Academy for Academic Excellence

• First things First....
  • What is the purpose of the AAE Festival of Science or the Regional and State Science Fairs?
• Student Science Project Guidelines and a helpful guideline for conducting a Science Investigation and writing a Science Project or Research Report
• Having a hard time picking a topic for your Science Fair Entry? Try visiting...
  • Steps to Prepare a Science Fair Project
    • What Makes a Good Science Fair Project?
    • A Science Fair Project Resource Guide
    • Science Buddies
    • CRS's Elementary Science Fair Planning Guide
      • CRS's  Elementary Science Fair Planning Guide in Spanish

Discovery's "Science Fair Central",  "Science Fair Handbook"
The "Classic" path....	Scientific Method
1. Identify the problem	Choose Project Idea,  Project Type,    Topic Validation
2. Conducting a Review of the Available Literature	Project Research
3. Developing your Hypotheses	How to develop a working Hypothesis  and   Experimental Design step 1 & step 2   Project Samples
4. Designing your Experimental Procedure
5. Data Collection and Analysis
6. Drawing your Conclusions
7. Sharing your Findings	Display & presentation   The Display  Presentation and Evaluation AAE Rubrics:  K-1, 2-4, 5-6, 7-12 (being developed)

• Some other sites that might help you plan your science project include...
  • Science Fair Projects Resource Guide
  • What Makes a Great Science Log Book
  • http://www.eduplace.com/science/profdev/science_fair/
  • http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/Resources/GettingStarted.html
  • Science Experiments for All Around Your Home
• Some 'common'  Do's and Don'ts
  • Project Do's
  • Project Don'ts
    • Here is a link to the current (1/2017) SIM SEF 'Display and Safety Regulations'. You might want to build these guidelines into your project at the beginning so you won't have to change anything in the end!
      
  • Display Do's
    • Examples of what a 'correct' science fair project display board 'should' look like (from RCOE.)
    • An example of what a 'research' board 'should' look like based on the new Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards
      (from RCOE.)
  • Display Don'ts
• 'Common' Guidelines for using a Notebook for documenting your science project experience.
• Template for laying out the Title Page for your science project.
• 'Common' Guidelines for writing your Science project report.
• 'Common' Guidelines for writing a Bibliography or reference list for your science project. documenting your science project experience.
• 'Common' Guidelines for writing an acceptable Abstract for your science project. Here is an example and here is another example.
  
• Cut out, fill out and attach this Label to the back of your science project display board.
• Use this 'common' "Project Rubric" to self-assess your project before putting on the "final touches" and turning it in. Here is a copy of the form we use to assess student science projects (we are in the process of developing forms for technology, engineering and math projects [1/2016]).
• Here are some templates for laying out a project display board: Example 1 (a handout from a SoCal school district), example 2 (3 NGSS CCSS based samples)
  
• Suggested Timeline for planning the AAE Science Festival
• Suggested Timeline for planning Student Projects

• Historically, the AAE (for grades 4-12) is given only 6 project 'slots' or opportunities to enter 6 worthy project to the SIM SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FAIR (SIM SEF).

• The 'common' SIM SEF project categories for each grade band are as follows:  grades 4-5 ,  grades grades 6-8 and grades 9-12 (descriptions). Please encourage students to view these lists and the following descriptions before picking project.
  

  • Categories that have the fewest entries have a greater chance of winning higher recognition.
• Here are some 'Display and Safety Regulations' to abide by before preparing your project to bring to the SIM SEF.
• At the SIM SEF, student projects will be judged using the criteria described in this document.
• This document describes what students can expect during when they are interviewed by SIM SEF judges.

• The current SIM SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FAIR' materials can be found at one of this website (please note that they are updated annually with new materials and sometime the url changes as well): SBCSS , 
  

  •  Resources to be looking for include the most current: 

    • Regulations and Information Packet (generally a '.pdf' file) which can be found here. Here is a copy of the SIM SEF 2017 Handbook.

      • Here is a link to a 'practice' copy (Google.doc) of the 'old' online 'RIMS' Science Fair Student Project Application. Feel free to make a copy and modify it for your use if you would like.

      • SIM SEF offers online student registration. WE DO NOT OFFER PAPER REGISTRATION. For the 2016-2017 school year online registration is open December 1, 2016 thru March 2, 2017 (closes 9:00 a.m.). Students may obtain the website address from Mrs. Johnston, our new AAE K-12 School Site Fair Coordinator or go to http://tinyurl.com/SIMWebpage. All information must be completed accurately and all applicable forms and certifications to your project must be turned into your District/Affiliate Fair Coordinator. In addition to turning in certifications and related forms to your District/Affiliate Fair Coordinator you must also submit your Signature Card by 9:00 a.m. on March 2, 2017.

