Implementing a Science Fair program over several months
For students in Grades 6 & 7

Spread out the completion of the science fair projects over several months for the following reasons:

• to allow student's thinking to develop, to ponder questions and reflect on their learning.
• to challenge students to set realistic goals and make plans to successfully complete their projects.
• to allow students time to collect, research and gather information before designing their experiments. The experiments develop out of the newly acquired knowledge of their research report.
• to allow for the needed time to conduct and replicate experiments.
• to integrate creative aspects and art work into the design and presentation of their projects.
• to allow for public speaking and presentation skills to be developed.
• and most important, time for a well-deserved celebration upon completion.

With this in mind, work on projects for only one block of science each week. This time increases in January to twice a week for two or three weeks during the compilation phase of their projects.

We recommend that you schedule your school science fair no later than than the second week of February, in order to allow enough time for the registration of those students who are participating in the Regional Science Fair.

September:  getting started

• Describe types of original projects suitable for older students: experiment, innovation, study
• Describe categories of projects (from Canada Wide Science Fair guidelines).
• Brainstorm ideas -The most important step!
• Look at the list of special awards
• Narrow it down: pick one topic, with reference to personal relevance and practical applications
• Expand ideas on that one topic
• Discuss ethics: written informed consent, health concerns for exercise tests, unethical topics

October

• Collect background information
• Teach how to write up literature references in a bibliography
• Teach how to write a business letter to a scientist, asking for assistance

Early November

• Begin written records: the log book, the research paper, the project book, the backboard

Late November

• Revisit the purpose: consider the research question or hypothesis
• Design the project

December

• Decide on the procedure
• Collect and record raw data: develop charts, grids or lists to record raw data

January

• Write the results: analysis, graphs, discussion
• Talk about the practical application
• Identify sources of error
• Write the conclusion
• Write the acknowledgments

February

• Class presentations and school Science Fair: leave adequate time for selected students to make adjustments before the district science fair.
• Check the FVRSF website for the on-line registration deadline.  No exceptions are made once registration closes. We suggest that you hold the school science fair at least two days before the deadline, to give yourself time to select the best projects and to fill out the registration forms, including an abstract.

End February or early March

• District or regional science fair: Grade 7 - 12 students are chosen to represent the region at the Canada Wide Science Fair

May

• Canada Wide Science Fair

Sourced from Darlene Vissers' detailed timeline for Grade 6 and 7 students in the booklet Science Fair made easy...well, not really easy (Brooks & Vissers, 2003).