ESSAY CONTEST

The Fort Atkinson Science Fair invites all area students to participate in this year’s science essay contest, which will be held in conjunction with the science fair. The essay contest offers students the opportunity to defend a thesis using research done by others rather than conduct the research themselves with a project. The goal of this contest is to promote awareness of the importance of analytical thinking and effective communication in scientific areas.

ELIGIBILITY: Any student eligible to enter the Fort Atkinson Regional Science Fair is eligible for the essay contest. Students may enter both competitions if desired. CLASS PROJECTS: Teachers who submit essays on behalf of their students may submit no more than 10 essays per class.

AWARDS: All participants will receive a certificate of participation and a ribbon designating their level of accomplishment. One rosette ribbon will be awarded for each essay judged to be 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place in each division. These top three winners in each division will also receive a $10 gift certificate. Awards will be presented at the science fair awards ceremony (see fair schedule). All essays will be on display at the fair and can be picked up after the public viewing or during project pick-up time.

DIVISIONS: There will be three divisions: grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Each division will be judged separately. There is no Special Education division for the essay contest.

All essays must be typed using 12 point Times New Roman font, double spaced. Hard copies ONLY will be accepted. NO faxes or email copies.

Each essay must propose a thesis, provide discussion of research done to support the thesis, and come to a conclusion. First, develop your thesis. A thesis statement is the statement that begins a formal essay. It describes the central argument of your essay, I.e. smoking is bad for your health. Second, do your research. Books, magazine articles and Internet sources are all acceptable. You MUST cite the sources you used to defend your thesis. And third, write your essay. In your conclusion, explain how the research did or did not support your thesis.

Division 3-5: write a minimum of 150 words on any science related topic, following the criteria described in the paragraph above. Include a bibliography of sources consulted using the APA citation format.

Divisions 6-8 and 9-12: write a minimum of 500 words on any science related topic, following the criteria described in the paragraph above. Cite sources within the body of the essay using the APA citation style. Include a bibliography of sources consulted using the APA citation format.

SUBMISSION: All essays must have the following information on the back of your essay:

             Name
            Address with city and zip code
            Home telephone number
            Grade level
            School

Each essay must have attached the Essay Verification Form signed by a parent or teacher including an accurate word count. This form can be found the booklet pdf. Any entry that does not conform to the above criteria will not be judged.

Submit your essay by February 1^st. They can be dropped off at Dwight Foster Public Library or mailed to:

Karen Kutz
W.D. Hoard & Sons Co.
28 West Milwaukee Ave.
Fort Atkinson, WI 53538

Judging Criteria