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Science and Engineering Fair is generally a competition where contestants present their science project results in the form of a report, display board, and models that they have created. Science fairs allow students to compete in science, engineering, and/or technology activities.
Although writing assignments that take a long time to complete and require multiple drafts are fairly common in US schools, large projects in the sciences (other than science fairs) are rare. Science fairs also provide a mechanism for students with intense interest in the sciences to be paired with mentors from nearby colleges and universities, so that they can get access to instruction and equipment that the local schools could not provide.
In the United States, science fairs first became popular in the early 1950s, with the ISEF, then known as the National Science Fair. Interest in the sciences was at a new high after the world witnessed the use of the first two atomic weapons and the dawn of television. As the decade progressed, science stories in the news, such as Jonas Salk’s vaccine for polio and the launch of Sputnik, brought science fiction to reality and attracted increasing numbers of students to fairs.
For Science and Engineering Fair, Competition is separated into two group - Junior Division (which is 6th, 7th and 8th grade) Senior Division (9th - 12th Grade) .Students need design or find his own project and get approved by some authority organization if the projects need to achieve in a lab, hospital, or the other special places. When my son started his science fair in 6th grade, he was too young and not allowed to enter the lab. So he checked Science body and found a model design about PCR. He did experiments at home and finished the model of proof with $20 quarters. Looks simple but he learned a bunch of biology during the process. At 7th grade, he was interested detect weather with GPS. We had to spend several hundred $$$ to order an expensive Garmin 680 at that time for him. Then it took him two month to test and record data and analyzed it. That GPS became the good memory for the family. At 8th grade, he turned to crime science to test blood for policeman. Fortunately all his above projects were selected to the States. He was encouraged and getting more experience during the process. In recent presentation, he presented 15 times in the morning and 8 times in the afternoon for judges. We are happy to see him “play for fun”!
Most senior students would find opportunities to the lab to finish their projects. Students are judged within their respective categories, include the following:
• Animal Sciences
• Behavioral & Social Sciences
• Biochemistry
• Cellular & Molecular Biology
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Earth and Planetary Science
• Energy & Transportation
• Engineering
• Environmental Management
• Environmental Science & Analysis
• Mathematical Sciences
• Medicine & Health Sciences
• Microbiology
• Physics & Astronomy
• Plant Sciences
Students may be selected to participate in the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). This year ISEF will be on May 13-18, 2012 in Pittsburgh, PA.
Here is some webs for science project options:
www.sciencefair-projects.org/
www.sciencebuddies.org
www.all-science-fair-projects.com/
www.lasciencefair.org/ideas.htm
www.ipl.org/div/projectguide/
www.sciencefairadventure.com/
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