History Bee and Bowl

Activity: History Bee and Bowl
Date: January ~  February (on Mondays) + March
Time: about 15 min a week  (+ the day of the event)
Type: School
Organization: School club (History Bee and Bowl - Hong Kong division)

Hours: 2 hours - Service

2) Undertaken new challenges or an extension of an existing one

While this was my second time taking part in a History bowl (a team event with 5 rounds) it was my first time doing the History bee (single person event, trying to be the first to 8 points , more info on website). 

This meant that while I could give advice to the younger years on the bowl (ie. don't hit the buzzer directly after the other team gets the question wrong in the first 2 rounds, since they can't answer again, meaning you can get more information without any cost or don't just pass on the 3rd round if you don't know the answer, since you can discuss with your team mates that round or it is better err on the side of being slightly vague than too specific, since if you are to vague you get prompted, where as if you are too specific, your answer is just rejected if slightly incorrect ), I was unable to help with the history bee.

Although we had a meeting to discuss the History Bee rules and have a practice round, the Bee was  was my first time participating in it and an interesting challenge I undertook!

4) Worked collaboratively with others

Before and on the day of the event, I routinely helped quiz the younger middle school division, the junior varsity group and even the varsity group with questions from former quiz packets found on the website. I also found and shared a website that had quick summaries of the most common answers to questions asked in a history bowl (naqt.com/YouGottaKnow/). 

This was incredibly helpful, as it helped us find out which subjects we were weaker at and gave us a starting point to start exploring! During the competition, I had to work together with my team (I didn't count the time I was competing since it isn't CAS. I only counted the time I was helping test my fellow team mates and younger years)

This was the Middle school finals! (my school team is on the right)

8) Developed new skills or increased expertise in an established area 

This event not only helped to teach me how to work with younger students, but it also encoraged me to learn about different people and things in history not taught in school such as various pharaohs, world leaders and dictators, American civil war battles, Hindu gods and heroes, famous paintings, technology etc (basically if it happened in history, it can be asked! We even got questions about Occupy Central and the invention of calculus!)

Our school's team!

The results?
- Middle school division: 1st Place! (one student got second place in the Bee)
- Junior varsity division: Semi-finals (one student got 6th place, another got 12th place in the Bee)
- Varsity division (my division): 3rd place ( I got 4th place in the Bee and qualified for the Asian division bee in Thailand!)


-Rebecca