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[Symposium | State Essay Contest | International Science/Engineering Fair]

Science Fair Symposium

The Symposium is part of the annual Chicago Public Schools Student Science Fair at the Museum of Science and Industry. The Symposium is an opportunity for the exchange of ideas between a student presenter and a panel of university and industrial scientists in a particular area of science or mathematics. Emphasis is placed on a student’s inherent scientific interest and his/her ability to express himself/herself completely and correctly in oral and written form. Symposium entrants are required to conduct original research as a basis for the Symposium paper. However, this research need not be exhibited at the City Science Fair. The research paper requirements for exhibits and the Symposium are identical. Research involving humans, non-human vertebrates, human and vertebrate animal tissue, microorganisms, and recombinant DNA may require appropriate endorsement.

 

Entry Procedure

Any high school student who desires to participate in the Symposium must submit eight copies of both the Research Summary and Abstract to the school coordinator. At that time, the student will obtain the 2010 Student Science Fair Official Entry Form for Symposium and Essay Competition, which is to be completed in triplicate. All Entry Forms, Abstracts, and Research Summaries are forwarded to the Symposium Chairperson, for evaluation and selection. Students whose papers are selected are notified and given a complete set of instructions for participation in the City Science Fair Symposium. Other papers are returned to the high school science fair coordinator. Your coordinator will advise you of the deadline date which is January 8, 2010. Examine the Symposium Paper/IJAS State Essay Checklist on page 83 for helpful information in completing the Symposium paper.

 

Symposium Papers

The Symposium paper is the same as the Research Summary and Abstract described in previous sections of this handbook. A high school student who plans to enter a project in the City Science Fair and also wishes to participate in the Symposium needs eight copies of both the Abstract and Research Summary for the Symposium. These eight copies are in addition to the copies needed for the exhibit. The page limit of 30 pages also applies. Extra pages will be removed and returned to the student. The copies to be entered in the Symposium must be accompanied by the 2010 Student Science Fair Official Entry Form for Symposium and Essay Competition (in triplicate), one copy of an IJAS Safety Sheet, and the appropriate endorsement(s) if applicable.The student is required to do original research. Symposium papers are due January 8, 2010. There will be no extension of the deadline. Papers submitted after the deadline will be stamped Deadline, dated, and returned to the author. Papers submitted by the due date will be read and evaluated by the Screening Committee. All papers that do not follow the guidelines 2010 Science Fair Handbook in this handbook (pages 08-16) will be returned to the student. Each school is allowed to submit to the Symposium Committee no more than 30 research papers. The total of 30 papers includes both Symposium papers and Essay papers.

 

Symposium Program

An orientation meeting for all finalists will be held before the Symposium date to familiarize the students with the Symposium locations and available audiovisual equipment which will include an overhead projector, slide projector, tape recorder, television, and VCR. Participants will be given complete details as to procedures and scheduling for their presentation in the program.

 

Each finalist will be given 10 minutes to present his/her paper, followed by a five-minute question-and-answer period. All participating students must remain for the entire morning or afternoon session. Overhead projectors will be available for students wishing to use transparencies in their presentation. The main task of the participant is to present (in the time allotted) a recapitulation of his/her Research Summary, highlighting the Purpose, Hypothesis, Review of Literature, Materials, Results, and
Conclusion(s). Judges will not accept revisions of student papers after they have been received from the Symposium Committee.