A Win For Both Parties

This article provides an alternative to a science fair. Students in middle school prepare and present an exhibit that they use to teach elementary students. The name for this event is call... See More

This article provides an alternative to a science fair. Students in middle school prepare and present an exhibit that they use to teach elementary students. The name for this event is called the Biology Expo and there are ten stations where middle school students present concepts they learned in the first semester. All aspects of this event are described in this article. Samples of topics, stations and assignments are also provided in this article as well as a schedule. This sounds like a great way to enhance middle school learning and provide learning to lower grades.

Alternative to a Science Fair: Biology Expo

If one is looking for an alternative to science fairs, this article describes a ‘Biology Expo’. The author used her semester’s curricular subject matter to help shape the content of the stu... See More

If one is looking for an alternative to science fairs, this article describes a ‘Biology Expo’. The author used her semester’s curricular subject matter to help shape the content of the student exhibits. Using ideas from Exploratorium’s Science Snacks (an online resource that is provided), she helped her students plan and get ready for presentations they prepared specifically for the Expo. Middle school students then ‘taught’ their newfound knowledge to elementary students in the district. The author sent out invitations for family and friends to attend the student-led exhibits, and her middle school students had fun learning and teaching at the same time. Although the amount of work and time to launch such an exhibition seems comparable to a science fair, it may be a more appropriate way to connect students’ learning in the classroom by providing your students with teaching experiences as a way to reinforce and enrich the classroom experiences.