“As a teacher, I want to thank you for making The Academy of Science - St. Louis Science Fair possible. Over the past three years, I have witnessed a growing interest in science, in large part, because of the opportunities for my students to present their work. Science is messy and often that is lost in the classroom content. Individual research projects help my students to hone their creative and resilience skill sets that will help them in whatever career they choose to pursue.  

Thank you for making all of this possible!”

– High School Science Teacher

Do you have pictures of your class working on their science fair projects? Are you a veteran teacher with tips for others about science fair? Just have questions or need help?

We'd love to hear from you!

Science Fair Builds Skills for College and Career

Students who participate in the Science Fair show an increased interest in STEM and develop the skills to be successful in the 21st century including:

• critical thinking
• communication
• collaboration
• problem solving

 Science Fair enhances a college application and resume!

Science Fair prepares students for poster presentations in college, and students show significant gains in their abilities to: 

• develop an idea
• meet deadlines
• manage a project
• plan and conduct an experiment
• analyze data

STEM Research Grants

STEM Research Grants provide support to teachers engaging their students in grades 6 – 12 in authentic scientific research. Teachers can apply for up to $5,000 to purchase specialized equipment or $1,000 in preselected equipment including Arduino starter kits, camera traps, and PocketLab sensors. Over 5 years, $575,000 has been awarded to 283 teachers. Priority consideration is given to schools that support students who are underrepresented in STEM or those who come from low-income communities.

A.S.R.T. Program

Advancing Science/STEM Research Teaching Program is a FREE week-long, in-person, professional development workshop focused on curriculum activities and guides to support high school teachers involved in providing science/STEM research opportunities for their students.

Intel Education free tools and resources

Great info and learning videos from edutopia:

Building Opportunities for Students
—an edutopia video. Take a look!

Click Here for more teacher resources from edutopia!
Subscribe to the edutopia YouTube channel

GUIDED INQUIRY
One way to handle multiple projects in the classroom is to start with the same inquiry-based project. Divide class into groups of 4 or 5.

Teacher provides materials and problem to investigate. Students devise their own procedure to solve the problem.

Set the stage with teacher guidance and launch a, "Wow!"
Testable question and testable hypothesis
Students should know it's a process and have expectations/guidelines/boundaries.
Active participation with collaboration (student-to-student, teacher-to-students, teacher-to-class)

Teacher - ask guided questions of each group. Remind students of time.

Data

Teach students to record their data. They can come up with their own charts to share with the class. Let students think of the best way to organize their data, not necessarily "your" chart to share with the class.

Reflection

• Group shares their ideas with the class.
• Was the outcome what they expected?
• Do they have a new question now? —Learning from "mistakes;" there are no "mistakes" in science inquiry!

Connections

• Make real-world connections.
• Ask students guided questions.

Assessment

Assessing Inquiry Based Projects (using assessment to improve teaching and learning) - Click Here for tools.

NOTE:

As students become comfortable working in groups, you may then migrate to individual or team projects and OPEN INQUIRY where students formulate their own problem to investigate.

Don't forget about early finishers!
If you get a group that finishes early, what will you do? Consider these Ideas:

• Discovery stations (set up stations with a challenge or activities with supplies to complete).
• Book station with additional books for silent reading; journal writing; write a book.
• You can give them a challenge question.
• Start working on their final poster.
• These students could help other kids.

Tips for a Successful Science Fair from veteran St. Louis Science Teachers!

SCIENCE FAIR builds Scientific Inquiry Skills and Ties into Testing

Science Fair helps students meet Missouri Learning Standards science expectations for Grades K-5 and Grades 6-12, as well as the Science and Engineering Practicies (NGSS) summarized in Appendix F and the Crosscutting Concepts (NGSS) summarized in Appendix G.

Science Fair helps prepare students for the science portion of MAP testing, which they will take annually in Grades 5 - 8.

By participating in Science Fair, students in all grades gain a better understanding of scientific inquiry. Scientific inquiry is included in the Science and Engineering Practices (NGSS) in Appendix F:

Standards and performance expectations that are aligned to the framework must take into account that students cannot fully understand scientific and engineering ideas without engaging in the practices of inquiry and the discourses by which such ideas are developed and refined. At the same time, they cannot learn or show competence in practices except in the context of specific content.

