Alaska Native Science & Engineering Society

 

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Kodiak Science Fair Handbook (1999)
Interior Science Fair Handbook (2000)
Arctic Science Fair Handbook (1999)

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Kodiak Science Fair Handbook (1999)
Interior Science Fair Handbook (1999)
Arctic Science Fair Handbook (1999)

ANSES

Alaska Native Science &
Engineering Society
Science Fair Handbook
 
Guidelines for planning and running a science fair using Elders and other local resources. 
 
Introduction AKRSI's Role Rules & Regs. Conclusion
Brief History  Getting ready for the fair. Organizing & Running a Fair
Introduction
Why Have Locally Relevant Science Fairs?
Science fairs based on contemporary Western science have served well to establish a precedent in Alaska. However, the need has long been expressed, and is now fulfilled to have a Science Fair with projects based on locally and culturally relevant events. Elders are now recognized as the experts along with Western scientists. Students are encouraged to find projects from their village, from subsistence activities, and from their heritage. The richness of this effort has released enthusiasm like an artesian well.
Traditional Native values have replaced the long list of rules that used to accompany science fairs. Local Elders determine the appropriateness of a project. Respect for people and animals runs deep in the inquiry process. Students have little trouble conforming to the values established by their regional Elders.
A Brief History and a Look Ahead
Since1996, the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative (AKRSI) has sponsored local and regional fairs in five cultural regions of Alaska: Iñupiaq, Athabaskan, Aleut, Tlingit/Haida and Yup'ik. After each of the regional fairs, the best projects went to AISES Nationals in the Lower 48. The goal was to jumpstart each region so the events could continue on their own after AKRSI phased out. (AISES is the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, a strong organization dedicated to supporting Native Americans in the science and engineering fields.)
In February, 2000 AKRSI also sponsored a State Fair in Birchwood, outside of Anchorage, gathering the best projects throughout the state.
AKRSI is very grateful for the precedent AISES National has established, but feels that the Alaskan differences are great enough that Alaskan guidelines for projects are necessary. Therefore, students who go from the Alaskan fairs to AISES National need to be prepared for different requirements.
Unlike AISES National, Alaskan fairs have no lower age limit, nor are they limited to Native American students. Projects are encouraged to display materials, make noise, smoke, smell, pop and fizz (as long as they are safe and approved by a teacher and a village Elder.)
On the other hand, Alaskan projects must reflect the guidelines of a culturally relevant school and curriculum. They should be rooted in the local lifestyle, traditional activities or cultural views. AKRSI will do the following:
It is most fortunate that AKRSI has been extended for another five years, with tentative annual approval. However, AKRSI's role must change. From the year 2000 on, AKRSI will do the following to promote science fairs: Provide information on how to conduct a local or regional fair.
Provide suggestions and guidelines for finding and developing locally/culturally relevant science projects, including pictures of past projects and winners. Provide room and board at the State Fair, as well as transportation from the Anchorage Airport for students and chaperones.
Provide team/peer building activities for evenings and free time.
Organize judges and awards.
Provide travel to and from the Native Educators Conference where awards will be given. Provide funds for local/regional fairs. School districts know best how to economize on travel logistics. Each region can plan its' fair as big as economically possible so students have the greatest exposure, but small enough to make financial sense. Every area is different.
Provide travel costs to and from the villages to the ANSES State Fair. A few scholarships might be available, and other funding sources are being pursued, but teachers and students alike are encouraged to get schools to commit funds to this event early in the school year before other interests gain financial commitment. You are in financial competition with other school activities that will arise.
Provide travel costs to AISES National Science Fair (which is in a different major city in the Lower 48 every year.) This event has been a great experience for students and is high on the student "benefit-per-buck" ratio. A student does not have to be a winner in our ANSES State Science Fair to attend AISES National. All school districts should budget to send top projects.
  Timing of Fairs
Traditionally in Alaska, local science fairs are scheduled to prepare students for the April Alaska State Science Fair in Anchorage. Because of budget cuts, the number of rural entries at this fair have seriously dwindled in recent years. We see no benefit having local fairs in March in preparation for that fair.
For several good reasons, the ANSES State Science fair is scheduled to coincide with the Native Educator's Conference in late January or early February, It gives students the greatest recognition and audience possible, as the awards ceremony is during a NEC luncheon. It also exposes large numbers of teachers to the inspiring projects, broadening their teaching horizons. The projects displayed in the hotel lobby catch the eye of hundreds of interested people. Local and national media are being invited to spotlight our efforts.
Students who participate in the ANSES fair are well prepared if they want to participate in the Alaska State Science Fair or AISES National.
As many student projects come from camp experiences, the Jan./Feb. ANSES State fair time keeps the projects fresher in student's minds as well. Local and regional fairs in Nov./Dec are most appropriate.
The dates of the ANSES Fair avoids conflict with most basketball schedules. The Student
Any student enrolled in an Alaskan school or distance education program is eligible. See the categories for types of projects and the different grades.
Every effort should be made to accommodate handicapped individuals in our fairs. This is frequently and oversight.
The Project Review Group
This group includes: All three of the project review group must certify that the student's plan and efforts meet the cultural values of the region.
The Adult Sponsor
An adult sponsor may be a community member, teacher, parent, university professor, or scientist with whom the student is working. This individual should have close contact with the student during the course of the whole project.
The adult sponsor is ultimately responsible, not only for the health and safety of the student conducting the research, but also for the humans or animals used as subjects. The adult sponsor must review the student's project plan to make sure that:
The adult sponsor must be familiar with the regulations that govern potentially dangerous projects. This may include: thin ice, hypothermia, firemaking materials, boating and firearm safety as well as handling of chemicals, experimental techniques, research involving human or nonhuman animals, and animal tissues. The issues must be discussed with the student during planning. Some experiments involve procedures or materials that are regulated by state and federal laws. If not thoroughly familiar with the regulations, the adult sponsor should ask for help from ANSES staff.
The adult sponsor is responsible for making sure the project is eligible for entry in the Alaskan ANSES Science Fair.
At the same time, the adult sponsor should be certain the student does the major portion of the work. Enthusiastic parents often contribute more than their share of effort, putting other students' projects at a disadvantage. Help the student over humps. Do some of the more dangerous or tricky parts, but let the kid do the project! Someday we should have a fair for enthusiastic parents where they can openly compete with each other. The Elder is the resource, the guide, the one who guarantees that the project aligns with local values and beliefs. The Elder provides stability.
The student should spend as much time as possible listening to the Elder or Elders. This link with the previous generations gives the student insight into where he/she has come from and where he/she is going. The Elder tells how the question or issue was handled in the past. This individual is concerned with student safety and the expertise necessary to link the project to modern science. This individual fills in the gaps the adult sponsor and Elder might leave, whether in preparing the project for the fair, providing specific technical knowledge on the subject or suggesting new ideas that would broaden or deepen the project.

