Why Have A Science Fair?

There are many good reasons to hold a Science Fair in your school or district. There are benefits for everyone involved:

TEACHERS: - students are able to apply concepts learned in class ( the Scientific Method) to the real world - allows teachers to give grades in an area where the student has the flexibility to explore a topic of their choice - students can investigate their own culture and traditions in a school setting, and for credit - recognition and reward for academic achievement as opposed to athletic performance. It gives sometimes overlooked students a chance to ‘shine'. - the opportunity for teachers to work with colleagues from other schools - brings resource people into your school, with many spinoff benefits - gives students the opportunity to practice public speaking for a real audience

COMMUNITY:- encourages good rapport and communication between parents and the school - provides positive Native role models (as judges) for youth - allows community to reinforce and encourage positive efforts made by youth - increases the sense of community involvement in the school, (with fund raising events, and the use of resources outside the school) - recognition and representation for the community through the achievements of students (especially if they move on to other regional or national Fairs)

STUDENTS: - exposes students to new and exciting career opportunities - increases self-confidence, and self-esteem - provides a learning experience in a field of their own choosing - (especially if their project explores an aspect of their culture they want to learn more about, and have not had the opportunity) - a chance to make connections with scientists, and use this experience to help make career choices and ‘open doors' - an opportunity to win prizes, meet new friends and travel - lets students have FUN with other students and show-off their hard work to school, friends, family and the whole community

Getting Help From a Committee

The first step involved in having a Science Fair at your school, is to get together a group of dedicated individuals to help. Running a Science fair cannot be done alone, especially if your school is fairly large, so you will need to form a committee. This group of volunteers should consist of teachers (especially Science teachers) in the school, but would also benefit from having other school personnel, such as librarians and principals involved. Other volunteers can be found in the community. Parents, especially grandparents, are a group that is often overlooked and can be of great help in volunteer organizations. The committee should be formed early enough in the school year, to allow for adequate planning. An initial meeting should be held in September.

Jobs on such a committee can vary, but it is a good idea to have at least some of the following jobs and responsibilities assigned :

Chairperson : chairs meetings, and organizes many of the responsibilities at the Fair Treasurer : takes care of financial aspects of the Fair Judging Coordinator : this is one of the biggest jobs to do, since it involve contacting judges, making judging criteria, and determining winners of the Fair Awards : organizes any prizes and/or ceremony, Secretary : takes minutes of meetings Facilities : organizes a place to hold Fair, tables, chairs... Fund raising : sends letters for donations, organizes sales and events...

Many of these jobs can be done by one person, but be sure not to overwhelm yourself! Enjoying the finished product of a Science Fair is a wonderfu l feeling, but not if you're burnt out. To make this a positive experience, try to get as much help as you can. Meetings should be scheduled regularly to make sure that things are running smoothly and as planned.

Decisions

Once you have formed a committee, you have some decisions to make. There are many different ways that a Science Fair can be run. This depends on what you want your Fair to promote. Do you want to try and produce a few top-notch scientists from your school? Do you want to involve all students? Do you want it to be competitive? Do you want to encourage experimental projects only? These and other questions should be decided upon BEFORE you begin planning. The following are two decisions that should be made at an early meeting, and should be discussed by the whole committee:

TYPES OF PROJECTS You will need to decide what type of projects you want at your Fair. There are two types - experimental and study projects. An experimental project can often involve more work since it uses the Scientific Method. Students in Grade 8 at our Board are required to do an experimental project so that they are exposed to, and use this method. Study projects involve mostly research, and in many Fairs are not worth as much or graded less than an experimental project. However, they are a good way for students unfamiliar with Science fairs to begin. You need to decide if you want to allow both types of projects at your Fair and if they will be graded on an even scale or not. Checking with, and following the rules of any regional Fairs that the students may be eligible for, is a good idea. Appendix $ includes examples of both types of projects as well as judging score sheets if you would like to follow our model. You also may want to decide if you would like to have a Wall Display or Science Poster competition for the younger Grades in your school. Since they can involve quite a bit of planning, you may want to wait until you have organized one Fair, and then try to introduce Wall Displays in the second year of operation. Information on Wall Display competitions are in the third section of this booklet.

