Most schools have science or cultural fairs; long-term projects that require months of research and work, which culminate with a big presentation day. Fairs give the students the ability to focus on an area of interest for an extended amount of time. This ability to choose their topic usually increases the motivation for students to give their best effort. Because fairs are longer-term projects, the student must organize their time (time management skills), as well as set priorities and due dates. Based on those assigned priorities, the student makes decisions (executive function) so the work is completed on time for the presentation. The research needs to be clear and organized, and any visual aids for the presentation need to be clear as well. There are a whole host of life skills that go along with presenting, and fairs give the students that valuable real-world experience.

The most of common fair is the science fair. The science fair teaches the scientific method, which consists of the following components:

·               Question

·               Hypothesis

·               Materials

·               Procedure

·               Control and Variables (independent and dependent)

·               Results

·               Conclusion

Another type of fair that I have been involved with (and I am a big fan of) at my school is the “Inventors Fair.” Similar to the Science Fair, the students use the Engineering Process to create and test an invention of their own design. While the engineering process seems similar to the scientific method, is has its own distinct process.

Here are the steps for the engineering process:

·      Define: (the problem)

·      Identify (the constraints)

·      Research: (the problem)

·      Imagine: (develop possible solutions)

·      Plan: (select a promising solution)

·      Create: (build a prototype)

·      Test: (evaluate prototype)

·      Improve: (redesign as needed)

·      Communicate: (your solution)

Even if your school does not have a fair based around inventions, at some point every classroom studies inventions. This can be done through the lens of fulfilling fundamental needs throughout human history or inventions as scientific endeavor. So if your school does not make inventions its own fair, using the engineering process in PE can still work with general classroom studies on inventions (especially when the engineering process is mentioned in class). These lessons are also a viable option for also encouraging decision-making, critical thinking, and group collaboration.

At the end of the year, many schools do something called Field Day, which is basically an excuse to get the kids outside on a nice day before the end of the year. A way to spice this day up and make it more interesting (and manageable) could be to have your middle school or upper elementary students invent a sport of their own, and then on Field Day, teach it to the younger age groups and facilitate their play. This could be a fun and creative way to get all the different age groups of your school working and playing together, which would encourage camaraderie amongst all the school children and bring a sense of oneness to the school (despite the age differences).

Next week a series of lessons called Invent a Sport will be released on the website store and Teachers Pay Teachers. This series of lessons integrates with Inventor’s Fair, lessons on engineering, and/or will be a great option for what to do on field day.

(There will also be a sale on bundles next week to go along with its release!)