Academic UIL

ACADEMIC UIL INFORMATION AND EVENTS

Our Academic UIL team will be forming during the fall and you won’t want to miss out.  Coming off a tight competition, we received a 1st place finish last year and are looking to lead  the competition again this year and we will need your help!!

The event will be held on Saturday, April 1 at Chisolm Trail Middle School in Justin.  

Here is a list and description of the events that you can participate in that day.  You may choose up to five events.  Some of the events may overlap but we can help organize that with you.  You will not be able to compete in two events that happen at the exact same time though.  

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Art:  This contest involves the study of paintings from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and paintings or pictures from selected Texas museums. The Art Smart Bulletin, published every other year, is the source for study of history and art elements relative to the 40 art selections and is the final authority in the spelling of artists' names and titles of art works. As part of their study, students will demonstrate an understanding of art history and interpret ideas and moods in original artworks while making informed judgments about the artwork.

Part A of the contest requires the contestant to identify the names of 15 selected artists and titles of pictures selected randomly by the director from the official list of 40 pictures. Part B consists of 30 questions about art history and art elements characteristic of the 40 art selections.

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Calculator Applications:   Goals are both intellectual and practical: developing mathematical reasoning and knowledge and requiring the application of problem-solving skills toward realistic problems. Students will take a test containing 80 problems in 30 minutes. The contest consists of problems which may include calculations involving addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, roots, and powers. It also includes straight-forward calculation problems, and simple geometric and stated problems similar to those found in recently adopted textbooks.

Students may use any silent, hand-held calculator that does not require auxiliary electric power. The calculator data and program memory should be cleared prior to the contest; students may not use pre-recorded programs during the contest.

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Chess:  Chess puzzle competition is very different from tournament chess play. Contestants in a chess puzzle contest receive a paper-and-pencil test that includes a series of chess boards with pieces in particular positions. Questions are based on analysis of material or possible moves in each given diagram. See links above for sample tests and other resources.

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Dictionary Skills:  Each Dictionary Skills test consists of 40 objective and short answer questions to be completed in 20 minutes. Contestants use dictionaries during the competition, which may be tabbed. Contest questions cover word origins and histories, parts of speech, pronunciation, variant spellings, plurals, alphabetizing and other such elements. Test questions are also taken from charts, tables and lists contained in the dictionary.

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Editorial Writing:  The Editorial Writing Contest is designed to develop the persuasive writing skills of the participants. Students must advocate a specific point-of-view in response to a prompt. Sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students have 45 minutes in which to complete their editorials.

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Impromptu Speaking:  Contestants will draw three topics and have three minutes to prepare a speech, which must be presented without any notes. The contest gives participants experience in thinking, organizing, formulating clear thoughts, and delivering those thoughts to an audience effectively.  The maximum time limit for each speech is five minutes. There is no minimum time limit. Students who exceed the allotted five minutes shall be penalized one rank.

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Listening:  Contestants will listen to a script ranging from seven to ten minutes in length, take notes as needed, and use their notes to answer 25 multiple choice, true/false and short answer test questions. A variety of subject matter will be used for the listening tests.

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Maps, Graphs, & Charts:  The maps, graphs & charts contest is designed to help students learn to get information from a variety of maps, graphs and charts including world maps, pie charts, bar charts and local area maps. The objective test will measure skills such as using a reference book to locate information, making comparisons, estimating and approximating, using scale and interpreting grid systems, legends and keys.  Students will be given an objective test containing approximately 75 multiple choice, true/false, and fill-in-the-blank questions which must be answered in 45 minutes.

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Mathematics:  Learning to complete math problems quickly is a valuable skill in all facets of life including engineering, accounting, completing a tax return and even grocery shopping. This contest includes problems covering, but not limited to: numeration systems, arithmetic operations involving whole numbers, integers, fractions, decimals, exponents, order of operations, probability, statistics, number theory, simple interest, measurements and conversions. Geometry and algebra problems may be included as appropriate for the grade level.  The contest, designed for students in grade 6, 7 and 8, consists of 50 multiple choice problems.

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Modern Oratory:  In Modern Oratory, the sixth, seventh and eighth grade contestants will select one of the topics, determine the critical issues in the topic, and acknowledge both pro and con points citing support discovered in their research. Students will choose a side they will defend and support that side with additional evidence. Along with the skills of analysis, research, note-taking, documentation, evaluation and decision-making come those of delivery and the skill of memorization.

Contestants must select one of the following topics for developing the oration.

• Can artificial intelligence come alive?

• Will electric cars replace gas-powered cars in the U.S.?

• Title IX: 50 years later - have women gained?

• Should community service be a requirement for high school graduation?

• Does the US have a responsibility to aid in resolving conflicts abroad?

Students will deliver a three to six minute speech without the use of notes on their topic.  In the process of preparing for the contest, the student will need to:

• define the problem;

• determine the pro and con issues;

• research the issue;

• reach a conclusion; and

• support that conclusion with documentation

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Music Memory:  Students will listen to approximately 20 seconds of up to 20 musical selections and identify the name of the major work, selection and the name of the composer.  To receive full credit for an answer, all information about the music selection must be complete as shown on the official list. Spelling and punctuation are considered in the grading of this contest.

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Number Sense:  Students will be given a 10-minute, fill-in-the-blank test which they must complete without doing calculations on paper or on a calculator. Erasures and mark-outs are not permitted.

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Oral Reading:   

• 2022-2023 – prose

Each may be a single reading, a cutting from a longer selection, or a combination of several selections. The same selection may be read in all rounds, but different selections are permissible. Selections must be published although the author may be unknown or anonymous. Prose readings may include fables, tales, science fiction, fantasy, mysteries and the like. The maximum time for each presentation is six minutes. The selection may be a cutting from a short story or novel of may be nonfiction.

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Ready Writing:  Contestants are given a choice between two prompts which defines the audience and provides the purpose for writing. Students should be encouraged to analyze the prompts for the purpose of writing, the format, the audience and the point of view. The format may be, for example, a letter, an article for the newspaper or an essay for the principal. Various writing strategies may be stated or implied in the prompt. Some of these include:

1. description to inform -- describe the happening or person/object from imagination or memory;

2. narration -- write a story;

3. persuasion -- describe and argue just one side of an issue; describe both sides of an issue then argue only one side; write an editorial; write a letter to persuade, etc.

There is no minimum or maximum number of words the contestants must write.

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Science:  Each test will consist of approximately 35 multiple choice questions which will be taken from current state-adopted science textbooks and the curriculum.

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Social Studies: 

• 40 questions
• 30 minutes
• Test topics defined by a study outline, to be updated yearly 
• Correlate with the TEKS for social studies
• Test content taken from state adopted text books and identified primary sources

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Spelling:  From the total number of word entries, deduct one point for each incorrectly spelled word.

(A)  Word Order. Any word omitted by the contestant is a miss. If all contestants omit the same word, the pronouncer is presumed to have failed to have given the word, so the omission by contestants is not considered a miss.

(B)  Punctuation and Capitalization. The misuse of an apostrophe or hyphen, or a mistake in capitalization is considered a miss. Contractions and possessive forms may be written with all letters connected or written separately.

(C)  Misspelled Words on List. Any word misspelled on the spelling list is not to be considered in grading the tests unless a correction has been sent to UIL meet directors.

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                        Academic UIL interest form   

Update coming

TBA

2025