Science fair

Not to be confused with Science festival.
science fair project display

A science fair experiment is generally a competition where contestants present their science project, results in the form of a report, display board, and/or models that they have created. Science fairs allow students in elementary, middle and high schools to compete in science and/or technology activities.[1] The main motive of a science fair is for students to answer a question or task, not from a textbook but found out themselves by conducting a range of experiments and ongoing research in the short amount of time allocated to them. In order that the questions or tasks spark a true interest in the student they should be able to have an interesting, eye catching project.[2] 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 access to instruction and equipment that the local schools can not provide.

History

Science fairs date back to 1942, when William Emerson Ritter and Edward W. Scripps created "The Science Talent Search" for high school students. The first American National Science Fair was won by Alan J. Fletcher when he was 18, who demonstrated the laws of motion. In the United States, science fairs became popular in the early 1950s. 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.[3]

Edward W. Scripps had created the non profit organization of science services in 1921. His purpose was to be able to bond the gap between scientific achievement and the public's understanding of such achievements. Scripps had an interest in journalism and was also the founder of the United Press and the Scripps-Howard Newspaper Alliance.[4]

Summary

Science fair projects are normally intended to demonstrate scientific concepts on a small scale. Science fair projects normally have a purpose, hypothesis, independent variable, dependent variable, experiment results, and a conclusion, and are normally intended to teach students about the scientific method.

References

  1. ↑ "What is a science fair project?".
  2. ↑ Robertson, Bill (2007). "Science and children". National Science Teachers Association. doi:10.1111/j.1949-8594.2001.tb18023.x.
  3. ↑ Cox, Jimmy. "A History of Science Fairs".
  4. ↑ "science fair history".
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