Science Fair Time Line
Prepared in SMILE+ Program
August 19 1994
June 30 through Summer
Set up work areas
Collect materials
Identify donors and get donations
Disseminate letters of interest to parents
Double-check resources outside school
Check school calendars
Develop/update science fair Bibliography
September 1 - 14
** Pitch science fair and show video at open house
"Brainstorm" in class
Teach scientific method, the metric system, and
measurement
** Provide list of ideas
Enlist students with experience
** Teach terminology through activities
** Share ideas and experiences with faculty
Form school science fair committee and set agenda
** represents an activity that continues into the future
September 15 - October 15
Refine ideas
Refine terminology
Present previous successful project
Assemble lists of possible judges
** Identify media/deadlines/publicity sources
** represents an activity that continues into the future
By October 15
Finalize research plan
Finalize certificates, endorsements, safety
October 15 - Thanksgiving
Reminder at report card pickup
List of suggested holiday lists
Instructional topics:
experimentation
results/logging
portfolio assessment
conclusions
Distribute format of reports to students
Letter to judges:
four weeks before fair
RSVP card
include assessment sheet
Meeting for "brainstorming" support and
information: "do's" and "don'ts"
Set up student publicity committee
Finalize student abstracts
Letter to PTO President about Fair
Thanksgiving - Holidays
Letter to judges:
four weeks before fair
RSVP card
include assessment sheet
Students write reports and finalize exhibits
Determine number of participants
Begin publicity for science fairs
December - January
Local Science Fair
5 minute video presentations
"still shots"
"Thank You" letter to judges [including results] one
week after fair
February
District Fair
Recognition Assembly [Awards Certificates] after
district fair
Early April
Preparation for City Fair
perfection of exhibits
practice presentations
public speaking exercises
City-wide Fair
[field trip for participants in local fair]
Preparation for state fair
May-June
Preparation for state fair
Field trip for science club
More Precise Chronology Near Fair
Four weeks before fair:
judges letter of invitation
involve writing teachers
solicit parents for assistance in fair
Three weeks before fair:
Arrange for tables
Publicity
Two weeks before fair:
Get written reports
check spelling on final drafts
Meeting of parent assistants
One week before fair:
10 parents to come to school
Publicity
One day before fair:
Get tables and set them up
Day after fair:
Clean and return tables [with thank you notes!]
One week after fair
Contact district coordinator with results
Thank you letters to judges and parents
Chicago Public Schools
District [*Six]
Science Fair
19[*xx]
7:30 Committee meets to finalize site plan
8:00-9:00 Student arrive to set up projects
8:30-9:30 Judges Breakfast and Orientation
9:30-11:00 Judging of Exhibits
11:00 Judges duties officially end
11:00-11:30 Open viewing of exhibits
11:30-12:15 Lunch [Exhibit area closed]
12:15-1:15 Open viewing & Final Scoring Review
1:15-2:15 Awards Ceremony [Cafeteria]
2:00-3:00 Students take down exhibits
The [*location] cafeteria will be open
for those who wish to purchase
lunch [*11:00am - 1:00pm]
on the day of the fair.
Back to Science Fair index.