Even science fair enthusiasts may dread grappling with these two questions:

1. How can you organize many students doing many different projects at the same time?
2. How can you help students while giving them the freedom of choice and independence of thought that characterize genuine inquiry?

Answer the questions—and face science fairs without fear—with help from the Science Fair Warm-Up series. This teachers guide lets you make best use of the original investigations and problem-solving exercises provided by each of the grade-appropriate student editions. The Science Fair Warm-Up series consists of three books; each book builds on the ideas introduced in the previous book, and the problems in the later books are progressively more challenging. The series’ field-tested material will help your students develop the inquiry skills to carry their projects through—whether they’re middle schoolers preparing for their first science fair or high schoolers ready for very challenging investigations.

To help you meet your teaching goals, the series is based on the constructivist view that makes students responsible for their own learning and aligns with national standards and the new Framework for K-12 Science Education. Science Fair Warm-Up will prepare both you and your students for science fair success. But even if you don’t have a science fair in your future, the material can make your students more proficient with scientific research.

"An exciting publication that engages students and fills a need for innovative and conscientious teachers. Students and teachers are likely to encounter real science with the ideas, approaches, and questions the materials encourage.”
—Robert Yager, Professor Emeritus at the University of Iowa and past president of NSTA