PARTICIPATION A big decision, and an issue that has entailed much discussion at our Committee meetings is participation. Some think that the Science Fair should be fun, and only those who want to should enter it, while others feel that this does not expose the students to the same learning experiences, and that a Science Fair should be part of the Science curriculum. At the AMBE Fair, it is compulsory for students in Grades 6-8 to enter a project. It counts toward their 2nd term Science Grade, and is integrated into their Science units of study. We decided that this was important, because it gives everyone a chance to participate and learn from a Science Fair. Making the Science Fair a part of the curriculum also helps our Science program, since students are given an opportunity to investigate something they are interested in, and to do an ‘independent' study for marks. It takes a lot more work to organize the Fair, but it also makes for a bigger Fair, and often, better projects. In order to make your Fair a part of your school's Science program, the first step is to approach your administration with the idea. The benefits of having a Science Fair in your school are enumerated in the previous section of this manual, but also push the idea that this is an opportunity for administration to get teachers working as a ‘team'. If the Science Fair is voluntary, some students participate only if their teacher requires it or helps them, while others do not participate, and it could make for some uneasiness between teachers and students. If you have the administration's support, be sure that the Science Fair is introduced properly. You are guaranteed to encounter a few teachers who don't like the idea. If the Science Fair is introduced at the beginning of the year, and teachers are required to include it in their long-term plans, then they can integrate it and use it to reinforce a particular unit. There is nothing wrong with a teacher requiring the class to do projects on a particular topic, such as water, as long as they have some opportunity to do a project of their own at some point. By including the Fair in their plans, the Science Fair will NOT come as a surprise to teachers in February, and they will be prepared for it right from the start. We recommend that you make the Science Fair a part of your school's curriculum, but you may decide to make entering your Fair optional (perhaps in it's first year), to see what interest there is. If you choose to do this, allow students to do part of their project in school. Possibly substituting their Science Fair project for another Science assignment in class is a good way to encourage participation. We have found that having students do their projects entirely on their own, can result in a very low rate of participation and a Fair that's not very fun for the students or the organizers. If you decide to make your Fair a part of the curriculum, be sure to give teachers as much support as possible. Remember that this may be new to a lot of teachers, and some might not be too crazy about the extra work it may entail. Make sure all rules and instructions are out early, and make available any publications that you can, to help staff adjust to a Science Fair. A list of publications and a Teacher's Guide to copy are available in Appendix $. Science Fairs provide an exciting opportunity for teachers to encourage, support, advise and work with their students on an individual basis. Success stories with even one or two students makes the effort well worth it, and this effort will pay dividends in those students' future education.

Setting Rules and Guidelines

Early in the school year, rules and guidelines should be made, outlining what is required for the Science Fair. Some students are keen and would like to get a head start on their projects, and this also gives teachers some much-needed information and a chance to prepare for the Fair. Rules for your Fair should be included in a handout such as the one in Appendix $, and MUST include:

- descriptions of the types of projects allowed (experimental or study) - the requirements for the written report that goes with the project - the date of the Fair - which Grades are allowed to participate - the number of students allowed to work on one project (1 or 2 or 3...) - size limitations of exhibit (this is generally the same in most Fairs and is usually 1.2 m wide, by 0.8 m deep by 2.7 m high) - safety limitations of exhibit (what the board can be made of - cardboard is not sturdy and poses a fire hazard) * - safety rules - check with other Fairs for safety rules. They can be quite restrictive especially when involving plants, animals, electricity and chemicals. The safety rules from the United Counties Science Fair in Cornwall are in Appendix $.

