-Students from Westfield... ...Paul VI... and Robinson meet today on "It's Academic".

♪♪ Hello, everybody.

I'm Hillary Howard.

Welcome to "It's Academic", produced by Altman Productions in association with David M. Rubenstein Productions.

-Support for "It's Academic" has been provided by the following... MITRE -- a not-for-profit research and development company working in the public interest.

-The world is full of challenges, and at MITRE, we're committed to solving them.

From aviation... ♪♪ ...and health... ♪♪ ...to cyber... ♪♪ ...and national security, our people know we are called to do more.

♪♪ MITRE -- "Solving problems for a safer world."

-And now it's time to meet the teams.

From Westfield High School in Chantilly, Virginia, Bhargav, Nevaeh, and Yisklak.

Welcome to "It's Academic", guys.

Hey.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-From Paul VI in Fairfax, Virginia, Akhil, Joe G., and Joe M., great to have you on "It's Academic".

Hi.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Hi.

And finally from Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia, Thomas, Emma, and Jack, great to have you here.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-Hello.

-So in this opening round, as you undoubtedly know, questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

Let's go, Westfield.

Here is your first question, Bhargav, Nevaeh, and Yisklak.

"A dinosaur I clean" -- you can clean up 20 points if you find in this phrase the name of what part of the heart?

-Answer?

In three, two, one -- auricle.

Huffy, superfluous, capricious -- which of these adjectives best describe someone who is impulsive and unpredictable?

-Capricious, probably.

-Capricious, yeah.

-Yes.

Fill in the blanks here and you can name what kind of colonial servants who paid for their passage to the New World by working without pay for a number of years?

-Indentured.

-Indentured.

-You're right, it's indentured.

Microchip, radio, telescope -- these three items are listed in alphabetical order.

Please arrange them in the order in which they were invented.

-The telescope, radio, and microchip, probably.

-Yes.

-I agree.

-I'm glad you did.

That's the correct answer.

"This was their finest hour."

In his statement made during World War II, what British Prime Minister paid tribute to the British people?

-Churchill.

-Churchill.

-Churchill.

-Yep, it is Winston Churchill.

Nicely done, Westfield, 180 points.

All right, team two, it's your chance to play the opening round.

Akhil, Joe, and Joe from Paul VI, here we go.

"Text end online" -- you won't need to go online to find the hidden name of what type of fibrous tissue that connects muscle to bone?

-Can infer this looks like tendon.

-Yes.

Validated, false, premature -- if you said someone's claims were spurious, you would be saying the claims were which of these?

-Confer, I want to go with false.

-Yeah, we'll go false.

-False is good.

-Final answer "false".

-Yeah.

All the vowels have been removed from the name of what German physicist who invented and gave his name to a counter that detects radiation?

-Confer, I think Geiger.

-Geiger.

-Yeah, Geiger.

-It's Geiger, yep.

Planck, Leeuwenhoek, Pythagoras -- these three men all contributed to scientific progress, but in different centuries.

Please arrange them in chronological order.

-Confer, I want to say Pythagoras first, then Leeuwenhoek, and then Planck.

-I agree.

-Yeah, sounds right.

-That's good.

You did it.

"Power in defense of freedom is greater than power in behalf of tyranny."

These powerful words come from a 1965 speech by what African-American leader who changed his last name, Little, to a letter of the alphabet?

-Confer, let's say Malcolm X, -Malcolm X.

-Yeah, Malcolm X.

-Malcolm X, it is.

Paul VI, well done, 200 points.

Time for the team from Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax.

Thomas, Emma, Jack, let's do this.

"Anti-bias talk" -- hidden in this phrase is the name of what leg bone also referred to as the shin?

-Tibia.

-Tibia.

-Tibia.

-Yes.

Bigoted, blushing, brave -- which of these three adjectives is the best synonym for the word "valiant"?

-Brave.

-Brave.

-Brave.

-Yeah.

-That's it.

Please fill in the blanks to name what 16th century explorer responsible for the first circumnavigation of Earth.

-Magellan.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-You're right.

It's Magellan.

Jet engine, weather satellite, gyroscope -- here you have three scientific inventions.

