STEM Fair

CIS STEM Fair 2024

Friday, April 26, 2024 5:00 - 8:00 pm, CIS Auditorium

The 10th annual CIS STEM Fair is coming!  We hope that, with your enthusiastic encouragement, your students will do a project in science, technology, engineering, & mathematics (STEM) and share what they learned at the fair.  This will be an exciting experience for your child!

Please find all the detailed information on this CIS STEM Fair website. 

Register here!  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdW34QtxRcaqqqepON-GBOukjSmuejouWeb8f0V-ail21ajIw/viewform

Deadline  April 15, 2024  (Monday).

To make this learning experience more in alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards, we will continue to emphasize family conversations on STEM at the fair this year. We have also added 2 additional categories for projects: Environmental Innovation and Reverse Engineering. 

We would like to continue the YMCA’s theme to honor the many scientists from underrepresented groups. We will be highlighting Scientists of Color, Women Scientists, Scientists with Disabilities, and other important marginalized groups. 

 

Suggested Resources

From our Librarian Ms. Dere: "Science Fair Library Guide"    https://sfusd.libguides.com/c.php?g=990654&p=7166872

For useful websites on making science projects, check out

For parents and kids to watch together, some informative YouTube videos

Encouragement and support

Participation by students in this event is highly encouraged, but not required. Student grades are in no way impacted by participation.  The event is completely voluntary and sponsored by the CIS PTA.

Parental support and assistance are essential to your child’s success. A general rule of thumb to go by is: 

  • 4th and 5th graders should be doing almost the entire science project by themselves. 

  • 2nd and 3rd graders should be able to do many parts. 

  • Kindergarteners and 1st graders will need help for most of the project. 

We are confident the following benefits will result from your child’s participation in the STEM Fair:

  • Reinforcement of grade-level science, literacy, and math skills 

  • Fostering curiosity, awareness, and creativity

  • Increased scientific knowledge 

  • Learning research techniques 

  • Growth in the ability to work independently 

  • Having fun with science!

Project categories

  • COLLECTION (Kindergarten & 1st grade) – You will collect and organize something of interest, answering questions related to observations made while exploring your world. Examples: What kinds of insects can be found in my backyard? What types of tree leaves can be found on my street? 

  • EXPERIMENT (Kindergarten through 5th grade) – You will conduct an experiment to find the answer to your question/problem. Using The Scientific Method will take you through the correct process of asking a question, doing some preliminary research, making a hypothesis (your best guess at how it will turn out), planning and conducting your experiment, and analyzing your results. 

  • INVENTION (3rd through 5th grade) - Everyone is an engineer! You will use science, math, and creativity to dream up and design an object or a process to solve a real-life problem. Using The Engineering Design Process will take you through all the necessary steps: asking a question, brainstorming, planning, creating, testing, and making it even better.

  • RESEARCH PROJECT (Kindergarten through 5th grade) - Someone has already found the answer to your question/problem, and you will look for their answer/solution by reading books, talking to experts, and gathering information from other sources such as schools and public libraries. Your display board will have drawings, photographs, charts, graphs, dioramas, etc. Examples: How does a solar cell work? How does a light bulb operate? How do clouds form? 

  • ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION (Kindergarten through 5th)-Describe an environmental issue in your community. Write a persuasive essay or speech and to convince others of the problem that needs to be solved. Make a timeline and point out what is needed in each step. Use pictures and colors along with your essay to persuade the community with your brilliant innovation.   

  • REVERSE ENGINEERING (3rd through 4th grade)-You can select one device to analyze and take apart ie. a toaster, can openers, scale, sunglasses, etc. Please get permission from your parent. Using the Purpose method explain how this device works and how it was invented. Use pictures, diagrams, and words to describe how each part is attached to the device. Identify the various engineers, scientists, and artists needed to design and produce the device. 

Other details

  • Poster boards are available in the front office. 

  • Individual or team projects are welcome. Maximum of 4 for teams

What to expect on STEM Fair Night

The goal of the Fair is for our children to learn how to do science. The new emphasis for our STEM Fair is family conversations. It gives each student scientist many opportunities to talk with others (peers and adults) about what they did, why they did it, what they found out, and what new ideas and questions they have. This emphasis on talk is critical for learning. Our 2023 STEM Fair model is intended to encourage our student scientists to share their findings, spark new ideas, and make connections -- ideals that are important for doing STEM. 

