STEAM Fair Participant Information

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2024 Seahawk STEAM Fair
Participant Information

STEAM Fair Project Requirements | Do's and Don'ts | Project Ideas | Sample Online Resources

1. Determine the type of project you would like to create from the categories below.

Science Art Exhibit – “Amazing Art”

The Arts are a critical component of innovation. Expressing our creativity allows us to learn to expand our thinking processes and practice our design-related skills. This project opportunity asks to explore your creativity and curiosity as it relates to other STEM areas.

For your art project, consider the following topics and demonstrate how STEAM is used in relation to the project.

- Music: How is math used in creating music? What effects does music have on the brain?

- Manipulative Arts – Use clay or other materials to demonstrate human anatomy

- Art in our World – Where do we see patterns in our everyday world? Fibonacci Sequence, cell development, computer coding

- Architecture – How did the Egyptians or Romans used math and art to create structures

One example would be, using artistic ability to design a project in the form of a drawing with a written explanation of the creation. For example, draw the solar system with labels of the planets along with interesting facts or diagram how something works and label its parts (like a clock or an engine).

Science Demonstration – “Show What You Know”

Present something learned from research. For example, create a display of the kinds of snakes found in Virginia or make a volcano and explain how one works. Be sure to include a list of sources for the information presented.

Observational Design – "Observe and Report"

Observe something to learn more about it. Begin with a question and discover the answer through observation. For example, study the behavior of a pet (how often a pet eats and sleeps in a day) or other people (do more boys or girls go into a comic book store). Can any other conclusions be drawn? Do other questions come to mind after reviewing the results?

Resources: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/references/observation-study-experimental-design

Science Invention – "A Modern-Day Invention"

Find a problem; then imagine a new thing that can solve the problem. If possible, make a model of the invention. If the invention is too complicated to make a model, create a line drawing instead. Explain how the design works and name the invention. Prepare a display for the invention and include the model or labeled drawing. A model does not have to work but must represent your concept. Describe the invention and its purpose and include a list of supplies needed.

Experimental Design

Experiments are projects that test a hypothesis and identify findings to answer questions or solve problems (examples: “What is the Best Environment for Yeast Fermentation?,” “Which Paper Towel is More Absorbent?,” or “The Effect of Detergent on the Growth of Plants”).

The scientific method is a way to ask and answer scientific questions by making observations and doing experiments. The steps of the scientific method are to:

Ask a question
Do background research
Construct a hypothesis
Write a procedure (experiment plan) and identify variables
Test your hypothesis by doing an experiment, using variables
Record and Analyze your data
Draw a conclusion

For more information on the Scientific Method, visit: http://www.sciencebuddies.com/science-fair-projects/project_scientific_method.shtml

2. Identify a topic.

Talk to your teacher and parents about topics that interest you. With your parents help, search the internet for ideas or visit the library to find a topic that interests you and determine what you will need to do complete your project. For help with project topics and ideas, website links are provided below.

3. Get project assistance when needed.

This is YOUR STEAM fair project, not your parents. However, you may need assistance to find a topic, research, conduct your experiment, draw conclusions, and prepare your presentation. And, that’s OK. Reach out to your teachers and parents for help – just make sure that you do the work!

4. Start early – don’t wait until the last minute!

Projects and experiments require a significant amount of time and prep work – make sure you plan ahead and are not rushed at the last minute. Some experiments take weeks!

STEAM Fair Project Requirements

All projects will need a free-standing display board. (The example provided is just one way to organize your information.)
Present a well organized, accurate, and neat project.
Student must provide independent explanation.

STEAM Fair Do’s and Don’ts

Restrictions for FCPS Elementary STEAM Fair Projects

Students are prohibited from using the following organisms in their projects:

Molds
Bacteria
Humans (including human surveys)
Vertebrates
Explosive or flammable materials

If a student chooses to use invertebrates, it is the parent’s responsibility to make sure that the experiment is done for sound scientific reasons and will not harm the invertebrate unduly.

One of the reasons for these restrictions is that these organisms are taken from the wild and once they are removed from their natural habitat there are too many variables to make it a controlled experiment and also to ensure safety of all fair participants.

Need Project Ideas? Consider these…

What makes a shadow?
What are the parts of a plant and their uses?
What are the habitats of a trout, cardinal and boa constrictor?
What dissolves in water and what does not?
Patterns in nature and their connections to math and art
What does a tree look like in all four seasons?
Predict what would happen if natural resources were used up. How could we prevent this from happening?
Crystal formation and their relevance to art
The art of human anatomy
Can you predict an objects movement using its size, shape and force of the push or pull on it?
Describe evolution, develop some theories, and present examples
The role of math and art in ancient architecture
Magnet demonstration
Friction demonstration
Energy absorption and color
Simple machines in real life
Demonstrate changes in an animal through different seasons
Plants and their reaction to light
Origami
Tornado in a bottle
States of matter (solid, liquid, gas)
How can humans protect the environment?
What is conservation?
Make a model of the layers of soil
What causes erosion?
Fibonacci’s Sequence
What are the differences/similarities of solids, liquids, and gasses?
Why do we have seasons?
Why do animals hibernate?
Pick a simple machine and explain how it works
Describe the orbital paths of the planets around the sun, the relative periods of revolution, and the planets' distances from the sun
Name and describe the physical characteristics of the sun and the planets
Historical contributions in the understanding the Earth-Moon-Sun system (Earth centered model/Sun centered model)
The water cycle
Day and Night: The causes of the seasons and the phases of the moon
Making clouds: Identify cloud types and describe weather conditions related to the formation of clouds
The Golden Ratio
Make lightning
Math statistics in baseball or basketball
Make snow crystals
Construct and use weather instruments to collect weather data
Build a bridge and talk about how math and art are used
Build a robot