Thank you for volunteering to review science fair projects at Oak Hills School. Our participating students, their parents and school staff appreciate the fact that you are taking time to recognize and value the students' efforts in creating their science projects.

Before you begin to review the projects, there are some thoughts we would like you to consider.

• Science Fairs promote fun while students learn about science.
• This Science Fair is not a competition; every participant is a winner.

The science fair committee and Oak Hills School want all participants to experience some measure of success. Each student will receive a certificate and a ribbon; this is not a competitive event. The students are encouraged to follow the scientific method and not do a model or demonstration. The scientific method is outlined as follows:

1. Select a question to be answered by an experiment.
2. Form a hypothesis (a prediction about what will happen).
3. Perform the experiment.
4. Prepare the results.
5. Explain the results and draw conclusions.

Your job is to recognize, in a positive manner, the students' efforts.

• Be enthusiastic about science!
• Clear, concise comments will help keep a child's attention; lengthy explanations of scientific principles are apt to eliminate a child's interest in your comments.
• Use age-appropriate comments... kindergarteners and younger students will use fewer scientific terms, while 4th and 5th graders may use many.
• Use descriptive words, e.g. creative, unusual, thoughtful, demonstrates, informative, imaginative, meaningful, instructive, implementation of ideas, etc., rather than judgmental terms.
• Specific remarks most effectively compliment student effort, so praise concisely.
• Notice if a variable was used in the experiment.
• Draw attention to the use of the scientific method.
• If it appears that the student has little to no understanding of their project and the project looks so perfect that it seems likely a parent did the work, delve into the child's knowledge banks until you find a point at which the child understands the topic. Briefly build on that knowledge in order to encourage the child to take a greater role in the project production for next year. It is possible that the parents simply did not allow or encourage the child to do an appropriate project or the one the child wanted to do; it is also possible that the parents pushed the child aside to create a "masterpiece". Again, this is not criticism time -- this is learning time. Pull out the points the child knows and praise them accordingly.
• Team Projects: Each student should receive his or her own review from each time their project is reviewed. Reviewers will need to get extra review forms in order to handle this situation.
• Each child is encouraged to be present when you review the project. Spend about 5 minutes at each project and then give the participants a ribbon and certificate and your written comments on the review form. We feel it is important that each child receive some positive feedback verbally, as well as in writing.
• Please limit the time to 5 minutes per project so that every project (there's a lot) is reviewed.
• If a student is not present when you do your review, please write a supportive comment on the form anyway.

The time and effort you spend at the Oak Hills School Science Fair helps give our students a positive science experience. We hope it was also a learning experience for you! The impression you make on these children may well influence some of them to have a life-long love of science. Others will be less intimidated by science because of your positive, non-judgmental approach.

Your participation helps us have a meaningful science fair. We thank you in advance for a job well done.