***UPDATE*** My dd won 1st place in school science fair...teacher failed her project!

[wendyl]

Originally posted by DocRafiki
In the OP it sounds like the fair was judged before the grading.

I agree---wasn't confused on that point.

My point was, a teacher who is on top of things should know what his students are missing before it gets to the grading!!!!!!

 

[HappyMommy2]

Well, congratulations to your DD on winning the science fair! That is a huge accomplishment.

I have no idea what's going on in her teacher's mind, but I did want to add my two cents here--my brilliant cousin won his middle school's science fair with a great project one year, but his award was taken away because his teachers decided he couldn't have done the project on his own. Of course his parents (who encourage their kids but NEVER do their work for them!) went in and explained how my cousin had done everything on his own; they signed a form stating such, and the award was reinstated.
Anyhow, maybe you DD's teacher thinks she didn't do the project by herself. You will definitely have to go in and find out what's going on--politely, of course.

 

[Barb D]

My DS recently turned the same paper in to his history tutor and his English tutor (as instructed). The history tutor gave him an A and the English tutor gave him a D. Guess they were looking for different things.

 

[CRB#33]

Originally posted by Mermaid02
What do you expect from a 30 something year old man who carries a Lara Croft Tomb Raider lunch box though

You've got to be kidding!

As far as the assignment possibly having different requirements than the contest, that is usually not the case.

The projects are typically assigned in the classroom under specific guidelines and the contest has to follow the same rules. Otherwise, what would be the point????

You would have to have two projects in some cases and that doesn't make sense.

Congrats to your dd. That's quite an accomplishment.

 

[browneyes]

Congrats to your dd, Lorelei. I think your dd's teacher failed math somewhere along the line. I hope you get the situation resolved soon.

 

[catsrule]

conCATulations to your DD!

 

[wendyl]

Originally posted by catsrule
conCATulations to your DD!

clever!

BTW: the picture of your cat always cracks me up! He looks like a character!!!!!

 

[GreenEyes0205]

Congratulations to your daughter!

Those are 2 very drastic opinions. If she did "miss" a few directions to follow, she definately did not deserve an F. I hope her teacher can regrade it for her, she obviously earned it!!

 

[disykat]

I'll give the other side just to play devils advocate.

My son's science project took first place in 4th grade last year. However it didn't really measure up to standard if it had been graded according to a rubric. He would have received a poor grade on conventions - spelling, punctuation, etc. that would have knocked his grade down. His teacher didn't grade the project, but I've seen enough rubrics to know what would have happened. His overall project looked good, and I'm sure he explained it well - but on closer inspection you would notice he actually wrote down the opposite of what his conclusion was (I think he left out the word "not"). His grade would have suffered for that as well. I have graded according to a given rubric and it really does change grades from what you might think at first glance.

The judges are doing an entire school in a day - they look for the overall picture. I've seen years where they pick only projects the parents clearly helped, and I've seen years where they overlook anything that is any good - thinking the parents helped. It all depends who the judges are.

I agree you should talk to the teacher, but think you should listen to what she says before you assume she is being unfair.

 

[Cindy B]

Originally posted by disykat
However it didn't really measure up to standard if it had been graded according to a rubric. He would have received a poor grade on conventions - spelling, punctuation, etc. that would have knocked his grade down. His teacher didn't grade the project, but I've seen enough rubrics to know what would have happened. His overall project looked good, and I'm sure he explained it well - but on closer inspection you would notice he actually wrote down the opposite of what his conclusion was (I think he left out the word "not"). His grade would have suffered for that as well. I have graded according to a given rubric and it really does change grades from what you might think at first glance.

The judges are doing an entire school in a day - they look for the overall picture.

I agree you should talk to the teacher, but think you should listen to what she says before you assume she is being unfair.

Good job!

I have to agree with the rubric situation. As much as I hated them prior, I do love seeing rubrics now.

And it is true, "small" things will bring grades down in rubrics. (ie the word not, misspellings, punctuation).

It really does depend on the judges as well. Some projects you can just tell the parents did them.

 

[Mermaid02]

We told Megan that we want to see "the breakdown" of her grade.... and we'll go from there. One thing he said was she didn't have a "Care and Use Guide" she went to him and said "Mr. Beckwith I DID have a Guide- it took me FOREVER to do it!" He said, "Well I couldn't find it..." She went down to the library where all the projects are now and said it was right there with the rest of her project!!

One of the science fair judges commented to her at the judging that her project was "very thorough"

I still think that he is po'd because she won- considering he let the kids make fun of her project and even got into the teasing himself. I think it "burns his biscuits" that she took 1st place and he's trying to get in "the last word"

We won't be able to meet with him until tomorrow or Monday though.

 

[Serena]

What a jerk! I'm glad she got first prize, and sorry her poor excuse of a teacher can't be nice about it.
Just tell her this year is almost over.

 

[Mermaid02]

bumping for anyone interested- update in first post

 

[wendyl]

Thanks for the update--I was wondering about this today. I'm glad the grade was changed.

It's funny--I don't even know any of you, but I feel, somehow, like I'm involved in your lives--glad to know things worked out your you and DD. (don't worry, I'm not a stalker)

 

[Cruise04]

Glad to see your update. Can I ask what grade she is in. I know here that the kids get graded equally on their projects - they get graded on what is due for the science and history fair and they have several times to redo their papers, each time an error is found they get a chance to redo it until it's due to be turned in for judging. If everything isn't turned in according to the instructions, it is knocked down in the judging AND in the grade.

 

[CajunDixie]

Did she follow the directions of the classroom assignment? Does he think that she didn't do the project herself?

Science fairs can be soooooooo not cool. DS placed 2nd in his science fair yet the winner did not follow the rules. Rules included not having certain items at the display...foods, plants, living animals, liquids, fire, animal wastes, and sharp items. His display could have been more creative if those items had been allowed but he followed the rules and she didnt.

 

[nativetxn]

I'm so proud of your daughter for winning first place. I'm sure that you are feeling very proud, too.

 

[missypie]

Listen to my science fair experience: My 8th grade science teacher had taught high school in the past. He had a stack of science fair research papers prepaerd by his former HS students. We were each required to take one of his prior high school student's papers, pass it off as our own, duplicate the results found in the other kid's paper, build the display and take it to the district science fair.

As I type this, I'm dumbfounded that this was required and that we all did it without a peep. Needless to say, I didn't do very well when the judges came around to ask questions, because it really wasn't "my" project. Believe it or not, the science teacher was also the principal! (This is one of the reasons I've never, as a parent of kids in the public schools, told my kids that the teacher is always right and that I'll support the teacher no mater what.)

 

[FranP]

It isn't only elementary/middle school/high school teachers that do this - my DS21 is in college and an intern at a cable sports network. He had to conduct an interview with a coach at a college game and write an article as though it was being reported for a class at school. Before turning it in he asked some of his bosses at the TV network to go over it and they pronounced it excellent. BUT the professor had problems with it - he still got a decent grade, but even at his age was confused by what he interpreted as a reaction of a professor compared with the reaction of people in the "real world" who could be employing him or other students at some point.

So, everyone, tell your kids to keep their chins up and try to be as supportive as possible to them in all their endeavors - it seems that we as parents are the only ones who can provide this kind of consistency in their lives!!!

 

[laurie31]

I'm so glad to read that her grade was changed to an A! Now I'm dying of curiosity to know what her invention was

Laurie, still shocked over the teacher who assigned plagarism