  • Set up to begin at 5:15 pm. Conversations are to begin at 6:00 pm. A light dinner will be provided in the cafeteria. No food is allowed in the auditorium. 

  • STEM Fair Night is a family night with no judges. 

    • Students will be divided into 3 groups - A, B, and C. Each group will spend 20 minutes standing by their boards to present while the other 2 groups wander with a grown-up to talk with their peers about their projects. 

    • The difference is the focus on adult-child conversations. A STEM Conversation sheet will be provided to each student with instructions and a prompt for the adult and child to talk with each other and to the student scientist about what was done, learned, and how the person did science. Each sheet will have space to write about 4-6 projects. Students can show their completed sheet for a chance to enter their names into a drawing for prizes. They can complete more sheets for more chances to win -- more conversations and reflections on science. 

    • The purposes are:

      • To encourage children and their adults to talk with each other about science. It is through conversations that learning is happening.

      • To give students a chance to practice talking about their work with many others. Being able to communicate your ideas to others is a valuable life skill.

      • To give all students who do a project more time to share their efforts with each other, and for the adults to get the chance to actively participate in the creativity at our school. It's too easy for us to be passive bystanders.

Rationales for emphasizing family conversations. Being able to communicate their thinking and work are practices of science and engineering (NGSS) and math (Common Core). Instructionally, Science and Engineering Practice 8 and Math Practice 3 are the focus of this revision. 

It is good for the students to make their own projects and be able to talk about it with others. This change is based on significant research across multiple disciplines (education, neuroscience, psychology, cognitive neuroscience, etc.) that talking is important for learning. 

  • Talking offers learners the opportunity to articulate the speaker's unformed ideas and reflect on their thinking. It requires them to make new neural connections as they string together ideas to form explanations that they then verbalize for others to consider, get feedback, and revise their thinking. Those connections might not make sense or be accurate the first few times we say them out loud, but in speaking them out loud, we can refine them more effectively. 

  • The social aspect of conversations triggers reward responses in our brains that make the experience memorable and enjoyable. Imagine the future benefit for our children if we can cultivate the association of positive feelings to doing and talking science.

The focus on family conversations gives the student scientists many opportunities to talk with others (peers and adults) about what they did, why they did it, what they found out, and what new ideas and questions they have. Students might have seen their friends’ parents, but they may not have had conversations about their thinking with them. Plus, they likely won’t know everyone so there will be plenty of strangers in the room.

Finally, the focus on family conversations makes the STEM Fair a learning experience for the families who attend. This view draws on research on learning in informal STEM learning environments, like museums and science centers. Family conversations push on parents and children to talk with each other about science, to normalize that exchange for all our families. 

  • For children, conversations with their parents during these types of events contribute to their understanding and the memories they make about the content and experience itself. 

  • Parents help: focus children’s attention on what there is to learn; reference relevant prior knowledge and experiences; make useful analogies; ask questions to deepen thinking; and provide information and explanations in response to children’s in-the-moment questions. 

We know the Fair is only one event so more routines like these are needed. But it is a starting point for some and a continuation for others.

 

CIS STEM Fair科學展覽2023

2023年4月14日 (星期五)  

下午5:15 – 7:30  在CIS禮堂舉行

第十屆CIS STEM Fair即將到來臨了！我們希望，在您的熱情鼓勵下，貴子弟將會參加並且完成一項科學、技術、工程、或者數學（STEM）的設計，並分享他們在這個展覽中所獲得的知識。這將會是您給予孩子的一次興奮經驗！

詳情請到這個網站參考. 

