Dear Parents:

 

Your child will have the chance to solve his or her own science mystery by doing a science project, a mandatory assignment for your child's class.

 

Since your child has the chance to pick his or her own science project question, from the physics of making music to the biology of tide pool animals, he or she will have the chance to experience the joy of discovery.

 

When starting a science project, a student chooses a question he or she would like to answer. Then, he or she does targeted library and Web research to gain the background information needed to formulate a hypothesis and design an experimental procedure. After writing a report to summarize this background research, the student performs the experiment, draws conclusions, and communicates the results to teachers and classmates.

 

Through time management and project planning, your child will take on the responsibility of completing a project over at least a 6-week period. Your child will discover his or her creativity by brainstorming science project questions and figuring out how to display the process and results. A science project, through its challenge to ask questions and discover, is truly a real-world experience in innovation, similar to what scientists do in their careers.

 

We will provide your child with sufficient support to succeed, so that he or she develops enthusiasm for scientific discovery. First, your child will accomplish each step of the project by doing homework assignments. We will review the assignments at key checkpoints along the way, so that you won't face helping your child do a project the last night before the fair. Second, we have included a basic guide (enclosed) of how to help without getting over-involved.

 

To get started, read through this Guide to the Science Fair packet.

 

You will have the opportunity to approve the project your student selects by signing a Science Project Proposal Form, one of the early assignments on the attached schedule.

 

If you have any questions, please email me mhecht@tjastaff.com or text to (954) 231-1357.

 

Sincerely,

Moshe Hecht