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Yesterday we looked at steps five & six of the science fair project. In today’s post, we are going to look closer at step seven, in which the students create their project board, and step eight, where the students will present their project. Today I’m also giving away a copy of our latest book, The Science Fair Project: A Step by Step Guide, scroll to the bottom to see the details!
Step 7: Create a Board
The seventh step of the science fair project is to create a board. This phase is not patterned after any step of the scientific method, but rather it gives the students a chance to graphically communicate what they have learned from their project. Their board will serve as the visual aid for their science fair presentation, so it’s important that it be eye-catching and attractive. The students will plan out and prepare the information for their board in this step. Finally, they will pull all of the information and design elements together and put them onto each panel in preparation for presenting their project.
Here are two samples of project boards to help you get an idea of what they can look like:
Step 8: Give a Presentation
The eighth step of the science fair project is to give a presentation. This phase is not patterned after any step of the scientific method, but instead gives the students a chance to communicate with an audience what they have learned from their project. The students will prepare and practice their presentation. Once they are ready, they will share their presentation with a group of people.
It is also important to have the students present their projects to a group and answer related questions from them. This will reinforce what they have learned as well as help them to discern how to communicate what they know. The best way to achieve this is to have the students participate in a Science Fair where their project will be judged, but if that’s not possible, don’t skip this step. The students can still present their project to their family or to a group of their peers.
If you are looking for a science fair that caters specifically to homeschoolers, be sure to check out the one below and come back tomorrow for a special guest post from Marci at The Homeschool Scientist about Planning a Homeschool Science Fair!
Want to win a copy of The Science Fair Project: A Step by Step Guide?
The basis for the posts this week have all come from The Science Fair Project: A Step by Step Guide, which is set to be released on my birthday, February 10th. This book is designed to give you the tools you need to guide your students as they complete a science fair project. The first part of the book explains the keys to each step in greater detail than the above post, including a sample project where you will see each of the keys in action. The second half of the book contains sheets for you to use with your students as they proceed through their project. From today until February 10th, you can enter to win your own digital copy of this book!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Have you missed a step? Here’s the links to all of the posts in this series…
- Day 1: Step 1: Choose a Topic & Step 2: Do Some Research
- Day 2: Step 3: Formulate a Hypothesis & Step 4: Design an Experiment
- Day 3: Step 5: Perform the Experiment & Step 6: Analyze the Data
- Day 4: Step 7: Create a Board & Step 8: Give a Presentation
- Day 5: Planning a Homeschool Science Fair (Guest Post by Marci @ The Homeschool Scientist)
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