Good Ideas! - FALL 1994 - A fair opportunity for students: Challenger Junior High School

Last March, a science fair with 380 eighth-grade student projects was set up in the Challenger Media Center. It was the culmination of a year of study. In the words of Buzzie Dall, "Of all the programs in which we participate here at Challenger, the science fair project is the one that presents the most challenge to all of us, from its sheer magnitude of students to the complexity of subjects and experiments. It is also a process which we have refined over the last three years and will continue to work on as innovations in information retrieval are developed. "

Eighth grader Denise Tung is a winner in Challenger's science fair
Beginning in the fall, each science teacher conferred with Buzzie to plan the yearlong science focus. Each student chose a topic and began a written log. Here the writing and research process intertwined with science; outlines and quick writes done by students were their introduction In thorough investigation. Cross references, Boolean searching, note taking, downloading --- all these became part of the student experience. A final presentation was designed either to prove or disprove a theory or to exemplify a process. Entries were judged and prizes were awarded, but it is clear that each student was a winner.

Science is totally mainstreamed at Challenger, so all special students participate. In some cases parents and students have worked together. Whatever the level of participation, resources and help are available to all at the library media center.

Challenger Junior High School (Grades 7-8; enrollment 900)
10810 Parkdale Avenue, San Diego 92126
Sam Wong, Principal
Marisu (Buzzie) Dall, Library Media Teacher
San Diego Unified School District

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