2025 Rieke Elementary Science Fair & STEM Night!
WHERE:
Rieke gym (projects), library and classrooms (activities/demos)
WHEN:
Thursday, April 17, 2025 6:00 - 8:00 pm
WHO:
ALL Rieke K–5 students (reminder: this is an optional event)
Parental help is encouraged
Student are encouraged to present and explain their project
Students are welcome to work in teams (teams of 2 seem to work best)
WHAT:
All topics are welcome!
See below for ideas/resources... It is common to present your findings visually on a 3-panel display board. Provide a demonstration, if you’d like.
HOW:
Use the Scientific Method:
Make an observation and propose a question
Do some research!
Form a hypothesis
Perform an experiment
Analyze your results
Provide a conclusion
Engineering projects too:
Define the problem
Do some research!
Specify requirements
Imagine, brainstorm, collaborate
Plan, create, develop prototype solution
Test solution
Does solution meet requirements?
Provide a conclusion
ENTRY:
Due to planning purposes, please submit your intent to participate before April 13, by using our online entry . Late entries will, of course, be accommodated.
JUDGING:
Be prepared to explain your project to a science fair judge (adult project evaluator). Judge will provide feedback on clarity, concepts, creativity, and conclusions.
Each presenter will receive a certificate of recognition and a ribbon.
VOLUNTEERS:
This year we are going to have more night-of activities. So that means we will need more volunteers than usual. We are looking for volunteers to help out with setup, activities, judging, facilitating, and cleanup. If you are interested, please contact Bryan Danforth.
SPECIAL INFO:
It is our main goal to provide a safe, comfortable, and welcoming venue for Rieke students to present their science projects to peers, judges, and Rieke community. This year we will be combining Science Fair with STEM Night. That means we will again offer the Fair to present science projects. In addition, we will be offering many more night-of STEM activities! Unfortunately, we did not have room for The Oregon Reptile Man this year (but he may visit as an assembly at school). So, come one, come all, invite your friends and family to attend the 2025 Rieke Elementary Science Fair & STEM Night!
Each student participating in the Science Fair will have a tabletop to display their presentation materials. A cardboard, tri-fold project display board works well for providing the audience with a visual display of pictures, drawings, and text relevant to the student’s science project. These can be found at Fred Meyer, Hobby Lobby, Office Depot, Michael’s etc. Be sure to let us know if you need help getting one.
Don't worry about dinner! The PTA will also be hosting a pizza fundraiser during the Science Fair. They will be collecting a suggested donation, and all proceeds will go to PTA projects that give back to the students and school community. And maybe there will be treats available from a 5th grade bake sale with funds being raised for our graduating 5th grade festivities and gift back to Rieke.
EVENT DETAILS:
The event will be held on the evening of Thursday, April 17, 2025. The event will be located at Rieke Elementary. Science project presentations will be located at the gym. STEM activities/demonstrations will be in the library and classrooms.
Setup will take place from 5:00 – 6:00 pm with volunteer help. For science fair projects, the gym will be configured with cafeteria tables for presentation spaces. In general, we try to do grades K–2 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm and grades 3–5 from 7:00 – 8:00 pm. But it is important that we try to balance equal numbers of projects between the two sessions, so stay tuned for an email from Science Fair Coordinator Bryan Danforth for confirmation of presentation time. Meanwhile, STEM activities will be going from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the library and classrooms.
For the Science Fair, Session 1 presenters will check in from 6:00 – 6:15 pm. Presenters and family will check in with the registration desk upon arrival. There, each presenter will be assigned a presentation space number and will fill out their project information on their certificate. Presenters will then proceed to their assigned space and set up their presentation materials.
Then, from 6:15 – 6:45 pm, presenters will have an opportunity to interact with audience members (other students, Rieke families/staff, science fair judges, etc.) about their project. The judges are adult volunteers who ensure that each student gets an opportunity to explain in detail what they have worked on. To be clear, there are no winners – each judge will present each presenter with a completed review certificate and a ribbon. If students would prefer NOT to interact with others, that’s fine, too. But we would encourage all students to seize this unique opportunity to speak and interact with an interested audience about what they’ve worked so hard on. There won’t be any individual presentations in front of the entire group. Rather, it will be small, informal interactions as the audience circulates from project to project.
Then, at 6:45 pm, we’ll close Session 1 and ask presenters to pack up their projects to take home. And we’ll do it all again from 7:00 – 8:00 pm with Session 2 presenters.
Having two Science Fair sessions allows all students a chance to participate in both the Fair and STEM activities and demos.
Science Fair Project Ideas & Resources
Use the Scientific Method to perform an experiment (see above).
Use the Engineering Method to create a solution to a problem (see above).
Design & Build Contests:
Paper Rieke Rocket Launch
Design, build, optimize a paper rocket. How far can you launch it?
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/make-a-straw-rocket/
Milk Boat Carton Race
Design, build, optimize a milk carton boat. What propulsion works best?
Foil Penny Boats
Design, build, optimize a foil boat. How many pennies can your boat hold?
https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/design-a-penny-boat
https://www.discoveryworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Aluminum-Foil-Boat-.pdf
Spaghetti Tower of Power
Design, build, optimize the tallest tower you can build with noodles & marshmallows.
https://pacificsciencecenter.org/resources/spaghetti-towers/
Research projects are great for scientists of all ages! Think of a science-related topic and learn all that you can about it to share with others by consulting books, online sources, and interviewing experts. Make something or take something apart to figure out how it works. Create a visual explanation of your findings: a model, drawings, demonstration, etc.
Survey and document the world around you. Observe, gather, and collect information about your surroundings, such as a plant inventory at your favorite park or animal inventory around your neighborhood, clouds or stars in the sky, or tiny things in the soil. What do those observations mean, what conclusions can you draw?
Additional Resources for Reference and Ideas:
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