Rules, Regulations & Requirements
Reasons for Rules
Students need to compete fairly in a safe environment.
No compromise for safety should be made. At the same time, the fair should not be a line-up of sterile posters and notebooks. If the local Elders. experts and teachers think a project is safe, it probably is.
Compliance with the local Native Values eliminates the need for most extraneous restrictions. If students clearly explain the project to the review group, and all agree that it is acceptable, then it is.
With large numbers of people as well as scientific displays and contraptions in the same closed space, there is great opportunity for mishap during the fair. There should be enough rules to insure safety, yet allow freedom to show the essence of the project. If a student needs to go outside to demonstrate spear throwing to the judges, that should be part of his/her interview with the judges.
Students hoping to advance to the AISES National Science Fair should be prepared to comply with AISES National rules which are somewhat different from Alaskan rules.
The main concern is that students have an enjoyable, safe learning experience. Everything else is secondary.
ANSES Social Rules
ANSES agrees with AISES National's strict guidelines against the use of alcohol and controlled substances, and against verbal, physical or sexual abuse or improper touching. Violations of these standards should not be tolerated at any ANSES sponsored event. Immediate dismissal of a student violating these ANSES guidelines is most appropriate.

Unacceptable for Display:
1. Highly flammable or hazardous chemicals or materials.
2. Poisons, drugs, controlled substances, HASMAT. Project materials should meet FAA requirements for transport. Don't assume! Inquire.
3. Tanks that contain combustible liquids or gases,
Display items requiring permission previous to the fair:
Sharp items: knives, ulu's, porcupine quills, needles.
Strong smelling items: fermented fish heads, beaver castor, mink glands, skins soured to slip the hair.
Dry ice
Pressurized tanks that contain non-combustibles.
Any apparatus producing temperatures that will cause physical burns.
High-voltage wiring, switches, and metal parts must have adequate insulation, and must be inaccessible to others.
Electrical connections. 110-volt AC circuits must be soldered or made with approved connectors. Connecting wires must use wire nuts and electrical tape. Cords must be UL approved with a GFI plug-in.
Bare wire and exposed knife switches may be used only in circuits of 12 volts or less; otherwise, standard enclosed switches are required.
Any liquid that is acid or base, i.e. above or below ph 7.
Lasers.
Large vacuum tubes or dangerous ray-generating devices.
Projects that involve live animals or people.
Any display involving the above issues should get an ok from ANSES State or local fair organizers.

Acceptable for Display…Cannot be operated
Projects with unshielded moving belts, pulleys, chains, and parts with tension or pinch points
Class III and IV lasers
Any device requiring over 120 volts
Teachers and local Elders should set necessary further stipulations for display for the above projects in a local or regional fair.
Size of Project Space
A project may take up to half a table. Projects requiring more space than this should get permission previous to the fair. (Permission should be granted if there is any way to do so.)
Overall Requirements
Science fair exhibits must adhere to Science Fair safety and size requirements
Every student must complete the registration forms.
Each student or team in grades 9 -12 must submit a (maximum) 250-word, one page summary of the project.
Each student or team should display a project data taken during the project that validates the conclusion of the project.
Each student must have the Project Review Group fill out the Local Values Checklist, and sign it. These checklists should accompany the display.
If the student is using human subjects under 18, the student researchers must obtain written informed consent from all subjects and their parent or guardian. The consent form should clearly state all activities. Consent forms should be included in the project's data book.
A student may improve on a project from a previous year, but the report from that year should accompany the second year's project so judges can see how much new work the student has done.

Team projects can be done by a whole class, but presented to the judges but not more than three students.
Each member of the team should be able to serve as spokesperson, be fully involved with the project, and be familiar with all aspects of the project.
