Science Fair 2012!

Overview

Has your son ever asked you how airplanes fly?  Or your daughter inquire what rainbows are made of?  Encourage them to answer their own science questions by participating in the Science Fair!   It’s a fun – and empowering – way for students to explore the world of science.



The 2012 Science Fair will be held on Friday, April 27.  Students from any grade (K-6) can participate. 

Here’s how it works:  

Each participant thinks of a science question, then conducts experiments or research to determine the answer.  Participants then build a display board to showcase their results.  The display board is due on April 26th so that they can be set up in the gym. 

During school on April 27th, all students visit the Science Fair to view the projects, and visiting scientists from the community meet with each participant to discuss what was learned.  That evening, everyone is invited to attend a celebration – all students, parents, grandparents.

How To Get Started
Participants are supported and encouraged throughout the process.  Please fill out a Registration Form  and return it to your teacher by if you are interested in participating and a packet of information will be sent home.  This Information Guide provides more detail about the experimentation process and preparing a science experiment.

For help in determining a good science question, you may want to review this List of Past Science Fair Questions.  There are also many great resources for science experiment ideas in the Maple Grove library, your public library (Children’s science section), and on the internet.  Some particularly good internet sites are:

www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiments
www.scifair.org
www.exploratorium.edu
www.accessexcellence.org/21st/TL/scifair
www.chipublib.org/008subject/009scitech/scifideas.html

Once a student is registered and a science question submitted, the participant is assigned a “parent contact” who will be able to support the child and answer questions.  The parent contact will help to remind the students of critical dates and check-in on progress.

Volunteers/Other Information
The Science Fair is sponsored by the Maple Grove PTA and is run by parent volunteers.  We adhere to guidelines set forth by the Science Department of Jeffco Schools regarding science fairs in elementary schools. The Science Fair committee needs more volunteers to support the program.  We need parent contacts (no science experience necessary), assistance with participant registration, and help setting up and cleaning up on the day of the Science Fair.  If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the Science Fair Committee Chair, Becky Hoskins at 303-393-1444 or rebecca_w_hoskins@yahoo.com.