請在此報名註冊﹕https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdW34QtxRcaqqqepON-GBOukjSmuejouWeb8f0V-ail21ajIw/viewform 

報名截止日期為4月10日星期一。

為了使這種學習體驗更符合下一代科學標準下一代科學標準  Next Generation Science Standards，我們將在今年的博覽會上繼續強調有關STEM的家庭對話。 我們還為項目添加了兩個其他類別：環境創新和逆向工程。  

我們希望繼續YMCA所創的主題，以表彰來自不同團體而向來少表揚的許多科學家。 我們將重點介紹非白人科學家，女性科學家，有殘障的科學家以及其他重要的邊緣群體。

資源建議

從我們的圖書館Dere老師 "科學展覽圖書館 資源": https://sfusd.libguides.com/c.php?g=990654&p=7166872

有關對製作科學項目有幫助的網站，請查看﹕

  • 科學夥伴Science Buddies

  • 如何做一個出式的小學科學博覽項目和展覽板設計How to Do a Great Elementary School Science Fair Project and Board Layout

  • 使用科學方法進行實驗

  • 如何向孩子們教授科學方法

  • 用兒童友好的語言方式解釋科學方法

  • 家長的10個STEM技巧：https://www.middleweb.com/3569/10-stem-tips-for-parents/

  • 黑人科學家名單

  • 深色皮膚的女性科學家

  • 有殘障的科學家

  • 女性科學家

  • 亞洲女性科學家

家長可以和孩子一起觀看一些信息豐富的YouTube視頻節目﹕

鼓勵和支持

我們非常鼓勵學生們參與此活動，但不是必需的。學生成績絕不會受到參與的影響。該活動完全是自願性的，由CIS PTA贊助。

家長的支持和幫助對孩子的成功是至關重要。一般的經驗向導是：

  • 四年級和五年級的學生，應能自行處理整個科學項目。

  • 二年級和三年級的學生，應能自行處理項目的大部分。

  • 幼稚園和一年級學生，將需要家長協助完成項目的大部分。

我們相信，您的孩子參加STEM Fair會帶來以下好處：

  • 提高科學水準，讀寫能力和數學技能

  • 培養好奇心，警覺性和創造力

  • 增廣科學知識

  • 學習研究技巧

  • 獨立工作能力的增長

  • 享受科學樂趣！

展覽項目類別﹕

  • 搜集（幼稚園和一年級） -  您將收集和組織一些對內容有興趣的東西，回答在搜集時觀察所見和所做的有關問題。例如：在我家後院可以找到哪些昆蟲？在我的街道上有哪些類型的樹葉？

  • 實驗（從幼稚園到五年級） -  您將利用實驗進行以找到問題和答案。使用正確的科學方法來完成正確的過程，提出問題，做一些初步研究，或者制造一個假設（你猜測結果會是如何），計劃和進行實驗，以及分析結果。

  • 發明（三至五年級） -  每個人都是工程師！您將使用科學、數學和創造力來想像並設計一目標或過程來解決現實生活中的問題。使用工程設計程序可以帶您完成所有必要的步驟﹕提出問題，集思廣益，計劃，創建，測試，並使其更好。

  • 研究項目（從幼稚園到五年級） -  雖然您的問題已經有答案存在，那麼您是仍然可以通過閱讀書籍，與專家交談以及從其他資源（例如學校和公共圖書館）收集信息來確定和了解方案。 您的陳列板可以有圖紙、照片、圖表、圖形、和立體模型等。舉例：太陽能電池是如何工作的？燈泡是如何運作的？雲是如何形成的？

  • 創新的環境觀念（幼稚園至5年級）描述您所在社區的環境問題。 撰寫有說服力的文章或演講詞，並說服他人需要解決的問題。 制定時間表並指出每個步驟中需要做什麼。 在您的文章中使用圖片和顏色來增加說服力，推動您的出色創新觀念。 

  • 逆轉工程（3年級至4年級）您可以選擇使用一種器具，進行分析和分解：例如烤麵包機，開罐器，秤，太陽鏡等等。（請先徵得家長的許可。 ）使用「目的用途」方法說明該器具是如何操作以及是如何被發明的。 使用圖片，圖表和文字來描述每個零件是如何連接使用的。 指出設計及生產該器具在工程上、科學上、 和藝術上的需要。

