"The Intel
International Science and Engineering Fair is the Olympics, the World Cup
and the World Series of science competitions. Held annually in May, the Intel
ISEF brings together over 1,200 students from 48 states and 40 nations to compete
for scholarships, tuition grants, internships, scientific field trips and the
grand prize: a trip to attend the Nobel Prize Ceremonies in Stockholm, Sweden.
Science Service founded the ISEF in 1950 and is very proud to have Intel as
the title sponsor of this prestigious, international ompetition." from
the ISEF website
***************Official SAGE Guidelines**************
The Association for Women Geoscientists is pleased to provide an Award Certificate
to female students whose projects, in the opinion of the judges, exemplify high
standards of innovativeness and scientific excellence in the geosciences. Special
consideration will be given to projects that increase public awareness of the
geosciences, illustrate the interdisciplinary nature of the geosciences, or
promote the sensitivity to the earth as a global system.
******Special Award for Geoscience Excellence***********
AWG encourages members to participate
as judges at your local science fair. AWG provides awards to outstanding projects
completed by girls in any field of geoscience, the Special Award for Geoscience
Excellence, or SAGE award. This award is funded by the AWG
Foundation (AWGF).
If you wish to provide any extra
award from your area/local AWG group/yourself, please feel free to send a proposal
to AWGF. They are eager
to help you!
Judging at a Science
Fair
Information on how
to judge at science fair from ISEF
Valerie
Honeycutt is AWG's liaison to ISEF. She suggests leaving a "business
card" at each project that you judge, because often the student is
not present for the judging, but needs to know that her project was seen. Another available
"calling card" is one-half of an 8 1/2 x 11" piece of paper with
the AWG logo and room for your signature. Half-page perforated certificate paper is available at office supply stores if you want to dress it up.
The other is "business card" format. Several varieties of perforated business card sheets are available,
and the vellum is a nice choice when printed in color.
AWG members have been judging geoscience
projects at ISEF for years. Here are some suggestions for judging from experienced
veterans:
- Mary Rose Cass
of the Bay Area AWG chapter
- Susan Swingholm
from Texas
Following are
some judging criteria prepared by the organizers of the San Francisco Middle
School Science Fair, in which AWG members have participated as "general"
judges and as judges to select the SAGE nominees:
1. Scientific methodology
- Does the experimental procedure test the hypothesis?
- Do the data support the conclusions?
- Was the work well controlled? Were an adequate number of trials done?
- Is the work repeatable? Were good records kept?
- Does the student recognize the limitations of the project and suggest
further research ideas?
2. Creativity
- Are there signs of insight and originality of approach?
- Is the project a discovery and not a demonstration?
- Do clarity of thought and imagination play a role in the development of
the project?
3. Communication
- Is the problem easily understood and concisely stated?
- Is it logically presented?
- Is the display attractive, dramatic?
- Is the exhibit neatly constructed, with legible lettering?
- Are grammar and spelling correct?
- Do the title and final report convey information which help develop the
project idea?
More useful info for judging
from a 10-year veteran and AWG member, Susan Swingholm of Texas:
"I've
judged for the last ten years at the Science Engineering Fair of Houston. Here
is my list:
1. wear comfortable shoes and bring
a clip board
2. pick a head judge to be the liaison with the science fair
3. the head judge should contact potential judges and provide all appropriate
paperwork to the judges
4. it's both easier to judge a group alone as it is to judge in a group; a group
has to come to consensus
5. at the SEFH, we've judged all three divisions (senior, junior and 7th/8th
grades) each year; judged ONLY girl's projects, but tried to judge ALL GIRL'S
projects in the divisions each year (it's depended on the number of judges participating
- I judged my first fair ALONE)!
6. we usually picked first, second, and third place winners from the three divisions
for a total of nine winners
7. make sure you get the winner's correct name, address, and phone number; school
name, address and phone number; and teacher name; so that you can mail things
to the winners if you don't get to meet them; also, to acknowledge the winner
to their teacher
8. in the beginning, we had big celebrations
with the winners and their families but it was too much for us to handle; the
fair has an awards ceremony the following day and many "special awarding
agencies" show up then with their prizes
9. we usually gave savings bonds worth $150 for first prize, $100 for second
prize and $50 for third prize; we sometimes printed out and framed
signed certificates; gave books, etc.
10. make sure you have enough matching funds to cover the cost of the prizes
