ExploraVision Science Competition

What ExploraVision STEM Competition is.

The Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision STEM competition is a perfect virtual and/or in person critical thinking, creative, and collaborative skill learning tool for K-12 students in the U.S and Canada.

What do I/your students do.

1. Pick a technology you want to improve, 2. Form a team, 3. Research, 4. Follow the format, 5. Enter, and 6. Receive a gift or win a prize.

Learn about the requirements.

To enter, check out below for the ExploraVision project submission requirements.

Grades K-3 Requirements
K-3 grades team can use a ready-to-fill-out project template to complete and enter project.
•  To download, click Grades-K-3-Storyboard-Template.*  
*If you’d like to get hold of a PowerPoint version, please contact exploravision@nsta.org.

Grades 4-6 Requirements
4-6 grades teams have a choice to submit projects in two types of format.
Option 1:
  • To download, click Grades-4-6-Presentation-Format-Template.
    *If you’d like to get hold of a PowerPoint version, please contact exploravision@nsta.org.
Option 2:
  •  To learn about Grades 4-6 Standard ExploraVision Project Format, click here.

Grades 7-9 and 10-12 Requirements

  •  To learn about Grades 7-9 & 10 -12 Standard ExploraVision Project Format*, click here.

NEW – Online registration Steps:

STEP 1  -> Step 2  -> STEP 3

Learn more about the parts of the Standard ExploraVision Project Format:

Each project must include an abstract, description, bibliography, five sample Web pages, and submit via online. Required project components are as below. (Advice for lower grade teams: there is no minimum word count and page number for each section.) See standard ExploraVision sample projects entries as a reference.

I. Abstract; An abstract of no more than 150 words that summarizes the proposed future technology and other relevant information must proceed other project components. The Abstract should be on a separate page and does not count as part of the Description components

II. Description; A project Description section does not exceed 11 pages and may be combination of text and art work. It must include the following sections with headings clearly labeled and be in the following order:

1. Present Technology**: An overview of the present form of the technology including scientific principles involved in its functioning. A problem definition or limitation of this present technology that you address in your ExploraVision project.
2. History: Research and description of the history of the technology from its inception.
3. Future Technology: Description of the team’s vision for what this technology would be like in 10 or more years, including scientific principles involved in developing the technology.
4. Breakthroughs**: Research and description of breakthroughs that are necessary to make the future technology design a reality. Description of why this future technology doesn’t exist today. (Choose one of your required breakthroughs and describe an investigation that would have to be planned and carried out to test your ExploraVision project. If possible, include the kind of data or measurements that would be collected in the investigation.)
5. Design Process**: Description of three alternative ideas of features the team considered for their project. The ideas and features should be directly related to the project. Describe why the team rejected each feature and idea in favor of the ones in the submitted technology. Describe how your future technology feature is better than the rejected design feature.
6. Consequences**: Description of recognition that all technologies have positive and negative consequences including the potential positive and negative consequences of the new technology on society.

III. Bibliography; A list of all sources and references used in researching the chosen technology. Sources must be clearly labeled and include title, author, publisher, and copyright date. Footnotes are encouraged, but not required. The Bibliography is not counted as part of the 11-page limit for the Description section.

IV. Sample Web Pages**; Team members must draw five sample web pages that communicate and promote their future technology vision. Web pages may be hand-drawn or computer-generated (e.g., PowerPoint) and may include text, pictures, photographs and diagrams. They should relate to material presented in the written description and illustrate the attributes of the chose technology. One web page should be devoted to a model or visual representation of the technology that could be used to create a prototype for display. The model should help others visualize the design and communicate design features. Include a description of limitations of the model. No need to create an actual website or a prototype until a team becomes a Regional winner.

** Section central to the Next Generation Science Standards.

Click here to see some real examples of winning projects.