Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion So... just curious - DS9's Science Fair Project

I don't recall ever doing any science fair projects as a kid... and this is the first year my son is having to do one. He selected the topic (crystals) and I helped him find a website and explained the growth the crystals, and how to grow borax crystals. We went together and bought the supplies and I helped him set up his experiment, and I handled the boiling water. He did the rest. The teacher sent home a photo of an example tri-board on Monday, and last night I let DS use my computer to type up all his info and print it out. He then designed his board and glued everything down. I posted a photo of facebook and was immediately asked how much "help" he got for me. Bah. Here's a photo of his tri-board - Crystals. You don't think he's going to get accused of having too much help from the school, do you?

This looks pretty typical to me.

What grade is he in?

I agree with syoblrig - it looks - and more importantly *reads* like an early elementary science fair project (and I've judged school and state science fairs!). It's a good poster because all the important parts of the scientific method are displayed, it's put together nicely (visual), and includes pictures The important thing at the actual fair is going to be - can your ds explain his experiment and does he understand it.

polarbear

ps - it's not unusual for kids to use computers to type up their poster info. I also think that the parts you helped with are reasonable - you acted as a mentor in helping him learn about his subject, and you handled the part of the experiment that might have been semi-dangerous (boiling water). Students do get help with both of those things, and it's not unreasonable. What would be considered too much help was if you were choosing the experiment, telling him what to write, and guiding him in coming up with his conclusions. Most of that usually shows (if it happened) when a judge talks to the child during the fair. I wouldn't have any issue with a mom carrying a pot of boiling water

ultramarina - he's in 3rd.

Thanks guys. This charter school is pretty big on the whole science fair thing - it's required every year for every grade! I was itching to correct some of what he wrote on there, but I let it be, lol.

Polar - he has a bit of a difficult time relaying information verbally, but he does understand how the molecules of a crystal grow, and can do an okay job of explaining it. (He's got a hard time remember to include all the information. He tends to launch into things as if you already knew what he was talking about.)

It honestly looks a lot more genuine than most such projects at my DD's gifted magnet. (This is a peeve of mine, though.) She is also in third. TBH, I would have had my DD clean up the grammar and spelling a bit, so you're ahead of me in the "hands off" department (whereas I am ahead of my parental peers a lot of the time at DD's school in this area!).

That's ok! Not many 3rd graders *are* able to relay this type of information easily verbally Judges are kind and understand that, and they see a *lot* of projects so they can sniff out which kid is clueless (and there probably will be one or two who really didn't do their projects). And judges *love* to see enthusiasm - which is what they will see if he launches off into things... he's a 3rd grader. *TOTALLY* expected

Good luck to your ds!

polar

I think it's great and quite appropriate. Good luck to your ds!

Yup!


It looks very much like the kinds of projects that my DD put together at 8-10yo.

(Good job, by the way!!)

Our kids do them too - science and heritage. My DD10 has three boards now and DS8 just finished one. It depends which class they're in as to whether or not they participate - for example, this year was DD10's 2nd science and 1st heritage, while DS8 hasn't done a science yet but has now done a heritage.

Epoh your DS's board looks great It's very similar to the boards I've seen in my kids' classes. Some are not as good of course, and some are fabulous to the point where you wonder how much parent help they had, and then there are the genuinely capable kids (like yours:) ) who just pull it off mostly or all themselves and shine.

I wouldn't worry about what the school thinks. A friend of mine is a teacher and she's spoken to other teachers who really hate grading them because you don't know how much of the grade belongs to the student or the parent, lol.

What really matters is how much the student learns from the project - not just about the subject matter, but about the process of taking a topic, learning about it, organizing the information and then presenting to others. It sounds like your son accomplished this objective in spades (and his board looks genuine and fabulous )