Organizing Science Fairs

1. Dr. Henry Brouwer Redeemer University College Organizing Science Fairs

2. Objectives of a Science Fair For the Students: Teach students how to do an independent research project Provide students with an opportunity to study a topic they are interested in Generate a greater appreciation for the wonders of God’s creation Teach the students communication skills and critical thinking skills

3. Objectives of a Science Fair For the School: Give the school a method to highlight the science program in the community Encourage students who are gifted in science to compete on a province-wide level Improve the school science program

4. Guidelines for Teachers 5-6 Months Before Science Fair: Appoint a Science Fair Committee A Science Fair is a school event, not just an individual teacher’s project Delegate the work associated with the Science Fair Committee may consist of teachers and interested parents One person should be the overall coordinator Areas of responsibility Setting up and taking down Judges Promotion

5. Guidelines for Teachers 5-6 Months Before Science Fair: Establish a date for the local fair Should be at least three weeks prior to the regional science fair Gives students time to make changes Regional science fair organizers need time to plan and coordinate their event Reserve the necessary facilities

6. Guidelines for Teachers Introduce the Science Fair to the students early – in the fall if the science fair is in the spring Students need time to get ideas, plan their project, design experiments Note to parents re: purpose of Science Fair, their role. Timeframe, etc. Notebook dedicated to Science Fair project Establish deadlines for students E.g. selection of topic Design of experiments Doing actual experimental work (data collection) Completed project

7. Guidelines for Teachers 3-4 Months Before Science Fair: Provide students with pictures/slides/video or previous science fair projects Ask librarian or resource person to talk to students about doing a project Present rules and regulations to students re: projects Determine whether students are to work individually or in pairs

8. Guidelines for Teachers 2 Months before: Ask parents, community members, other teachers, etc. to serve as judges Do not have to be science specialists Ensure that there are enough judges Provide judges with judging criteria Show students a sample write-up of project

9. Guidelines for Teachers 1 Month Before: Advertise Science Fair in local papers, school newsletter, churches Confirm that the necessary facilities are booked Determine what is needed (e.g. tables, electrical outlets) Arrange for other classes to view the science fair displays

10. Guidelines for Teachers Week before: Make sure students have projects completed Arrange for refreshments for judges Confirm list of judges Remind staff of schedule for the science fair Assign students their project numbers Have sufficient judging forms Prepare judging forms with project number, project title, student name(s)

11. Guidelines for Teachers Day before: Set up tables, chairs for project displays Provide electricity for those projects that need it Arrange for supervision of the display area Review all projects to ensure that the safety guidelines have been met

12. Guidelines for Teachers The BIG Day! Judges should first judge projects without the students present Students should be at their projects for the second half of the judging process to be interviewed by the judge Judges should meet to discuss the best projects

13. Guidelines for Teachers The BIG Day! Open displays to rest of the classes; best to have one class at a time view the projects Students can be asked to write a report on specific topics Open House for parents and community in the evening Recognition of top projects

14. Guidelines for Teachers Within a few Days After: Students take down their projects, clean up (either day of or next day) Prepare an article on Science Fair for local paper, school newsletter Evaluate process with committee; note changes that should be made Thank judges for their participation

15. For the Student Choosing a topic is often the most difficult aspect of a science fair for students, teachers and parents Topic should be one that the student is interested in Parents and teachers should approve the topic before the student puts too much work into it KEEP A RECORD OF WORK DONE IN A NOTEBOOK DEDICATED TO THE PROJECT!

16. Choosing a Topic The best science fair projects are those that involve doing an experiment; demonstrations and reports generally do not reach the top A simple, well-designed experiment should answer a question or lead to further knowledge A good project will also elicit further questions

17. Source of Ideas Own interests Discussion with parents, friends, family Books and magazines General discussion in classroom to get students thinking Hints of possible topics while teaching

18. Examples of Projects Many different web sites to get ideas: www.scifair.org Hints on organizing the science fair project, list of topics http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/ScienceInternet/TopicChoices.html Provides a list of broad categories and then gives examples of specific questions relating to the topic

19. Examples of Projects Energy efficiency of automobile Topic itself is far too general; needs to be more specific How does the shape of a car affect its efficiency? Build models of different shaped cars and find some way to test the drag on the shape Study to examine relationship between the mass of a vehicle and published fuel efficiency data

