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A science fair is generally a competition where contestants present their science project results in the form of a report, display board, and models that they have created. Science fairs allow students in grade schools and high schools to compete in science and/or technology activities. // - also known as Science fair project A science project is the process of running a experiment, proposing a new theory based on library or experimental research, or developing a new concept, invention, program, or design (engineering). ...
A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ...
By the mid 20th century humans had achieved a mastery of technology sufficient to leave the surface of the Earth for the first time and explore space. ...
One of the main educational advantages of science fair is that it requires completing a larger project than can be easily included in the short periods provided in most schools. Although writing assignments that take a long time to complete and require multiple drafts are fairly common in US schools, large projects in the sciences (other than science fairs) are rare. Science fairs also provide a mechanism for students with intense interest in the sciences to be paired with mentors from nearby colleges and universities, so that they can get access to instruction and equipment that the local schools could not provide. Find Out More...
History
In the United States, science fairs first became popular in the early 1950s, with the ISEF, then known as the National Science Fair. Interest in the sciences was at a new high after the world witnessed the use of the first two atomic weapons and the dawn of television. As the decade progressed, science stories in the news, such as Jonas Salk’s vaccine for polio and the launch of Sputnik, brought science fiction to reality and attracted increasing numbers of students to fairs. The 1950s decade refers to the years 1950 to 1959 inclusive. ...
The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945 lifted nuclear fallout some 18km (60,000 feet) above the epicenter. ...
Jonas Edward Salk (October 28, 1914 – June 23, 1995) was an American biologist and physician best known for the research and development of a killed-virus polio vaccine, the eponymous Salk vaccine. ...
Poliomyelitis (polio), or infantile paralysis, is a viral paralytic disease. ...
Sputnik 1 The Sputnik program was a series of unmanned space missions launched by the Soviet Union in the late 1950s to demonstrate the viability of artificial satellites. ...
Criticism Some people pointed to the primary school experience as one factor which may actually discourage students from taking further interest in the sciences. [1] They claim that traditional science fairs, as well as programs like the Westinghouse Science Honors Institute, place too much focus on competition, a charge which science fair supporters answer by pointing to the real life competitive nature of awarding scientific grants and even the Nobel Prize. The Nobel Prize (Swedish: ) was established in Alfred Nobels will in 1895, and it was first awarded in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace in 1901. ...
A related source of criticism is the tendency for an inordinate amount of parental contribution to the projects, especially of winning projects. In the desire to see their children win the competition, many parents direct the children to choose projects far above a secondary student's capacity for understanding. Therefore, the parent or a connection of the parent with scientific or technical expertise will direct the development and execution of the project. Not only does this minimize the educational value of the project for the student, but also provides an unfair advantage to students whose parents have the technical connections and financial resources to invest in these projects.
List of science fairs
International The European Union (EU) Contest for Young Scientists is a science fair, initiated by the European Commission. ...
The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair is the largest pre-college scientific event in the world. ...
National
Canada The Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF) is an annual science fair in Canada held by the Youth Science Foundation of Canada. ...
Ireland Stands at the EsatBT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in January, 2005. ...
United States - California State Science Fair
- Massachusetts State Science Fair
- Twin Cities Science Fair
- New York State Science and Engineering Fair
- Virginia Piedmont Regional Science Fair
In Popular Culture - Elementary school science fairs (many of which are required as part of the students' overall grade) are a recurring theme in Nicktoons.
- A successful science fair entry was the subject of the 1999 film October Sky.
For the US channel, see Nicktoons Network. ...
October Sky is a 1999 movie based on the book Rocket Boys, an autobiographical book by Homer Hickam. ...
See also // - also known as Science fair project A science project is the process of running a experiment, proposing a new theory based on library or experimental research, or developing a new concept, invention, program, or design (engineering). ...
Scientific method is a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. ...
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