The main concern with team projects is that some team members tend to be less involved. The judges will assess if all presenters were actively participating in all aspects of the project. There are seven categories currently identified by ANSES:
 
 
Collection
K-5
Individual Demonstration K-8
Individual
Experiment K-8
 
Individual 
Experiment  9-12
 
 
Team Demonstration K-8
Team
Experiment K-8
Team
Experiment  9-12
 

In a small local fair, all categories might not be represented, but these are the seven acknowledged in the ANSES State Fair.
In local or regional fairs, if the lower grades (k-5) do a collection, like leaves, shells, bullets, or whatever, categories "Collection Individual" and "Collection Group" might be included. We will have only collection k-5 realizing that most collections will be by a class.

Project Notebook
The original plan. (The project might deviate from this, but it is important to have a plan to start.)
A report on how the project was done and any other interesting facts relevant to the subject.
Data sheets/notes.
Include here any library work the student has done in conjunction with the hands-on project.
The project summary (grades 9-12)
Copies of consent forms each from a teacher, two local Elders, and the adult supervisor agreeing that the project is safe and complies with traditional local values.
Project Report
 The report should begin with the objectives or purpose of the project, followed by the methods and the materials used to carry it out. It should conclude with a summary of the results obtained and/or the conclusions drawn. The report must be part of the project.
 A Good Visual Display
A good visual display attracts and informs.
Interested spectators and judges easily assess the project and results obtained. The display should use clear and concise expressions. Headings should stand out, graphs, and diagrams should be clearly and correctly labeled.
A display board stands alone with three panels. They may be two-story posters, but make sure they don't topple over onto other projects.
The poster usually includes:
Title & Original question. What question lurks in the student's mind to motivate the project?
Hypothesis. What is the student's "best guess" how this will turn out?
Materials used. What materials were used? This gives judges an idea how the project was performed.
Data. What facts did the student find out? Include measurements, dates and notes. The original data book with "field stains" should accompany the project.
Procedure. What steps did the student take to do the project?
Results, and conclusion. The conclusion might easily contradict the original hypothesis. This is perfectly good science.
Some students make a very tall display board, two posters high. Make sure it doesn't tip over!
Models, photographs, or drawings are often appropriate. The display board should be logically presented, easy to read, and eye-catching. Size and safety rules must be followed.
Handwritten materials don't do well when competing with computer-generated poster board materials.
Display as much of the project as possible. Clearly mark what can and cannot be touched, but if you possible, allow people to feel the fur, touch fish skin boots, try the bow & drill firemaker, etc. Make the project as interactive as possible. The exact criteria by which Elders and Western science judges will evaluate each project are different. Top winners satisfy both groups of judges.
Science project vs. library project
Many students go the library or internet and do exhaustive hours of work, draw good poster boards, including graphs and visuals, and don't do well in the fairs. Those students don't realize the difference between a library project and a science project.
A science project gets the student involved doing something. The student tries several ways of accomplishing a task, or tries different weights, lengths, sizes, colors, or whatever in pursuit of an answer.
A student should go to the library or internet to broaden his/her understanding, get definitions, clarify concepts or find more examples. But the project should be based on the student's experience, not a vicarious description of someone else's efforts.
For that reason, models of "life on the moon," "save the dolphins" or  "northern lights" generally don't score well, as there is little the student can interact with. The project review group needs to work with the student to turn this type of interest into a "do-able" project that will score well with both groups of judges. Example: One student was interested in forensics. Lacking a dead body to work on, we helped her develop  a related project on ballistics and the rate of burn of different types of  gunpowders.

