Free! Open TO ALL STUDENTS!
(regardless of age or past experience)
If your K-5th student is interested
Mentorships began March 17th. Sign up deadline was April 15th
Trifold Posterboards are provided! You can pick yours up in the main office at Happy Valley. If you need someone to drop a board off at your house, please email our parent volunteer.
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The Wonder Fair can be an at-home only project, or your student has the option of attending a free after school program on Mondays from 2:30-4pm at Happy Valley where they will be paired with a student from Western Washington University. EVERYONE who plans to have a project should sign up.
FAQ
There are 5 categories to choose from:
01
Collect
Collect and organize something of interest. The collection should answer questions related to observations made while exploring the world. Examples: What types of tree leaves can be found on my street? What kind of tracks can be found in the local park? How old are all the pennies in my piggy bank?
02
Experiment
To answer a question about the natural world, conduct an experiment. The students should do some preliminary research, propose a hypothesis, plan and conduct an experiment, and analyze the results. Bonus points if there is any real-world application of what was learned.
03
Invention / Innovation
Everything we use, work with, or wear was invented or repurposed to answer a need. Objects are designed to solve a particular problem or need. This is the time to be an inventor. Use science, math, and creativity to design a thing or a process that solves a problem or meets a need. Use the following process: State a problem, conduct a research background, devise a solution, plan and design, create the solution, and improve upon it.
04
Connection to Learning
Determine something that is of personal interest to your child and now he/she will read books/magazines/internet sites; visit institutions; speak with experts; etc. The display board may include drawings, photographs, charts, graphs, dioramas, etc. As International Baccalaureate learners, we ask our children to make connections to what they learned every day. Connections can be to other learning topics; looking at a problem from a new/different perspective or a connection that inspires the students to take action because of what they learned. Example: Why does the ocean appear blue? Once the student has researched this question, see if they are inspired to learn more about what allows humans to see color, or to be colorblind, or if they are inspired to learn how other animals and bugs see color?
05
Creativity
Amazing things happen when students are creative. This project showcases true imagination. A student must create something new. This can be music, dance, art or poetry. It can include writing, but it MUST be an original and unique expression of ideas, thoughts, or points of view.
We shifted from a “Science Fair” to a “Wonder Fair” to encourage students to dive into ANYTHING that makes
them wonder.
There is something both beautiful and powerful about watching a child’s eyes light up during an investigation, the intensity with which she focuses on an object of interest or the sense of fascination that fuels exploration.
As parents and educators, we recognize that these moments don’t always happen within our structured days at school, and yet we believe strongly that children are capable of “wonder-ful” thinking that connects them to the natural world both cognitively and emotionally. Therefore, we invite you to help your student come up with a “wonder-ful” investigation about something that interests them.
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We are providing example categories for inquiry and these are based on an Inquiry Fair that is held at an International Baccalaureate school in Colorado (https://soe.dcsdk12.org/family_resources/inquiry_fair).
The Possibilities are Endless
We need mentors!
