What is the Importance of Science Fairs to Science Curriculum?

Science Fairs Concept of Science Curriculum

Science fairs are now becoming popular day by day. NCERT, SCERT and state department of education are joining hands, for the promotion and encouragement of science fair at the district, regional or state levels by providing essential financial aids, guidance, and all other official assistance.

These fairs may prove a good platform, forum and means for the display of all the activities whether formal or informal in nature undergoing in the field of science education in different schools. These also provide healthy competition among the students of different schools for bringing out their talents in the study and improvement to science and prove a source of great inspiration and encouragement for making the science popular, interesting and useful among the people of the community.

Organisation of Science Fairs :

Science fairs are organized by the individual institution not only for their own students but these may also be organized in the shape of inter-schools, inter- district, inter-state levels. For their effective organization at any level, the science teachers have to play significant role in terms of the planning as well as execution. In general the following things are to be kept in mind by them for the organization of these fairs:

1. Awards and prizes should be given to the deserving participants and teams for providing necessary incentives and encouragements.

2. There should be proper arrangements of safety and security.

3. The programme of talks, lectures and other items such as debates, declamations, discussion and seminars etc. should be chalked out properly well in time and due publicity be given to it.

4. Arrangement should be made in such a way as not to allow the visitors to make a crowd at one place. There should be proper flow of visitors in a queue, one behind the other as far as possible.

5. Each section and branch of science may also have subdivisions concerning their own one or the other kinds of exhibits grouped together e.g., Electronics division, hydrodynamics division, mechanical division etc.

6. Different separate section should be made for the display of gadgets and exhibits concerning different branches of science e.g., Physics section, Chemistry section, Botany section, Zoology section, etc.

7. The exhibits should be easily visible and their working and principle should be demonstrated and explained by competent guides.

8. Each team should arrange for their one guide to explain the functioning of their gadgets and exhibits to the public.

9. Rules and regulations regarding participation, display and security of their own goods and equipments should be made clear to every team.

10. In the matter of the selection of site, proper spacious site is to be selected as to provide maximum facility for the successful organization of the fair.

11. The major problem concerning the availability of the finances for the organization of science fair can be solved by seeking due cooperation from all corners. Besides the contribution from the host club and financial assistance from NCERT SCERT, and State Government, the participant teams should also contribute in the form of entrance fees and bearing expenses in setting up of their exhibits and participating in the competitive activities.

12. The science teacher should seek the cooperation of the head of the institution and also of his colleagues and the students before undertaking the task of organizing science fair in his school. Moreover, it is also necessary for him to ensure the active cooperation and help from the participations and terms for the effective organization of science fair.

Exhibits/Displayed in the Science Fair :

The exhibits in science fairs are ordinarily of the following nature:

1. Good aids for the teaching of different topics in physical and life sciences.

2. Good science text-books, general and reference books, news bulletins and journals.

3. Display of several projects successfully completed by the students.

4. Articles of scientific use entirely and exclusively prepared by the students.

5. Industrial and technological use of certain scientific principle demonstrated through the arrangement of some apparatus or innovative design of a process depicted through charts.

6. Improvised apparatuses showing some innovation brought out in the existing ones.

7. Scientific toys either electrical, mechanical or magnetic made by the students.

8. Scientific models prepared by students individually or collectively.

9. Graphic material like charts, pictures, graphs and diagrams on various topics and events related to different branches of science.

10. Objects and specimens collected by the students.