I run the science fair at DDs alternative school. DD has a long-standing interest from her earliest experience in elementary and that's how I ended up volunteering to run it. I do not judge -- since DD is a participant -- however I do define judging criteria and make sure that "kid doing stuff themselves" is weighed heavily.
Here's a (nostalgic and somewhat self-indulgent) look at her past projects and participation levels:
1st grade -- Are planets closer to the sun hotter? We helped come up with the hypothesis (based on her wanting to do something with the planets) and collaborated on the experimental model (lightbulb and glasses of water). She did the setup and measurements, but we helped with the graphing and board. Of course her conclusion was wrong and the reason easily researched (it's the atmosphere!).
2nd grade -- Does temperature affect crystal growth rate? This was an easy one for her to do, though we helped with the boiling water. We also helped her research the actual science behind her results. For this one we did very little on the presentation.
3rd grade -- Is your cellphone dirtier than your toilet? We helped her cook up the agar, but she did the swabbing. We helped her find a warm place to incubate. We also worked with her to figure out how to judge the results under the microscope (counting germ cultures is not as easy as Mythbusters makes it look!). She did the board herself. Results -- NO, thank goodness!
Following years (as a homeschooler):
Does the kind of light affect the growth of plants? She handled most of this, except for sourcing the lights. Result: maybe, but the sample size was too small.
Is global warming real? I had to hunt down a high end CO2 meter, but she did most of the rest. Result: hard to control CO2 level, but it sure seemed to affect temperature in a closed system.
I'm not sure what she'll do this year.