Organizing and Running a Fair
Location
Choose a town or village site that is economical and easy/safe to travel to/from. Be careful that no site feels left out, but take weather and safety into careful consideration.
Typically, the gym of a local school or National Guard Armory are used. However, gyms are loud, large and impersonal. Students are used to horsing around in the gym. The gym or armory might be used for displaying projects, and another smaller room for awards, speeches and more intimate exchanges. It is hard to hear Elders speak in a gym, even with a sound system.
Season/Date
This is a much-discussed topic.
Winners go on. Decide if you want the local or regional fair to lead up to the Alaska State Science Fair, or to the ANSES State Fair or AISES Nationals. Obviously, your local fair should precede these fairs if you want to send winners.
More seasons. Some people feel that an early winter fair is better because it draws from three seasons: the previous summer, fall and current winter. Camp experiences are fresh in students' minds. An April fair is usually limited to winter activities.
The end of November to the second week of December has become a favorite time for many local or regional fairs.
Many school districts are shifting to project based curricula, and find that an early fair sets the stage for all projects throughout the school year.
Sports. Science fairs don't compete well with sporting events. Find the basketball schedule and work around it!
Tradition. Traditionally, science fairs have been in April, but the reasons for having an April fair no longer exist for most villages.
Weather. Choose months when weather isn't too bad in your region. You don't want students weathered in or weathered out for long.

To organize a local or regional fair, ask yourselves the following questions:
What rules guide the preparation and performance of a project?
What rules guide the display of a project?
Are there different rules for different age groups?
What categories will the projects register under?
What are the criteria for judging?
What are ANSES State, Alaska State Science Fair and AISES National rules? (In case students want to prepare.)
School principles need to know the financial expectations placed on their budgets. Get your information out early in the school year before travel funds are committed to other activities.
Far in advance, teachers and principles need: Speakers and Elders need time to prepare.
The public, including parents need to know in advance the hours the fair will be open to the public.
All judges need to know the dates, times, location, and what is expected of them. Give them the scoring guide far ahead of the fair so they can think about it. Spend time with Elder judges over a cup of coffee, casually informing them of the intent of the fair and what is expected of them. Give them time to think of questions. Western science judges are very familiar with such fairs. It is foreign territory for Elders.
Typical Schedule
Morning
Students arrive and set up projects.
Students practice presentations among themselves. 30-60 minutes.
Students leave projects for 30-45 minutes and judges look at all projects, getting an overview.
Afternoon The afternoon tends to be very long. An early lunch really helps.
Judges interview students.
Students leave, and judges confer deciding on ribbons. This is a good time for team/peer building activities among students.
Two options:
Option #1 This makes a shorter evening. Option #2 This makes a longer evening. If you follow this option, it is very important to have students display ribbons and stand beside projects after awards are given so everyone can make the connection between specific projects and the awards. It is a good "photo moment."
Learning "what makes a good project" is severely curtailed if everyone goes home right after the awards. The days of travel, particularly arrival, are often hectic. People arriving from other towns need contact numbers, location of lodging, schedules and event locations all in a packet.

A designated driver on the day of arrival for the fair is a must. A cell phone for the driver is a tremendous help. Travelers should have the cell number. Getting people to planes to go home is much easier than gathering them on the first day.

