate their product and give a promotional “sales pitch” to the judge.
Virtual Reality
Prepared event
Team or individual event
Use video and 3D computer graphics tools to communicate, inform, analyze, and/or illustrate a given
topic based on the theme.
Dragster Design
Prepared event
Invididual event
Build a Carbon Dioxide powered dragster according to stated specifications.
Promotional Design
Prepared event
Individual event
Use computer graphics to produce a promotional resource.
System Control Technology
Onsite event
Team event
Collaborate to develop a computer-controlled model-solution to a problem, typically one from an
industrial setting. Teams analyze the problem, build a computer-controlled mechanical model, program
the model, explain the program and mechanical features of the model–solution, and leave instructions
to the judges.
Children's Stories
Prepared event
Invdividual or team event
Write and illustrate a children’s story written in the form of any story structure. It should be
designed to meet the year’s given theme.
Drone Challenge
Prepared event
Team event
Create an unmanned aerial vehicle according to the specifications and following the yearly theme.
Music Production
Prepared event
Individual or team event
Produce an original music piece that is energizing, interesting, and of the TSA spirit!
On Demand Video
Onsite event
Team event
In the 36 hours following the event orientation meeting, teams will film and edit a short video in
response to the on-site challenge. All video footage is original work and can be edited on any
nonlinear editing system.
Debating Technological Issues
Onsite event
Team event
Prior to competition, participants may research the defined subtopics of discussion and must prepare
a summary or references. At the preliminary round, two teams will debate the pros and cons of one
sub topic. Semifinalists will attend another debate following the same procedure.
Software Development
Prepared event
Team event
Teams will design, implement, test, and document a software development project in advance of the
competition. The project should have plausible educational or social value.
Officers to talk to: Rishi, Daniel
Architectural Design
Prepared event
Team and individual event
Teams will develop a set of architectural plans and construct a physical and computer generated
model in response to an annual design challenge. A short presentation/interview will be conducted at
the onsite semifinal round.
Essays on Technology
Onsite event
Individual event
Participants will have two hours to hours to prepare an essay given a writing prompt and two or more
articles on a current technological topic.
Fashion Design and Technology
Prepared vent
Team event
Participants will design a wearable prototype with technological elements and develop a
documentation portfolio. Quality of the garment criteria and documentation portfolio criteria will
determine the semifinalists. Semifinalists attend a short presentation/interview to share their
designs.
Data Science and Analytics
Prepared and onsite event
Team event
Participants collect and analyze data to make predictions about the outcomes. Participants should
submit documentation of research and a digital scientific poster and give a short presentation as
part of the preliminary round. Semifinals entails a twenty-four hour onsite challenge in which
participants visually represent a data set.
Flight Endurance
Prepared event
Individual event
Participants will build, fly, and trim a rubber-band powered model aircraft to make long endurance
flights indoors. The model will be built ahead of the conference for onsite testing and
demonstration.
Engineering Design
Prepared event
Participants develop a solution to an annual theme that is based on a specific challenge noted by
the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), which highlights grand challenges for engineering in the
21st century. The solution will include a documentation portfolio, a display, and a model/prototype.
Semifinalists deliver a presentation and participate in an interview.
Technology Problem Solving
Onsite event
Team event
Participants use problem-solving skills to design and construct a finite solution to a challenge
provided onsite at the conference. Solutions are evaluated at the end of 90 minutes using measures
appropriate to the challenge, such as elapsed time, horizontal or vertical distance, and/or
strength.
Forensic Science
Prepared and onsite event
Team event
Participants take a written test of basic forensic science theory to qualify as semifinalists.
Semifinalist teams will examine a mock crime scene and demonstrate their knowledge of forensic
science and crime scene analysis. Students will be expected to survey the scene and use proper
techniques to collect evidence from the mock crime scene. Students then will collect their data and
perform a detailed written analysis of the crime scene.
Biotechnology Design
Prepared event
Team event
Participants select a contemporary biotechnology problem that addresses the annual theme and
demonstrates understanding of the topic through documented research, the development of a solution,
a display (including an optional model or prototype), and an effective multimedia presentation.
Semifinalists deliver a presentation and participate in an interview.
Transportation Modeling
Prepared event
Individual event
Participants research, design, and produce a scale model of a vehicle that complies with the annual
design problem. A display for the model and a documentation portfolio – containing elements such as
a description of the vehicle, photographs and commentary detailing the vehicle production, and
technical illustrations – are required. Semifinalists participate in an interview.
Animatronics
Prepared event
Team and individual event
Participants demonstrate knowledge of mechanical and control systems by designing, fabricating, and
controlling an animatronics device that will communicate, entertain, inform, demonstrate and/or
illustrate a topic, idea, subject, or concept. Sound, lights, and a surrounding environment must
accompany the device.
Webmaster
Prepared event
Team event
Participants design, build, and launch a website that addresses the annual challenge. Semifinalists
participate in an interview to demonstrate the knowledge and expertise gained during the development
of the website.
Future Technology Teacher
Prepared event
Individual event
Applying leadership and 21st century skills, participants create a video for an application in the
classroom, and a lesson plan activity that correlates to the standards for technological literacy
utilizing the application. Semifinalists communicate their design process through participation in a
semifinal interview.
For more information, go to the Washington TSA website and the event guide in our drive.