[Photo permission: Susan Messina]
See that photo? I’m guessing that’s how you feel about science fairs.
Don’t think I don’t hear you talking with your friends.
I know you’re upset about it. Grumbling about the process. Frustrated by the time crunch. Clueless and struggling to help your child. Wishing somebody had warned you about it sooner. And wondering why the <bleep> they make them do this stuff.
Secretly, you wish science fairs were never invented.
And if you weren’t busy enough, the project threatens to gobble up any free time you had with your family. Let’s face it, everybody knows science fairs aren’t your run-of-the-mill assignment. It’s an every weekend, all hands on deck, ripping your hair out kind of assignment, am I right?
Kiss weeknights and Sundays goodbye.
And more power to you if you have more than one kid. Let’s face it, you might as well raise the white flag now. Parents patting each other on that backs after PTA meetings, calling out, “Good luck, you’re gonna need it.” doesn’t even touch the agony of what you’re about to experience.
Or, is there another way…?
What if I told you there was a way — a relatively simple way – to get a science fair project done on time?
What if I also told you it won’t be nearly as miserable as you’ve been led to believe (or experienced in the past)?
What if I guaranteed your child would learn a ton of stuff in the process (and maybe even enjoy doing the project, too)?
And, get ready for it…what if your child actually won the science fair?
Let’s flip this thing around for you.
How’d you like to turn all that frustration into this project right here:
And how about if I showed you exactly how to do it?
As a teacher and a homeschool parent, I watched for years the frustration families experienced during science fair season. Never enough time, too few instructions, wondering where to begin — it was literally too much to bear.
I knew science fairs weren’t the real problem. You see, I knew science fairs were awesome, and could actually be fun!
Lots of families shy away from science fairs because they’ve heard horror stories from other people.
Many parents dread the task because they’ve been through it before.
Some shy away because they haven’t the first clue how to begin.
Many kids miss out on the scientific process and compete in a very exciting event.
This doesn’t have to be.
Science fairs can be a blast!
But, ONLY if you follow a time-table, and ONLY with a clear set of instructions to follow along the way.
Enter, my system. Because I literally couldn’t handle hearing from another cringing parent or seeing another disappointed teacher. Because I never again wanted to hear the cries from frustrated students, or witness the anxiety of another science fair coordinator.
This simple guide to science fairs removes the fear and uncertainty, turning science fairs into an enjoyable learning process:
I wrote it, not just to streamline the process, but to encourage more homeschoolers to enter science fairs.
In The Homeschooler’s Guide to Science Fairs, you learn:
- What a science fair project is, and what a science fair project is not
- Where to find a topic idea, and how to find a topic you love
- How projects are judged/graded, and common scoring criteria
- The components that every qualifying, eligible project must contain
- How to create an attractive, comprehensive and indestructible display
- How to prepare, how to present, and how to speak to judges and guests
- The importance of following guidelines to a ‘T’
The book also includes a PROJECT TIMETABLE which breaks the project into easily-managed chunks. No longer sacrificing weekends, the timetable keeps everyone on track, presenting steps in order, and estimating how long each step should take.
Will the science fair project still take months to complete? Maybe. But, while science fair projects take a while to finish, by using this book, it won’t be the first thing you dread in the morning and the last thing you think about at night.
Science fairs don’t need to monopolize your time any more. And they can be great experiences, too.
Pinky swear.
If you or your student, or your student’s entire class, is struggling with a science fair project, or just getting to do one…OR, if you there’s is no science fair nearby, and you’d like to start one, this guide is for you!
There’s even a terrific introduction written by award-winning scientist, Janice Vancleave, too. Just reading how she develops an idea into a science fair project is worth your time.
Find the book on Amazon HERE (paperback) or HERE (Kindle) today.
To your success!
Susan Messina says
Marie-Claire, you were one of the first to re-post the picture of my fake science fair board and start a conversation about science fairs. I wanted to circle back and share with you the Huffington Post blog post I wrote yesterday about it: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-messina/that-fake-science-fair-poster-that-went-viral-i-made-it-heres-why_b_5053008.html
QuickStartHomeschool says
Susan, Thank you for bringing this problem to light! Will be sharing your Huff article widely, too!
Shanti Jackson says
Hi I hate and I mean hate science fairs. I’m a 7th grader and I know I have to do it but I wish someone was there to do it for me and I take the credit. My project is: The exploding lunch bag! Any advice on what to do, Ms. Marie ??
Marie-Claire says
Sounds like a fun project idea, Shanti! Let me know if you have specific questions, and I’ll see if I can’t send a little advice your way 🙂
Adam Shopis says
OMG! I’m so glad I stumbled across this post!!! I’m a 7th grade science teacher and I can tell you that everything your feeling about science fair goes double for teachers!!!! I’ve struggled with science fair for over a decade. My district requires it, but it’s always such a fiasco. I finally figured out how to make it work for my students. I was so pleased with the resutls that I (also) wrote and ebook about it. It’s called “Why Science Fair Sucks and How You Can Save It: a survival manual for science teachers.”
Thank you for taking the time to post about Science Fair and your solutions. I would love to have a dialogue with you about the subject.
-Adam
(link removed by ADMIN)
Robbie @ use resources wisely says
What a great idea! May have to hang on to this for when we do science fairs at school. 🙂