Students in grades 4-8 participate in Marian Anderson's Science Fair Club on Mondays from 3:30 to 4:30pm after school.
Students prepare science research projects that can be entered in the:
George Washington Carver Science Fair at Temple University in March (grades 4-8) and/or
Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) competition at Snyder Middle School in Bensalem in February (grades 7-8).
Exemplary projects in grades 6-8 may progress to other competitions after Carver (to the Delaware Valley Science Fair in April) and PJAS (to the state competition at Penn State in State College, PA, in May).
Completing an independent science investigation allows students to:
develop a deeper understanding of the scientific inquiry process
explore problems and problem-solving strategies
reinforce math skills by collecting, analyzing, and representing data
strengthen reading and writing skills by completing a research paper
improve time management, organizational, and presentation skills
Student will use this template to draft a research paper for their projects. Additionally, students will summarize their projects in a slideshow using this template.
Thanks to the generous support of Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy Supporters (MANAS), our school will provide most of the materials for each project, including trifold boards which will be used for the Carver Fair.
In 2025, Jack in grade 4 won the Future Techie award from PGW at the Carver Science Fair.
In 2025, Aubrey in grade 5 won the STEM Innovator award at the Carver Science Fair.
In 2024, Tyson in grade 5 won a special award from the Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center at the Carver Science Fair.
In 2024, Noah and Theo in grade 4 won a Rising STEM Star award from the Carver Science Fair judges.
In 2023, Tyson in grade 4 won a special award from the Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center at the Carver Science Fair.
Each week in science fair club, we will work to meet these deadlines:
October 6: Identify a topic
October 13: Type paragraph 1 of background research and 4 other questions you will try to answer with your research
October 20: Type paragraph 2 of background research and find links to 5 sources for reference
October 27: Type paragraphs 3 and 4 of background research
November 3: Type paragraph 5 of background research and format references
November 10: Type research question, variables, and hypothesis in research paper
November 17: Type materials list in research paper
December 1: Type procedure in research paper; get forms signed by parent/guardian
December 8: Type abstract; submit research paper for review
December 15: Begin conducting investigation; take photos; add notes to investigation journal
January 26: Create graph(s) of data
February 2: Type results section in research paper
February 9: Type conclusions and future considerations in research paper
February 23: Transfer text from research paper to slideshow for presentation and printing
March 2: Presentation practice
mid-March/April 2026: Participate in Carver Science Fair
We extend a special thanks to students and Professor Hennessy Elliott from Drexel University for mentoring students with their projects.