March 2, 2001                 

CONTACT: David Christy (916) 353-4436, christy@wapa.gov

In deuterostomes, the mesoderm is produced from pouches of:

                        (W) Ectoderm                                (X) Endoderm

                         (Y) Body Cavity                            (Z) Coelom

On Saturday, March 3, local high school students will tackle tough questions like this one with hopes of winning a spot at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Science® Bowl in May.  The competition will begin at 9 a.m. at Thomas Downey High School, Modesto.

The National Science Bowl is an academic competition among teams of high school students. Since the program began in 1991, it has brought together more than 60,000 high school mathematics and science students - as well as their teachers - from across the country. The program is designed to encourage students and their teachers to achieve educational excellence in the sciences. Competing teams are quizzed on scientific topics                                                  in biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, earth science, computer science, and mathematics. Last year, a team from Thomas Downey High School won the Modesto-area competition.

The Modesto event is the last of three regional contests in the Western Area Power Administration's Sierra Nevada Region. Enterprise High School won the regional competition held February 10 in Redding and Mira Loma High School won the Sacramento competition on February 25.

Regional Science Bowls are sponsored by Western Area Power Administration's Sierra Nevada Region, Modesto City School District, Modesto Irrigation, City of Lodi, Lassen Municipal Utility District, City of Shasta Lake, Trinity Public Utilities District, City of Redding Electric Department,  Sacramento Municipal Utility District, City of Roseville Electric Department, Roseville Joint Union High School District, Navigant Consulting Inc. and Energy Solutions Co.

The first-place winner of Saturday's tournament will join 52 other high school teams from across the country competing for the title of 2001 U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl Champions in Washington, D.C., on May 4-7.

WHO:              24 teams - more than 100 students.
WHEN:            Saturday, March 3, 2001, 9 a.m.
WHERE:  Thomas Downey High School, 1000 Coffee Road, Modesto.

ANSWER:       (X) ENDODERM