How to Talk to Science Fair Judges: A Two-Minute Script for Students

Many students freeze when a judge walks up. The fix is practice, and a simple structure for what to say.

The two-minute script

The question (15 seconds). “My project asks: does ___ change ___?”
Why I wondered (15 seconds). “I wanted to know because…”
What I predicted (10 seconds). “I thought… because…”
What I did (30 seconds). “I changed ___. I kept ___ the same. I measured ___ with ___. I did it ___ times.”
What I found (30 seconds). Point to your graph. “In my test, ___ averaged ___, but ___ averaged ___.”
What it means (20 seconds). “I found that… This happened because…”
What I’d do next (10 seconds). “Next time, I’d change…”

Practise it out loud until it fits in two minutes.

Questions judges often ask

Why did you choose this project?
What did you change, and what did you keep the same?
How many times did you repeat it?
Were there any surprises?
What would you do differently?
Where might this idea matter in real life?
What does this part of your graph show?

Write answers beforehand, and practise with a parent or friend.

If you don’t know

It’s fine to say: “I’m not sure, but I think… and I’d test it by…” Judges respect honesty and curiosity much more than guessing. Never make something up.

If it didn’t work

“My results didn’t match my prediction” is a perfectly good science story. Explain what you found and what might explain it.

Body language

Stand beside your project, not in front of it.
Look at the judge and smile.
Speak slowly.
Point to your graph and table.
Let the judge ask questions, and listen to the whole question.

For K to Grade 2

Younger students can show and tell: “Here’s what I did. Here’s what happened. Here’s what I learned.” An adult can sit nearby, but the child does the talking.

For parents

Don’t answer for your child. Practise by asking judge-style questions at dinner.

Free help

Our free Science Fair Planner includes a page for practising what to say to judges, plus a rubric and display board layout. See also how to choose a testable question and use the fair-test planner. Sign up for three lessons free.