The AMBE Fair generally follows the same rules of the United Counties Fair in Cornwall, Ontario, since this is the regional Science Fair where we send some of our winners. If you anticipate sending some of your students on to regional Fairs in your area, or national Fairs, make sure you check their rules out beforehand, so you wont end up with projects that don't qualify.

* Backboards can be a big job when you are beginning with Science Fairs. The best ones are made out of plywood with hinges, so they are sturdy and last long. A good idea is to get started making them early in the school year so you wont have extra work come ‘crunch time' as the Fair approaches. If a custodian can build them, that is great, or you can try to get the help of a few parents or volunteers in the community. Raising money early is also a good idea as you will need to buy the hardware for the backboards. Doing this properly will save enormous amounts of time in later years, since the boards will already be available, and very little work will be needed. Instructions on how to build a backboard are in Appendix $.

Fund Raising

Part of the work of a Science Fair Committee is to raise money for the various costs associated with the Fair. You may need money to make backboards, to buy awards, to give gifts or refreshments to judges, or to have pins or T-shirts made. The possibilities are endless, and your Fair can cost as much or as little as you choose. The AMBE Fair runs at a budget of about $10,000 a year. This is a large budget, however, and is used to pay for winning trips to the AISES Fair in the United States for as many students as we can afford (usually 5-10). We have been lucky enough to procure grants and funding from Clarkson University, and have also received financial support from the School Board, and the Mohawk Council. This is still not enough, however, and fund raising events are planned throughout the year. Your first step in fund raising is to draft a letter asking for donations. Describe what your Fair plans to accomplish, and expect replies. Be sure to send them early enough (October - November) to give people time to reply. Some places to send letters include:

- The Band Council - The Education Authority or Board - Other educational institutions in the area - Science-affiliated industries (Northern Telecom, etc...) - Government-sponsored programs that promote Science in First Nations Communities or in your area (Science West etc...) - Local businesses - Government departments in your area

Don't be discouraged if you are not receiving the money you had hoped for. As your Fair grows, so will the donations, especially if people have seen the positive impact it has on the community. Simply offer awards and prizes that your Committee can afford.

Other ways to raise money can vary in each community, and some are more labour-intensive than others. Here are some ideas, but do whatever you can that raises money!

Fund Raising Ideas:

-bake sales -bingos (radio bingos, or school ones) -concession stands at sports tournaments etc.. -hot dog / popcorn days at school - maybe a senior class could do this -Avon or other catalogue sales -raffles of donated items -volleyball tournaments -chocolate bar sales -craft bazaars -dances -movie nights (charge admission) -walk-a-thons... the possibilities are endless!

* Since all of our Grade 6-8 students are required to enter the Fair, each class does a special fund raiser to help raise money

Having a treasurer to keep track of the money coming in and going out is essential. A bank account is a good idea, and monthly updates of your financial position is helpful when planning for the Fair.

Judging

This can be one of the biggest jobs of a Science Fair. It involves determining judging criteria, procuring and assigning judges, and getting all projects judged fairly, to determine winners. JUDGING CRITERIA:

Judging criteria can vary according to what you want your Science Fair to promote. You may want to give equal marks for creativity and scientific content, or weigh one more than the other. The exhibit itself can be worth a portion of the marks, as well as understanding by the student, and their written report. An example of our judging form which is the same as the regional United Counties Science Fair, which is in turn based on the Canada-wide model, is available in Appendix $ for you to use. It is important to note that at our Fair as well as the national Fair, study projects are given a maximum mark of 95, while experimental projects are marked out of 100. Students should be made aware of this BEFORE they begin their projects, so coming up with your judging criteria early is essential. Also, determining how you will select winners is important. Averaging the marks assigned by judges for a project is the most common way, but you may find that this can sometimes be inconsistent, especially if you have some judges that mark much harder, or more leniently than others. More on this is in the Scoring section.

