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Today I went to my daughter's school to attend mass at her teacher's request. After mass were announcements of the science fair winners from earlier this week. My daughter and her partner won first place for 5th grade.

It reminded me of how crappy I did in the 2 science fairs I did in elementary school. I did a botany project and a hurricane project. One of them didn't even place and one I got 3rd place (there were only 3 entries for my grade ).

Anyway, while I am beaming proud, this was totally a project of procrastination and winning first place didn't really teach the life lesson for which we were hoping.

Anyone else have science fair stories (as teachers or students)?

I participated but didn't win.

My son participated last year and won. YEA!
He loves science and is always running little science projects around the house...most are very simple, but so what. He loves science.

I think that from 4th through 6th grade at his school, science fair participation is "mandatory". (i.e., they have to do "something" as it's part of their science grade)

Dezdmona wrote:
I think that from 4th through 6th grade at his school, science fair participation is "mandatory". (i.e., they have to do "something" as it's part of their science grade)

It is mandatory at Victoria's current school as well for 5th thru 8th graders and is considered a test grade. It was never mandatory when I did it.

I don't remember so I picked "other"

Congrats to Victoria!

My Cathloic grammar school never had a science fair and neither did my HS - but my Chem nun decided to run one on her own one year - I didn't win ... I think I was third. But I will say that at least my project was just that - MY project - not that of my parents, so I remember feeling pretty good about my placement.

When I was in school I wanted as little to do with science as possible.

The only science fair I ever entered was in 8th grade and I'm pretty sure my teacher required it. I did a project involving plants--I can't remember exactly what, but I had to see if some condition affected the way the plants grew or something like that. I didn't win.

No science fairs at any school I attended

8th grade science fair i won first place for the distillation process of alcohol, and the different properties of methyl and ethyl alcohol.

basically i made a still and produced a beaker full of moonshine which the judging staff was quite taken with seeing they drank it all before the night was over.....

8th grade... a project on water-softening. I even wore an outfit given to me by the Culligan Man. I'm pretty sure I got a blue ribbon - but then again, so did half my class.

In grade school I nose-printed every dog in the neighborhood to show how dog nose prints can be used like fingerprints to identify individuals. In a huge science fair that was mandatory for certain grades, I took third place.
In high school I took a recently published journal article on acid rain and fish and used it as an premise (excuse) to poison minnows -- not even an honorable mention there.

Hypothesis: Cute and furry beats dead and slimey any day.
Conclusion: True!

pair8head wrote:I don't remember so I picked "other"

Ditto.

I never particpated or science wasn't invented.

The keets have had to do lots of different ones. One came in 2nd place one year. But the most fun ever was making the mole projects (you know 10 to the 23 power) for Chemistry.....at least I thought so not sure about the keet. One was to actually had to make a theme mole (critter) with mole in the name. She cut the fabric, hand stitched and glued and I sewed the pieces on the sewing machine. He had sunglasses and flip flops and a hawaiian shirt.....

His name was "Meet Me in Moleritaville"

Ours was a project (rather than a fair) that I think we got an A on... we did the effects of different things (ie.. smoking-had to use adults!, climbing stairs, jogging in place, etc.) on heart beat and blood pressure. We took a couple before and afters and made the rest up.

No science fairs in my rural n. michigan school. They do they now though! My nephew called me to ask
"Aunt Shawn, how do you make a volcano work?"
my answer...
"FIRST, you'll need some molten lava..."