Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Out of curiosity, did your kids do science fair? I'm not talking science, I'm talking science fair. Develop a hypothesis, test the hypothesis, collect and process data, draw a conclusion, and put it all together on a tabletop trifold display. That's what I'm talking about science fair.
It was probably the hardest project that I did in my K-12 education. There were other tough subjects, but no project was as difficult at the 6th grade science fair.
Granddaughter did science fair in 6th grade as it was required. She enjoyed it although it was difficult.
Just saw a PTA announcement, the PTSA has decided that my kids elementary school s going to do Science Fair this year.
Since my kindergartener can't read at the moment and is still working on sight words, trying to have her do a science fair experiment, data reduction, and analysis sounds like mission impossible. I have not heard anything about the science fair from her teacher.
My experience is that science fairs are part of the school day rather than an ancillary activity. I'm a little surprised that the science fair announcement was made by the PTSA rather than the school.
Is science fair usually run by the PTAs?
You are making too much out of this. Be careful that your negativity doesn't affect your child's first experiences with school. Make it fun, help them off to a positive experience now, it will help in their future outlook towards school.
This is a child's science project. There should be many easy, and cheap
ideas for science projects for small kids. Look online for a few and choose.
You are making too much out of this. Be careful that your negativity doesn't affect your child's first experiences with school. Make it fun, help them off to a positive experience now, it will help in their future outlook towards school.
This is a child's science project. There should be many easy, and cheap
ideas for science projects for small kids. Look online for a few and choose.
She's having a good time...and we're being careful not to talk about the challenges we're facing in front of her.
As far as the science fair, I mentioned in a previous post that it is extra curricular and optional, and we're opting out this year. Maybe in a future year.
As far as those links? Those aren't science fair projects (as defined by the international science & engineering fair folks). Those are science demonstrations which aren't allowed. The science fair is about asking a question, creating a hypothesis, performing an experiment, collecting data, processing data, developing a conclusion, and then stating whether your original hypothesis was correct or not..... Part of it is a lengthy (depending on grade level) report that covers exactly what you did and why. Mine was 5-10 pages in 6th grade. It's obviously shorter for the younger years but a report is still a requirement.
She's having a good time...and we're being careful not to talk about the challenges we're facing in front of her.
Not sure if you read the rest of the posts, but the Science Fair is an extracurricular and optional activity, and we've decided to opt out this year. Maybe another year if it's successful. I don't see how an extracurricular science fair will be successful but perhaps there is something I don't know...
Just watch and learn this year. If you really need to participate in something, the teacher will let you know.
She's having a good time...and we're being careful not to talk about the challenges we're facing in front of her.
As far as the science fair, I mentioned in a previous post that it is extra curricular and optional, and we're opting out this year. Maybe in a future year.
As far as those links? Those aren't science fair projects (as defined by the international science & engineering fair folks). Those are science demonstrations which aren't allowed. The science fair is about asking a question, creating a hypothesis, performing an experiment, collecting data, processing data, developing a conclusion, and then stating whether your original hypothesis was correct or not..... Part of it is a lengthy (depending on grade level) report that covers exactly what you did and why. Mine was 5-10 pages in 6th grade. It's obviously shorter for the younger years but a report is still a requirement.
So you're describing what your school required for 6th grade some, oh, twenty years ago let's say, not what your child's school requires for kindergarten?
You'd be surprised what passes for science in some elementary science fairs.
I've helped judge science fairs. You see a lot of "consumer science", e.g. which soap gets the clothes cleaner; which candy do kids like better, stuff like that.
Taking the second as an example and use your schemata for a kindergartner:
Question: Which candy do kids prefer, M&Ms or Reese's Pieces?
Hypotheseis: Kids like M&Ms better
Experiment: Blindfold 10 kids, give them small bits of each and ask their preference
Collect data: 6 liked M&Ms, 4 liked Reese's Pieces
Process data: 6 is a bigger number than 4
Conclusion: Kids prefer M&Ms
Hypothesis was correct
Paper reflects the above.
Question has been answered. It is not required, not part of the curriculum, and an extra curricular activity. We aren't doing it.
I'm going to sign off the thread at this point.
Thanks everyone.
Before you go, did you ever figure out why the notices from the school were not labeled with who was sending them out? Did it turn out that they were color coded or had very small logos that you did not notice or sent on different days or what?
I do think that (assuming they pull it off) that it'll be a fun thing for my daughter to go to and see what older kids are doing. I'm pretty sure most of the kids who participate will be 4th or 5th grade.
You're probably wrong about the age part, but regardless; this is a much better attitude to have! If you can adopt this sort of open-mindedness towards the other aspects of your daughter's school, you--and more importantly, she--will have a much more positive experience.
Until they prove otherwise, the school and the PTA are your partners in educating your children--not your adversaries.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