PROCURING JUDGES:

This can be a difficult task. Judges are expected to volunteer their time, and keep this in mind at all times when you are soliciting judges. Decide ahead of time who will qualify as a judge. They should have some scientific background. Health professionals, engineers, professors, and other local people who work in the science industry would be good. Elders from the community may also make good judges. Try not to select judges that are too close to the students, such as their teachers or parents. Be as unbiased as possible. The more judges the better. Consider that the judges need to spend about 10-20 minutes with each project, and that each project should be judged more than once. At our Fair, every project is judged four times, and judges each mark approximately 12 projects in their day at the Fair. Organizing and matching judges with projects in their areas of specialty can take a lot of time and planning. It is always a good idea to try to match judges with projects that they have knowledge about. An example would be matching a doctor with a project on exercise, nutrition or the eye. To be able to do this, the judging coordinator must have a list of available judges and their specialty (who have committed to coming to the Fair), as well as the written reports of student projects. They should have this a few weeks before the Fair, in order to try to ‘match' judges with projects. Do the best that you can in assigning judges to projects in their field. Asking judges to judge can be done over the phone or by letter. Sending a letter and then following up with a phone call is a good idea. At our Fair, we telephone prospective judges and invite them to be a judge. We let them know that they will receive the student's written reports in a judging package, to read before the Fair day. Always get as many judges as possible. Having too many is better than not enough - you can always increase the amount of judgments per project! Plus, if any judges can't make it at the last minute, it's nice to have a spare judge. Too few can pose a problem, and you will have to increase the number of projects per judge, or reduce the number of judgments per project. Once you have a good group of judges, the job will get easier in future years, since many of them will return year after year. But always be aware that they are doing a community service and volunteering their time, so show your appreciation to ensure that they will be willing to judge in following years. A thank-you letter after the Fair is highly recommended. Other things you can do to show your appreciation, is to provide free refreshments and lunch the day of the Fair and provide all of the materials that might be needed for judging such as pens, clipboards, judging forms, etc. If your Committee can afford it, offering these (possibly with the name of your Fair on them) as a gift to the judges might be something you will want to consider down the road.

JUDGING PACKAGES: Before the Science Fair day, judges should be prepared, by having received a package or at least a letter of what they will be expected to do. We send a copy of the student's written report to judges ahead of the Fair, so they will be familiar with the projects BEFORE they come to judge. This also gives them a chance to mark the written report - worth 10% of the final mark. Included in the instructions sent to them should be: 1. A handout outlining: -what time they are expected to be at the school -schedule of day's events (how long the judging is expected to take, lunchtime etc...) -how the projects will be labelled to find them (numbered by Grade...) -objectives of the judging ( to select winners to move on to another Fair, to win prizes etc...) -how a winner will be determined (average of the marks, or another method...) 2. A copy of the judging forms for each project they will mark (they could be different for study versus experimental projects) 3. Copies of student's written reports that they will be judging

*** Judges should receive these packages or letters no later than a week before the Fair.

AT THE FAIR: Once the judges have arrived at the Fair, BE ORGANIZED. There is nothing worse than judges volunteering their time, and becoming frustrated with disorganization at the event. Greet the judges at the door, hand out name tags or some other identifying badge, and invite them to an orientation meeting. Don't forget coffee and snacks! An orientation meeting introduces judges to the school, and lets them know what they are expected to do, and why. Keep the meeting as short as possible, then send them on their way. Some things to mention at the meeting include:

- a welcome by the principal or Science Fair coordinator - where the gym, judging room and washrooms are - reiteration of the information sent in the package, such as why the judges are there (to select a winner to move to the next Fair, to encourage Science participation, to give suggestions for future study etc...) - how to judge using the forms provided in the package. Explain how to mark a project and to be as consistent as possible. We provide the judges with a personal tally sheet, so they can compare the marks they have assigned to each project. We also suggest that they keep the first few judging forms they have marked, in case they need to adjust a mark after having seen a few projects. Also, alert judges to the different Grade levels at the Fair, and ask them to try to judge the students at their Grade level. -where to bring the forms when they are done (a room for this purpose is a good idea, where the Committee can tally marks as they come in) - the level the students are at -this is very important, since many judges work in industry where they are not exposed to kids, and they expect too much of the students. Be sure to mention that some students may be trying something entirely new to them, and that they are only 11-14 years old. Also, encourage judges to be personable and to ask questions, since many students can be shy. A judge who is harsh can be discouraging and intimidating to students. - this is a perfect time to thank judges for their time, and to remind them what a positive service they are doing - make them feel good, tell them to have a good time, and to enjoy the exhibits and the students.

