Elementary Project Information

The Alaska Science and Engineering Fair (ASEF) is open to all elementary school students in grades K-5. (Grade 6 is registers as Middle School at ASEF.)

Project Approval

We strongly advise that teachers approve student projects before work begins. Please contact Director@alaskasciencefair.org if you have questions about the appropriateness of an experiment.

Avoid These Experiment Types

Experimentation involving the following are strongly DISCOURAGED: 

• nonhuman vertebrate animals
• controlled substances
• pathogens (all bacteria isolated from the environment are considered pathogenic)
• DNA
• animal tissues
• humans

Resources

• Elementary Student Project Checklist
• Judging Rubric for Elementary Projects
• Click here to see Elementary School forms and schedules

Safety First! All projects will be inspected for safety prior to setup on the day of the fair.

Prepare for your project’s safety check! Please view the Safety Inspector Training slide show (1.3MB PDF) for important safety information.

You can use items such as glass tubing, vinegar, and soil during your research, but do not bring them to the science fair. Instead, take pictures and include the pictures on your display.

Displays may not contain the following: Live animals, live or dried plants, food materials (NO EXCEPTIONS!), soil, solutions, chemicals, household products, water, dry ice or other sublimating solids, drugs or drug lookalikes, microorganisms, algae, mold, bacteria, protists, preserved animal parts (teeth, fingernails, feathers, hair, and bones may be allowed if preserved and sealed in plastic), or photos of animals in surgical or lab procedures.

Remember: The display is a visual representation, not a working experiment. Items that are not allowed will be removed.

Objects like these belong in a picture on your display board.

Do not bring them to the science fair.