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 For your students, it should be the time to be creative, investigate, discover how things work in the context of their own personal interests, and experience the excitement of doing science. But many times it becomes a dreaded chore for students and a headache for teachers. As a former teacher and judge of many science fairs, and as a former student who didn’t start his science fair project until the night before it was due, it is all too apparent to me that the true exploratory nature of the science fair has eluded most of us. So, here are some tips that may help in reigniting the excitement of science fairs, or igniting excitement in science fairs to begin with. Start early in the year In the first couple of weeks of the school year, begin talking about the science fair and preparing your students for success. You may want to begin by just discussing what the scientific process is, its importance, and different historical discoveries that have been made by individuals following it. One aspect that is important for students to realize is that not many discoveries have been made because someone “had” to think of a question to design an experiment around. Students need to think creatively. We all have different interests, and within those interests, we have questions about how things work or how one aspect of something can influence a change in another aspect of it. This should be the beginning spark for a science fair project. Encourage your students to reflect on their interests and find a testable question related to an interest that lends itself to study through the scientific process. Planning Again, this should start early in the year. Without careful planning and scheduling, time gets away from us. I go back to my own experience in junior high, when I waited until the night before the science fair project was due before starting to work on it. Which was only after my parents came to me and said, “What will you be turning in for your science fair project tomorrow?” What I pulled together was a poor excuse for a science fair project, and the grade I got on it was definitely deserving of the time I spent on it. Those students in your class with similar traits would probably benefit from some scheduling help. Develop a schedule and timeline for your students that will help them in planning their projects. This schedule lists specific items to be turned in for review at specific times. For example, a date for turning in a defined, testable question and hypothesis for their project, a date for having their materials list and procedure defined, and additional dates to help guide them through the process. Remember, this is your time to act as a mentor. Schedule class time for working through some of these deadlines so that you can discuss with your students individually how their projects are progressing. Following the scientific process  Following the steps of the scientific method, from a science fair judge’s point of view, is the key to having a successful science fair project versus having one that you know the student is really not sure of what he or she is doing or why he or she is doing it. Make sure your students start with a testable question that tests only one variable. Make sure your students have a hypothesis that relates to the testable question, is centered on the variable being tested, and is based on good logic and some amount of pertinent background information and research. Other key points to stress to your students include the following:
Just as not every student will play for the Yankees, perform at Carnegie Hall, or win an Academy Award®; not every student will be a scientist, either. Therefore, requiring every student to do a science fair project and having this requirement as part of their overall grade in science may not be in the best interest of all students. In my experience, mandatory participation turns the science fair into the most dreaded event of the year for students, teachers, and science fair judges. Having all students know and understand the scientific process should be a requirement and goal for obtaining a science-literate society, but a science fair project is only one way to accomplish this. Offer your students other projects as alternatives to the science fair, such as research reports on historical scientific discoveries. These can be done in many ways, including written reports, video productions, cartoons, or in other creative ways that would help students use their talents and areas of interest to investigate how the scientific process is used. Design challenges that may not be strict science fair project investigations would nonetheless lend themselves to having students use some aspects of the scientific process in solving a design problem. These are just a few ideas for alternatives to science fair projects. What a science fair project is not One last point that I should cover for all the science fair judges out there is the topic of what a science fair project is not. To add a little humor to this, read the following using your best Jeff Foxworthy imitation. You’re not a science fair project if:
As your students search for ideas and possible protocols for experiments, again use this as an opportunity to guide them in the right direction. Good luck to you and your students during this science fair season, and above all, have fun with it. Related links
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