Presented by : Josephine B. Scheffenknacker Education Trust
Sponsored by : Friends & Foundation of Howard County Library System, Howard County Public School System, Rotary Club of Columbia Patuxent, and Yolanda and Francis Bruno Family Fund.
September 24 Update: The Howard County Library System and Howard County Public School System are excited to bring you a Virtual Battle of the Books. This event for fifth grade students takes place on Friday, April 16, 2021 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Please review the important dates for this year and stay tuned for the 2021 book list, coach’s handbook, forms, new rules and much more. Thank you!
Important dates for the 2021 event
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- October 20: Virtual informational meeting at 7 pm via Zoom
- PDFs of agenda and presentation will be provided.
- October 23: Registration opens at 10 am and remains open until capacity is reached or November 6 at 11:59 pm, whichever comes first.
- November 18, November 19, November 21: Curbside pick up of books at HCLS Miller Branch
- Virtual meeting will be released on the 18th and remain available through the 21st
- Choose to attend or view on one of the three days
- Coaches pick up their team’s set of books after attending or viewing this meeting
- Mandatory for ALL coaches this year
- PDFs of agenda and presentation will be provided
- February 8, 2021: Permission forms due (see below) and last day to change team info
- March 23, 24, or 25, 2021: Mandatory virtual logistics meetings at 7 pm via Zoom
- Friday, April 16, 2021: Virtual Battle of the Books event
- October 20: Virtual informational meeting at 7 pm via Zoom
BOB Permission Forms
Each coach and student member of the team must fill out the appropriate two-sided form to participate. The deadline to return forms is February 8, 2021.
August 28 Update: This academic competition for fifth grade students takes place virtually next spring. Please stay tuned for more event information this fall. Thank you!
The 2020 Virtual Battle of the Books was a Success!
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- 2020 Virtual BoB
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- 2020 Virtual BoB
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- 2020 Virtual BoB
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- 2020 Virtual BoB
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- 2020 Virtual BoB
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- 2020 Virtual BoB
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- 2020 Virtual BoB
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- 2020 Virtual BoB
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- 2020 Virtual BoB
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- 2020 Virtual BoB
Howard County Library System’s team worked with the Howard County Public School System team to deliver a fun experience that you can safely enjoy at home.
Below are links to the rules and answer worksheet for your students.
- Rules
- Answer worksheet
- Video link to play with your teams in a virtual environment: https://youtu.be/vxfS21IQhlY
Before you begin, here are a few things to remember:
- While we hope everyone on your team participates, there is no minimum number of people to do so.
- You may wear your costumes and use team signs for fun.
- There are 4 rounds and 50 questions with 10 tie-breaker questions.
- The moderators will read each question and answer one time in the video.
- Coaches may play the question and pause the video for team responses before playing the answer.
- Scores will not be collected or tabulated. However, if you choose to keep score for fun, please award one point for the correct title and one point for the correct author. For the BONUS QUESTION at the end of each round, please award TWO points for the correct title and TWO points for the correct author.
- Certificate of Participation for team members
- Coaches and parents may share safe, privacy-friendly photos of your virtual battle with HCLS at: [email protected] by June 30, 2020.
If you choose not to use the video, below are the questions and answers.
Congratulations to all and have a great time with your coaches and teams!
P.S. Thanks to BoB coach, Ami Gadhia, for sharing this Battle of the Books word search. This activity is based on the book Schomburg: The Main Who Built a Library (by Carole Boston Weatherford). Ms. Gadhia dedicated the word search to her team in recognition of their hard work and efforts to prepare for the 2020 Battle of the Books. She shared her work with the book’s author who also liked it.
May 29 Update: We are excited to announce a Virtual Battle of the Books! Due to the size and complexity of the in-person event, this virtual experience will be vastly different. We will send an unlisted video link and PDF with questions and answers to coaches and teachers by June 10 (open to the public on June 12) for you to enjoy with your team at your convenience.
Keeping score is purely voluntary and up to individual teams. We are simply making the video available for you to host your own team-centered Battle and celebrate the hard work of your students because we know much your students were excited about and prepared for the event. We shared in your disappointment when the Battle had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For added fun, we encourage optional team costumes, signs and privacy-friendly photos of your battles that may be shared with the community on our social media platforms. Please stay tuned for more information and prepare for an enjoyable time with your teams.
May 7 Update: We are working on providing resources for Elementary schools and coaches that may choose to individually host a virtual battle.
March 16 Update: Elementary schools may choose to individually host a mock battle once social distancing norms are lifted, and will be provided with resources for their use.
March 13 Update: Howard County Library System considers the health and safety of our customers and staff a top priority. Due to the recommendations from Governor Hogan to practice social distancing and cancel large events, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Battle of the Books which draws approximately 1,000 to each of six sites. We know how much your students have been looking forward to this event, and we share your disappointment.
Due to the number of sites needed for the more than 300 teams, among other factors, rescheduling is not an option. However, we are working with Howard County Public School System to provide a modified Battle of the Books experience at individual schools.
Important dates for the 2020 competition
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- October 14 and October 17: Informational meeting at 7 pm at HCLS Miller Branch
- PDFs of agenda and presentation
- October 21: Registration is closed. Registration began at 10 am and remained open until capacity was reached or November 4 at 11:59 pm, whichever came first. The event is at full capacity.
- November 19, November 21, November 23: Coach meetings at HCLS Miller Branch
- Meetings begin at 7 pm on the 19th and 21st and 11 am on the 23rd
- Choose to attend one of the three meetings
- Coaches pick up their team’s set of books at this meeting
- Mandatory for new coaches.
- PDFs of agenda and presentation
- February 7, 2020: Permission forms due (see links below) and last day to change team info
- March 24, 25, or 26, 2020: Mandatory logistics meetings at 7 pm at HCLS Miller Branch
- Canceled – Friday, April 17, 2020: Battle of the Books at various high schools
- October 14 and October 17: Informational meeting at 7 pm at HCLS Miller Branch
BOB Permission Forms
Each coach and student member of the team must fill out the appropriate two-sided form to participate. The deadline to return forms is February 7, 2020.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
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- 2020 Coach’s Handbook
- Rules and Procedures
- Information for coaches
- Sample Questions
- Sample Answer Card
- Frequently Asked Questions
If you still have questions, email Battle of the Books
2020 Book List
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