Elementary Division Information
The Elementary Division fair is held separately from the Middle and High School Divisions. The competition is for elementary school students who are currently attending grades 3-6.
Please choose the appropriate link for more information:
How Will My Child Benefit?
A science project integrates many diverse skills, including reading, writing, math, statistics, ethics, critical thinking, and use of computers, graphics, scientific methodology, and public speaking.
The journey to and through Science Festival is one of self discovery. It teaches children to develop questions into formal, testable, and solvable problems; it helps prepare them to approach life's challenges systematically. Learning outcomes and finding answers offer powerful self validation.
How Can I Help?
While your encouragement is the most valuable contribution, your eye on safety is the most important.
You may offer guidance wherever you can, but the project should reflect your child's individual effort and design. The project's performance at Science Festival is less important than what your child accomplishes and learns.
Your child might need help with:
- selecting an age-appropriate project
- planning and managing the project timeline
- getting to libraries, museums, nature centers, universities, and more
- technical work, such as construction or photography—or, for the youngest, drawing straight lines
- explaining the project to an audience. You might, for example, play the role of a Science Festival judge and ask probing questions
REMEMBER:
The most important possible outcomes of your child's project are the joy and learning that come from scientific discovery.