20. Examples of Projects What determines the rate at which plants grow? Again a rather general topic; very common type of project More specific: what effect will elevated CO2 levels have on plant growth? Requires careful design of experiment (control and variables); method of monitoring CO2 Relevant in our current situation with increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere

21. Examples of Projects Does an electromagnetic field have an impact on living organisms? Somewhat general Be more specific by asking “How does exposure of seeds to a high voltage affect the germination rate?” or “Does a strong magnetic field affect the growth of bacteria?” Students need to carefully design their experiments with controls and variables Must figure out a way of generating a safe, high voltage or to produce a strong magnetic field

22. Projects Experiments must be carefully designed to take into consideration variables and controls Students need to recognize that the effect measured is due to what they say it is Must keep careful records of all their work, including what did not work!

23. Types of Projects Experiment Students would design and perform actual tests or experiments to verify or disprove a hypothesis. An experiment involves using both controls and variables in order to attribute changes to specific causes. Students would also be expected to clearly describe their observations and state their conclusions, based on the evidence obtained in the experiment.

24. Types of Projects Study Projects are assigned to this category if they report on information or data from published sources or collected by the students themselves. A study may also involve taking existing data and evaluating them in a new and fresh way. An excellent study is more than just reporting information from textbooks or encyclopedias! It involves an analysis of information or data collected by the student or by others

25. Types of Projects Innovation This category involves taking some existing technology and adapting it in a unique way to a new situation. It might, for instance, involve writing a computer program to do something currently not available. Or it might involve designing a robot to perform a specific function. This category could also include construction of a model to illustrate a complex scientific concept; however, the model should be more than a replicate of what is already available.

26. Student Workbook/Journal Students must keep a separate notebook for their project Includes ideas considered and how they arrived at their final topic Date each entry Include references to all sources in their daily journal Include their own analysis of what they learned e.g. was it helpful? How could they use it?

27. Student Workbook/Journal Include sketches of experimental set-up; ideas for improving experiment Record results of experiments, discuss the significance and possibly include ideas to try out next time Basically, a notebook is a record of all the work done for the project A good notebook will also help the student in writing the final report

28. The Abstract An abstract is a short summary of the project, highlighting the most important aspects Provides a summary of what was done and what was observed along with the conclusion reached An abstract enables the reader to decide whether or not the project is of interest

29. An Example of an AbstractPaper entitled “Screening Technique for Lead and Cadmium in Toys and other Materials using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy” published by H. Brouwer in Journal of Chemical Education This paper describes a simple method to determine the presence of metals such as lead and cadmium in plastic toys, paints, and other solids using an atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) without going through the time-consuming sample preparation steps. Basically, the method involves transferring solid sample to a nichrome wire by placing a small sample on a wire loop or touching the heated wire to the sample and then heating the wire in the AAS flame. By choosing the appropriate radiation source and wavelength, the presence of different metals may be determined qualitatively.

30. Another AbstractEffect of Acidic Precipitation on Plant Growth For this project, three different varieties of plants (radishes, lettuce and beans) were sprinkled with tap water acidified to pH 4.0 each day over a period of 6 weeks. At the end of the exposure time, the above-ground plant matter was removed, dried and weighed. All three varieties showed a decrease in mass compared with controls; lettuce showed the greatest decrease, suggesting that lettuce is most sensitive to acid rain.

31. Christian Perspective Unique feature of the Christian Schools Science Fair hosted by Redeemer University College Acknowledgment that God created the universe in its many dimensions It is included to encourage students to reflect on the significance of their Christian beliefs as these relate to their project Students should avoid use of clichés

32. Display Ensure that all the necessary information is included in the display May include experimental set-up (if space permits) Otherwise include pictures, model Avoid clutter and really fancy lettering! Judges are interested in substance that is clearly and logically displayed Ensure that display guidelines are met

33. Ontario Christian Schools Science Fair Website Regulations for the projects Judging Forms used by the judges List of schools participating Winning projects/schools Winners from past Science Fairs On-line registration of school On-line registration of projects We have resources available for you online! Website: http://cs.redeemer.ca/scifair/