First Time Judging
SARSEF has projects from Kindergarten through 12 th grade, totally nearly 1500 projects, and we asure each project is judged by at least three judges. Teams are established to judge by grade and category. Some categories have large teams. For example there are usually around 500 5 th grade projects. High School judges must be professionals or hold advanced degrees, but these are not required for K-8th grade judges. We request that teachers judge a grade lower than they teach. This provides a level of confidence to the team that the projects they are reviewing are appropriate for the grade level. We routinely have Pima Community College and U of A students who are excellent judges in the elementary grades.
Please go to the signup Judging Registration, make your category preference selections, and join us on Tuesday of the Science Fair in March for a great breakfast brought to us by Texas Instruments follwed by a fun day reviewing great project displays. Lunch is also provided, thanks to Cox Communications. The Roles a Judge should play:
1. Encourage - the goal is to motivate and encourage students to want to continue in the sciences, engineering and technology fields, no matter what grade. Positive and constructive coments are recommended.
2. Evaluate - score the areas of the project, per the judging criteria, based upon the grade level. The link for "Judging Criteria" is listed under the Volunteer link with Samples of the judging scoring sheets. The areas involved include:
K-5: Curious investigation, statement of the problem or hypothesis (not required), procedures (are they appropriate for the question being addressed), organization, and learning experience.
6-8: Creative Ability, scientific though/engineering goals, thoroughness, skill level (tools/techniques), clarity (can the process be followed).
9-12: Creativity/ingenuity, scientific thought, throughness, skill, clarity. High School students should be doing a thorough literature review and an appropriate statistical analysis of data, or describing a sound engineering goal.
3. Role Model - Take care in what you say and do, as you are an example of the professionals that are involved in science, engineering, and technology in our community! You are seen as someone of expertise and a leader in the community - show them you are someone to emulate!
All projects fall into one of these three types:
- Individual, one person working alone. This individual's name goes on Student 1 line of Entry Form.
- Team, two or three persons working together. All three students names go on the Entry Form.
- Group, four or more (no limit) students working on one project. Students names are NOT put on the Entry form, only the Teachers name. Group projects are not permitted above the 5th Grade, only Individual and Team projects in Grades 8-12.
And one of these Categories:
Elementary Grades (K-5)
- Physical Science
- Life Science
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Middle School (6-8)
- Physical & Astronomy Sciences
- Earth Science
- Life Science
- Engineering, Math/Computer Science
- Behavioral/Social Science
- Energy & Transportation
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High School (9-12)
- Animal Sciences
- Behavioral & Social
- Biochemistry/Chemistry
- Cellular & Molecular Biology
- Computer & Mathematical Sciences
- Earth Science
- Engineering
- Energy & Transportation
- Environmental Sciences
- Medicine and Health
- Microbiology
- Physics & Astronomy
- Plant Sciences
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