| Despite the fact that our society values scientists, | | | | their contribution should be. They mistakenly believe |
| fewer and fewer students are going on to pursue any | | | | that they're expected to do much of the project for |
| science learning beyond the minimum requirements for | | | | their child, or that the project needs to be a big |
| graduation and college entry. | | | | problem. These projects can be very elaborate, but |
| If you're hoping to help reverse this trend, and take | | | | they don't have to be. For instance, elementary school |
| science beyond being just a classroom subject, | | | | children can have quite simple science fair projects. |
| science fairs could be the solution. These are | | | | Some sample topics include the process of tooth |
| organized on local, state, national, and international | | | | decay, the parts of an egg, how plants reproduce or |
| levels. In them, students submit projects which are | | | | the way plants grow towards light. Parents are |
| evaluated by a team of judges. Science fairs help | | | | expected to encourage and assist their children, but |
| students understand that breakthroughs and | | | | not to do the work for them. |
| discoveries are based on learning what doesn't work, | | | | Middle and high school student will probably have more |
| as much as they are about getting the right answer. | | | | complicated topics and experiments. However, they're |
| They are as much about learning and having fun as | | | | also capable of doing more of the work on their own. |
| they are about getting the project right. Even students | | | | Some sample topics for older children include testing |
| who don't usually want to participate in science based | | | | consumer products, composition of frost, the scientific |
| courses are sometimes required by their schools to | | | | principles behind musical instruments, the effect of |
| enter the science fair, and they find out that they enjoy | | | | music on plants, and even developing a simple |
| the process of running an experiment and seeing what | | | | computer game. |
| happens. There's more to projects than science, so | | | | There's a lot to be learned by doing a science fair |
| even students who prefer art, photography, writing, | | | | project, not least of which is how much fun science |
| and other disciplines can incorporate their favorite | | | | can be. A love of learning is the best gift you can give |
| subject in their project. | | | | your child, helping him or her learn more later in life. |
| One thing about science fairs that can be scary for | | | | They can be the first step towards a life long |
| parents is not understanding what their child is | | | | enjoyment of science, or even a science career. |
| expected to do, how long they have to do it, or what | | | | |