Online Resources to Help You
and Your Students Achieve
Science Fair Success
The Presenting Sponsor of Science Buddies is Seagate Technology.
Overview
• Science Buddies (www.sciencebuddies.org)
provides free online resources for K-12 students
and teachers doing science fair projects.
• We have resources for fair administrators,
teachers, parents, and students.
• Resources are designed not only to help you and
your students have a successful science fair
experience, but also to improve project quality.
Overview (cont’d)
• Science Buddies is recommended by and linked
to by many partners and advocates, such as the
SciLinks program of the National Science
Teachers Association.
• All of our resources and programs are free.
• We are a 501(c)3 non-profit, supported mainly by
corporate grants. Seagate Technology is the
Presenting Sponsor of Science Buddies.
The Home Page
Finding a Topic
• Finding a topic is often the biggest hurdle for
students.
• The Topic Selection Wizard asks students
questions about their everyday interests and
activities, and then recommends an area of
science and science fair project ideas matched to
their specific interests.
The Topic Selection Wizard
Topic Selection Wizard (cont’d)
Finding a Topic (cont’d)
• We have a library of over 900 Project Ideas,
graded by difficulty, in more than 30 areas of
science.
• Project Ideas can be used “as is”, or they can
serve as examples that students can creatively
and uniquely modify to make their own.
Project Ideas
Project Ideas (cont’d)
Project Ideas (cont’d)
Project Ideas (cont’d)
Project Ideas (cont’d)
Tools and Techniques
• Detailed guides to specific areas of science
provide basic tools and methods that can be
utilized to complete a project.
• They allow teachers greater ability to help
students with projects outside their immediate
subject area.
• Combined with Project Ideas, Tools and
Techniques become powerful, modular
components that can be combined to help
students develop unique and original projects.
Tools and Techniques (cont’d)
Doing the Project
• The Project Guide outlines the scientific method
and steps of the science fair process, and contains
information about doing engineering, math, and
computer programming projects, too.
• Printable versions of the Project Guide are
invaluable as classroom handouts.
• Advanced topics (e.g. writing an abstract) are
included, in addition to more basic topics (e.g.
formulating a question).
The Project Guide
The Project Guide (cont’d)
The Project Guide (cont’d)
• Articles explain key concepts in language that
students can understand.
The Project Guide (cont’d)
• Examples help students understand what makes
a quality assignment.
The Project Guide (cont’d)
The Project Guide (cont’d)
The Project Guide (cont’d)
• Checklists allow students to self-evaluate their
own work.
The Project Guide (cont’d)
• Printable worksheets guide students through
critical steps of the science fair process.
Ask an Expert
• Ask an Expert is an online mentoring program
that allows students who are working on science
fair projects to get individual support from
talented high school students and science
professionals from industry and academia.
• It provides a safe forum for finding answers to
those tough questions that go beyond a teacher’s
expertise.
• Forums are arranged by grade level to offer
grade- and age-appropriate support to students.
Ask an Expert (cont’d)
• Students can ask questions throughout the entire
project or just about a specific problem.
• Questions range from parents asking how to help
their 3rd graders do their first science fair project,
to students preparing for the Intel International
Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
• Mentoring by science professionals dramatically
improves project quality.
Ask an Expert (cont’d)
Science Fair Time
• A variety of resources are designed specifically to
prepare students for a science fair.
• We have tricks for preparing display boards, tips
to help students prepare for judging, and advice
for preparing for top competitions.
• Resources are available through the “Project
Guide” and the “Competitions” tabs on the
Science Buddies homepage.
Prep for Top Competitions
• Resources are designed specifically to help
students prepare to compete at ISEF, the Intel
Science Talent Search (STS), the Junior Science
and Humanities Symposium (JSHS), and Siemens
Competition in Math, Science, and Technology.
• Resources include:
• Guide to working within ISEF rules
• Tips on finding a mentor
• Ask an Expert ISEF Preparation Forum
• Advanced board design and construction tips
Prep for Top Competitions (cont’d)
Teacher Resources
• Resources were created to support teachers who
have their students participate in science fairs.
• Resources include:
• Teacher’s Guide to Science Projects
• Guide to Planning a Science Fair
• Grading Rubrics
• Teacher and student timelines
• Scientific Method Classroom Poster
• Science Project Enrichment Tools
Teacher Resources (cont’d)
Parent Resources
• These resources will increase parents' confidence
and motivation to help their children with science
fair projects.
• Topics include:
• Why Are Science Fairs Important?
• Science Fair Project Overview
• Explaining Plagiarism
• Internet Safety Tips
Parent Resources (cont’d)
Careers in Science
• Working with our partners in industry and academia,
we profile real-life scientists and engineers.
• The Career Profiles feature:
• Details about the nature of the work,
• Mini case studies and/or video interviews of
professionals in the area,
• Advice on what students interested in the field should
study in high school, and in junior college or college,
• Salaries, potential employers, and more!
• By the end of 2009, science career information will be
featured on most of our 900+ Project Ideas.
Careers in Science (cont’d)
Engineering Projects
• Engineering and computer science projects don’t
follow the scientific method—they follow the
engineering design process—but they are still
valid science fair projects.
• Engineering and Programming Project Tips
explain the steps of the engineering process and
how the engineering design process differs from
the scientific method.
Engineering Projects (cont’d)
Scientific Review Committee
(SRC) and Rules Advice
• Science Buddies offers an easy-to-understand outline
of the international rules for pre-college science
competitions, as well as general safety guidelines.
• Always check with your local fair’s SRC or fair director
with questions about any rules.
• An overview helps students, parents, and teachers
understand why compliance is so important.
SRC and Rules Advice (cont’d)
Extra Help
• Additional resources include:
• Guide to science fair project photography
• Guide to keeping a lab notebook
• Listing of supplies and materials sources
• Student blogs
• And much more…
www.sciencebuddies.org