How come you hate it? Not judging, but just curious.
I feel the same way about classroom parties that require volunteers, by the way. I have so many better things to do.
My idea of a sound science fair program was done at a Catholic school in my area. (And they clearly sweep the awards at district, regionals and state fairs).
Third grade....each third teacher runs several science fair projects with the class as class wide projects. Small groups are in charge of creating the presentation board and explaining to judges. Teacher works through the scientific method step by step. So the class might do four or five projects very guided by the teacher.
Fourth grade...small groups do projects from beginning to end in class with teacher helping from topic, question, design and execution of experiment. Time is given each day and teacher circulates helping each group. Presentation boards made in class.
Fifth grade same as fourth only students can work alone or in pairs. Less direction, but approval is needed at the beginning stages..lots of support as needed.
Middle school science fair is actually part of the elective wheel. So the first nine weeks a group has science fair as their elective and under the direction of a gifted science instructor (and based on the foundation created in elementary school) they research, submit questions and hypothesis and design...the get consultations to refine everything so they are really testing what they say they are. Second nine weeks the second group has a turn. Then they move on to another elective like art or computers or whatever.
To me that is how you run science fair.
Not "do a science experiment". "Here is the rubric". That does not constitute teaching. His question should have been approved (his was stupid), his experimental design should have been approved and his teacher should have actually taught him something...feedback does and he won't get any until tomorrow on the presentation he made Thursday. AND I have better things to do on a weekend...AND the only board staples had was $20.00 for a dang 5th grade project. sTUPID and HATE aren't strong enough for me.
And it isn't like he is actually curing cancer or discovering gravity.