Please arrange them in chronological order.

-Gyroscope, jet engine, and satellite.

Yes.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-That's it.

"Wherever public spirit prevails, liberty is secure."

These words are from what early American who is best known for creating a dictionary?

-Webster.

-Webster.

-Sure, yeah, Webster.

-Webster.

-Glad you said Webster, because that is the right answer.

And you, Robinson, have 200 points.

And that's the end of the opening round.

The Picture Perfect Round is next.

-I'm David Rubenstein.

From the Kennedy Center and the National Archives to the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, I've been pleased to support many important organizations and historic sites linked to American history, art, culture, education, and more.

I believe giving back to our country isn't just an idea.

It's an action, a patriotic action that involves all of us.

And it begins with education and learning about our nation's past so that we, the people, can make a more perfect union for the future.

We can do it together.

Please read, learn, get involved, and make a difference.

Westfield, Paul VI, Robinson, it is time for the Picture Perfect Round.

In this round, answers are worth 20 points up or down, 10 points off if you pass.

Westfield, here is your first question.

Egrets like this are a common sight in what South Florida national park that covers over 4,000 square miles?

-Everglades.

-Everglades.

-Yeah, it's the Everglades.

This lovely mineral is stibnite, a source of what element whose chemical symbol is Sb?

-Antimony -Yeah, that's it.

In 1989, the 82nd Airborne was sent to what Central American country that was once a part of Colombia?

Answer?

-Panama.

-Yeah, Panama.

That's it.

Great job, Westfield.

You've got 240 points.

Paul VI, you're up.

Here's your first clue.

This statue honors what first African-American to become a Major League Baseball player in 1947?

-Confer, I think Jackie Robinson.

-Yeah.

-Yep.

-It's Jackie Robinson.

You're right.

Carotenes, which are left behind after the chlorophyll in leaves disappears in the fall, are a major source of what fat-soluble vitamin essential for night vision?

-Vitamin B.

-No, the answer is vitamin A.

The title of this sculpture refers to the awakening of what African country once known as Abyssinia?

-I'm thinking Ethiopia, guys.

-Sure.

-Yeah, we'll go with that.

-Yep, Ethiopia.

-Yep, it is Ethiopia.

Well done, Paul VI, you've got 220 points.

Robinson, your turn to play.

Here's the first clue.

A magazine once printed this Kandinsky lithograph upside down, which is appropriately titled "Yellow-Red" and what other primary color?

-Blue.

-That'd be blue, yeah.

-Blue.

-Yes, it is.

Used in the manufacture of paint, this is the oxide of what element?

-Cadmium.

-Cadmium's right.

Painted by Winslow Homer, this palm tree grows near what capital of the Bahamas?

-Nassau.

-Nassau.

-Nassau.

-Nassau is correct.

Nice job, Robinson, 260 points.

Picture Perfect Round is finished, and the Packet Round is next.

-Hello, I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln once owned a saloon?

He and a friend opened the saloon in 1833.

The business did well, but the next year, Lincoln was elected to the state legislature, and his career as a bartender came to an end.

A good thing as Abraham Lincoln was one of our greatest presidents.

I'm David Rubenstein, reminding you to read, learn, get involved, and make a difference.

-It is halftime, which means the Packet Round.

As you know, in this round, correct answers are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

And if you get every answer right, there's a 25-point bonus.

Team one is up first.

But before we begin this round, let's learn more about these students and the coaches who've worked so hard with the teams.

Captain Bhargav, tell us about yourself.

-I've been doing trivia for like three years at this point.

-Uh-huh.

Are you good?

-Yeah.

-[ Laughs ] Good.

That'll be very helpful today.

Great to have you, Bhargav.

Nevaeh, tell us about yourself.

-Outside of trivia, I also do theater, and I'm a Girl Scout that's working towards my gold award.

-Wow.

That's quite an achievement, isn't it?

How much work does that take?

-A lot.

It takes a lot of work, a lot of planning, tens and probably close to hundreds of hours.

It's a community service award, so I'm glad to be giving back to my community.

-Beautiful.

Well, congratulations on that.

And finally, Yisklak, What should we know about you?

