1. A G UIDE TO P REPARING F OR T HE 2015 D ISTRICT E LEMENTARY M ATHEMATICS AND S CIENCE F AIR S CHOOL F AIR S UCCESS

2. Planning for Success 1. The District Elementary Fair is May 12-14, 2015. 2. Plan ahead and schedule your School Science Fair before April 1, 2015. 3. Read the 2015 Rules and Handbook carefully for changes in this year’s competition. 4. Complete the “ Intent-to-Participate Survey ” by December 19, 2014 to register your school. 5. NEW complete all Animal and Human Subjects Experiment Approval Forms before beginning projects. 6. Use the same Judging Criteria and Math and Science Project Score Sheets for your School Fair that are used for the District competition (see 2015 Rules and Handbook).

3. Modeling for Success  Present the Scientific Method and Engineering Design Process as the pathways to Elementary Math & Science Fair investigation.  Focus on the steps involved in completing a math science, or engineering project board.  Give students and parents a model of what a completed project should look like (see webpage for samples).  Let 3 rd, 4 th & 5 th grade students work in teams.  Unite all participants in the same learning situations with the same expectations.

4. Involve the Parents Explain the purpose, expectations, and student’s accountability to the parents. Provide parents with a Student Check List. Use the Student Timeline and Assignments Guide (see the Elem. Fair webpage). Provide students & parents with their own Rules and Handbook (see webpage). Use the same Judging Criteria used by the District Fair competition judges.

5. Help the Students  Take time to complete Inquiry Think Sheets after math & science activities.  Help the students in selecting a “testable” question and discuss project safety.  Have students submit a draft of their project (see Student Timeline & Assignments Guide).  Complete Animal & Human Subject Approval Forms.  Let 3 rd,4 th and 5 th grade work collaboratively.  Provide materials to students if needed and monitor their progress.

6. S.T.E.M. A wards 1. A VIATION sponsored by F LIGHT S AFETY I NTERNATIONAL. Grade 2-5, individual math or science projects about flight and/or aviation safety (can involve rocket flight also). 2. G REEN, sponsored by the P.B.C. S CIENCE E DUCATORS ’ A SSOCIATION. Grade 2-5, individual math or science projects about recycling, conservation or preservation. 3. P HYSICAL S CIENCE, sponsored by Up-N-Running Machinery, Inc. 2-5 individual projects with hand-made mechanical or engineered features used in the experiment. 4. Energy, sponsored by F LORIDA P OWER & L IGHT. 2-5 individual projects about energy usage or conservation..

7. K eep I t S cientific  Write a hypothesis before experimenting  Identify all the variables and controls  Get your procedures approved before starting  Use tools and make accurate measurements  Record precise observations  Use a notebook to stay organized  Repeat experiments 3 times for validity  Graph your data to compare and contrast trends.  Use Claims and Evidence T-tables to match causes and effects and write your conclusions.  Follow all the rules for the District Fair competition.

8. C elebrate S uccess o Hold a School Fair parent night. o Use judges from your community. o Follow the 2015 Rules and Scoring procedures. o Only award projects with 1 st & 2 nd Place and Honorable Mention ribbons. o Give Certificates of Participation to all participants. o Register your School Fair winners in the District Fair competition. o Plan a field trip to the District Science Fair. o Sponsor an Activity Table at the Fair.

9. B IBLIOGRAPHY Science Fair Handbook by Anthony D. Fredericks and Isaac Asimov. Old Year Books, Glenview, IL. ISBN 0-673-38800-X Science Fair Handbook by Stephen C. Blume. Merrill Publishing, Columbus, OH. ISBN 0-675-035211-X Science Fair Workshop by Marcia J. Daab. Fearon Teachers Aids, Simon & Schuster Supplemental Education Group. ISBN 0-8224- 6374-1 Science Fairs Plus an NSTA Press Journals Collection. NSTA Press, Arlington, VAISBN 0-87355-219-9 thomas.medcalf@palmbeachschools.org HTTP :// WWW. PALMBEACHSCHOOLS. ORG / EC /S CIENCE / DOCUMENTS /E LEMENTARY M ATHEMATICSAND S CIENCE F AIR. ASP Hyperlink to the School District’ s Elementary Math and Science Fair web site.