Teacher Resources

Mississippi Science and Engineering Fairs

Welcome, Teachers!

Welcome to the Teacher Resources page! Here you’ll find everything you need to prepare for your Science Fair and make the most of your students experience. Whether you’re just getting started or working to finalizing your students research projects, this page is packed with helpful tools, tips, and guidelines to guide you through the process. 

Getting Your Students Started

  • Project Guidelines & Rules
    Before you start, make sure you are familiar with the official science fair rules and regulations. These guidelines cover project categories, ethical standards, and safety protocols. Download the full set of rules here.
  • Helping Your Students Choose a Topic
    A project should be based on a topic that sparks a student’s curiosity. Whether they are interested in biology, chemistry, engineering, or environmental science, the possibilities are endless! Use this topic brainstorming guide to explore ideas.
  • Review Best Practices
    The scientific and engineering methods are the foundation of any project. Review this simple guide to help you get started and determine the best practices you will need before you start.
  • Setting up an Scientific Review Committee (SRC) and Institutional Review Board (IRB) According to the Society for Science most proposed research projects involving human participants, vertebrate animals and/or potentially hazardous biological agents must be reviewed and approved BEFORE experimentation. Local or regional SRC prior review is not required for human studies previously reviewed and approved by a properly constituted IRB. ALL projects, including those at an RRI, must be reviewed and approved by the SRC after experimentation and before competition in an Affiliated Fair. An SRC must consist of a minimum of three persons, including the following:
    • a biomedical scientist with an earned graduate degree
    • an educator
    • at least one additional member

The SRC is used to review projects for compliance to the ISEF rules and guidelines. Refer to the Checklist for SRC review page from the Society for Science for more detail information. 

An IRB evaluates the potential physical and/or psychological risk of research involving humans. All proposed human research must be reviewed and approved by an IRB before experimentation BEGINS. An IRB must consist of a minimum of three members including the following:

    • An educator (not the teacher that is serving as the Adult Sponsor)
    • A school administrator (preferably principal or vice principal)
    • A medical or mental health professional. The medical or mental health professional may be a medical doctor, nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant, doctor of pharmacy, registered nurse, psychologist, licensed social worker or licensed clinical professional counselor. The medical or mental health professional on the IRB may change depending on the nature of the study. This person must be knowledgeable about and capable of evaluating the physical and/or psychological risk involved in a given study.

Planning Your Project

  • Project Timeline
    • To help students stay on task throughout their project, a timeline is essential for both the teacher and student. Break it down into manageable steps, from brainstorming to creating a presentation. Make sure to give students plenty of time for research, testing, and refining their project. Set key dates for each milestone of the project from development to project submission, along with dates of the regional and state fair dates and deadlines.

Creating A Display

  • Project Display Guidelines
    The display is a key part of the student’s presentation. Be sure to follow the display guidelines for size, layout, and materials. A well-organized display will help you clearly communicate your project to judges and visitors
  • Board Design Tip
    Create an eye-catching and informative presentation. Keep it neat, simple, and focused on key findings.

    • Keep paragraph-writing to a minimum
    • Every diagram, graph, chart, and picture must be cited individually. 
    • Adequate spacing after each line is essential for clarity
    • Bulleted information is easier to read (including materials and methodology)
    • No logos from universities or mentors
    • No QR codes
    • ONE line is allowed for acknowledgements but no mention of the mentor’s company/university. An example is ‘I would like to thank ‘insert name only’ for their assistance on this research project. A header with the word ‘Acknowledgement’ must be utilized. Click the sample poster for a potential layout of the board.

Presentation & Judging

  • How to Present a Science Research Project
    Presenting a project to judges is an important part of the experience. Confidence comes when a student has practiced their presentation in front of various types of audiences (parents, peers, teachers).
  • What Judges Look For
    Judges are looking for creativity, scientific accuracy, and a clear understanding of your topic. Review these judging criteria to make sure your project meets expectations. Remember, 55% of a research project is judged on of how well a student presents and their creativity in the process.

  • Handling Questions
    Be prepared for questions during your presentation. Review this video to answering judges’ questions to help students feel confident and articulate.
  • Project Board Presentations (ISEF)

Useful Articles and Websites