Introduction to the Challenge

Welcome to the ~~1999-~~2000 - 2001 Challenge! Together we’ll be “~~Byte into the Millennium~~Rocketing into the Future!” Team 41 from Bloomfield High School submitted the logo shown on the title page as their poster in the 1999 – 2000 Challenge program. Their entry was chosen by a vote of last year’s Challenge participants to be the official logo of this year’s Challenge.

The Basics - What It’s All About?

You probably know that one of the main goals of the Challenge is to direct students toward a greater understanding of the scientific process and hopefully inspire career choices in mathematics, science, and engineering. The Challenge is designed to provide high school students with an opportunity to experience solving a scientific problem in the same manner that real scientists working at our high tech businesses, national laboratories and universities do. Throughout the program, real scientists who work for Challenge organizers and sponsors provide help and support.

Significant Dates.

There are several phases or milestones that you will work towards in the Challenge. This handbook has sections that will explain the details of each one, and help you complete it.

Each milestone has a significant due date. These dates are very important. If your team doesn’t complete a milestone by its due date, you will not be able to continue on with the rest of the Challenge.

There will be more information about each milestone in this handbook. Remember, YOU are the person who is responsible for making sure that the necessary work has been completed by these dates.

The significant dates for the 2000-2001 Challenge are listed below (5:00 PM New Mexico time is the actual deadline on each date unless otherwise indicated.):

Event – Milestone Due Date

Online Registration September 29, 2000

Team Entry Authorization Forms October 3, 2000

$20.00 Registration Fee October 20, 2000

(You have completed these milestones if you have made it to the Kickoff Conference at Glorieta.)

Glorieta Kickoff October 29, 30, 31

School visits November, 2000

Registration for Regionals December 8, 2000

Interim Reports Due January 5, 2001

Regional Workshops

Eastern NM University January 9, 2001

NM State University January 11, 2001

NM Tech January 12, 2001

Santa Fe Community College January 16, 2001

UNM January 18, 2001

UNM – Gallup January 19, 2001

Project Evaluation

Eastern NM University February 3, 2001

NM State University February 3, 2001

NM Highlands University February 10, 2001

University of NM February 10, 2001

San Juan College February 17, 2001

NM Tech February 17, 2001

Final Reports Due April 4, 2001 – at NOON

Judges Conference Call April 18, 2001

Final Judging April 24, 2001

Awards Day April 25, 2001

Phases of the Challenge.

The Challenge year is divided into eight phases. These brief descriptions give you an overview of the year.

Phase 1, Registration: September ~~21-28~~11 – 29.

Registration Forms are due electronically at New Mexico Technet by 5:00 p.m., September 2219, 2000. Original hard-copy signature sheets, and especially the Team Entry Authorization Form (TEAF) must be received at New Mexico Technet by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, October 38, ~~1998~~2000. Electronic registration is available at

http://www.challenge.nm.org.

Phase 2, Kickoff Conference, Glorieta, NM: October ~~24-25~~29 - 30 or October ~~25-26~~30-31.

At this two-day conference at the Glorieta Conference Center, training is provided that is geared to your level of experience. You attend classes on learning to use both the Internet and computers, on how to approach your project, and on how to successfully complete the Challenge. Participants bring their Project Abstract and enter it electronically at the Kickoff.

(Note: The first dates are for schools in communities greater than 100 miles from Glorieta. The second dates are for those schools within 100 miles from Glorieta.)

Phase 3, School Visits: During November.

On request, Challenge representatives will make a brief visit to your team at your school to help with computer lab problems and programming skills, or provide guidance with your project. Some schools may not need such visits if they have resources available locally. This is an optional event.

Phase 4, Project Refinement and Interim Reports: Friday, January 75.

Your team will electronically submit a short report that describes your ~~team's~~ project, tells about your progress to date, and states the expected results of your work. .

Phase 5, Regional Workshops: one day, Jan ~~1121~~9 – 20.

One-day workshops will be held at colleges and universities around the state. You can ask questions and get guidance on your project.

Phase 6, Project Evaluation: one day, February 53 4February 17.

Your team will make a short oral presentation to a team of Challenge judges. Following your presentation, these judges will provide you with advice and guidance on how to approach the rest of your project work.

Phase 7, Final Reports and Scholarship Applications: deadline noon, April 54.

Before NOON on April 54 you will complete your project and submit a written final report. Team members who wish to submit scholarship applications must submit all requirements by this deadline.

Phase 8, Final Judging and Awarding of Prizes: April ~~25-26~~24 – 25.

Based on the judges' evaluations of final reports, a number of teams are selected as finalist teams; they are invited to come to Los Alamos on April 254, ~~1999~~2001, to describe their projects to the judges. During the 30-minute oral presentation, the judges question team members about project details.

All teams that complete the Challenge, ~~you~~ will be invited to the April 265 Awards Day. You will get to take tours of the Laboratory and ~~hear talks~~talk to scientists about the many kinds of work going on at LANL. Participants prepare two posters to bring to Awards Day. One poster is about their project; the other poster represents a logo to be used for the Challenge the following year. At Awards Day, y~~, see many parts of the Laboratory,~~ou will be provided with lunch, attend the awards ceremony, and enjoy a reception feast.

Responsibilities

As a Challenge participant, you do have ~~some~~ responsibilities. We'll ~~fill you in on~~ list them for you here. It's your job to read through this information and to contact us with any questions about them that your sponsoring teacher can't answer for you.

We hope you'll enjoy and benefit from all of the resources and experiences that the Challenge provides,. ~~and w~~We, of course, expect you to be responsible and ethical throughout the Challenge year. As in the real ~~working~~ world, you must be ready to accept the consequences if you choose to act irresponsibly. Consequences for SERIOUS offenses will include your expulsion from the Challenge program, immediate termination of your computer account, and a letters of explanation being sent to your principal and your parents. In addition, you might be subject to criminal prosecution or held accountable for the cost of any damages or misuse of resources that are involved.

Ethics and Behavior.

We want you to do the following things.

· Be completely honest and ethical in your letters of application, your research and programming, your references, your project reports, and any other Challenge documents.

· Know and follow the rules of the Challenge and of the various institutions hosting Challenge functions.

· Obey all laws during Challenge functions, especially those about drug and alcohol use.

· Make sure your team meets the attendance requirements for all Challenge activities.

- At least one teacher and one student from each team must attend the Kickoff at Glorieta. wWe ~~urge~~really want you all to attend — your team ~~can't make full use of~~ will benefit more from the Kickoff experience if you ~~don't~~ send different members to different curriculum tracks and ~~if you don't~~ if you all participate in the team-building session. Remember, ~~it's~~the Kickoff is designed to be fun!

- Your team and a sponsoring teacher must be represented at the Regional Training session.

- Your whole team must participate in your presentation to the judges in the Preliminary Evaluation (exceptions to this are occasionally made before the event).

- If you are a finalist team, all team members will need to present your project to the judges at the Awards Day activities.