-Outside of trivia, I play a lot of soccer.

-A lot?

-Like a lot?

-How much do you play in a week?

-If I count, my mom's gonna get mad at me.

-[ Laughs ] Share your secrets.

We won't tell anybody.

-Maybe about like -- I can't even count.

-All right, well, maybe you'll get a soccer scholarship, Yisklak, since you play that much soccer.

-Hopefully.

-Yeah, good luck.

All right, before we jump into these questions, we would love to meet the team behind the team, so, Bhargav, please introduce us.

-This is our coach, Mr. Baranowski, and our principal, Dr. DiBari.

-It is wonderful to have you guys.

We love that you're here supporting these students.

Speaking of which, let's dive into this Packet Round.

Here's the first question.

One old saying popular in colonial days held that nothing but money is sweeter than what substance produced by bees?

-Honey.

-Honey.

-Honey is right.

In 1611, mutiny took place on the ship Discovery, when what English Explorer was set adrift by his rebellious crew in the icy Canadian bay that today bears his name?

-Henry Hudson.

-Hudson.

-It is Henry Hudson.

Here's your science question.

Esterification, saponification, polymerization -- when a fat is heated with lye solution, a process takes place which is known as which of these?

-Poly-- -Conferring -- Yeah, probably poly.

-Yeah, polymerization.

-The answer is saponification.

Thousands of citizens line the tracks in 1865, when Lincoln's funeral train passed on its way to what Illinois capital city where Lincoln was to be buried?

-Springfield.

-Yes, it was Springfield.

Almost 40 years have passed since what year named in the title of George Orwell's novel about Big Brother?

-"1984".

-"1984".

-Yeah, "1984".

-Chilling book, "1984".

Here's your math question.

Evaluate this expression, giving your answer as an integer.

-31.

-31 is right.

The Germans torpedoed hopes of keeping the U.S. out of World War I in 1915, when they torpedoed what passenger liner carrying over 100 Americans?

-Lusitania.

-Yes, it was the Lusitania.

Westfield, you have 360 points.

Time to meet team two from Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax.

Akhil is the Captain.

Akhil, what should we know about you?

-I'm president of the chess club.

-Nice.

How good are you at chess?

-I like to think that I'm okay.

-[ Laughs ] We play a chess, but sadly, we're not very good.

But it's great to have you here, Akhil.

Joe G., how about you?

-I play varsity soccer for my school, and I also volunteer for Special Olympics.

-Tell us about that.

-Basically, what Special Olympics is, is it basically helps provide, like, athletic competitions for people with either learning or physical disabilities.

-Lovely.

And I'm sure it's very meaningful for you.

Thanks so much for sharing that.

-And Joe M., what are you doing these days?

-Outside of this, I also do fencing.

-What's the best thing about fencing?

-Fencing's quite a creative sport, you know, you really get to think about every move you make and predict the opponent.

-Like chess with a sabre.

All right.

Great to have you.

And now back to Akhil.

Can you tell us who's along with you today?

-So with me, we have Dr. Campbell, our amazing coach, and Dr. Opfer, our awesome principal.

-Wonderful to have you guys, as always.

And now I can ask you some questions.

Are you ready?

Here we go, Paul VI.

Astronomers long ago established that there are no moons orbiting what planet closest to the sun?

-Mercury.

-Mercury.

-It's Mercury.

A civil war involving the Yorks and the Lancasters that blossomed in 15th century England was given what flowery name, referring to the two emblems or the emblems of the two opponents?

-War of the Roses.

-Yeah.

-You're right.

It's the War of the Roses.

Here's your science question.

Aves, Arthropoda, Promethium -- members of which of these have an exoskeleton of chiton?

-Arthropoda, right?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-You're right, it's Arthropoda.

If you keep his burial site a mystery, soldiers stampeded horses over the grave of what 13th century Mongol conqueror, the grandfather of Kublai Khan?

-Genghis Khan.

-Genghis Khan.

-Genghis Khan, yes.

In Shakespeare's longest play, more than a third of the lines are spoken by what chatty little character, a melancholy Danish prince who lives at Elsinore?

-Could this be Hamlet?

Hamlet.