SCORING: The marking scheme you use for your Fair is up to you. In the first few years of our Fair, we averaged the 4 marks assigned to the students and used that to select winners. Since then, we have found that this can sometimes be unfair, specifically when a student happens to get one or two ‘hard markers' (or ‘easy markers' for that matter), as judges. Since we run a fairly large Fair (approximately 120 projects), and award big prizes (trips to other Fairs), we have had to accommodate for harsh and lenient judges. We devised a computer program that adjusts all of a judge's marks based on that particular judge's statistical deviation from a particular project's average. A local school Fair should not need to take such measures, but you may find that as your Fair grows, you will want to adjust marks that are too high or low because the inconsistencies that occur with judging. We usually meet for a few hours at the end of the Science Fair, to review the scores, select winners and decide how we will notify everyone. Sometimes this may take a day or two, especially because we award trips and our financial situation dictates how many winners we can select. If you would like more information on our scoring methods, please contact us. Our address and e-mail address are at the back of this booklet.

Awards

Awards are up to the committee, and are based on the purposes, philosophy and budget of your Fair. Participation ribbons are a good idea, and plaques or trophies for 'Best in Fair' are also good. Awards for best effort or most creative, are nice, but can sometimes be difficult to award based on clear criteria. You may want to give gold, silver and bronze awards in the form of ribbons or certificates to those projects scoring in certain ranges. For instance:

Gold - 90% or above Silver - 80-90% Bronze - 75-80%

At our Fair, we award a certificate and a ribbon to all projects scoring over 80%. An example of this certificate is shown in Appendix $. Certificates can generally be made on school computers. Other awards can be specific to the subject of the project. For example, Agriculture Canada may donate a cash award to the best agriculture-related project. Or your school can do the same, awarding to the best projects in certain categories, such as Life Sciences, Physical Science, Environmental Science etc.... You may want to award something for each Grade level, or if the Grades are close (6,7 & 8), then you can do as we do, and simply award the best projects in the Fair. Our judges take Grade levels into account when they are scoring projects. Most winners will be from upper Grades, but this may encourage other students to improve as they do projects year after year. Other ideas for awards include: Science books, calculators, gift certificates, Science kits, computer games and whatever you can think of! If you are having an entrant competition or special event during the Fair, offer small prizes for the winners, such as $5 gift certificates, or a pick-a-prize box.

Special Events / Entrant Competition

At most Science Fairs, a Science Competition is offered for the students to participate in. This serves three purposes. One, it gives the students something ‘fun' to do, and offers another chance at prizes for those who may not win the Fair. Two, it encourages participation in Science activities that are challenging and not often conventional in classrooms. Thirdly, and most importantly, it gives the students something to DO while they are waiting to be judged. Some students may have to wait a long time for a judge to arrive. Others may be finished with all of their judging early on, and it can make for a long day for many. An entrant competition gives the students something fun to keep them busy and will avoid some of the chaos that can happen when students are bored, and wander around the Fair. It is a good idea to also provide a supervised room with a video or other activity for students to go to when they are finished being judged. Other classes in the school should be invited to see the Fair as well as visitors from the public, and between them and the judges, there can be quite a bit of confusion and congestion on the big day! You don't want the students in the Fair to add to that, so offering them an activity is essential. It ideally involves something that the students can work on at their table, so that they are available if anyone comes around to see their project. Usually, at the end of the Fair, a competition is held to see who has designed the best bridge, tower etc... and this can add to the fun and excitement of the Fair. There are numerous sources for ideas on events you can hold. Examples of some challenges we have used include:

