Comments on: Planning a Science Fair http://twohandstwofeet.com/2010/01/12/planning-a-science-fair/ Get Off the Beaten Path & Live Life Using Your Two Hands and Two Feet Fri, 18 May 2012 02:01:11 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jane http://twohandstwofeet.com/2010/01/12/planning-a-science-fair/comment-page-1/#comment-127 Jane Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:22:02 +0000 http://twohandstwofeet.com/?p=206#comment-127 You can do this! Be sure each student understands what a hypothesis is, the exact date and time of the fair, and, to the letter, what a "project" MUST entail. Send out, several times, a letter to parents explaining the basics of the fair, and exactly what their part in it must be if their child is participating. With any kind of "family" function, and especially for a science fair, it's important that parents know what's expected of them and of their child. Be sure parents understand that no dangerous chemicals or animals are allowed. ABOVE ALL, stress that the project must be the child's work and not the parent's work. At the judging, ask the child exactly what he/she did; if the kid can't answer, eliminate the project. Harsh but effective. Get your judges early and and remind them several times during the next few weeks as to the exact date and time, and what will be expected of them. It's been a few years since I "did" a science fair, but I remember those few things as especially important. Good luck! I know yours will be awesome. P.S. Don't think of yourself as a sucker. You're not. What you are is a knowledgeable parent who cares enough about children's curiosity about the wonders of the universe to help them showcase it, that others might become curious, too. Oh, and line up some publicity. It's amazing what a little newspaper article or radio blurb will do for a child's enthusiasm level. You can do this! Be sure each student understands what a hypothesis is, the exact date and time of the fair, and, to the letter, what a “project” MUST entail. Send out, several times, a letter to parents explaining the basics of the fair, and exactly what their part in it must be if their child is participating. With any kind of “family” function, and especially for a science fair, it’s important that parents know what’s expected of them and of their child. Be sure parents understand that no dangerous chemicals or animals are allowed. ABOVE ALL, stress that the project must be the child’s work and not the parent’s work. At the judging, ask the child exactly what he/she did; if the kid can’t answer, eliminate the project. Harsh but effective.

Get your judges early and and remind them several times during the next few weeks as to the exact date and time, and what will be expected of them.

It’s been a few years since I “did” a science fair, but I remember those few things as especially important. Good luck! I know yours will be awesome.

P.S. Don’t think of yourself as a sucker. You’re not. What you are is a knowledgeable parent who cares enough about children’s curiosity about the wonders of the universe to help them showcase it, that others might become curious, too.

Oh, and line up some publicity. It’s amazing what a little newspaper article or radio blurb will do for a child’s enthusiasm level.

]]> By: 2hands2feet http://twohandstwofeet.com/2010/01/12/planning-a-science-fair/comment-page-1/#comment-122 2hands2feet Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:17:48 +0000 http://twohandstwofeet.com/?p=206#comment-122 Thank you so much! I hope I can do it. Thank you so much! I hope I can do it.

]]> By: Barb http://twohandstwofeet.com/2010/01/12/planning-a-science-fair/comment-page-1/#comment-121 Barb Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:25:32 +0000 http://twohandstwofeet.com/?p=206#comment-121 If anyone can pull off a great Science Fair YOU CAN! Good luck! If anyone can pull off a great Science Fair YOU CAN! Good luck!

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