(NRC Framework, 2012, p. 218)

Engaging in the practices of science helps students understand how scientific knowledge develops; such direct involvement gives them an appreciation of the wide range of approaches that are used to investigate, model, and explain the world. Engaging in the practices of engineering likewise helps students understand the work of engineers, as well as the links between engineering and science. Participation in these practices also helps students form an understanding of the crosscutting concepts and disciplinary ideas of science and engineering; moreover, it makes students’ knowledge more meaningful and embeds it more deeply into their worldview.

The actual doing of science or engineering can also pique students’ curiosity, capture their interest, and motivate their continued study; the insights thus gained help them recognize that the work of scientists and engineers is a creative endeavor—one that has deeply affected the world they live in. Students may then recognize that science and engineering can contribute to meeting many of the major challenges that confront society today, such as generating sufficient energy, preventing and treating disease, maintaining supplies of fresh water and food, and addressing climate change.

Any education that focuses predominantly on the detailed products of scientific labor—the facts of science—without developing an understanding of how those facts were established or that ignores the many important applications of science in the world misrepresents science and marginalizes the importance of engineering.

(NRC Framework 2012, pp. 42-43)

Practice 1: Asking Questions and Defining Problems

A practice of science is to ask and refine questions that lead to descriptions and explanations of how the natural and designed world(s) works and which can be empirically tested. Engineering questions clarify problems to determine criteria for successful solutions and identify constraints to solve problems about the designed world. Both scientists and engineers also ask questions to clarify ideas.

Practice 2: Developing and Using Models

A practice of both science and engineering is to use and construct models as helpful tools for representing ideas and explanations. These tools include diagrams, drawings, physical replicas, mathematical representations, analogies, and computer simulations. Modeling tools are used to develop questions, predictions and explanations; analyze and identify flaws in systems; and communicate ideas. Models are used to build and revise scientific explanations and proposed engineered systems. Measurements and observations are used to revise models and designs.

Practice 3: Planning and Carrying out Investigations

Scientists and engineers plan and carry out investigations in the field or laboratory, working collaboratively as well as individually. Their investigations are systematic and require clarifying what counts as data and identifying variables or parameters. Engineering investigations identify the effectiveness, efficiency, and durability of designs under different conditions.

Practice 4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Scientific investigations produce data that must be analyzed in order to derive meaning. Because data patterns and trends are not always obvious, scientists use a range of tools—including tabulation, graphical interpretation, visualization, and statistical analysis—to identify the significant features and patterns in the data. Scientists identify sources of error in the investigations and calculate the degree of certainty in the results. Modern technology makes the collection of large data sets much easier, providing secondary sources for analysis. Engineering investigations include analysis of data collected in the tests of designs. This allows comparison of different solutions and determines how well each meets specific design criteria—that is, which design best solves the problem within given constraints. Like scientists, engineers require a range of tools to identify patterns within data and interpret the results. Advances in science make analysis of proposed solutions more efficient and effective.

Practice 5: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

In both science and engineering, mathematics and computation are fundamental tools for representing physical variables and their relationships. They are used for a range of tasks such as constructing simulations; solving equations exactly or approximately; and recognizing, expressing, and applying quantitative relationships. Mathematical and computational approaches enable scientists and engineers to predict the behavior of systems and test the validity of such predictions.

Practice 6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

The end-products of science are explanations and the endproducts of engineering are solutions. The goal of science is the construction of theories that provide explanatory accounts of the world. A theory becomes accepted when it has multiple lines of empirical evidence and greater explanatory power of phenomena than previous theories. The goal of engineering design is to find a systematic solution to problems that is based on scientific knowledge and models of the material world. Each proposed solution results from a process of balancing competing criteria of desired functions, technical feasibility, cost, safety, aesthetics, and compliance with legal requirements. The optimal choice depends on how well the proposed solutions meet criteria and constraints

Practice 7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence

Argumentation is the process by which evidence-based conclusions and solutions are reached. In science and engineering, reasoning and argument based on evidence are essential to identifying the best explanation for a natural phenomenon or the best solution to a design problem. Scientists and engineers use argumentation to listen to, compare, and evaluate competing ideas and methods based on merits. Scientists and engineers engage in argumentation when investigating a phenomenon, testing a design solution, resolving questions about measurements, building data models, and using evidence to evaluate claims.

Practice 8: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Scientists and engineers must be able to communicate clearly and persuasively the ideas and methods they generate. Critiquing and communicating ideas individually and in groups is a critical professional activity. Communicating information and ideas can be done in multiple ways: using tables, diagrams, graphs, models, and equations as well as orally, in writing, and through extended discussions. Scientists and engineers employ multiple sources to obtain information that is used to evaluate the merit and validity of claims, methods, and designs.