HIGH SCHOOL ENTRANT INFORMATION

(NOTE: The following information applies to those students entering in Division 9-12 only. It does NOT apply to Special Education Science 9-12 division.)

We are very excited to now be able to offer our top two high school entrants a chance to go to the Badger State Science Fair, where they will compete for a chance to go to the International Science and Engineering Fair! In order to be eligible to advance to the state level, Division 9-12 entries must conform to ISEF rules. However, eligibility to advance is OPTIONAL and not necessary to compete at the Fort Atkinson Regional Science Fair. Those who wish to only compete regionally may skip those steps marked "[ISEF]". Those who wish to be eligible to advance on must complete ALL 9 steps below. An adult sponsor and research paper are required of all division 9-12 entrants.

Badger State Science and Engineering Fair

ISEF Information:
            Student ISEF research project information 
            ISEF rules and forms Wizard
            ISEF Project Primer
            Teacher / Mentor ISEF information

In order for us to have the required paperwork completed, we must know about any students who wish to go to the Badger State fair ahead of time. Any student that wishes to compete at the Badger State Fair must inform the FASF Board President by January 15th (a phone call will suffice).

Fort Atkinson Regional Science Fair Division 9-12 Rules

(Rules marked "ISEF" are required only for those who wish to go on to compete at the Badger State Science Fair.)

 1. Choose an adult sponsor and discuss what kind of experiment you would like to do. An adult sponsor may be a teacher, parent, university professor, or scientist. This individual must have a solid background in science and should have close contact with the student during the course of the project. He or she is ultimately responsible not only for the health and safety of the student conducting the research, but also for the humans or animals used as subjects. Further requirements for the adult sponsor will be found in the ISEF Rules & Guidelines booklet. If you cannot find an adult sponsor, contact the FASF Science Advisor for assistance.

 2. [ISEF] Obtain copies of ISEF booklets (Rules & Guidelines and the Student Handbook) from the ISEF website (www.sciserv.org/isef/). Read everything carefully. Fill out any necessary forms, get all required signatures, and keep the forms safe in a folder or binder. These forms will need to be part of your display and copies will be reviewed by a committee if your project is chosen to compete at the state level. Always keep the original forms in your possession and submit only copies when required.

 3. [ISEF] Write a research plan. This will be added to your forms. It should include the following:

            Problem or question being addressed
            Hypothesis
            Description in detail of method or procedures (see ISEF form 1A for details)
            Bibliography (at least three major references from your library research)

4. Experiments involving human subjects, nonhuman vertebrate animals, pathogenic agents, controlled substances, recombinant DNA, and human or animal tissue must be pre-approved before experimentation begins. Contact the FASF Science Advisor if this is the case. Students performing studies involving any of the above mentioned items might also need to work with a qualified scientist. See the ISEF rules and guidelines for details.

 5. Perform the experiment, carefully documenting every step in your log book or project data book. You may want to take photos to include in the display.

6. [ISEF] Write the abstract. An abstract is a one page, 250-word (maximum) summary of the project, which should include the purpose of the experiment, procedures used, data, and conclusions. A sample can be found here.

 7. Write a research paper. This is the formal report that is based on the notes in your log book and can be as long as necessary. It should include the following:

                        Title Page
                        Table of Contents
                        Introduction
                        Experiment
                        Discussion
                        Conclusion
                        Acknowledgments
                        References

 8. Create the display. It should have a good title, be well organized, eye-catching and sturdy. Size requirements of display cannot exceed a depth of 30 in, width of 48 in, and height of 72 in.

9. [ISEF] To be eligible to advance to the Badger State Science and Engineering Fair, we must know of your intention to compete by January 15th. Please notify the FASF president by then.

  Please note the following: