Online Resources to Help You and Your Students Achieve Science Fair Success

1. Online Resources to Help You and Your Students Achieve Science Fair Success The Presenting Sponsor of Science Buddies is Seagate Technology.

2. Overview • Science Buddies (www.sciencebuddies.org) provides free online resources for K-12 students and teachers doing science fair projects. • We have resources for fair administrators, teachers, parents, and students. • Resources are designed not only to help you and your students have a successful science fair experience, but also to improve project quality.

3. Overview (cont’d) • Science Buddies is recommended by and linked to by many partners and advocates, such as the SciLinks program of the National Science Teachers Association. • All of our resources and programs are free. • We are a 501(c)3 non-profit, supported mainly by corporate grants. Seagate Technology is the Presenting Sponsor of Science Buddies.

4. The Home Page

5. Finding a Topic • Finding a topic is often the biggest hurdle for students. • The Topic Selection Wizard asks students questions about their everyday interests and activities, and then recommends an area of science and science fair project ideas matched to their specific interests.

6. The Topic Selection Wizard

7. Topic Selection Wizard (cont’d)

8. Finding a Topic (cont’d) • We have a library of over 900 Project Ideas, graded by difficulty, in more than 30 areas of science. • Project Ideas can be used “as is”, or they can serve as examples that students can creatively and uniquely modify to make their own.

9. Project Ideas

10. Project Ideas (cont’d)

11. Project Ideas (cont’d)

12. Project Ideas (cont’d)

13. Project Ideas (cont’d)

14. Tools and Techniques • Detailed guides to specific areas of science provide basic tools and methods that can be utilized to complete a project. • They allow teachers greater ability to help students with projects outside their immediate subject area. • Combined with Project Ideas, Tools and Techniques become powerful, modular components that can be combined to help students develop unique and original projects.

15. Tools and Techniques (cont’d)

16. Doing the Project • The Project Guide outlines the scientific method and steps of the science fair process, and contains information about doing engineering, math, and computer programming projects, too. • Printable versions of the Project Guide are invaluable as classroom handouts. • Advanced topics (e.g. writing an abstract) are included, in addition to more basic topics (e.g. formulating a question).

17. The Project Guide

18. The Project Guide (cont’d)

19. The Project Guide (cont’d) • Articles explain key concepts in language that students can understand.

20. The Project Guide (cont’d) • Examples help students understand what makes a quality assignment.

21. The Project Guide (cont’d)

22. The Project Guide (cont’d)

23. The Project Guide (cont’d) • Checklists allow students to self-evaluate their own work.

24. The Project Guide (cont’d) • Printable worksheets guide students through critical steps of the science fair process.

25. Ask an Expert • Ask an Expert is an online mentoring program that allows students who are working on science fair projects to get individual support from talented high school students and science professionals from industry and academia. • It provides a safe forum for finding answers to those tough questions that go beyond a teacher’s expertise. • Forums are arranged by grade level to offer grade- and age-appropriate support to students.

26. Ask an Expert (cont’d) • Students can ask questions throughout the entire project or just about a specific problem. • Questions range from parents asking how to help their 3rd graders do their first science fair project, to students preparing for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). • Mentoring by science professionals dramatically improves project quality.

27. Ask an Expert (cont’d)

28. Science Fair Time • A variety of resources are designed specifically to prepare students for a science fair. • We have tricks for preparing display boards, tips to help students prepare for judging, and advice for preparing for top competitions. • Resources are available through the “Project Guide” and the “Competitions” tabs on the Science Buddies homepage.

29. Prep for Top Competitions • Resources are designed specifically to help students prepare to compete at ISEF, the Intel Science Talent Search (STS), the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS), and Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology. • Resources include: • Guide to working within ISEF rules • Tips on finding a mentor • Ask an Expert ISEF Preparation Forum • Advanced board design and construction tips

30. Prep for Top Competitions (cont’d)

31. Teacher Resources • Resources were created to support teachers who have their students participate in science fairs. • Resources include: • Teacher’s Guide to Science Projects • Guide to Planning a Science Fair • Grading Rubrics • Teacher and student timelines • Scientific Method Classroom Poster • Science Project Enrichment Tools

32. Teacher Resources (cont’d)

33. Parent Resources • These resources will increase parents' confidence and motivation to help their children with science fair projects. • Topics include: • Why Are Science Fairs Important? • Science Fair Project Overview • Explaining Plagiarism • Internet Safety Tips

34. Parent Resources (cont’d)

35. Careers in Science • Working with our partners in industry and academia, we profile real-life scientists and engineers.  • The Career Profiles feature: • Details about the nature of the work, • Mini case studies and/or video interviews of professionals in the area, • Advice on what students interested in the field should study in high school, and in junior college or college, • Salaries, potential employers, and more!  • By the end of 2009, science career information will be featured on most of our 900+ Project Ideas.

36. Careers in Science (cont’d)

37. Engineering Projects • Engineering and computer science projects don’t follow the scientific method—they follow the engineering design process—but they are still valid science fair projects. • Engineering and Programming Project Tips explain the steps of the engineering process and how the engineering design process differs from the scientific method.

38. Engineering Projects (cont’d)

39. Scientific Review Committee (SRC) and Rules Advice • Science Buddies offers an easy-to-understand outline of the international rules for pre-college science competitions, as well as general safety guidelines. • Always check with your local fair’s SRC or fair director with questions about any rules. • An overview helps students, parents, and teachers understand why compliance is so important.

40. SRC and Rules Advice (cont’d)

41. Extra Help • Additional resources include: • Guide to science fair project photography • Guide to keeping a lab notebook • Listing of supplies and materials sources • Student blogs • And much more…

42. www.sciencebuddies.org