Science fair Survival Guide
Oh the hypocrisy! Here I am a science teacher and one of the greatest stresses in my life is the science fair, not the one at the school where I teach, but the one at my son's school. I don’t want to be one those parents who end up doing the projects for the kid (it’s happened once or twice) but I want him to do well. Science is not my son’s favourite subject, he is (gulp) artsy, he likes to write, and he’s theatrical and musical. As a result he need’s my help. And I am torn. I want the project to be excellent because I know he’s a good enough student to do an excellent project but it is tricky to help without doing.
What can we do to get through this?
Assuming your child has to do an experimental project, you will need to follow the scientific method. Find the version of the scientific method your child is using in their science textbook. (There are only slight variations but that may affect your procedures.) Stick with this method.
Many teachers will break the science fair up into manageable chunks which is intended to increase the probability of the students actually completing the project. The drawback here is that this increases the number of deadlines involved. More for you to keep on top of!
Many teachers will post helpful outlines, links to science fair ideas, rubrics (marking schemes) on the school’s webpage. Have a look. Some schools are more into this than others. I’ve added some links to the bottom of this post.
In my house we are keeping a binder of science fair handouts from the teacher, internet research, rough drafts etc. near the computer so we have one place to compile and organize
It is really important that you let your child accept responsibility as they grow, but if they are not on top of their science fair deadlines or any schoolwork for that matter, check with the teacher. Again you may want to start with the school webpage and find an email address for the teacher, as most, not all, have better access to a computer with email than to a telephone!
I hope this helps.
My School's Page (Thanks Pat)
Discovery School
All Science Fair
What can we do to get through this?
Assuming your child has to do an experimental project, you will need to follow the scientific method. Find the version of the scientific method your child is using in their science textbook. (There are only slight variations but that may affect your procedures.) Stick with this method.
Many teachers will break the science fair up into manageable chunks which is intended to increase the probability of the students actually completing the project. The drawback here is that this increases the number of deadlines involved. More for you to keep on top of!
Many teachers will post helpful outlines, links to science fair ideas, rubrics (marking schemes) on the school’s webpage. Have a look. Some schools are more into this than others. I’ve added some links to the bottom of this post.
In my house we are keeping a binder of science fair handouts from the teacher, internet research, rough drafts etc. near the computer so we have one place to compile and organize
It is really important that you let your child accept responsibility as they grow, but if they are not on top of their science fair deadlines or any schoolwork for that matter, check with the teacher. Again you may want to start with the school webpage and find an email address for the teacher, as most, not all, have better access to a computer with email than to a telephone!
I hope this helps.
My School's Page (Thanks Pat)
Discovery School
All Science Fair
posted by Bob at 3:07 PM
1 Comments:
As a sience teacher in Junior high, I think it is important to note that when your child is working on their science fair project they should not put total emphasis on getting the right results. Science like life is often full of obstacles and it is just as important to understand why something went wrong as it is to understand something that went right.So have your child focus on the process involved and have a solid grasp of why they got the results they did and not whether or not they are right.
Post a Comment
<< Home