WOOD BUFFALO REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR
April 16 - 17, 2010
Fort McMurray, Alberta
SCIENCE FAIR ORGANIZATIONS
The Wood Buffalo Regional Science Fair is one of over one hundred regional fairs in Canada. A complete list of these fairs, including links to their websites, can be found here.
The Alberta Science Fair Foundation (ASF) promotes and provides financial support to science fairs in Alberta. Finalists from regional fairs across the province proceed to the Canada Wide Science Fair as part of “Team Alberta” and are invited to attend the Alberta Science Fair Showcase hosted each year by the ASF in Edmonton. Check out this site for useful Science Fair tips as well as important project and safety guidelines
The Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF) is an annual national science fair for students in grades seven through twelve. More than four hundred students participate at this fair each year. Visit this site to learn more about the Canada-Wide Science Fair experience and to view photos from past Fairs.
Youth Science Canada has been promoting project-based science to youth across Canada for over forty years. Working closely with government, industry, and educators, they fund and organize the Canada-Wide Science Fair. On their site you will find links to forums, student mentorship programs, and other resources aimed at helping students prepare quality science fair projects. This is also the site to check for current information on this year’s CWSF.
The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair is the World’s largest international science fair for students in grades nine through twelve. Each year, a handful of finalists from the CWSF are chosen to represent Canada at this prestigious event.
RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS
Science Fair Guides
Scientists, regardless of their age, are curious by nature. Scientists ask questions and then make careful observations, or perform tests to attempt to answer them. This process of learning is known as the “scientific method”. The links below outline how science is done and what makes for a successful science fair project.
Science Buddies (guide collection) – offers numerous resources for students, teachers, and parents.
Elmer’s science fair page - offers science fair tips, fun science facts, and links to numerous science organizations.
A Student's Guide to Science Fair Projects – outlines the scientific method and the steps that should be taken to perform a science fair experiment.
Fort McMurray Science Fair Guide – from the original “Fort McMurray Regional Science Fair” (1979 – 1992); this guides students through the process of making a science fair project.
Project Ideas
Learning first hand about something that is new and interesting to the student is the primary goal of a science fair project. There are so many possibilities, choosing a topic can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are a number of excellent sites on the internet offering science fair project ideas and advice; a selection of these is presented below.
These sites are a great place to begin your search for ideas. It should be remembered, however, that creativity is an essential component of science. Students (particularly at the Junior and Senior levels) are strongly encouraged to build on these project ideas, think critically, and develop and test their own hypotheses or innovations.
Science Buddies
Scotch Science Central
The Science Club
Dragonfly TV Science Fair Ideas
Science Bob
Bizarre Stuff You Can Make in Your Kitchen
Edible and Inedible Experiments
Exploratorium Science Snacks
Cool Science Fair Projects
