Tips For Science Fair Projects: for Parents

1) Start with a topic you think is interesting. Maybe you want to find out more about something

you have been learning about in Science. For example, the P1s have been learning about the

five senses. Maybe they would like to find out something about sound and hearing, for

instance. Help your child to come up with a QUESTION they want to try to answer by doing an

experiment. In the sound example, possible questions could be: How does sound travel? How

far away can I hear a ____? Why is my ear shaped like a funnel? What does vibration have to do

with hearing? *Try to resist the temptation to start with a cool experiment…this is supposed to

be an inquiry project. It is also important to note that this is NOT a research project. They are

supposed to DO stuff to find out the answer to their questions, not just look up stuff.

2) Once you have your question, you have to predict what you think the answer will be (called the

HYPOTHESIS). THEN you can hit up google for ideas. Or think up your own way to test your

question! If you are using one of the science project websites, try not to let your child see what

is supposed to happen, instead have them actually do the EXPERIMENT to find out what

happens. Take pictures of them doing the experiment. Make sure they know how to actually

carry out the experiment themselves. Part of their display should be the METHOD (also called

the PROCEDURE).

3) Have your child write down (or dictate for the little ones) what happens in the

experiment/what they find out. These are the RESULTS. (This is the part that will be graded at

school, as it is the part your child tells his/her class about their project. See the attached rubric.

Students are also encouraged to present their projects to visitors during the science fair.)

4) Finally, help your child to think about what they learned, and possibly what they want to find

out next as a result of doing the experiment. This is the CONCLUSION.

5) Remember the display part should be created by your child. Keep it simple. It should show the

steps of a scientific process (there are various terms for the steps), and should say /show what

was done. Upper school students will be graded on their verbal explanation of this part as they

should be doing it on their own. See the rubrics below. Please note that self-supporting projects

REALLY help out whoever is setting up the display .

Note: The “write up” part can be a poster or a booklet, or even displayed on a laptop that does

not need a power source. It can be hand-written or typed. Part or all of the experiment should

be displayed with the write up. Ideally, it should be something visitors to the fair can touch or

even try themselves. Some helpful websites: http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/projects.html

http://www.education.com/science-fair/ http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-

projects/project_ideas.shtml This last website even helps you come up with a topic of interest

to you if you have no idea where to start!

Note: all students are expected to participate in the science fair. If your child cannot attend that evening,

they should plan to set up their experiment beforehand. Students will be graded on their presentations; see

class teacher for date of presentation to their class.

Rubric Used to Grade Lower School Science Fair Presentation

Name: __________________________

Score: __________________________

Fabulous! (4) Wow! (3) Good job! (2) Needs a little something… (1)

I didn’t do this part. (0)

I can tell the class what my question is and why I chose it

I can explain what I found out from doing the experiment

I can show my class how to do my experiment

I can explain why my experiment is/not a fair test

Comments: ____________________________________________________________________

Not sure what steps are in a Scientific Process or Method? Here they are…with a

sample experiment!

Question e.g. Do trees have different kinds of bark?

Hypothesis/Prediction I think all trees have the same bark except for palm trees.

Experiment/Test/Method I will take rubbings of five different tree barks to see if they are

the same or different. I will keep the test fair by using the same crayon and kind/size of

paper to do my rubbings. I will record what I see in a chart I made.

Observations (make a simple chart listing the kinds of trees you tested and write down

what the pattern looked like – include your rubbings as part of your display…consider

taking or drawing pictures of yourself doing the test/experiment)

Results I found out that ……

Conclusion/Explanation I think different trees have different bark because…

Rubric Used to Grade Upper School Science Fair Presentation

Name: __________________________

Score: __________________________

Fabulous! (4)

Wow! (3) Good job! (2) Needs a little something… (1)

I didn’t do this part. (0)

I can tell the class what my question is and why I chose it

I can explain what I found out from doing the experiment

I can demonstrate how to do my experiment

I have created a display that shows all the steps in a scientific process

I can explain why my experiment is/not a fair test

Comments: ____________________________________________________________________