· Attend all your assigned classes, talks, or activities at the Kickoff conference, the Regional Workshop, and Awards Day. Your attendance is required at these events. If you do not attend your scheduled classes, you might be asked to leave, and be removed from the Challenge.

· If you need help, ask for it. Start with your sponsoring teacher, your team , and others at your school. If that is not adequate, move on to other resources, such as local universities or related businesses or ~~the crew~~ the people at New Mexico Technet or LANL (see the first page of this handbook).

· Please read your Challenge email at least once or twice a week. There will be Monday Morning Messages each week with reminders and hints. These will also be posted to the News Flashes on the Challenge Home Page.

Written Reports.

The written reports are your opportunity to organize and display your progress, your problem-solving methods, and your solution. While your research and modeling are the core of your Challenge work, that aspect will be relatively useless if you don't accurately and thoroughly document your work so that others can understand it and learn from it. Even missteps and mistakes may be worth documenting if they end up answering relevant questions or were in directions that originally seemed logical and useful.

· Be sure to budget your time throughout the year and plan your work appropriately. ~~— d~~Don't wait till just before a deadline to complete the work for that deadline. Pace yourselves.

· Consider writing up rough drafts of the introductory or research-related sections of the report as soon as you have made the necessary decisions or found the information you want to include in those parts. Starting to write is the hardest part of the writing process.

· Take deadlines seriously — we do.

· Take careful notes on your work throughout the year so that you don't need to recreate it all by from memory when ~~it's time~~you start to write the final report.

Rules and Requirements.

Remember that you signed the Acceptable Use Policies (AUP) when you registered for the Kickoff. This policy can be found in the back of this handbook and at:

http://www.challenge.nm.org/Archive/99-00/aup.stm

In general, if you're concerned that you shouldn't be accessing, reading, or sending something, don't do it. Specifically, do the following:

· Use e-mail properly (which does not include chain letters, vulgar language, pornography, or harassment of anyone).

· Stay out of unauthorized areas of any computer system. — ~~breaking in~~ Computer hacking is illegal. Attempting to break into government computers for which you are not authorized access is a SERIOUS federal offense.

· Use the Internet access and dial-up accounts provided to you only for project-related purposes. Do not use this Internet access and the dial-up account for personal business or business related to illegal activities; publishing unsolicited advertisements of goods or services; publishing abusive, profane, or sexually offensive material; publishing information that violates the rights of others; or playing ~~Internet~~ games over the Internet.

· Get the author's permission for online distribution before you electronically download or distribute any copyrighted material. Permission can be specified in the document itself, can appear on the Internet, or can be obtained directly from the author. For your legal protection, keep a hard copy of the author's consent.

· Respect all Challenge participants and their right to use and enjoy the Challenge computing and networking systems (in other words, don't try to keep the other participants from accessing the available computing and networking resources).

· Be aware that security managers at all computing sites that provide Challenge computing services can monitor your online activities. (~~Please don't take this as~~ This is not an attempt ofby adults to control ~~kids~~students who should be old enough to make decisions for themselves. ~~Recognize t~~This is a ~~fact of the working~~ practice of the real world, where employers monitor their ~~adult~~ employees in a similar manner.) These organizations will fully cooperate with any local, state, or federal officials investigating ~~materials transmitted on New Mexico Technet computers~~ the transmission of information to or from these sites.

· Treat all of the resources that the Challenge provides with respect. Although use of the ~~long-distance~~ 800 numbers, circuits, computer accounts, and loaned equipment are free to you, ~~your use of them~~ they do costs the Challenge program a lot of money. Please help us stay within the Challenge budget by not wasting, abusing or misusing these resources. Uf se ~~the~~your local dial-in number rather than the ~~long-distance~~ 800 number, for instance.

· If you have any problems or questions related to Internet access, if you think that someone might have unlawfully ~~entered~~ accessed your account, or if your password is lost or stolen, contact New Mexico Technet customer support (505-~~345-6555~~343-7630) or the LANL Consulting Office (505-667-5746), or consult@challenge.nm.org immediately. You are responsible for all use of your accounts.

Project Requirements.

The following rules apply to all projects for the Challenge:

Your project problem MUST represent a real science or mathematics problem from the approved list of appropriate science areas for the Challenge,. ~~and y~~You must clearly demonstrate that the solution requires the use of ~~a high-performance~~ computering resources.

The final version of your computer application software must be written in FORTRAN, C, C++, or Java programming language. If you wish to use another programming language, it must be approved, in advance, by

cconsult@challenge.nm.org.

Your project cannot involve live vertebrate animal experimentation.

If you choose the Category B (noncompetitive) track this year, you can work on the same project again next year;. yYou must submit a final report each year.

If you want to use human subjects in your Challenge project, you must get approval beforehand from the Challenge Executive Committee.

Software submitted during the course of the Challenge competition will be the exclusive property of each participant. Each participant does grant the sponsoring organizations a nonexclusive right to reproduce, modify, use, display, and distribute such software and other material which they submit.

Your Sponsoring Teacher's Responsibilities

Any interested and committed teacher who is employed at your school or authorized by your school district can serve as a team sponsor. You can even have two teachers who share that role. Note that aone teacher may not be the sponsor of more than three teams.

The Challenge program provides textbooks and training in the summers and throughout the year,. ~~and t~~There are also online curriculum materials, tutoring programs and textbooks at http://www.challenge.nm.org/teachers/.

Upon request, WChallenge staff will visit your school to do a programming workshop or assist with getting your computer lab functioning. ~~So this~~ The Challenge could prove to be a good learning experience for a teacher who is somewhat new to ~~all of the~~ computer technology. ~~On the other hand, t~~Teachers who are interested in the Challenge and are also knowledgeable about the scientific process, mathematics, or computer science and modeling will clearly ~~have an advantage, at least in terms of their initial~~have a higher comfort level. Past Challenge sponsoring teachers have been a very diverse ~~crew~~group, including even elementary teachers and librarians.

The sponsoring teacher will serve as your mentor and supervisor throughout the competition. He or she will help you submit all forms, reports (abstract, interim, and final), and applications before their deadlines;. The sponsoring teacher will arrange for transportation to remote events, ~~and~~ ensure your attendance at Challenge activities and supervise you (or arrange for an authorized substitute) at ~~the~~ ~~activities~~such events (sSupervision to includes setting standards for appropriate dress, behavior, and preparation for the event);. Your sponsoring teacher can also help you find a project mentor;.

The time commitment involved for the teacher will depend on the complexity of your project and on your team's experience. Please recognize that participating in the Challenge as your sponsoring teacher means extra, often unpaid, responsibilities for your teacher. Rather than using their time to pursue personal interests, your teacher is willingly making it possible for you to pursue yours. Appreciate their commitment to your future, and make sure you put out your best effort — that’s the best possible way to show your thanks.

