Parents & Teachers

I have found that parents and teachers are very supportive of their children and their children's work, and that the over-zealous parent who completes the entire project themselves does exist, but is rare. These parents are doing a disservice to their child. Judges can tell when a parent has completed the project in front of them; often the student is ignorant on his subject matter and his speech is very rehearsed.

Choosing a topic is the hardest part in the entire science fair process. Many students make the mistake of thinking that to have a successful science fair project they need to cure cancer. This could not be farther from the truth. Most of the time, simpler projects are better than ones that are more complicated. It is also important that a student choose a project that interests her; if the student has a personal connection with the project she will be more likely to stick with it. In addition, on another level, having an interest in the subject matter will help with the judging; while the student is talking to the judge, the enthusiasm for the topic will show, and the judge will register this and realize how much work the student put into the project and how much he/she learned.

The first step toward choosing an appropriate topic is to brainstorm. Have students write down their extracurricular activities, hobbies, and interests. From this list have the student circle their favorite 10 or so activities and ask them to think of one question or something they have always wondered about for each activity. If a student cannot think of any questions from their list, have them surf the web on the subject until they find something that piques their interest. This process worked for a student I am currently working with; she was having trouble picking a topic, so I verbally walked her through these steps and she came up with an excellent topic quickly: The best way to store cheese, her favorite food.

Beyond finding the topic, a student should be able to complete his/her project with little need for help. Some experiments require a second or even third set of hands and require a parent's assistance - and some projects should be supervised to ensure the child does not injure himself. But as teachers and parents, you know when it is best to help and when to let the child learn on her own. The middle school years are the only years a parent can help with a science fair project. Your child will need you to proof their papers, maybe construct an apparatus for the experiment, critique the display boards, to fill out paperwork and to practice their speeches on.

For high school parents, from personal experience I can suggest that you help your child only when he/she asks. Students have teachers and advisers checking in on them monthly or even weekly, so reminding them of due dates can add un-needed pressure. During the 9-12 grades, the science fair project role of parents will mostly be a shoulder for your child to lean on when everything falls apart (which it will - at least twice), or an extra set of hands to glue the poster together the weekend before the fair. Be sure your high school student visits your state's High School Science Fair Site and the Intel/ISEF to familiarize themselves with the rules. On the high school level there are strict size requirements for displays, necessary forms, and other strongly enforced rules which differ from the middle school level.

The best advice I can give parents is to just be supportive. Offer to help, but don't force your help upon your child. Also, don't push your child too far; let them get around to it on their own. Ultimately your children's project is their responsibility. I know you want the best for them, but if they don't want to succeed with their projects, they won't. Just be supportive parents; like you would be with any other activity.