Know where the extra tables, extension cords and mops are kept. Know where the breaker boxes are. Who has the keys on the weekend? What do you do in an emergency? How can parents call students if the school office is closed?

Administrators and janitors in the building must know what is going on and how their job will be impacted.

Each project should be assigned a number as it arrives. This facilitates judging.

If students and teachers do not know each other, it is good to have an ice-breaking activity that gets people acquainted right away.

Do any adults in the community have science materials to display? Invite them. This validates student efforts.

What categories will be established? If there are few projects, they might be grouped differently.

Online registration works wonderfully!!!! Weather and poor postal service don't interfere with deadlines. Put your fair on the school district website, with rules, regs. and all information only a click away.

Contact the ANKN webmaster, Sean Topkok for help in this regard.

Have one person in charge of taking memorable pictures.

Critical Science Fair Dates People Need to Know
Dates before the Fair

Dates and times at the Fair Finding Judges
Quality judging is critically important so the students feel that their efforts have been fairly evaluated.
Western science judges can often be found in government agencies, and local industry. Some don't relate well to students. Casually interview them before inviting them to judge. The ability to understand students and compassion are more important than scientific expertise. We aren't delving into subatomic particles. Try to get a balance among judges. Biologists far outnumber earth and physical science people in Alaska.
Have several home visits with Elders before the fair to insure that they understand what is expected of them.
Elders don't always enjoy good health. Schedule a few back-ups in case some cannot attend.
Consider a stipend for both sets of judges, or at least a gift of appreciation.
All projects should be clearly labeled as to category and assigned a project number. Put a line for project number on the upper left of the scoring sheet. (Reasons for this will follow.)
Getting the big picture.
Most often judges' scores will be different at the end of judging than they will at the beginning. To avoid this, give all judges 30 minutes or so to look at all projects in the fair (not just the category they are judging). This gives them the big picture and helps them see "how good is good." Generally, students are not present during this time.

Working with Elders
Having Elder judges contributes a priceless dimension to the fair. Their presence gives honor and value to all that we do.
However, since Elders have little or no experience with science fairs, there are a few precautions that go a long way towards a successful fair. Asking them to judge a fair without instruction is like dropping a teacher blindfolded on the tundra.
Avoiding problems.
Appoint someone who is familiar with science fairs to work with the Elders. Ahead of time, give them an idea of what to expect. Tell them what the fair is for, how it will be run, why they are there and what is expected of them.
Teams. Put the Elders in teams of 2-3. Each group should include someone who speaks English and is more literate. If there are many projects, there might be two or three teams of Elders. To provide fairness to students in judging, have each team judge a given category, like "Team demonstrations," or "Individual experiment."
Identifying. Each project should have a one-word identifier like "nets." or "lamps" or "medicine." Put this on the top of the scoring sheet. (There might be two "nets" in the fair.) Identifying projects by number is totally confusing for everyone when it comes time to tally scores and decide on ribbons. Having numbers is only helpful to the organizer.
Scoring. The Elder scoring guide has criteria. Practice and demonstrate on a simulated project before they go out and evaluate all the projects.
During the interview, Elders score each criteria on a scale of 1-5 (or 1-10, as you wish.)
Example:
They need to understand which end of the scale signifies "best" and which end signifies "not-so-good" and what a 5 or an 8 might mean. This is best done on a relaxed day before the fair.
Timing. Elders need a sense of how much time to spend on each project. One uninformed Elder spent 45 minutes teaching a student how to set snares. No one told him what a science fair was or what was expected of him.
Idea vs. work done. Elders need to understand the difference between a good idea and a project well done. Uninformed Elders have overvalued a project with an interesting subject although the student's work was lower quality. Elders need to understand the difference. This has been a real issue in the past.
Chairs. Have chairs for Elders to use during the interview. The person working with the Elders can move the chairs from project to project. Be certain all Elders can see and hear.
Hearing. Elders' hearing must be adequate to understand the students in a large room with many noises.
Scoring. Be sure all Elders understand the criteria for scoring and how to score the project.
Ribbons. Scoring is always hard, because Elders want to encourage everyone and discourage no one.

