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Guidelines & Rules

Rules:

1. The projects are to be completed either in teams (with a maximum of four students) or alternatively projects can be completed by individuals.
2. The competition is open to 4th, 5th and 6th class students.
3. Projects must contain a project book and also a visual display for the school exhibition. The project book cover should be the specially provided project form which captures all necessary information
   • Click here to download the Project Registration Form template
   • Click here to download the Project Report Book guidelines
4. The visual display should be bright, colourful, neat and easy to read.
5. Students will have to display their project on not more than 8 A4 pages as it is only to summarise the project. This is so that these pages can be arranged on the tables at your school display. Any other items that would help the display should be included if possible, for example, any pieces of equipment or models.
6. It is a good idea to include pictures, diagrams, etc on the visual display.
7. Students are free to use various poster, cardboard, decorative materials to enhance their displays.
8. Project books should include a list of sources of information at the back, e.g. web site address, names of books etc.
9. Students whose projects involve studies of live animals must ensure that such studies are carried out in conformity with the statutory regulations. Copies of the regulations are available from the Department of Health and Children, Hawkins House, Dublin 2.
10. Agar plates containing micro-organisms cannot be exhibited.

Categories

The idea of the projects is to encourage students to work scientifically and learn by investigating. Students should work as scientists as they investigate and explore their physical and natural surroundings. They should apply skills of enquiry during this investigative work: observing, asking questions, suggesting explanations, predicting outcomes, planning investigations or experiments to test ideas and drawing conclusions.

Designing and making is another aspect of the project development and gives students the opportunity to apply scientific ideas to everyday situations and problems. Students are encouraged to explore, plan and make models and functional objects in order to solve practical problems.

The key elements of Working Scientifically and Designing and Making should be refined within one of five project categories:

1. Living Things
• Plant and animal life
• Human Life
2. Energy and Forces
• Light
• Sound
• Heat
• Magnetism and Electricity
• Forces
3. Materials
   
• Properties and Characteristics of Materials
  
• Materials and Change
  
4. Environmental Awareness and Care
• Science and the Environment
  
• Caring for my locality
  

Judging

• The judges will collect the project book from each group at the start of the exhibition to get a better understanding of student’s projects.
• They will also visit each stand (visual display) during the exhibition to talk to the students involved about their projects.
• The judges will announce the winners of the exhibition at the award ceremony which will take place on the day of the exhibition.
• Judges will be scoring projects based on the following criteria:
  Project Book (content/scientific evaluation) 40 marks
  Project Book (presentation/visual impact) 30 marks
  Involvement, Oral Presentation and Teamwork 30 marks
  
• The judges will be choosing a 1st and 2nd prize team in every school
• The decision of the judges will be final

Prizes - Prizes will be awarded as follows:

Students:

1. 1st place teams – all individuals will receive a prize and also a team prize. The winning project will be invited to participate in the Mini Scientist final taking place in Intel on December 1st and 2nd.
2. 2nd place teams – all individuals will receive a prize and also a team prize and will also be invited to participate in the Mini Scientist final taking place in Intel on December 1st and 2nd.
3. All participants will receive a certificate of participation and a small prize

• *At the Intel final event 6 winning projects will be selected to go forward to display at the 2012 Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition taking place in the RDS in January.
  

Teachers:

• A teacher prize will also be awarded to the teacher of one of the 6 prize winning projects selected at the Intel final in December. The prize will be a laptop computer.

The School level Exhibition:

• The school exhibition should take place in your school at a date of your choosing but must be before the beginning of December. Schools should be responsible for the organisation of their own exhibitions with judges (if needed) and prizes being provided by Intel.
• A School Project List should be completed by the school in advance of the exhibition capturing all projects that will be entered into the event – Download the form
• Exhibition location is at the discretion of each school but for larger numbers of participating students a location such as a school hall/gym is most suitable. For smaller groups a classroom is adequate.

Use of Photographs:
By giving consent to use of photographs (see project entry form) a parent/guardian grants to INTEL Corporation (“INTEL”), or anyone authorized by INTEL, the irrevocable right to use any photograph taken of their child while he/she is participating in Mini Scientist. Such photographs may be used on the Mini Scientist website and in related marketing materials, without media, time, use or geographic limitation. It is understood that INTEL is not obligated to use the photograph in any way.