Online Science Fare: Science Fair Web Resources

www.virtualsciencefair.com

For those about to stage a Web-based event, this site's a mustsee. In addition to hundreds of online science projects, discussion boards provide valuable tips on organizing a virtual fair, from how to register to how to post digital projects. Created by: Virtual Science Fair Inc., Regina, Saskatchechwan, Canada.

www.exploratorium.edu/explore/online.html

www.exploratorium.edu/explore/handson.html

Created by San Francisco's Exploratorium, this trove of activities is particularly suited for middle school students. Don't miss: Looking for starter projects geared for elementary kids? Check out the “Science Snacks” (www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/snacksbysubject.html). Detour: For more elementary and middle school project ideas, visit Dragonfly TV's “Try This” at pbskids.org/dragonflytv/try/index.html.

www.newtonsapple.tv/ScienceTryIts_Index.php

Too often, science activities are cut and paste. Students simply log on to a science fair Web site, download the project instructions, and even print the results at the same time. Not so with Newton's Apple Try Its. These fun project ideas require that kids get hands-on. Created by: Twin Cities Public Television, St. Paul, MN.

www.sciencebuddies.org

Sure, Science Buddies offers plenty of fair-quality projects. But it's the teacher resources that are the real treasure on this site. To find them, click on the teacher's tab at the top of the home page. Created by: The Kenneth Lafferty Hess Family Charitable Foundation, Carmel, CA. Don't miss: Good rubrics for grading science projects are hard to find. Here you'll find 10, covering all aspects of a project, from start to finish.

www.ipl.org/div/projectguide

Created by librarians, this Web site is a well-known classic among science-fair veterans. Guidance found here is designed to lead kids step-by-step through the process of selecting a topic, doing a project, and creating a fair display—along with helpful links to other resources for learning more about the scientific method, creating graphs, and even avoiding judges' pet peeves. Created by: The Internet Public Library Consortium.

pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci

These simple science experiments are ideal for elementary students and teachers seeking in-class projects. Especially cool is the “Can Car” experiment. Created by: WGBH, Boston, MA. Detour: For more simple science activities, each with a printable “Try it Offline” handout, visit TryScience at www.tryscience.org/home.html and click on “Experiments.”