In our family we "do" Science Fair the same way other families "do" soccer...or gymnastics...or professional ice skating...or junior beauty pageants...or organized crime. We don't so much "do" Science Fair as live it.

Our Science Fair efforts are generally divided into four phases -- Planning, Production, Panic, and Performance.

Planning is easily the longest phase. It involves finding an idea which is a) unusual enough that nobody else in the fair is likely to do it, b) interesting enough to catch the eye of the judges, and c) simple enough that we can complete it without a multi-million dollar research grant and the facilities of a major university laboratory. It's also good if the project avoids ripping holes in the space-time continuum or giving rise to dangerous new life forms or creating world-shattering new weapons systems. Of course, if a world-shattering weapon system looked possible AND would catch the judges' eye we'd probably do it anyway.

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If you like this small sample and want to hear the rest of the essay (or others like it),please visit the Short Cummings Audio website at www.shortcummingsaudio.com.

 

If you would like to learn more about Science Fairs, a good place to start is the Science Service website at www.sciserv.org