Science Fair Guidelines

Our school science fair will be January 30 to February 1, 2008. Lots of parents are interested in getting an early start -- many had questions during parents' night.

A good first place to start is the science fair guides for the regional fair. Our school generally follows the same guidelines and rules as the regional science fair. The link to elementary school regional science fair information is here. An excellent starting place is the Elementary Division Handbook. The handbook has a lot of good information, including items that are not allowed, the three types of entries, and the judging criteria for each type of entry.

That said, there are some important differences to remember. Although we choose projects to represent the school in the regional science fair, the school science fair is a teaching tool, not just a precursor to the regional science fair. Different classes may have different requirements. Some teachers require participation and some do not. The science project may be a graded project...and the criteria by which it is graded may be different than the criteria for selecting representatives.

The science fair is run by the school, and the teachers and staff have the final say-so in all matters. The PTA assists by providing support to setup, monitor, and take down the science fair and by forming a committee of volunteers to judge the science fair.

As the PTA Science Fair Coordinator, I am happy to offer advice and you are welcome to bend my ear if you wish.