Emily WeilEDUC 373Science Fair

I enjoyed doing the science fair project because it gave me a chance to inquire into

something that was related to science and that I was also curious about. Often with my hectic

schedule and the expectations of my many classes, I do not have time to experiment and have

fun. Not everyone would have had fun with this assignment, but science has always interested

me, and I am a naturally curious person. I love learning new things and thus, enhancing my life

through a variety of experiences. I feel that it is important, as teachers, to understand what we

will expect of our students and the different options that are open to them. I feel that it was

important for us to experience and go through the science experiment process so that we could

pick out what works and what doesn’t work. It is hard to judge something unless you have truly

experienced it. How can we ask our students to do a Science Fair project if we do not, first-

hand, know what goes into the process?

I enjoyed the experience, but I do not like the format of the science fair. It is too

structured. Not everyone displays data and goes about an experiment in the same way. If I did a

science fair in my classroom, then I would not require the students to do the information in a

specific way. There would definitely be guidelines with how the project should appear and

certain questions or ideas that must be met, but I would be more flexible with what they can do

and present.

One of the more frustrating parts of the science experiment process, to me, is the

recording of data and presentation. I feel that it is difficult for me to present in exactly the way

that is expected. I understand the importance of communicating my findings with others, but I

feel that in order for me to communicate effectively, I need to try to communicate and organize

my data in my own way. This has often caused me to get bad grades on science experiments

only because I did not completely adhere to the mold of the presentation. Obviously, for

artistically based students, this will be a frustrating process and activity.

Therefore, if I implemented the Science Fair idea in my classroom, I would make it more

of an Invention Convention. In this way, artistic students can use more of their creativity. I feel

that inventions will not come with as many rules and expectations for the students. There will

be guidelines, but I will encourage thought and creativity. However, the Science Project

Approach will still be an option because there are students who would feel more comfortable

with the structure. I want to keep my classroom open to all of the different learning styles, and

this experience has helped me in my planning of how I will set up an open, safe environment.