5-6 Science Fair Handbook

A revamped fair places less emphasis on competition and more on communication By Peter Rillero A Standards-Based Science Fair I magine a science fair with hundreds of smiles, no problems recruiting judges, parent involvement at appropriate levels, and children engaged in rich discus- sions of their full-inquiry projects. These are just some of the benefits of the standards-based science fair. In standards-based science fairs, children learnmore aboutwhat they are interested in.They deepen understandings of how science works and improve inquiry skills— including the ability to communicate and share research results. Parents learn more about science inquiry and their child’s science abilities.

The standards-based science fair builds on the strengths of traditional science fairs, but by having students compete against standards rather than against other students, the projects become more student-centered. The classroom format of this science fair features many opportunities for students to communicate about their full inquiry projects.

32 Science and Children