Your Team Mentor's Responsibilities

A project mentor, or an expert in the area of science ~~whom~~ you have chosen for your project, can be a great help to you throughout the year. Ideally, a mentor serves as a sounding board, a reality checker, a guide, and an inspiration. He or she shouldn’t provide you with all related research information, pick your project, or develop your program model.

We consider the mentor to be very valuable contributor to a team's success in the competition. Your mentor can:

· help you brainstorm prospective problems to solve within the area of science you have selected and help you eliminate or redefine unfeasible ones (unfeasible projects could be too complex for your capabilities or for the time limits of the program),

· help you find resources (literature, network information, data, and people) related to your chosen project,

· provide information about the math and science that you need to use in your project,

· help you select the proper platform and software for the computations involved in your project,

· ask you lots of questions about the code to get you to think through the problem and possible solutions (here's a perfect spot for s to be guides and motivators rather than doers-your team needs the chance to develop the code for itself), and

· monitor your team's progress and make sure you set and meet milestones to keep the project on track (no, not hassle you, just remind you — and, obviously, only if it's necessary.)

We expect that your mentor will:

· show interest in your project and meet with you at regularly scheduled times,

· ask you to explain your project often (to be sure you're staying on track and not losing sight of the original problem as you wade through the research and code),

· keep sight of the milestones and deadlines and help you to meet them, and

· keep in mind that you are high school students rather than professionals or college students and assist you to simplify the highly technical information appropriately.

We hope your mentor will be at Glorieta for at least part of the Kickoff conference to get to know you and to begin talking about the project. After that, you will probably use a combination of e-mail, phone calling, and meetings to communicate with your mentor. In the past, teams who have met with their mentors regularly have done well in the Challenge.

We'd like you to try to take a hand in getting one or more mentors for your team. Mentors can be parents, neighbors, employees from local businesses, schoolteachers or college professors — the possibilities are endless. How do you turn the possibilities into actual mentors? First, recognize that many people are already familiar with the Challenge and will be happy to be involved in helping dedicated kids like you. Those who haven't heard of the program are generally pleased to hear about a program that's got so much going for it.

There are very few adults in the world who don't care if high-school students are involved in good activities. There are very few people who can resist sharing information and help about a topic that they know a lot about, especially if they have an interested audience.

The point here is that you don't need to feel reluctant about asking ~~an expert~~ someone to serve as your mentor. That person might be so overloaded with work that he or she can't serve as your mentor, but the person will likely feel pleased to have been asked. And perhaps he or she will be able to suggest somebody else who will be a great mentor instead.

Project Abstract

One of the most important things that you will do at the Challenge Kickoff is enter your Project Abstract electronically in one of the computer labs. The abstract is a one or two paragraph description (at least 250 words and not more than one typed page) of the problem you have chosen. In the abstract, you must clearly state:

what the problem is,

the definition of the problem

why it is important,

the purpose of the project or what results you hope to get,

how you plan to work on it, and

the plan of action or methods you hope to use.

The abstract is helpful to both you and the judges who will review the completed projects. Preparing the abstract helps the team define exactly what its project will be. After you pin down the problem that you will solve, you must devise a plan of action, in other words, decide how you will solve the problem. This plan of action will guide your work during the year. The plan may include doing research, writing a computer program, analyzing data, talking to people in that particular field, and drawing conclusions. The judges will read each abstract to get an initial impression of the project. You can read last year's abstracts at:

http://www.challenge.nm.org/Archive/99-00/Abstracts/

Remember abstracts are short and concise. Each of the points can be covered in one or two sentences. You must also include the following: team number, school name, area of science, project name, the problem that you'll solve, and what you hope the outcome will be. Your abstract and your project must fall under the general area of science that you stated on your registration form, but you can ~~change~~ make changes to your specific project up until you submit your interim report (the second milestone) in January.

At the close of each of the two sessions at Glorieta, teams will upload their abstracts to the Challenge web page (http://www.challenge.nm.org) and print out copies for their mentors. Your abstract will be reviewed and accepted at the Kickoff, and then it will be submitted to the Challenges judges for their information. This first impression of your project gives the judges a baseline from which to measure your progress during the year.

Abstract Submission.

Bring a “camera ready” paper copy of the abstract to the Kickoff Conference. You will use it during the Team Project Development session. Before leaving the conference, enter the abstract online in the directory public_html. You must use either the pico or vi editor, OR you can bring the abstract on disk and upload the file to mode.lanl.k12.nm.us without retyping it.

You will find an abstract template at

http://www.challenge.nm.org/abstract.stm

This is the file that will be in the public_html directories of Challenge accounts. Review the text and CHECK THE SPELLING. Submit the abstract with the command:

submit abstract0001.shtml

Challenge staff will place your abstract on the Challenge web page. Teams who need assistance with their abstracts or uploading the abstract will find help with the friendly and knowledgeable Challenge staff.

Figure 1: Example of an abstract:

(Team Number 038 from Lovington HS was finalist in the 1999 – 2000 Challenge.)

School Name: Lovington High School

Area of Science: Physics

Project Title: What Causes Torque to Reverse Itself? A Study and Explanation of the Rattleback (Celt).

Abstract:

A rattleback, also known as a celt, is a ten centimeter long plastic toy with a base shaped similar to the hull of a boat. The object's unique shape and placement of the elliptical foci mysteriously allows it to reverse its direction of motion when spun clockwise.

Our team will attempt to explain why the rattleback reverses direction mathematically and create a physical explanation. We will also simulate the rattleback graphically on the supercomputer where we will change variables such as length, focus, etc.

We hope to gain knowledge of the mathematical and physical concepts governing the behavior of the celt and understand the effects of altering variables in this process.

Team Members: Nicholas Tobkin, Elizabeth Myers, Dustin Graham, Jeremiah Giese, Juan Contreras

Sponsoring Teachers: Mrs. Pamela Gray

Project Mentor(s): Mrs. Pamela Gray

http://www.challenge.nm.org/Archive/99-00/Abstracts/038.shtml

Computers, Connections, and Sources for Help

After you and your team members return from the Challenge Kickoff conference, you will want to make sure that you immediately try connecting to the computers at Los Alamos by using the Internet connection at your school, or by using a dial-up account.

You will need access to these computers in order to work on your project. These computers are also your contact with your project mentors, and the Challenge web page,

http://www.challenge.nm.org

This is the best way to stay informed about the next Challenge milestone and the Monday morning news.

Computers.

As a participant in the Supercomputing Challenge, you have access to LANL's Pi machine, a Cray O200 running the IRIX operating system. You will also have an account on the Mode machine, which runs the LINUX operating system.

Machines at New Mexico State University, Sandia National Laboratories, and the Maui High Performance Computing Center in Hawaii may also be available for your use with special permission. Only those students working on projects with extraordinary computation requirements will be given access to the other machines. If you want to request an account on an additional machine, please send an e-mail message justifying your need for an account on that machine to consult@challenge.nm.org.

Connecting To the Internet Using a Dial-up Connection.