其他細節

  • 校務處有展覽陳列板提供。

  • 歡迎個人或團組參加。每一個團組不超過4個組員。

我們可以在STEM Fair晚會中期待些什麼

展覽會的目標是讓我們的孩子們知道怎樣學習科學。我們的STEM Fair 的新重點是要和家人們談論有關科學。展覽會讓每個學生科學家都有很多機會與其他人（同輩們或者成年人）談論他們做了什麼，他們為什麼這樣做，他們發現了什麼，以及他們有什麼新的想法和問題等等。這個強調談話公式是對學習至關重要的。我們的2023 年STEM Fair 的典範是旨在鼓勵我們的學生科學家們分享他們的發現，激發新想法，並建立聯繫 - 這理想是對舉行STEM非常重要的。

  • 下午5:15開始裝備布置。展覽和談論在下午6:00開始。將會有簡單的晚餐在飯堂內供應。禮堂內禁止食物。

  • STEM Fair Night是一個家庭之夜，不設評委。

  • 學生將分為A，B和C三組。每組將會輪流在陳列展覽板旁守候20分鐘，而其他兩組則在成年人中徘徊，談論他們的項目。

  • 不同之處在於關注成人與同學們的對話。我們將會提供STEM對話樣品表格，其中將提供成人和同學們相互交談的指示和提示，以及學生科學家們談及關於已完成的展品，其所學習了什麼，以及是如何進行科學研究等。每張表都有空間可以寫出4-6個陳列的項目。學生們可以用他們完成的表格來參加抽獎節目。寫得越多表格便可以有更多機會抽獎，這樣便可以形成更多的對話和對科學的反思。

  • 目的是：

  •  

    • 鼓勵兒童及其成年人互相交流科學知識。對話是學習的產生。

    • 讓學生們有機會與許多其他人一起練習談論他們的創作。能夠把您的想法傳達給他人是一種寶貴的生活技能。

    • 讓所有做項目的學生們有更多時間互相分享他們的努力，讓成年人有機會到來參加我們學校同學們的創造。對於我們來說，成為被動的旁觀者是太容易了。

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

改變的強調與家人對話談論。能夠傳達他們的思想和工作是科學和工程（NGSS）以及數學（共同核心）science and engineering (NGSS) and math (Common Core) 的實踐。在指導上，科學和工程實踐8和數學實踐3是本次修訂的重點。

學生製作自己的項目並能夠與其他人討論是非常好的。我們做這改變是根據多元學科（教育系，神經科學系，心理學系，認知神經科學系等）的重要研究，認為談論是對學習很重要的。

  • 通過談話可以讓學習者有機會表達未形成的理想和反思其想法。需要建立新的神經聯繫，因為他們必須要將想法串聯在一起來形成解釋，然後用語言來表達，以供其他人考慮，獲得反饋，以致修改他們的思想。這些串連想法在初步構成時可能沒有意義或並不準確，但是用語言說出來之後，我們便可以更有效地改進它們。

  • 在社交方面，談話觸發了我們大腦中的獎勵回應，令人有難忘和愉快的經驗。想像一下，如果我們能夠籍著科學和談論科學的聯繫來培養正面情感，我們的孩子將來會很受益。

強調注重與家庭談話，可以為學生科學家們提供了很多機會讓他們跟（同輩和成年人）談論他們做了什麼，他們為什麼這樣做，他們發現了什麼，以及他們有什麼新的想法和問題等等。學生們可能已經見過同學們的家長，但他們可能未有機會跟他們一起談論他們的想法。此外，他們可能尚未認識一些人，所以仍然會有很多陌生人在室內。

最後，家庭對話的注重使STEM Fair 成為參加的家長們一次良好的學習體驗。這觀點是借鑒了從非正式STEM學習環境中所得的學習研究，如博物館和科學中心等。家庭談話促使父母和孩子互相交流科學知識，使我們所有的家庭的交流正常化。

  • 對於兒童而言，在這些類型的活動中與家長的對話有助於他們的理解，以及他們對內容和體驗本身的記憶。

  • 家長的幫助：將孩子的注意力集中在學習內容上；參考相關的先前知識和經驗；做出有用的比喻；提出問題加深思考；並提供信息和解釋；以回應孩子們在當下的問題。

我們知道展覽會只是一個節目因此需要更多這樣的活動。對一些來說它是的個起點，也是一些人的繼續點。

This page was last updated on April 15, 2024