How to Judge a Science Fair

When judging a science fair, keep in mind that many students have never met anyone who is involved in science for a living and many students are quite intimidated at the thought of being judged by someone else. It is up to you to help students feel relaxed and confident. By following a few simple rules, you can do your part to ensure that the science fair is a good experience for kids.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• List of questions to ask each student
• Standardized score card used to evaluate each science fair project

Judge a Science Fair Fairly

1. Remember to keep the science fair for youngsters. Some projects will of course be more interesting and better prepared than others, but follow these simple guidelines to demonstrate fairness to each project and student.
2. Don't rush through less well crafted projects. Spend an approximately equal amount of time viewing each project. Show kids that there effort has been worthwhile.
3. Ask students to explain their projects and don't interrupt. Listen to explanations fully before asking any questions.
4. Resist the urge to challenge students. You should be attempting to gauge their understanding of the project, not to cut them down or shoot holes in their ideas and implementation. If you are a manager in a science or engineering profession, pay extra close attention to this step as this might be a natural reflex you use with your teams.
5. Have a standard list of questions you ask each student. Examples of questions to ask can include: Where did the idea for this project come from? How much time did you spend working on this project? How did you collect and record your data?
6. Encourage interaction. Ask students if they have questions for you and carefully answer those questions.
7. Reward quality of work, not just quantity. The point of the science fair is to promote understanding and application of scientific principles and practices. Students who demonstrate high levels of understanding should be rewarded as much or more as those who spend a lot of time on their projects. Sometimes, the simplest experiments are the most profound.
8. Visit the University of Southern California Web site for more ideas (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• Introduce yourself to each student and engage them in a little small talk before you begin judging. This will help put students at ease and will make the science fair experience more enjoyable for everyone.
• Do not emphasize the competitiveness of science fairs for young kids. During grade school years it is more about teaching kids to love science than to encourage competition.