Prepration. After Elders have interviewed students, give them a break.
During that break:
1) On each Elder score sheet, add the scores for each of the criteria and put the total on the top right of that scoring sheet. Don't confuse this number with project numbers! (Which should be on the top left.)
2) Put the score sheets for each project together, #23 with #23, #16 with #16 etc. This is where you discover whether all projects were judged or not. Make sure there is are scoring sheets for every project!
3) Staple the scoring sheets together, #23 with #23, #16 with #16. Etc.
4) Average the Elders' scores for each project. You can use the totals for each one, but if one judging team had three members and another two, scores will be off. Averaging overcomes the problem of uneven teams.
5) Arrange the papers in ascending order, with the best on the right and "not-so-good" on the left.
Now Elders MUST be involved:
Talk about the way the totals have come out. Does everyone think this is a fair rating for each project?
Take time in this part.
6) Go look at projects again. Discuss the merits of each. Do the Elders want to reevaluate a project now that the big picture is clearer? Refer to projects by name, "nets," "lamps," "deadfalls." Project numbers are meaningless.
Don't rush this part. Give Elders time. You might even have a meal at this point, giving them time for thought and personal conversation.
7) Once there is consensus that the projects are in ascending/descending order, find the breaks in the scores.  There is usually a large gap between the totals, like:
18, 18, 19, 20…27,27,27,28,29,29,30…36,36,40
These are convenient breaks between the red white and blue ribbons.
Telling Elders the color of the ribbon is confusing. (This is experience talking.) Red, white and blue are unfamiliar western symbols.
Again, confer with Elders. Tell them to group the projects. "Good," "best" and "not-so-good" might be better descriptions of the groups.
Do they think the grouping is accurate? Fair? Wait for consensus. Western science judges often are acutely aware of how to judge a science fair, as they have personally participated in so many. Western science judges and Elders tally their scores separately.  In the past, judges have stapled all score sheets for a given project together, averaged the scores and placed that number in the upper right corner of the top score sheet in a bright color. When that is done, they grouped the projects in three ranges: high, middle, and low. The break between the three groups is usually obvious.
The high range gets a blue ribbon, middle range a red ribbon, and low range gets a white ribbon.

Important! Because the number of ribbons required for each group is not known ahead of time, it is good to have an abundant surplus of ribbons of all colors. They are cheap and reusable.

Therefore:
Each project gets two ribbons, one from the Western science judges, and one from the Elders. It is possible for a project to get one blue and one white ribbon.
Best of show. For the ribbons that identify "Best of Show," Western science judges and Elders should be in agreement. Sometimes this takes strong negotiating, and other times it is quickly unanimous. The discussion is always healthy, as Elders get to hear what the scientists value, and the scientists better understand the Elders' viewpoint.

Western Science Judges' rubric:
 
Scientific process A question was asked, but not well persued. This is more of a library project than a hands-on science project.  
 

Poorly done.  
Score 2 
 

Clear hypothesis, data gathering and performance of experiment or observation. 
The project requires hands-on activity, organized thinking, and good observation skills.  

Well done.  
Score 6

Exceptionally well done with insightful performance and conclusions. 
The student was immersed in the project, trying several methods,even unsuccessful ones. The student thoroughly explored the original question. 

Exceptionally well done. Score 10

For the criteria  below: Poorly done  
score 1		 Well done  
score 3		 Exceptionally well done  
Score 5
Data The data is somewhat disorganized. Difficult for reader to understand the results.  
Data was collected but not enough for conclusive results.		 The data is organized and tells the reader what happened. 
Enough data was collected to make adequate conclusions.		 The data is overtly organized and displayed in several ways including graphs and charts. 
There was enough data for conclusive results.
Creativity and originality This project has been done before and shows no deviation from the past. The project might have been done before, but shows insightful adaptations with original approaches.  This project combines western and traditional science in a fresh way. The questions asked, methods used, and conclusions drawn are freshly insightful. 
Presentation  Speech is too soft. Presenter lacks confidence, knowledge of subject and enthusiasm. Speech, confidence, knowledge and enthusiasm are adequate. Speech, confidence, knowledge and enthusiasm are inspirational.
Conclusions No connection is made between the question, hypothesis, & data collection. 
A vague reference is made as to how this project could be improved. 		 Conclusions are clearly  stated.  
An adequate description is made as to how this project could be improved.		 The student has made insighful connections between the question, hypothesis, and data collection. 
Appearance  More work is needed to make the display neat.  The information is displayed clearly and neatly. The project commands attention, is extremely neat and easy to read. 
Use of materials  Materials used were not appropriate and/or safe.  Materials were used appropriately. Materials were used appropriately and creatively. 
 
