Dear Science & Engineering Fair Teacher
The Western Upper Peninsula Science & Engineering Fair will be Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at the Memorial Union Ballroom on Michigan Tech’s campus from 4:15-8:30 pm. Students in Grade 4-8 can submit projects on an investigation they conduct on any topic of interest, using the scientific process. The design of a science & engineering fair project is an excellent way to engage students in the scientific and engineering practices of the Michigan Science Standards. Students may work individually on a project or in a group of two students. There will be separate competition categories for groups and individuals in each grade level as well as for science and engineering projects. The guidance of the classroom teacher is critical to the success of the science & engineering fair.
Science Project Student Planning Guide: We ask that each teacher make copies of the 2020 Student Planning Guide for their students to use when planning a Science Project. The Science Project Student Planning Guide provides information about the fair, worksheets that will lead your students through the design and implementation of an investigation and a science project.
Engineering Project Student Planning Guide: We ask that each teacher make copies of the 2020 Student Planning Guide for their students to use when participating in the Engineering Challenge. The Engineering Challenge Student Planning Guide provides information about the fair, worksheets that will lead your students through the design and implementation of a selected engineering challenge.
Display Boards and Access to Electrical Outlets: Projects will need to fit on a standard size board or smaller. Standard size white display boards are available for science fair projects at $2.00 each. Please contact Jamie at 482-0331 or jjohnson@copperisd.org with the number that you will need. Students will not have access to electrical outlets in Memorial Union for their projects.
Registration: The number of projects that can enter the Western UP Science & Engineering Fair is limited to 200 projects on a first-come basis. This year we encourage registration to occur through an online linked here or found on the https://www.wupstem.org/home/sciencefair/ website. Paper registration forms are found in the back of the planning guide to be used as needed.
The online registration forms must be submitted by the CCISD office by 4:00 pm, Friday, February 28, 2020. No registrations after this due date will be accepted. A complete Project Registration Form which includes a signed Parent Consent are required for each project. There are separate forms for individual and group projects, please make sure your students use the correct form.
Questions: please contact Emily Gochis at 906-482-0331 or egochis@copperisd.org.
Confirmation Letters: Each registered student will receive a confirmation letter. These letters will be sent to you by Monday, March 8 2020 for distribution to participants in your classroom. This letter will have the student’s project number and interview time.
Display of projects at the Carnegie Museum: Students who received Bronze, Silver or Gold rating at the Western UP Science & Engineering Fair will have the opportunity to display their projects at the Carnegie Museum in Houghton in early April. Details will be sent to these students immediately after the fair.
Awards: Awards will be given to students who receive 80% of the points on their score sheet. Students will receive a rating indicating their project’s success:
- Bronze- 80 to 86% of points
- Silver- 87 to 93% of points
- Gold- 94 to 100% of points
This system will give students more feedback as to their success in accomplishing the criteria on the score sheet. The criteria on the score sheet can be found in the project checklist on p.24-25 of the student guide.
Award will be distributed to schools by Monday, March 30, 2020 for distribution to students.
SCHEDULE (All times are EDT) Wednesday, March 18, 2019
| Time (EDT) | Event |
| 4:00-4:45 pm |
Set up projects in the ballroom
Each project will be given a project number. Students will set up their projects in the ballroom on the table that corresponds with your project number. Student nametags will be at your designated area indicated by your project number in the ballroom. |
| 5:00-6:00 pm | Science Fair open to the public |
| 6:00-6:15 pm | Preview period of projects by the judges |
| 6:15-8:00 pm |
Judging of Projects – Interview Period #1: 6:15-7:00 pm & Interview Period #2: 7:15-8:00 pm
|
| 7:00-7:15 pm | Students scheduled for the first interview period remove projects from the ballroom. |
| 4:30-7:30 pm | STEM Festival: exciting activities are located in the Memorial
Union Commons Area on the ground floor for all participants and family members. |
| 8:00-8:15 pm | Students scheduled for the second interview period remove projects from the ballroom. |
The 2020 Western UP Science & Engineering Fair and STEM Festival is a collaborative effort of:
- Western U.P. STEM Network
- Michigan Tech Center for Science and Educational Outreach
- Michigan Tech Chapter of Omega Chi Epsilon Chemical Engineering Honor Society
- Carnegie Museum
The 2020 Western UP Science & Engineering Fair and STEM Festival is made possible by sponsorship of following Michigan Tech Departments and community organizations:
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
- College of Sciences and Arts
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
- Ecosystem Science Center
- Great Lakes Research Center
- Transportation Institute