I'm glad you think it's Hamlet, because it is.

Here's your math question.

If a equals 36, what is the value of this expression, taking positive roots and giving your answer as a fraction in lowest terms?

-Confer.

This should just be five, right?

36 minus six.

No?

-Yeah, it 30 over 36, which is five over five or six.

-Oh, yeah, sorry, thank you.

-It's 36 minus six divided by 36.

-So the answer is?

-5/6.

-Correct.

What Native American tribe from Florida was officially at war with the United States until a peace treaty was signed in 1935?

-Confer, I want to say Seminole.

-Yes, Seminole.

-Seminole.

-Seminole is the answer.

Well done, Paul VI, you got every question right, which means a 25-point bonus, a total score of 385 points so far.

Time to meet team three from Robinson High School in Fairfax.

Thomas, hi!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

-I like to go outside and hike and ride my bicycle.

-Where's your favorite place to hike?

-Davis, West Virginia -- the mountains, West Virginia in general.

-Very nice.

Yeah, I like that, too.

Hey, Emma, tell us about yourself.

-I play the trumpet.

-Really?

What kind of stuff do you like to play?

-I do a marching band, symphonic orchestra, I do jazz band, just any type.

I really like it.

-You do it all.

Great.

Nice to have you, Emma.

And finally, Jack.

What you up to, Jack?

-I like doing journalism.

I'm on the Robinson broadcast journalism team, which broadcasts a show to the entire school, usually every two days.

-Good for you.

Journalism is a noble profession.

Are you gonna do journalism when you move on through your life?

-I definitely hope so, that or just general broadcasting, hopefully in sports.

-All right.

Well, that's pretty exciting.

I know something about that.

Thomas, why don't you introduce us to your coach?

-With us today is our coach, Mrs. Glotfelty, and our principal, Mrs. Phillips.

-Hey, really good to see you guys.

Nice to have you here.

And now, of course, we can start to ask some questions for this Packet Round.

So, Robinson, here's your first question.

You can now follow the path of the Underground Railroad on a bicycle route beginning in Alabama and ending in what "O"-initialed Canadian province?

-Ontario.

-Ontario.

-Ontario, yes.

Fried Jell-O was once voted the most creative food at a state fair in what Southwestern Lone Star State?

-Texas.

-Texas.

-Texas.

-I wonder how you fry Jell-O without it melting.

Here's your science question.

The isotope of oxygen with atomic weight 17 contains how many protons?

-Eight?

-Eight.

-Eight, yeah.

-Eight is correct.

After the age of 60, many Americans lose up to 40% of what olfactory sense?

-Smell?

-Smell.

-Yeah.

-Smell.

-Smell, yes.

"A mass of stupid filth" was one critic's response to the now classic "Leaves of Grass" by what American poet?

-Whitman.

-Sure.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-Final answer Whitman.

-Good job.

Here's your math question.

Which of these numbers is evenly divisible by 11?

-1221?

-You are right.

What 19th century Chief Justice infuriated abolitionists with his decision in the Dred Scott case?

-Taney?

-Taney, it is.

Fabulous job, Robinson.

You got every one right, which means a 25-point bonus and a score of 425 points.

Let's see if lightning strikes next.

We've got the Lightning Round.

It's about to get hot in here, because we are entering the electrifying Lightning Round.

In this round, you've got 45 seconds to answer up to 10 questions.

They're worth 20 points up or down, no penalty if you pass.

Team one, you're gonna start us off.

So let's do this, Westfield, huh?

All your answers here are names and words with no vowels other than the letter "E" as in "egg".

Only one vowel, "E", in three, two, one.

This Russian czar was called the Great.

-Peter.

-Yes.

This leg joint is between the thigh and the shin.

-Knee.

-Yes.

This number Constitutional amendment allows direct election of senators.

-Pass.

-17th.

She was the classical goddess of grain and agriculture.

-Demeter.

-Yes.

This Nordic country has its capital at Stockholm.

-Sweden.

-Yes.

This British doctor developed the first smallpox vaccine.

-Pass.

-Jenner.

This city is home to the NFL Broncos.

-Denver.

-Yes.

[ Buzzer sounds ] Oh, you just got it in.