egg-drop - students design a container that will protect an egg when dropped from the greatest height best raft - using only the materials provided them (aluminum foil, cardboard, tape..) students design a ‘raft that will hold the most weight before sinking tallest tower - using straws provided, students design the tallest free-standing tower that will hold a tennis ball in the air (or strongest tower of a certain height) balloon mobile - given a balloon, students design a vehicle that will travel the farthest when propelled by the balloon string math - students try to create certain designs out of string (cat's cradle etc...) paper airplanes - most accurate, longest flying, best tricks... paper problems - in teams, students can try to solve brain teasers and puzzles provided

Some good resources to consult for ideas include Science Is

After the Fair

Be sure to hold a meeting after the Fair to congratulate yourselves on your efforts, and to review what went well and what didn't. It is very important to recognize that there will always be problems at a Science Fair and to try to improve on these for next year. The secretary should write down the recommendations, since they are almost always forgotten by the following September. Improvements can always be made, and this is a great time for new ideas and suggestions.

Planners' Timeline

The following is a general breakdown of when to get things done. This is simply meant to be a guideline to help your Committee plan effectively. It is based on a late February Fair in order to leave enough time for students to participate in any other Fairs they may be eligible for.

September: -get a committee together, assign jobs -get your school's permission to hold a Fair -decide on the purpose of your Fair, optional or compulsory participation, and types of projects to be entered in your Fair October - November: -begin fund raising events, send letters asking for donations -settle on rules for the Fair -decide on judging criteria -spread the word (to teachers, students, parents) in the form of a handout outlining the rules and specifications for projects -meet with teachers to explain the Science Fair and it's purposes, and provide instructional materials to help teachers -decide on awards or plaques - contact any organizations for award donations -contact and find out rules for any other Fairs in your region December: -make and copy judging forms -continue fund raising -order participation ribbons -create a list of potential judges -if you like, send home an information pamphlet for parents, outlining how they can help their child (see Appendix $) January: -telephone follow-up on letters asking for donations -contact and find committed judges -make a date for written reports to be due (late January), and send information to teachers outlining the written report -order plaques or awards that you can afford -once you have received written reports, and judges' list, match projects with appropriate judges

February: -send out judging packages -organize enough tables and chairs for Fair day -categorize projects and assign project numbers - make gym layout, putting electrical projects near outlets -plan lunch or refreshments for judges -put up posters advertising Fair, contact newspapers, etc -inform teachers how Fair day will run - when to put up projects, Fair day schedule, when to visit etc... -plan any Special Events or Entrant Competitions you may have to entertain students during the Fair -organize who will tally judges' marks and when the results will be available (possibly at an awards ceremony after the Fair or later in the year) -arrange supervision for the day of the Fair, and the jobs people will be doing the day of Fair -plan and make certificates -if your Fair will have a program, write it up and copy it (see Appendix$) -organize a concession stand if you would like - this could be offered to another fund raising group in your school such as yearbook etc...

Day before: -set up tables and chairs. -mark each project space with masking tape 1.2 m apart on tables -number each space with project numbers so students can find where they are to set up -students can set up projects the day before or the morning of the Fair -purchase any refreshments or lunch -put up any Wall Display posters on wall to be judged or displayed (adds to the attraction of the Fair)

Day of the Fair:-check display area -set up refreshments (coffee, juice, donuts...) -hold judges' meeting (some will be late!) -circulate through Fair to make sure things are running smoothly -tally marks as they come in -give awards or ribbons to winning projects if possible -open Fair to the public (possibly after school hours)

After the Fair: -clean up and dismantle projects - unless they will be moving on to another regional Fair -hold an awards ceremony if possible -arrange for trips to other Fairs if possible -double-check marks and assess their fairness -send thank-you letters to donors and judges -thank teachers, and make marks available to them -publicize winners