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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 (Download the form here)
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.

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 four 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
  (Download the Score sheet)
• 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 to the following:

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 final taking place in Intel on December 2nd 2009.
2. 2nd place teams – all individuals will receive a prize and also a team prize. The runner-up project will also be invited to participate in the final taking place in Intel on December 2nd 2009.
3. All participants will receive a certificate of participation

• At the Intel final there 6 winning projects will be selected to go forward to display at the 2010 Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition taking place in the RDS in January. Prizes will also be awarded at this final.
  
• Members of the winning project teams will be offered free transportation to the YSTE fair.

 

* A teacher prize will also be awarded to the teacher of one of the 6 prize winning projects selected at the Intel final on December 2nd. The prize will be a laptop computer.*

The Exhibition:

• The school exhibition should take place in your school at a date of your choosing but must be before December 2nd. 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 has to be completed by the school in advance of the exhibition and also an exhibition registration form should be provided to Intel with all the relevant details in order for us to support your event if required:
  - Download the Project Report Book and Form
  - Download the Project List Template
• 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.