Yeah, it's Denver.

Fabulous job, Westfield, 460 points.

Paul VI, you're up.

All answers here are names or words with only one vowel -- the letter "E" as in "egg" in three, two, one.

This long, snake-like fish may be electric.

-Eel.

-Yes.

The mythical Jason searched for this golden object.

-Fleece.

-Yes.

This root vegetable is a source of sugar.

-Beet.

-Beet.

-Yes.

The capital of this Middle Eastern country is Sana'a.

-Yemen.

-Yeah.

This fairy tale girl was Hansel's sister.

-Gretel.

-Gretel.

-Yes.

This scarlet object title's a Hawthorne novel.

-Letter.

-Yeah.

This natural great barrier phenomenon borders Australia.

-Reef.

-Yes.

This bloodsucking insect was used by medieval doctors.

-Leech.

-Yes.

This MLB team is from New York.

-Yankee-- Mets.

-Yeah, Mets.

[ Buzzer sounds ] This color is traditionally -- Time is up.

As you know, the color is traditionally linked to envy and jealousy.

The answer is green.

Paul VI, nice job here, 565 points.

Robinson, it's your turn for the Lightning Round.

And all answers in this round are names or words with only one vowel -- the letter "E: as in "egg" in three, two, one.

There are up to 200 characters in this type of Twitter message.

-Tweet.

-Yes.

This is the largest Greek island.

-Crete.

-Yes.

This colorfully named sea separates Egypt from Saudi Arabia.

-Red.

-Yes.

This is Pittsburgh's NFL team.

-Steelers.

-Yes.

This ancient Greek god is associated with the Roman Mercury.

-Hermes.

-Yes.

The capital of this U.S. state is Nashville.

-Tennessee.

-Yes.

This British astronomer discovered Uranus.

-Herschel.

-Yes.

This fly causes sleeping sickness.

-Tsetse.

-Yes.

These ovine animals were kept by Little Bo-Peep.

-Sheep.

-Yes.

-This right is guaranteed -- [ Buzzer sounds ] Oh, there's the buzzer.

This right is guaranteed by the First Amendment.

Of course, it's speech or press.

But you didn't need it, Robinson.

You have a phenomenal score of 605 points.

And that is the game.

The official scores are next.

-I'm David Rubenstein.

And I believe giving back is something we all can do.

Students are getting involved in their communities in many important ways.

I've asked them to share with us how they're making a difference.

-Hello, my name is Quinn Holmes, and I volunteer at Small Things Matters.

Small Things Matters is a student-led nonprofit organization that uses small acts of kindness to have a big impact on somebody else's life.

Some things that they do is that they give away cleaning supplies, food, clothes, and other things that they might need.

It's a really great way for kids to get involved with the community.

And it also makes them feel good at the end of the day.

That's why I think Small Things Matters is a really great way for kids to get involved in their community.

-Like these students, you, too, can help improve the lives of so many people by volunteering in your town and community.

Please read, learn, get involved, and make a difference.

♪♪ -The scores are now official.

First, congratulations to Westfield High School from Chantilly.

Bhargav, Nevaeh, and Yisklak, 460 points, from Paul VI Catholic High School, Akhil, Joe, and Joe, 565 points, and coming back for the playoffs, Robinson Secondary School from Fairfax, Thomas, Emma, and Jack, with a whopping 605 points.

Great game, everybody.

Let's hear it for our teams and for you, our incredible viewers.

So happy you could join us today and match wits with these impressive students.

-Support for "It's Academic" has been provided by the following... MITRE -- a not-for-profit research and development company working in the public interest.

-At MITRE, we're committed to solving some of our biggest challenges in national security, cyber, aviation, and health.

And our dedication to service starts at home, working to fight hunger, serving people in need, protecting public health, and supporting our civic institutions.

This is serving the public.

This is MITRE -- "Solving problems for a safer world."

-Please join us next time when we've got National Cathedral, Potomac, and Whitman high schools competing here on "It's Academic".

I'm Hillary Howard.

See you then.

Bye, guys.

-I'm David Rubenstein, reminding you to read, learn, get involved, and make a difference.

♪♪