As a participant in the Supercomputing Challenge, you have access to~~the~~ New Mexico Technet’s dial-in~~network~~ Internet access.~~, which connects you to the various computer sites. Ordinarily, to log in to a remote computer, you must first dial and log in to the New Mexico Technet terminal server.~~ The Challenge dial-up service is a standard Internet PPP dial-up connection that is good for 60 hours per month per Challenge participant. To set up dial-up networking on your PC, see the instructions in the back of this handbook and at http://www.challenge.nm.org/ctg/login/dialup.shtml.

When you ~~log~~ dial-in to ~~the~~ Technet modems ~~Machine~~, you establish a "session." Each session may last no longer than two hours. If you have not disconnected within two hours, you will be automatically disconnected. It is important to save your work often so that you do not lose it if you are disconnected. After each session, you may dial again and log in for another two-hour session.

Dial-In Phone Numbers.

Whenever possible, please use local telephone numbers to ~~call the Technet computer~~ dial into Technet. Teams from areas that have local dial-in numbers will not be authorized to use the ~~long-distance~~ 800 numbers. (~~Whereas u~~Using the 800 numbers costs the Challenge a substantial amount of money,; using the local dial-in numbers costs much less.)

If you have a problem getting through on the local dial-in numbers, you should contact New Mexico Technet Customer Support at (505) ~~345-6555~~343-7630. In some cases, Technet will authorize a team to use the 800 ~~service~~ number even if they have access to a local dial-in number. If very heavy usage is a problem in your area, additional local dial-in numbers may be added. The Message of the Day on machine Mode will tell you when new lines have been added in your area.

This chart shows the phone number that you should dial from your home area to reach the Technet computer.

City	Local Number
Alamogordo	437-4209
Albuquerque	345-8751
Artesia	746-3081
Aztec/Bloomfield/ Farmington	334-1532
Carrizozo	648-5561
Clovis	762-8673
Crownpoint	786-5602
Cuba	289-2009
Des Moines	278-2610
Española	753-3836
Gallup	726-0429
Hobbs	391-9131
Las Cruces	525-8688
Portales	356-8633
Ramah	783-4747
Raton	445-3395
Roswell	347-2568
Ruidoso	257-3441
Santa Fe/Los Alamos	827-6780
Socorro	835-6900
Taos	737-0870
Tucumcari	461-3852
Zuni	782-4409

For 800 Service ~~(surcharge applies)~~ call (800) 283-2638.

~~The ISDN Dial-up Number (Albuquerque only) is 346-2135.~~

~~A Technet ISDN account is required.~~

All modems are at least~~28.8~~ 33.6 kbps, v.34 capable. 56 kbps V.90 modems are available in some locations. More information on Technet’s modems is available at

http://www.nm.org/services/lcl-dial.html.

If entering ATDT phone number does not work, call Customer Support at New Mexico Technet, (505) ~~345-6555~~343-7630.

New Mexico Technet Customer Support

The New Mexico Technet customer support staff will take care of general questions, problems with your connection, or problems with dialing in~~logging in~~ to New Mexico Technet ~~The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday~~Customer support personnel are available Monday – Friday from 8 am to 9 pm, and on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm. ~~After regular~~Outside of these hours, you can leave a message on the phone recorder. In your message, state what your problem is and your name and phone number. Someone will call you back as soon as possible.

If you are calling long distance, be sure to mention that to the Technet customer support staff member who answers your call. New Mexico Technet will call you back so your school does not incur a large long-distance charge. Remember, e-mail is faster and cheaper. With e-mail, you can also include a detailed description of your problem and examples of error messages.

e-mail: ~~consult~~help@technet.nm.org or consult@challenge.nm.org

Phone: (505) 343-7630 ~~345-6555~~

Connecting to Machine Mode through Telnet.

Once you have Internet access (either dial-up access or dedicated access from your school), you can log into the Mode machine by using a Telnet program. Telnet is the primary protocol used on the Internet for remote login. Remote login is the ability to connect a computer on one network to a computer on another network and have the local computer behave as if it is directly connected to the remote machine. The Challenge web page has instructions on how to use the telnet command to login to Machine mode at

http://www.challenge.nm.org/ctg/login/telnet.shtml

Interim Reports

After the Kickoff Conference, you will have until Friday, January 5, 20001, to refine your project and electronically submit your interim report. This report should describe your project, your progress to date, and your expected results.

The interim report, which must be at least 500 words in length, should expand on the information in your abstract. Please note that the interim report may not be a copy of the abstract that you submitted at ~~registration~~the Kickoff.

The interim report should include the following information:

the definition of the problem,

your plan for solving the problem computationally,

a description of the progress you have made up to this time,

and the results you expect to get.

On the report cover, be sure to identify your school, team number, and team members. For the hard-copy report's cover page, follow the format shown in Figure 2. This format should be used for both a hard-copy interim report and the final report. Note that you do not need to declare a judging category for the interim report.

Interim Report Submission

Before 5:00 PM on January 5, 2001, you should:

Enter your interim report in the directory public_html.

Review the text and check the spelling. Interim reports with spelling or typographical errors will be returned for correction.

Submit the report with the command submit interim.html .

If you must instead submit a hard-copy report by mail, please use the following address:

New Mexico Supercomputing Challenge

New Mexico Technet, Inc.

5921 Jefferson N.E.

Albuquerque, NM 87109

Project Title

Category

New Mexico High School

Supercomputing Challenge

Final Report

April 54, 20001

Team Number

School Name

Figure 2. Format of cover page for hard-copy interim report and for final report.

Team Members

____________

____________

____________

Teacher(s)

____________

Project Mentor

____________

This figure of a sample cover page shows what information you should include and how you should arrange it. When you prepare your cover page, you will change the words in italics to the proper information for your team and your project. You do not need to declare a judging category for the interim report.

Figure 3. Example of an interim report

(Team 30 from Bosque Preparatory School was a finalist in the 1999 – 2000 Challenge)

Team Number: 030

School Name: Bosque Preparatory School

Area of Science: Environmental Sciences

Project Title: Modeling Black Bear Populations

Problem Definition:

New Mexico is unique for its weather. Because of that, we are faced with many droughts, long and short during our hot unrelenting summers. One consequence of these droughts has been a decrease of food in wildlife reserves. In the fall, bears need to substantially increase their body fat for hibernation. Bears from the Rocky Mountains have been seen wandering around streets and houses searching for food and shelter when they could not find enough in the wild. We chose this project because we felt that perhaps the media was overplaying the bear situation. We wanted to see how rare it would be that a bear would come in contact with a residential area. We tailored that idea to simulating the effects of a growing residential area on a Rocky Mountain bear population.

