Taking Science Beyond the Classroom

Despite the fact that our society values scientists, fewer and fewer students are going on to pursue any science learning beyond the minimum requirements for graduation and college entry.

If you're hoping to help reverse this trend, and take science beyond being just a classroom subject, science fairs could be the solution. These are organized on local, state, national, and international levels. In them, students submit projects which are evaluated by a team of judges. Science fairs help students understand that breakthroughs and discoveries are based on learning what doesn't work, as much as they are about getting the right answer.

They are as much about learning and having fun as they are about getting the project right. Even students who don't usually want to participate in science based courses are sometimes required by their schools to enter the science fair, and they find out that they enjoy the process of running an experiment and seeing what happens. There's more to projects than science, so even students who prefer art, photography, writing, and other disciplines can incorporate their favorite subject in their project.

One thing about science fairs that can be scary for parents is not understanding what their child is expected to do, how long they have to do it, or what their contribution should be. They mistakenly believe that they're expected to do much of the project for their child, or that the project needs to be a big problem. These projects can be very elaborate, but they don't have to be. For instance, elementary school children can have quite simple science fair projects. Some sample topics include the process of tooth decay, the parts of an egg, how plants reproduce or the way plants grow towards light. Parents are expected to encourage and assist their children, but not to do the work for them.

Middle and high school student will probably have more complicated topics and experiments. However, they're also capable of doing more of the work on their own. Some sample topics for older children include testing consumer products, composition of frost, the scientific principles behind musical instruments, the effect of music on plants, and even developing a simple computer game.

There's a lot to be learned by doing a science fair project, not least of which is how much fun science can be. A love of learning is the best gift you can give your child, helping him or her learn more later in life. They can be the first step towards a life long enjoyment of science, or even a science career.

Learn tips on creating more scientific imagination in your students at: http://www.sciencefairs101.com

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