Amazing Reading Challenge

This is an optional program sponsored by LWSD Library teachers that is offered to 4th and 5th grade students at Blackwell.

Books are chosen by the LWSD Elementary Librarians based on current award nominees, professional reviews, and student interest. Each June, the list is listed for the upcoming school year.  Students are responsible for creating their teams, submitting their registration form in November, and devising a strategy. In general, the more members of a team that have read a book, the more likely someone will remember the details of the question. Teams that have done well have read early, read often, and re-read books!

Teams participate in a tournament during lunch recesses, in the library starting in January. The librarian will moderate all battles. Each year we have over 80 participants with 5 or 6 on each team.

Once a Blackwell final team is determined, they compete in an evening battle against the Eastlake Community elementary schools. The winning team from that event will compete in the district championship round. This final District battle happens in mid-March. Amazing teams go head-to-head and it is always a close one. It almost always comes down to the last question.

ARC Rules

• Teams shall consist of no more than six members. All students must be in grades 4 – 5 and can consist of students from any class.

• One team member shall be designated as the "Spokesperson/Runner" who will be responsible for reporting the teams' answer. The team may talk amongst themselves to come up with the answer, but this student will not participate in answering questions in the challenges.

• Each team will be given 30 seconds to write down the title of the book and turn it in to the scoring table. Questions will be read twice, only. Questions are also shared on a PowerPoint on the large screen.

• The answers must be exact. Teams may not have notes during the battle.

• The moderator's decision will be final in the case of any team answer, which may be questionable.

• There will be several practice rounds and then 2 semi-final rounds and a final round. Teams are not eliminated during the practice rounds.

• Positive sportsmanship is expected and teams who do not abide by this rule will be eliminated from the challenges.