Guidelines in Detail
The SNAP foundation takes its name from the four fundamental guidelines for a math fair.
- Student-centered,
- Non-competitive,
- All-inclusive, and
- Problem-based.
The guidelines have been "field tested" over a period of several years. They are flexible enough to allow a school to incorporate it's own academic standards in the math fair. There are sound reasons for following the guidelines, and these are briefly described below.
Student-centered
In a SNAP math fair, the students must take ownership of their projects. The students should be front and center. By nature, teachers, parents, and older siblings want to help. However, in a SNAP math fair, the students should design and prepare the displays themselves with little or no external help. Releasing ownership to the students may cause anxiety, but will lead to a highly energetic math fair.
Non-competitive
Children love success. They like happy endings. If you give them a story to read and they know it does not have a happy ending, they will soon lose interest. If you have a competitive math fair, children who have no hope of winning will simply not participate. It is no different than a sports team — it is a good experience for a child to try out and maybe not make it, part of the learning experience. But many children who know there is zero chance to make the team will not bother to try out. There it doesn't matter, but here it does.
A non-competitive math fair has a secondary benefit. There will be no arguments about judging, and no negative feelings by students who do not win a prize. No prizes are awarded at a SNAP math fair. No prizes are needed.
A non-competitive math fair has a secondary benefit. There will be no arguments about judging, and no negative feelings by students who do not win a prize. No prizes are awarded at a SNAP math fair. No prizes are needed.
All-inclusive
The participation rate should be 100%, whether the fair is presented by a single class, a single division or an entire school. While a traditional science fair may be geared towards the perceived 'elite' students, a SNAP math fair does not exclude anyone.
Problem-based
Students are given math puzzles to solve. They must solve the problems themselves and this is really the important part of the math fair. This is what makes it relevant to the curriculum. The students become experts for their own puzzle, and they will present the puzzles (not the solutions) to the math fair spectators. They will help the spectators solve the problems.
A math fair that follows these guidelines will be charged with high-energy. It will not degenerate into a passive poster session. The atmosphere will resemble a carnival midway more than a trade show.
The students will gain confidence in their problem solving skills, they will learn that enjoyment of mathematics is not confined to "elite" students, and it will create in them a favourable attitude towards mathematics. If our anecdotal evidence is to be trusted, they will improve their abilities in all aspects of mathematics.
A math fair that follows these guidelines will be charged with high-energy. It will not degenerate into a passive poster session. The atmosphere will resemble a carnival midway more than a trade show.
The students will gain confidence in their problem solving skills, they will learn that enjoyment of mathematics is not confined to "elite" students, and it will create in them a favourable attitude towards mathematics. If our anecdotal evidence is to be trusted, they will improve their abilities in all aspects of mathematics.