SCIENCE FAIR GUIDE
Scientific
Reasoning and Logic, the central strand of the science curriculum of Prince
William County Schools, fosters the development of science process skills that
enable students to apply science concepts to everyday experiences. One
purpose of a science project is to allow students to practice independently
inquiry skills including observing, measuring, predicting, inferring,
manipulating variables in experimentation, and analyzing data. Another
important purpose science projects serve is to give students experience in long
term planning, organizing information, and following protocols.
Science projects can
be one of the most exciting parts of the entire curriculum. Yet for many
families the announcement of a science project and upcoming science fair can be
an upsetting experience. Parents often ask, "How can I help my
child?" "Where do we get information and materials?"
"How do we get started?" "What should the final project
look like?" And often, parents question the value of doing science
projects.
The problem may be
that people involved in working on science projects often forget what the
project was intended to accomplish: to provide students with the
opportunity to independently practice the skills they have learned in
class. When these skills have been modeled frequently by the teacher in
the classroom and communicated to parents and students, and when parents are
given appropriate information, guidelines, and support, the value of this
experience becomes apparent.
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