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. The Science Fair Warm-Up series, which was originally designed as a three-year program for middle school students, now covers grades 5- 12. The book for grades 5- 8 introduces students to science fairs and invites them to investigate various scientific problems as they work on their projects. This book lays the foundation for the editions for grades 7- 10 and 8- 12, in which students encounter increasingly more challenging problems. Over the course of the series, the students are encouraged to become more independent. The series' material-- field tested over the course of six years with students at different levels-- 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. It aligns with national standards and the new Framework for K-12 Science Education. Science Fair Warm-Up uniquely provides an authentic picture of how scientists carry out research. To help you meet these teaching goals, this series is based on the constructivist view that makes students responsible for their own learning and will prepare both you and your students for science fair success

After completing his PhD in chemistry at Cambridge University, John Haysom taught science in a variety of schools before becoming a member of the faculties of education at five universities: Oxford University, Reading University (UK), University of the West Indies, Mount Saint Vincent University (Canada) and Saint Mary's University (Canada), where he is Professor Emeritus. John has gained an international reputation as a teacher-educator and curriculum developer. In the UK, he was the coordinator of the groundbreaking Science Teacher Education Project, funded by the Nuffield Foundation. This was probably the first teacher education curriculum project in the world and was adapted for use in Australia, Canada, Israel, and other countries. At the University of the West Indies, he was responsible for the design and implementation of an innovative, theme-based inservice B.Ed. curriculum. As professor of education at Saint Mary's University, he initiated and helped lead the Atlantic Science Curriculum Project's SciencePlus textbook series. This curriculum was highly rated and became widely adopted in the United States. He has acted as a science curriculum consultant to the government of Trinidad and Tobago and to a number of projects in the United States. John is the author of many books for teacher educators, teachers, and schoolchildren, as well as academic papers in curriculum design, evaluation and implementation, and teacher education. His most recent work includes Predict, Observe, Explain: Activities Enhancing Scientific Understanding (with Michael Bowen; NSTA 2010) and " Science Curriculum Research and Development in Atlantic Canada: A Retrospective," an article prepared for the Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education (in press). John has long been interested in science fairs, both as a teacher and a judge, and was elected to the board of directors of the Youth Science Foundation, the national body responsible for science fairs in Canada.