Problem Solution:

To do this, we had to be able to create an accurate model of a bear population and add variables to it that would simulate the effects of a growing residential area. To create such a model, we had to study and combine modeling and simulation methods to accurately create a mathematical representation of a real situation. Variables such as harvesting, range/territory size, and carrying capacity of the land will be incorporated into the program for the purpose of accuracy. We had to write a program, a foundation, which was a simple model to simulate an unrestricted population of bears. This population model is known as a Malthusian Model. We will then add variables to the existing program, creating sub-programs where necessary, and keep it as simple and user-friendly as possible. Our program will grow and be changed until it reaches the point where it is able to produce data for a bear population that is impacted by a loss of territory. We also need to do extensive research on the bears to make sure that our program is accurate. Then we need to find values to test our program based on the data. All the while we need to make sure that we didn't loose ourselves in the program or the user, so we were constantly looking for the most "user-friendly" route to writing the program.

Progress to Date:

We have collected some information on the bear population in New Mexico and we have a C++ program that computes bear populations including variables for growth rate, carrying capacity, hunting, and habitat loss. We evolved the program from a simple population model. It first started out with a Malthusian Model, which became a logistic model and from there we added variables and made it more complicated. The bear population information we have gathered has come from the New Mexico Game and Fish Department. From this information, we will pull out the necessary information, and then later use it as input to our program. Our program is currently a logistic growth model with hunting and carrying capacity decline. This program also writes the output to a file.

Expected Results:

Currently, our team is defining and extracting values from our data. We intend to input the values into the program to allow us to compare the data produced by the program to real life statistics. When fully completed, our program will be able to accurately simulate a bear population in the Rocky Mountains. We will have added variables that would simulate the impact of a growing residential area into the program. During the process of making our program specifically about bears, we will have made the program moldable to almost any living thing. We will create an export file for the data that will display it tabular form as well as graphically.

Team Members: Nicole D. Mumma, Kenny E. Sulterland, Samuel R. Ashmore

Sponsoring Teachers: Debra M. Loftin, Dorothy I. Ashmore

Project Mentor(s): Geoffrey Comber, Hal Meyer

http://www.challenge.nm.org/Archive/99-00/Interim/030.shtml

Regional Workshops

One-day workshops will be held at locations around the state from Tuesday, January 119, 20001, through Friday, January 2119, 20001. Your team will be invited to attend the session nearest your school. Your whole team and your teacher must attend the workshop. In the case of a schedule conflict, you can let us know that you will need to attend a different session on another date.

Your regional workshop will provide you with the opportunity to have questions answered, receive assistance with your projects, work on your programming skills, and discuss project progress with teams from other schools. Challenge staff from Los Alamos Laboratory and from New Mexico Technet will provide training, games, problems, and presentations.

Please check the website, http://www.challenge.nm.org, for maps to these sites.

Region	Location	Date	Host
1	Eastern New Mexico University - Portales	Tues, Jan 119	Ron Obenhaus
2	New Mexico State University - Las Cruces	Thurs, Jan 131	Shaun Cooper
3	Santa Fe Community College - Santa Fe	Tues, Jan 186	Sandi Taylor
4	University of New Mexico - Albuquerque	Thurs, Jan 2118	Terry Babbitt
5	University of New Mexico - Gallup	Fri, Jan 1920	Ram Das
6	New Mexico Tech - Socorro	Fri, Jan 142	Mike Topliff

Project Evaluation

On a scheduled date between February 63 and 20February 17, you and your team members will make an oral presentation, not to exceed 30 minutes, to a team of Challenge judges. Your whole team must participate in this presentation. The judges from your region will have already read your team’s abstract and your interim report.

During the presentation, your team will discuss your project, your progress, and your plans for completing your work. You will need to be prepared to answer judges’ questions. You might want to think of this presentation as good practice for your final presentation at Los Alamos in April. You should plan to use all of the equipment and visual aids that you will use in your final presentation (including a network connection to the computers in Los Alamos)

The judges will evaluate both the project itself and your presentation. They will give you a brief written assessment of your project. The expectation is that your project will not be completed when you make this presentation.

Your presentation lets the judges get a better understanding of your project, review your progress, and offer advice and direction on overcoming obstacles or finding additional resources.

The table below provides the dates and locations for the Project Evaluation Sessions in the state. Please check the web site, http://www.challenge.nm.org, for maps to these sites.

Region	Location	Date	Host
1	Eastern New Mexico University - Portales	Sat, Feb 53	Ron Obenhaus
2	New Mexico State University - Las Cruces	Sat, Feb 53	Shaun Cooper
3	New Mexico Highlands Univ. – Las Vegas	Sat, Feb 10	Catherine Stringfellow
4	University of New Mexico - Albuquerque	Sat, Feb 120	Sandy Carter-Mayes
5	San Juan College - Farmington	Sat, Feb 127	Paull Holmes
6	New Mexico Tech - Socorro	Sat, Feb 17	Mike Topliff

Final Reports

Every team must submit a final report in either Category A (to compete for prizes) or Category B (to get feedback to use toward completing the project the following year). ~~Each team that registers in the fall must submit either a Category A or Category B report.~~ All reports must arrive in HARD-COPY form (no faxes) at New Mexico Technet no later than NOON on Wednesday, April ~~5, 1999~~4, 2001. Teams who choose Category A must also email an MS Word attachment (team_xx_report.doc) of their final report to consult@challenge.nm.org by the same deadline. The paper copy will be used for judging. The electronic copy may be used on the web page and to prepare a CD for distribution to educators. The electronic and the paper copy should have exactly the same content.

Writing the Final Report.

Before writing a report, it is important to decide what topics and information you will include. Developing an outline can be critical to your success in conveying your work to your reader. You don’t want to just dump your information onto your readers (including the judges!). To keep readers’ attention, you need to present carefully structured information that they can painlessly absorb and process.

For your Challenge report, you won’t need to develop an outline because we have developed one for you to use. We want to ensure that you present your work in the best possible manner. In the past, the best-written reports have followed this outline, and we strongly urge you to follow it as well. In technical reports, creativity matters far less than clarity and organization.

Remember, for you to become a finalist team with the opportunity to present your project orally, you must first sell the quality of your project through the written final report. The process of writing the report will help you prepare your information for the oral presentation and for answering the judges’ questions.

Format of the Report.

Cover page - Please follow the sample and specifications shown in Figure 2 and on page 27.

Table of contents - Please include any figures, tables, and appendices.

Executive summary - This is the make-or-break-you part of the report. Do you know why you must write an executive summary? The answer explains why it will make you or break you as far as the Challenge competition goes.

An executive summary is generally read as a stand-alone document by the bigwigs of a company to get a brief, comprehensive snapshot of a project, from its inception to its conclusion, in order to make decisions about supporting the project. In the case of the Challenge, the executive summary is the part of the report that the judges read to decide whether to shelve the report or to continue on to the body of the report. You will never make it to the finals of the Challenge unless you have written a concise, complete, and well-written executive summary that

· covers the significant points of the report,

· is well-organized and very tightly written (i.e., all necessary, but no extraneous material), and

· is written in plain English rather than in technical terms (the primary users of executive summaries are generally well-educated people who do not necessarily have a technical background).