 
 
  Elders Rubric
The presentation by the student and display of his/her project maintains the cultural values of his/her area.
Needs more work
Score 1
Good.
Score 3
Excellent 
Score 5
The student's work is well done. The project is organized and attractive. It shows good thought. The presentation is clear and confident. 
Needs more work
Score 1
Good.
Score 3
Excellent 
Score 5
The project is a study  of something that is 
important to the land, village/community, 
and culture
Needs more work
Score 1
Good.
Score 3
Excellent 
Score 5
There is evidence that the student consulted with one ormore community Elders, local experts and other cultural resources. 
Needs more work
Score 1
Good.
Score 3
Excellent 
Score 5
 

Overall, judges look for well planned work. They look at how significant the project is in its field and to the village community. They look for thoroughness.
Judges respond favorably to students who can speak freely and confidently about their research. They are not interested in memorized speeches. They simply want to TALK with students about the research to see if the student has a good grasp of the project from start to finish. Besides asking the obvious questions, judges often ask questions outside the normal scope to test insight into research such as "Why did you pick this project?" and "What would be your next step?"

There are two ways to present awards:
The first way is to give all awards one by one in front of the whole audience during the awards ceremony. This method is good because each student gets individual recognition. The disadvantage is that projects are often taken down right after the awards ceremony. Few people get to make the connection between the awards and the award winning projects. If there are many projects, the awards ceremony can become tedious.
The second way to present awards is to have all the blue, red and white ribbons hung on the projects after both sets of judges have tallied the scores. Elders' ribbons hang on one side of the project and Western science ribbons on the other side. The doors are locked until a specified time when the students and public are allowed entrance. This way everyone identifies the award ribbons with the projects.
The "Best of Show" ribbons are given out during the awards ceremony afterwards. The disadvantage of this way of presenting ribbons is that all students are not publicly acknowledged.

Some fairs give tokens of appreciation to judges, both Western scientists and Elders. Handcrafted articles are prized.

Practice. After the students have setup their projects, but before the judges come to interview them, we have allowed the students to practice by doing the following:
Divide the students into two groups, the presenters and the interviewers. Give each a piece of paper with 1 or 2 on it. Counting off 1,2,1,2 doesn't work!
Presenters stand by their projects and interviewers position themselves in front of individual projects.
At a signal, the presenters share their project with the interviewers for 3-5 minutes, when the time is up, the interviewers rotate to another project. After this is done several times, presenters and interviewers switch positions.
The rotating begins again. This gives each student the opportunity to share his/her project to peers several times before talking to the judges. It works great to kill "butterflies."
No student. Upon occasion, schools have sent projects without the students. Those projects seldom win high honors, but their presence contributes to the fair.
We have yet to explore the possibility of sending a project with a video of a student being interviewed by local judges. This doesn't allow that student the opportunity to learn from other projects in the fair, nor does it allow the student the opportunity to present the project under the pressure of unfamiliar judges, but it would be better than not participating at all. It would at least allow the science fair judges the opportunity to watch and listen as the student responds to questions by other adults.
Interaction. Both teachers and chaperones have commented that there should be more interaction among the students at the science fairs. If the fair is in a larger city, groups tend to split off to do shopping or go to movies.
Group ice breakers are the quickest way to initiate interaction among people. Native Elders like students to know how to introduce themselves in a group, giving their name, Native name, name of their parents and village.
Teachers and chaperones have felt the need for more meaningful interaction among the students, developing long-term, statewide, peer relationships. Field trips or other large group activities accomplish this purpose. Sharing the same hotel and sharing transportation also help. Swimming is a universal favorite.

Locally relevant science fairs depart from those of the past in several ways. They are based on local knowledge using local Elders as authorities. The Western science model is followed, but traditional knowledge and values are acknowledged.
Many projects evolve from summer science/culture camps, linking camps to the classroom.
Cooperation is encouraged by team projects. Community involvement is extremely high. Five years of experience across the state of Alaska have laid a foundation that is solid. There is no turning back. The enthusiasm of the students, strength of the Elders, and support of the communities assure that this is so.
 




Comments or questions? Contact the Alaska Native Knowledge Network.