Breckenridge High School Knowledge Bowl

Minnesota Service Cooperatives’ Knowledge Bowl competitions are interdisciplinary academic contests designed for students in grades 9-12. During the contest, teams of students compete in written and oral rounds by answering questions related to all areas of learning typical of secondary education programs. Questions test students’ recall, problem solving, and critical thinking skills.
A senior high KNOWLEDGE BOWL team consists of five (5) members only, including the alternate. Only four members compete during the oral rounds. A member of each team is appointed as a spokesperson and this person should, if possible, give the answer for all questions. Other team members
can feed the answers to the spokesperson. An alternate spokesperson may ONLY be designated prior to expiration of time.
Each senior high KNOWLEDGE BOWL® competition consists of one round of sixty (60) multiple choice written questions with a time limit of fifty (50) minutes. One point is awarded for each correctly answered question; points are not deducted for incorrect answers. This written round score is combined with oral round scores to determine team placement. During the written round of competition, the team of five members works together to answer the questions with answers placed on a standard form. This round allows students to work cooperatively and assesses what they do well when speed is less critical.
In an oral round, forty-five (45) questions are asked. The reader asks the question orally and the teams press a pressure sensitive tape attached to the equipment when they think they can answer the question. After buzzing in, team members discuss their answer with one another before providing the judge with an answer. Scratch paper is available at all times for the teams’ use. The appointed spokesperson may ONLY be designated prior to expiration of time. Points are awarded for correctly answered questions.

The questions used in the competitions relate to the following curriculum areas including:

  • National & World Affairs

  • Government

  • American History

  • Health & Psychology

  • Art & Music

  • Literature

  • Biology

  • Math

  • Current Events

  • Minnesota History

  • Earth Science

  • Physical Science

  • Economics & Law

  • World History

  • English

  • World Languages

  • Geography