Body of the report - The report must show that you conducted a scientific investigation, obtained results, and arrived at some conclusions. The following components are all critical to the reader’s understanding of and appreciation for your work. Please be sure that you address each one clearly and completely.

An introduction describes the project, the problem that you have investigated, your purpose in choosing it, and the problem’s significance to you. ~~and~~ It provides necessary background information to assist the reader in understanding your work.

A description of the project states all the important details about the scope (limits) of your work, the materials you used, and the step-by-step methods that you used to solve your problem or incorporated into the project.

The results include the data from your computer program and what you learned from doing this project. (pPlease don’t mistake graphs or figures for results. —wWell-designed graphs with carefully crafted captions that explain the details of the figures ~~ould~~can be included as part of the results, but they are NOT the results. ~~but are no substitute for~~You should have a precise, detailed, and complete description of what you did/ or didn’t discover in the course of your project).

· In your conclusions, you interpret your results based on the facts and evidence that you have gathered. ~~(thereby~~You should show ~~demonstrating~~ that you have thoroughly processed your results inwith regard to the context of the original problem that you selected). It is important to clearly state what was your most significant original achievement on the project.

· Recommendations are especially useful if you had to greatly narrow the scope of your project in order to complete it in the limited time that you had, if your results weren’t at all what you expected to get, or if you don’t believe your results to be complete or accurate.

· Acknowledgments (optional) give you an opportunity to thank the people who have helped you on the project (s, teachers, administrators, etc.).

· Reference list or bibliography - You must be sure to identify the sources from which you obtained information. You can find formats for citing the various types of printed material (books, reports, articles, etc.) in ~~text books~~textbooks such as the Harbrace College Handbook (Horner et al. 1998),. ~~but~~ sSeveral examples are provided in this ~~packet~~handbook so that you need not go searching for another resource. The important thing is to be complete, accurate, and consistent.

· The sources must be listed in alphabetical order by the authors’ last names.

· ~~whose listings are~~The sources should be readily traceable by the reader because of the thoroughness of the information you have provided.

· ~~whose~~ ~~listings are~~The sources should be presented in a consistent format (see samples of formats provided on the attached sheet).

· Appendices - One or more are optional that are referred to in the body of the report and that follow the body of the report in the order in which you refer to them in the body. They should be identified by capital letters of the alphabet and used in sequence (the exception being when you only have one appendix, in which case you just call it “the Appendix”). Appendices are used to provide information that supports your report but would serve as a distraction to your reader in the body of the text. They may include data, programming codes, charts, and tables.

Sample Reference Formats.

Citing Information: Electronic Sources - Information that you obtain online should be treated in a special way in your bibliography. You must identify the type of medium that you used to get the information and include an availability statement that gives the “path” for retrieving the information.

The general form for citing electronic information is:

Author. (date). Title (edition), [type of medium]. Available.

You will notice that periods separate all of the items except edition, which is followed by a comma. The title is in italic typeface, and only the first word of the title is capitalized unless it contains proper nouns. The “type of medium” statement identifies the means of communication that you used, such as online, CD-ROM, or disk. In the “Available” statement, be sure to give enough information to permit retrieval of the cited work. You will notice in the examples that the ~~avenue~~protocol to be used (FTP, Telnet, etc.) is stated, followed by the directory and the file name. Email citations include the message that should be used to retrieve the information.

If you have questions about citing a particular item, send email to consult@challenge.nm.org for help with the proper form.

Examples of citations for electronic sources:

• Kehoe, B. P. (1992). Zen and the art of the Internet (2nd ed.), [Online].

Available FTP: quake.think.com Directory: pub/etext/1992 File: zen10.txt

(This example shows a work that was transferred by FTP.)

• The educational directory [Online]. (1992). Available: Knowledge Index

File: The Educational Directory (EDUC6)

(This example shows an individual work with no listed author.)

• Bowers, K. L., LaQuey, T., Reynolds, J. (1990, August). FYI on where to start—bibliography of Internet working information [Online]. Available e-mail: NISINFO@NIS.NSF.NET Message: Get RFC1175.TXT-1

This information is taken from the book Electronic Style: A Guide to Citing Electronic Information by Xia Li and Nancy B. Crane.

(This example shows an individual work with multiple authors. It was obtained by electronic mail.)

• Minch, Edwin W. "Spider." World Book Online. July 20, 1999 <http://wbonline.worldbook.com/dynaweb/wbcoll/wboearts/IDMATCH(ID,AR524980)?DwebQuery=%22spider%22#top>.

(Format is: Author's Last Name, Author's First Name. "Title of Article." Encyclopedia Title. Date of Visit to Site <URL of Article>.)

This example shows an encyclopedia article on the Web.

Additional Writing Hints.

· The hardest part of writing a final report is starting, so if you get the introduction and description of your project on paper ~~now~~as soon as possible, you’ll have conquered the hardest part.

· Build from your interim report, using it as a first draft for your introduction and the description of your project.

· Define technical terms.

· Define an acronym at its first use.

· Use headings and subheadings to help the reader focus on each part of the report.

· Place captions an all tables, charts, and graphics.

· Use at least a 10-point font size so that the text can be easily read.

· Number the pages of your report.

· Proofread carefully. Don’t rely on the spell checker.

Your final report should focus on your project rather than on the experiences of your team. Be sure to follow the rules that govern the submittal of final reports so that your team is not disqualified. Please keep a copy of your report in case any problems arise in delivering it or copying it for the judges. Please follow these guidelines for your report:

Use 8.5- by 11-inch paper.

Allow one-inch margins at the top, bottom, and sides.

Place a binder clip at the top left corner. (Please do not use any other form of binding for the report - No Staples!)

Carefully check your final report for spelling and typographical errors. You should have each team member check, since spelling mistakes and other errors will be counted against you.

Project Title

Category

New Mexico High School

Supercomputing Challenge

Final Report

April 54, 20001

Team Number

School Name

Team Members

____________

____________

____________

Teacher(s)

____________

Project

____________

You must include a cover page in your final report with the following information: your project name, team number, school, team members, sponsoring teacher, project , and your statement of intention regarding the ~~about what track~~Category for which your report should be considered with regarding to Judging (Category A - to compete for awards and prizes - or Category B - to just get feedback that will be helpful if you want to work on the same project again next year).~~you expect to submit your report for~~.

This sample cover page shows you what information you should give and how you should arrange it. When you prepare your cover page, you will change the words shown in italics to identify your team and project.

Judging

In April, the final judging for Category A (competitive) projects is held in Los Alamos.

The Challenge judging panel is made up of scientists and computer professionals who work

throughout New Mexico in universities, government laboratories, and private

industry. The judges evaluate your project at three different stages so that you get feedback you can use to make improvements and to refocus your work if necessary. This system also lets the judges get familiar with your project and observe your progress as the project develops.

