Science Fair Stress.

[mssjs]

Hi everyone, so I think I am just looking for some advice or guidance in general here. I teach science to grades 1-6. I am also new to focusing on JUST science and I am in charge of the science fair this year. As I was speaking with admin about it he mentioned he would like to see more engineering and STEM projects rather than the typical projects we always see at a science fair. So I started my research and found Science Buddies with all their wonderful Engineering projects to try. So after researching, my students chose their projects and they all chose something from the Engineering tab. I know, now (thanks to this website), that the engineering process and scientific method are two different things. And I guess I am stressing myself out over whether these students can focus on the scientific methods of their engineering projects or whether I should be having them focus on the engineering design process instead, or whether we can combine them in a way; because as the end result, I just really want them to enjoy their projects as well as be able to confidently present and display them to the community and other teachers. Does anyone have any advice or input that would make this science fair process easier for me to conduct and carry out (confidently). Thanks in advance!!

[tdaly]

Hi mssjs,

As someone who spent years helping to organize K-6 science fairs at schools, I empathize with "science fair stress"! I'm happy to hear that you are prioritizing helping the students have a positive experience. I've found that when the students have a positive experience, the whole science fair process goes better for parents and teachers, too. I would focus on the engineering design process, if that is the type of project that all of your students chose. That will help clarify expectations for yourself, parents, other teachers, and the students.

As far as other tips go: check out Science Buddies' teacher resources for science fairs:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/teacher_ ... ence-fairs

The grading rubrics are quite helpful, but they are really designed for projects that follow the scientific method, rather than the engineering design process. You might try dropping an email to scibuddy@sciencebuddies.org and ask if they have rubrics for engineering projects.

[mssjs]

Thank you for the advice. Things have come along nicely so far. Science fair is Tuesday and we are moving right along!

[bfinio]

Hi mssjs,

I'm glad to hear things are going well. We do love to hear success stories if you've found any of Science Buddies' resources useful, and we also welcome constructive feedback if you think any of our resources could be improved. Please don't hesitate to contact us at scibuddy@sciencebuddies.org with any feedback, positive or negative!

Thanks,

Ben

PS - I replied to the post about the light tracking/solar powered robot in your other thread.