Before
Science Fairs are one of the best opportunities for a
student to demonstrate his skill and knowledge about a researched science
or engineering topic. This is one of the most overlooked occasions for
students, because many adults tend to see Science Fair projects as a burden.
I will concede that science projects take a sizable amount of time, yet
(in my opinion) the reward to the child’s self esteem and character
far outweigh the effort.
A Science Fair project is the culmination of hours of
reading, researching, experimenting, investigating, interviewing, writing,
and ___________ (place your favorite verb in the blank)! Science is multi-sensory;
that is, it incorporates all of the senses. Science also incorporates
most subjects, such as reading, spelling, comprehension, listening, mathematics,
thinking, and inference.
Many adults may feel that it takes a dedicated student
with a love of learning to cheerfully do a Science project. While this
may not be the case for an assigned topic (perhaps one of interest to
the adult), generally, if the venture is in an area of the student’s
interest it will be difficult to hold him back!
Remember that while Science Fair projects tend to be
family projects, the emphasis should be on helping and directing your
child. (There is a fine line here that I have sometimes crossed. The project
becomes mine when I won’t listen to my children’s input!)
I hope this book encourages you to seek out information
to help your child do a project that follows scientific and logical thought.
A volcano using baking soda and vinegar is not a Science Project! (Don’t
feel bad if you’ve done one, so have we!) I will give you specific
guidelines about what makes a great topic and where to find one.
This is by no means a complete or authoritative work
on topic. Yet, this book will help you understand what is required for
entry into the upper level fairs. There are many wonderful books in the
library on how to do a science fair project but few that deal with understanding
the paper work that goes on behind the scenes. This work is designed principally
to encourage and facilitate the entire process!
You will find a list of recommended resources at the
end of this book. You will also see science keys written in italics sprinkled
throughout the book. These are helpful hints to remember as you prepare
for competition.
After
Science fairs are one of the best opportunities for a
student to demonstrate scientific skill and knowledge. It is one of the
most overlooked occasions for students because many adults tend to see
science fair projects as a burden. I will concede that science projects
take a sizable amount of time, yet in my opinion, the reward to the child’s
self-esteem and character far outweigh the effort.
A science fair project is the culmination of hours of
reading, researching, experimenting, investigating, interviewing, writing
and ___________ (place your favorite verb in the blank!). Science is multi-sensory;
that is, it incorporates all five physical senses. Science also incorporates
many subjects, such as reading, spelling, comprehension, listening, mathematics,
thinking and logic.
Many adults may feel that it takes a dedicated student
with a love of learning to cheerfully do a science project. While this
may not be the case for an assigned topic, which perhaps is only interesting
to the adult, a venture into an area of the student’s interest will
make it difficult to hold him back!
Remember that while science fair projects tend to be
family projects, the emphasis should be on helping and directing the student.
This is a fine line that I have sometimes crossed with my own children.
The project becomes mine, not theirs, when I won’t listen to their
input!
I hope this book encourages you to seek out information
to help your child or student do a project that follows scientific and
logical thought. Making a volcano using baking soda and vinegar is not
a science project! (Don’t feel bad if you’ve done one; so
have we!) I will give you specific guidelines about what makes a great
topic and where to find one.
This is by no means a complete or authoritative work
on science fairs. Even so, this book will help you understand what is
required for entry into upper-level fairs. There are many wonderful books
in the library on how to do a science fair project but few that deal with
understanding the paperwork that goes on behind the scenes. This work
is designed principally to encourage you in working through the entire
process of entering a science fair!
You will find a list of recommended resources at the
end of this book. You will also see italicized science keys sprinkled
throughout the book. These are helpful hints to remember as you prepare
for competition.
One final note: Remember, as parents you are ultimately
responsible in helping your child or student to achieve the highest level
of success possible. I have heard of countless horror stories relating
to science fairs. These situations were the result of a child not adhering
to the guidelines required for upper-level competitions, some through
no fault of their own. They were misguided, perhaps unintentionally, by
those in authority. The results were anything from being disqualified
from competition to winning first prize in their school division but being
disqualified from upper-level competiton. These situations may have been
averted by double-checking the guidelines. In some cases paperwork wasn’t
signed, the wrong (non-approved) materials were used for experimentation,
or paperwork was turned in late! I’ve heard of parents having to
hound teachers to get the necessary forms signed and turned in on time!
While this seems unnecessary, it happens. Just be aware that parents as
well as educators need to be prepared by understanding the rules. I pray
that this book helps you to anticipate problems and prevent unnecessary
heartache!
Reprinted from An Insider’s Guide to Successful
Science Fair Projects, © Copyright 2002 by Felice Gerwitz. Published
by Media Angels, Inc., Fort Myers, Fla.
Visit their web site
at www.MediaAngels.com