The entire panel of judges will receive copies of the Category “A” reports for their review. Each judge places brief comments about each report at a special Judges’ web site. After all of the judges have reviewed the comments about all of the reports, they all participate in a conference telephone call to determine the list of finalist teams based on the judging criteria

·The finalist teams are invited to make a 30-minute presentation of their projects to the full panel of judges on the day before Awards Day in Los Alamos. ~~This marks the end of the first of two phases of the final judging.~~

During each finalist team's presentation, the various members of the team describe the project, demonstrating their teamwork and shared work responsibilities. Remember, practice makes perfect, so if you make it to the finals, be sure you take the time to carefully plan out the presentation text, visual aids, program graphics, and code and to practice doing the whole presentation together, using the various tools. Work out the kinks ahead of time — you'll feel well prepared, and that'll help with the pre-show jitters.

There will need to be a few minutes left at the end of the 30-minute session to allow for questions from the judges. Again, some practice could help. Try to imagine what questions the judges might ask. If you can't include that information in your presentation, be sure to prepare answers in case the questions are asked. Decide ahead of time what topics will be covered by which team members.

After hearing all of the presentations, the judges will use the judging criteria to arrive at a consensus about the top teams (the number of which will be one more than half the number of finalist teams). Each judge will then rank the top teams. Each team's rankings will then be averaged. The top teams' averages will determine the first place, second place and honorable mention winners.

Final Judging for Category B.

If you submit your final report in Category B (non-competitive), you will be invited to attend Awards Day, just like any other team who has completed the Challenge requirements. Unlike the teams with Category A projects, however, your team will be able to continue work on your project during the next Challenge year. You can submit your project as a Category A project next year. Although the judges would then consider your report from the first year, only your progress from the second year would be assessed in the final judging.

Judging Criteria.

Projects are judged on overall quality and on the progress that your team makes during the Challenge year. Remember that it is important to submit a project that is complete. Modest but complete results are more impressive than a grand scheme with no solid results.

When examining projects, the judges consider the scientific content; the effectiveness of the computational approach; the creativity, innovation, and initiative that you showed in developing and carrying out the project; and the clarity of your presentation.

As you prepare your project for the judging, you might want to use the following checklist of items that the judges will consider.

1. Scientific Content

Is the scientific content significant?
Do you have a plan or procedure for getting a solution?
Do you clearly recognize and define the variables?
Do you recognize when controls are needed and use them correctly?
Do you have adequate data to support your conclusions?
Do you recognize the limitations of the data?
Have you shown how the project ties in with related research?
Do you know what additional research is indicated?

2. Effectiveness of the Computational Approach

Is your computational approach appropriate for the project?
Is the solution workable? Unworkable solutions may be interesting, but they have no value.
Is the solution economically feasible? Supercomputers can make computational tasks feasible that once were not.
Have you tested your software to see how it will perform in actual use?
Does your software solution cover the problem you defined for your project?

3. Creativity and Innovation

Where did you get the idea for the project? Was it an original idea that you developed from reading or work that you have done, or did you derive it from a ~~text book~~textbook?
To solve the problem, did you devise a new solution or use a known solution in a creative way?
In interpreting the data, have you contributed new insights or shown new intuitions?

4. Clarity, Conciseness, and Organization

Did you state the problem clearly?
Did you clearly explain the purpose of the project, the procedures used, and the results or conclusions of your work?
Did you clearly show your data and results?
Is your software documented, and have you included sufficient comments in your source code?
Have you presented the material in a forthright manner, without tricks or gimmicks?
Did you acknowledge all of the help that you received?

Original Code versus Borrowed Code.

You must decide whether to write your own computer code or borrow an existing code. The judges might give credit to a team for writing an original program; however, teams who use existing code are not downgraded. In making this decision, you should look at your team's programming strengths, the type of code you need for the problem you are working on, and the approach that will give you the best overall solution.

If you do use borrowed code, be sure to acknowledge the originator of the code. Indicate any modifications that you make to the code and explain the purpose of the modifications.

Preparing Effective Visual Aids

Many people take in information better by eye than by ear, so a visual aid can be a powerful tool to get your message across during your presentation. The following hints can help you design effective visual aids for your presentation to the Challenge judges.

PLAN what you want to communicate and where it will be presented.

· Know your audience. What kinds of information will best to show the judges what your project is about and what you accomplished?

· Know your environment. Think about how you will setup the area you and your teammates will use while you are speaking.

·CHOOSE the type of visual aids that you will use.

· Overhead Transparencies

- Advantage: Transparencies are easy to prepare. You can use overlays of additional transparencies to build a complex picture, or you can cover a series of bullets and reveal them as you speak

- Disadvantage: Changing transparencies or losing the correct order can distract the audience.

· Projected Computer Images

- Advantage: You can combine screens of information with a live demonstration of your computer software.

- Disadvantage: Equipment failures can ruin your presentation; always have back-up visuals prepared. You may not be able to face your audience if you are seated at a computer.

· White/Chalk Board or Flip Chart

- Advantage: You can make impromptu sketches and notes during the presentation.

- Disadvantage: Information may not be visible to large audiences. Writing on these instruments can disrupt the flow of your presentation.

DESIGN THE LAYOUT keeping in mind that your audience must be able to easily see what you want to communicate.

· Keep each visual simple.

- Use main points and keywords rather than sentences.

- Place a margin on all sides to frame the information.

- Leave adequate space between words and lines.

· Coordinate the use of color.

- Use no more than three colors per visual.

- Be consistent when using color (all titles should be in the same color).

- Avoid visuals that are too dark toor too light to be easily seen.

· Emphasize readability.

- Choose a typeface and size that can be easily read from the back of the room.

- Write text with both upper case and lower-case letters (all uppercase are hard to read).

- Use bar charts to show varying quantities or to compare two or more types of data.

- Use pie charts to show portions or percentages (identify each component).

Remember that your facial expression, gestures, body language, and clothing are your most fundamental and most effective visual aids.

Awards Day

All participants who have submitted a final report are invited to the Awards Day activities at the Los Alamos National Laboratory on Wednesday, April 25, 2001. You will get to take tours of the Laboratory and ~~hear talks~~talk to scientists about the many kinds of work going on at LANL. At Awards Day, y~~, see many parts of the Laboratory,~~ou will attend the awards ceremony be served lunch, and participate in the tours. The finalists will enjoy an elegant reception.

Posters.

If you attend Awards Day, your team must prepare two posters:

(1) a technical poster that describes your project (a sort of photograph that shows your entire project at a glance) and

(2) a graphics poster whose artwork and catchy slogan creatively embody the Challenge program.

You will need to bring both of these to display at Awards Day. The posters may be no larger than 22 by 30 inches (standard poster-board size) and can be hand-drawn, designed on a computer, or created by a combination of methods.

~~The~~ Both posters must be comprised of original artwork and text! You may not copy or borrow pictures, artwork, slogans, etc. from any outside source. At Awards Day, all of the Challenge participants will judge the poster entries and select the winners for both categories.

