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Janurary 24, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR CHRISTINE KUTA
IN MA
I have been a science fair judge for a number of years at
local science
fairs and at the state science fair. The most important aspect
of displaying
your project is neatness. I have had to look at many messy
poster boards,
notebooks, and project set-ups and it is difficult to judge
these poorly
displayed projects. For your posters, put the title at the
top large enough
to read from about 10 feet away (so the judges can spot you
easily). Also,
post your hypothesis or design object on the poster along
with a summary of
the results. If you still have room, put your procedure on
a poster too (if
you performed experiments). Bring in as much of your apparatus
as you can
manage. Without knowing the specific type of project you have
it mind, it is
difficult to provide more specific advice. Here in Massachusetts,
the
students have to do a lab notebook and a paper. These things
don't
necessarily present experiments and their results to the best
advantage. It
is a good idea to make a separate notebook (like a three-ring
binder) with an
explanation of the project, the experiments or design process
and the
results. It is also a good idea to think of some possible
next steps to
extend your project further. Judges will ask about this. The
benefit of
this exercise is that it will prepare you for the working
world where you
will be making presentations to management at work and also
to colleagues at
conferences.
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