      • Signature Cards are to be signed and given to our School Site/Affiliate Fair Coordinators with all certifications and related forms. The School Site/Affiliate Fair Coordinator will then also sign the Signature Card certifying that they have possession of all necessary documents for that given project to participate in the SIM SEF.

      • Here is a copy of the 2016-17 SIM SEF student project Application Acceptance Criteria.
      
      
    • At the present time, the SIM SEF coordinators have not compiled a "Students' Guide to Participation, (generally a '.pdf' file) for the SIM SEF. Note, this is a 2013-14  version for the old 'RIMS Inland Science and Engineering Fair'.
    • A Student Schedule and Map for the Event Day (link to be added at a later date) will be made available closer to the day of the event for the upcoming SIM Science & Engineering Fair.
      
    • SIM SEF 'Key Dates' outline for the upcoming event in San Bernardino can be found here. Here is a direct link to the document for the 2016-12 SIM SEF event.
      

• The Annual SIM SEF for students representing schools in San Bernardino, Inyo, and Mono counties will now be held at the Auto Club Speedway, 9300 Cherry Avenue Fontana, CA 92335, during the first week of April each year . For the timing of this year's event go here for the most updated information (generally in the 'Key Events' document (a .pdf). The 4-12h grade awards presentation will now beheld (as of 1/2017) on the National Orange Show, in the Valencia Room, on
  689 S. E Street San Bernardino, CA  92408. For the timing of this year's event go here.

• For the latest information regarding this year's ANNUAL SIM SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FAIR the current materials can be found at one of these websites (please note that they are updated annually with new materials): SBCSS1 and SBCSS2.

• Used Human Subjects... Guidelines of Compliance of Research Involving Human Subjects,
  
  • Form: Certification of Compliance of Research Involving Human Subjects
    
• Used Living Organisms... Guidelines of Humane Treatment of Live Vertebrate Animals, Guidelines
  • Form Name: Certification of Humane Treatment of Live Vertebrate Animals
    
• Used Living Tissues... Guidelines of Tissue Sample Source
  • Form name: Certificate of Tissue Samples
• Used 'Professional Research Support Form'... This form is required of all projects completed partially or entirely within the facilities of a professional research organization, whether academic, industrial, or government. Include this form and any attachments with your application. Complete the top two lines before delivering the form to your research advisor.
  • Form name: Professional Research Support Form
    
• NOTE: The forms provided above are copies of ones used for past science fair events. For the current forms find and download the current versions of the 'SIM SEF 2016-2017 Handbook' from the SBCSS website.

• Generally opens during the 1st week of December (as of 12/2016) and closes during the 1st week of March @ 9:00 am.
  PLEASE NOTE: Generally this link is NOT/Open available until December each year.

• The signup fee (not entry) for the 'elevated' students and their projects has been $40/student payable to SBCSS.

• All students in grades 4th thru 12th can register on-line at this link (Note: this link is only activated and up-to-date during the open registration period). The 'Instruction for Application/Registration' that students, parents and/or teachers will need to have on hand when filling out the online registration form can be found here.
  • Note: 'Hard copies' of the online Application are no longer needed. The 'division' breakdowns are:
  • Elementary Division (grade 4-5th grade)
  • Junior Division (grade 6-8th grade)
  • Senior Division (grade 9-12th grades

• Abstracts are require for online registration. Here are some examples to help guide you in writing yours.

• Local Science Fair Informationfor San Bernardino, Inyo, & Mono counties
  • For additional information contact:
    • STEM Coordinator
      Mr Kim Terry @ 909.386.2636 or by email @ Kim.Terry@sbcss.net.
    • Superintendent of Schools Office
      • 601 North E Street, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0020
      • For additional information, please contact: Mr. David Maya by e-mail or by calling (909) 386-2630

• Some Do's and Don'ts
  • Project Do's
  • Project Don'ts
  • Display Do's
    • Examples of what a 'correct' science fair project display board 'should' look like (from RCOE.)
    • An example of what a 'research' board 'should' look like based on the new Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards
      (from RCOE.)
  • Display Don'ts
  • California Science Fair Facts

• Google Science Fair...
• BroadCOM MASTERS ... by invitation only
• Regeneron Science Talent Search... STS
• Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF)...
• National Junior Academy of Science...AJAS

• AAE 9-12 Integrated Science Honors
  • 2016-2017 (.pdf)

• Student Science Fair Project Resource Guide
• Still Looking for a Science Fair Project Idea? Good sites to search for Science Fair Project ideas.
  • http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/