The poster that best displays the technical information about a project will serve as the cover for the publication of the compiled finalists' reports.

The best graphics poster will serve as the Challenge logo for the next year, appearing on Challenge letterhead, T-shirts, book bags, and the Web site. This year there is a $200 award for the individual(s) who design the winning graphics poster.

Awards and Scholarships.

This Challenge year, scholarships and financial awards will be awarded for excellence in such areas as leadership, scientific or mathematical achievement, research, programming,

and project development within a team. If you feel that you have demonstrated superior skill in one or more of these areas, you should apply for a scholarship. Students wishing to be considered MUST complete the process described.

The following scholarships are available:

Amy Beth Boulanger Memorial Scholarship: Four years/$2400 per year, restricted to seniors only. The Board of Directors of New Mexico Technet, Inc awards this scholarship.

One-year full-tuition scholarship to NMSU.

One-time $2,400 financial award to UNM.

One-time $2,400 financial award to NM Tech.

· Renewable full-tuition scholarship to NMHU.

· One-time $1,300 scholarship to ENMU.

· Renewable $1,000 Physics scholarship to NMSU.

One-time $2,500 financial award from Intel to any accredited institution of higher education in New Mexico.

One-time $500 financial award to attend any member institution in New Mexico given by the Council for Higher Education Computing Services, Inc. (CHECS); awarded by random drawing to a student or teacher present at Awards Day.

If you apply for the Amy Beth Boulanger Memorial Scholarship, you will automatically be considered for the one-time scholarships.

If you apply for the one-time scholarships, you may not designate the school. The institution providing the scholarship will be determined by the "luck of the draw." However, if you win, you can swap with the other winners before any of you submit the scholarship acceptance document to New Mexico Technet.

All scholarships are valid only through the institution's fall registration cycle for the calendar year in which the recipient graduates from high school.

Scholarship Application Process.

The deadline for applications is noon on Wednesday April 54, 20001. To apply for a scholarship you must:

be an active member of a Challenge team,

plan to attend a four-year university in New Mexico (any CHECS member institution),

be a New Mexico resident,

plan to pursue a science, engineering, or mathematics major, and

meet the university GPA requirements.

If you want to be considered for a scholarship award, you MUST submit a letter describing your contribution to the team project with an emphasis on the specific skill that you felt you demonstrated to a superior level.

The sponsoring teacher MUST endorse your letter and outline the superior skill or quality under consideration, providing examples of situations in which you exhibited it and discussing the impact that your superior skill or quality had on the project. Whereas multiple students from your team can apply for scholarships, only one student on your team should apply for a scholarship for outstanding leadership.

Your project and/or other team members may also provide statements that support the superior nature of your particular skill or quality and your contribution to the team effort. It is the responsibility of the sponsoring teacher to ensure that all documentation, including supportive statements, are mailed in an envelope to:

NM HS Supercomputing Challenge

c/o New Mexico Technet

5921 Jefferson, N.E.

Albuquerque, NM 87109

Attention: Scholarship Competition

NOTE: Do not include any other team project documentation with this application. Both interim and final reports MUST be submitted for any member of that team to compete for a scholarship.

The scholarship applicants will be invited to appear before a panel of Challenge judges to discuss their outstanding quality or skill in the context of their team project. This question-and-answer session will take place on Tuesday, April 248, ~~1999~~2001, in Los Alamos.

Special Awards.

Sponsors, contributors, or professional organizations may present prizes in special categories. These awards are usually trophies, plaques, or medals. Special awards have been presented for Creativity and Innovation in the past.

Other Awards.

Awards are presented for outstanding scientific projects, team leadership, and excellence in many different categories. The following awards for outstanding projects are available to participants in this year's Challenge and are presented to both the team members and their sponsoring schools:

· Awards to Team Members

1st Place: Each student on the team will receive a $1000.00 savings bond.

2nd Place: Each student on the team will receive a $500.00 savings bond.

· Awards to the Schools

The schools sponsoring the first- or second-place teams will receive computer equipment for the teacher of the winning team to use in the classroom. The schools sponsoring the honorable mention teams will receive computer or networking equipment for the sponsoring teacher to use in the classrooms. If a team has more than one teacher, the Challenge will provide one set of equipment to be shared.

· Electronic Search and Browse

· Environmental Modeling

· High-Performance Computing

· Judges' Special Recognition

· Multimedia Presentation

· Oral Presentation

· Poster (technical presentation)

· Poster (graphical presentation)

· Teamwork

· Written Final Report

· Best Use of a Microsoft Product

If they wish, the panel of judges may award a special Judges' Recognition Award to a team that impresses the judges by the quality of its work. Any team that submits a final report in Category A or Category B will be eligible.

Enjoy your 60-HOUR MONTHLY Challenge accounts, but keep in mind that itthey will be terminated immediately for ANY inappropriate actions, not just those listed here. You or your agentparent, guardian, or teacher may request the termination of an account by sending a notice to a system or network administrator. The termination will be effective on the day the notice is received or on a date specified in the notice.

Setting Up Dial-up Networking on a PC

To use dial-up networking on a PC to access machine mode.lanl.k12.nm.us at LANL through the New Mexico Technet network, follow the example below.

Setup Step 1.

1. Click on Start

2. Click on Programs

3. Click on Accessories

4. Click on Communications

5. Click on Dial-Up Networking and you will see

Setup Step 2.

1. Double click on the Make New Connection icon.

2. Enter a name for this connection, like Technet dial-up or mode. In this example we will use mode

3. Select the device (modem) you will be using.

4. Click Next.

Setup Step 3.

1. Look up the local dial-up number for your area from the Challenge Handbook and enter it. (You don't need to put in the area code.) We have used the Santa Fe number in this example.

2. Click Next.

Setup Step 4.

1. That's just about it.

2. Click on Finish.

Dialing in, Step 1.

1. Click on the mode icon in the Dial-Up Networking folder.

2. Enter your challenge username followed by @chall

3. Enter your password.

4. The phone number should already be there, from the setup.

5. Click Connect.

Dialing in, Step 2.

1. It should be automatic from here on.

2. You can close this window.

3. You now have a connection to the Internet and can use a web browser to access Internet sites or use telnet (Start, Run, enter telnet mode.lanl.k12.nm.us).

Troubleshooting.

1. If things don't work correctly, highlight the mode icon and right click and select Properties. They should look like:

2. Click on the Server Types tab to see:

3. Click on TCP/IP Settings to see:

4. If you are still having trouble, contact consult@challenge.nm.org or call New Mexico Technet at (505) 343-7630.

Significant Dates................................................................................................. 2

Phases of the Challenge....................................................................................... 3

Ethics and Behavior............................................................................................ 6

Written Reports................................................................................................... 7

Dial-In Phone Numbers...................................................................................... 15

Additional Writing Hints..................................................................................... 25

Judging Criteria................................................................................................... 28

Special Awards................................................................................................ 34