UIL Events Summary
Art – Grades 4-5
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. Contestants are 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 of the contest consists of 30 questions about art history and art elements characteristic of the 40 art selections.
Chess Puzzle – Grades 2-5
This is a new event this year. Contestants in the Chess Puzzle event receive a paper-and-pencil test that include a series of chess boards with pieces in particular positions. The contestant must then determine the fewest moves to checkmate given that particular board layout. Time is also a factor – contestants are scored based on the most puzzles solved in the least amount of time.
Creative Writing – Grade 2
The contest is designed to promote creativity and to encourage writing skills. Through preparation for the contest, students will be able to evaluate their own writing and the writing of others. Contestants will be given a prompt and several captioned pictures. From these pictures, the students will create an original story based on their selection in 30 minutes. The stories must contain at least one of the pictured items, but is not required that all items on the page be included. If your is a great story teller, this event is for them.
Ready Writing – Grades 3-5
This event helps students to learn to write clearly and correctly a paper that is interesting and original. Contestants are given a choice between two prompts, which defines the audience, and provides the purpose for writing. Students will be encouraged to analyze the prompts for the purpose of writing, the format, the audience, and the point of view. There is no minimum or maximum number of words the contestants must write.
Maps, Graphs, & Charts – Grade 5
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 graphs 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 that must be answered in 45 minutes.
Music Memory – Grades 2-5
The focus of the Music Memory contest is an in-depth study of fine pieces of music literature taken from a wide spectrum of music genres to expose students to great composers, their lives and their music. In the course of preparing for the contest, students will be given the opportunity to describe and analyze the music, relate the music to history, to society and culture, and to evaluate musical performance. During the event, 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.
Number Sense – Grades 4-5
Individuals are called upon every day to use their ability to make quick mental calculations and decisions. Concepts of this contest include, but are not limited to: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, proportions, and use of mathematical notation. 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.
Oral Reading – Grades 4-5
Reading literature out loud provides opportunities for students to analyze the text, to grow and to develop as a performer, to communicate a message to an audience and to perform an artistic creation. Students will read a selection of poetry. Each selection may be one poem, a cutting of a poem, or a combination of poems, from published poets.
Social Studies – Grade 5
Students will be tested over their knowledge of United States history, economics, concepts in government and citizenship. They will also study concepts of world economics and government/citizenship. A small portion of the test will also include concepts of Texas history, government/citizenship, and the origins and significance of state celebrations. Students will be given 30 minutes to answer 40 questions about U.S., Texas, and world history from study guides the students will be given based on the TEKS for social studies at this grade level.
Spelling – Grades 3-5
The spelling contest is designed to give students exposure to a wide variety of vocabulary words. It is not a contest of memorization. For the most educational value, preparation for this contest will include instruction in the rules of the English language, meanings and definitions, and root words. In addition to learning to spell proficiently, contestants will learn to write clearly and to capitalize words properly. Students will write down words given by a pronouncer on their paper at a rate of approximately five words per minute.
Storytelling – Grades 2-3
To tell a story, the participant must develop skills in listening, thinking, and speaking. This contest also allows for the development of creative expression. Contestants will listen to a storyteller read a brief story (between 600 and 1100 words long) only once, and then retell that story in their own words before a judge or judges. There are no time restrictions on the length of the story the student creates.
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. Contestants are 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 of the contest consists of 30 questions about art history and art elements characteristic of the 40 art selections.
Chess Puzzle – Grades 2-5
This is a new event this year. Contestants in the Chess Puzzle event receive a paper-and-pencil test that include a series of chess boards with pieces in particular positions. The contestant must then determine the fewest moves to checkmate given that particular board layout. Time is also a factor – contestants are scored based on the most puzzles solved in the least amount of time.
Creative Writing – Grade 2
The contest is designed to promote creativity and to encourage writing skills. Through preparation for the contest, students will be able to evaluate their own writing and the writing of others. Contestants will be given a prompt and several captioned pictures. From these pictures, the students will create an original story based on their selection in 30 minutes. The stories must contain at least one of the pictured items, but is not required that all items on the page be included. If your is a great story teller, this event is for them.
Ready Writing – Grades 3-5
This event helps students to learn to write clearly and correctly a paper that is interesting and original. Contestants are given a choice between two prompts, which defines the audience, and provides the purpose for writing. Students will be encouraged to analyze the prompts for the purpose of writing, the format, the audience, and the point of view. There is no minimum or maximum number of words the contestants must write.
Maps, Graphs, & Charts – Grade 5
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 graphs 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 that must be answered in 45 minutes.
Music Memory – Grades 2-5
The focus of the Music Memory contest is an in-depth study of fine pieces of music literature taken from a wide spectrum of music genres to expose students to great composers, their lives and their music. In the course of preparing for the contest, students will be given the opportunity to describe and analyze the music, relate the music to history, to society and culture, and to evaluate musical performance. During the event, 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.
Number Sense – Grades 4-5
Individuals are called upon every day to use their ability to make quick mental calculations and decisions. Concepts of this contest include, but are not limited to: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, proportions, and use of mathematical notation. 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.
Oral Reading – Grades 4-5
Reading literature out loud provides opportunities for students to analyze the text, to grow and to develop as a performer, to communicate a message to an audience and to perform an artistic creation. Students will read a selection of poetry. Each selection may be one poem, a cutting of a poem, or a combination of poems, from published poets.
Social Studies – Grade 5
Students will be tested over their knowledge of United States history, economics, concepts in government and citizenship. They will also study concepts of world economics and government/citizenship. A small portion of the test will also include concepts of Texas history, government/citizenship, and the origins and significance of state celebrations. Students will be given 30 minutes to answer 40 questions about U.S., Texas, and world history from study guides the students will be given based on the TEKS for social studies at this grade level.
Spelling – Grades 3-5
The spelling contest is designed to give students exposure to a wide variety of vocabulary words. It is not a contest of memorization. For the most educational value, preparation for this contest will include instruction in the rules of the English language, meanings and definitions, and root words. In addition to learning to spell proficiently, contestants will learn to write clearly and to capitalize words properly. Students will write down words given by a pronouncer on their paper at a rate of approximately five words per minute.
Storytelling – Grades 2-3
To tell a story, the participant must develop skills in listening, thinking, and speaking. This contest also allows for the development of creative expression. Contestants will listen to a storyteller read a brief story (between 600 and 1100 words long) only once, and then retell that story in their own words before a judge or judges. There are no time restrictions on the length of the story the student creates.