Showcase Projects

Showcase Projects provide an opportunity for students to explore their interests in STEAM-related topics and develop a project highlighting their understanding and inquiry process. (Think “Project-Based Learning” such as Rube-Goldberg Machines, Reverse Engineering, Science Fiction Writing, Mixed-Media Art, Robotics and Computation)

NEW Showcase Project Category: INVENTION CONVENTION! Based on the seven-step invention process from the Invention Convention curriculum. This curriculum's foundation is students learn to think critically by identifying problems in their world. They discover the impact of inventions in their lives. And they have the opportunity to apply STEM, invention and entrepreneurial skills to build real-world solutions.

Exhibition projects do not qualify for the CA State Science and Engineering Fair. These projects are still eligible for awards and are judged using this rubric. Exhibition projects were designed to broaden entry points into the SJCOE Fair and encourage more participation in STEAM education.

Requirements:

1. Hold Harmless permission

2. A display of your work. This could be in the form of a Tri-fold board or Poster: Limited to 121 cm (4 feet) side to side, 92 cm (3 feet) top to bottom, and 93cm (3ft) front to back. It could also be something creative and does not require all the documentation steps shown in the Investigative Project board examples.

**Science Fiction writing only: You must send a copy of your story to the STEAM Fair Coordinator one week prior to the event via email to bgithere@sjcoe.net

Description of Showcase Projects

Invention Convention

The Invention Convention encourages students to follow a systematic process to create innovative solutions to real-world problems.

Purpose Develop and present an invention that addresses a problem identified in your life or community.
Thoughts and Ideas The Invention Convention encourages students to follow a structured process to develop innovative solutions. The seven steps of the invention process are:

1. Identifying: Becoming aware of problems in one’s life or community.
2. Understanding: Conducting research to identify a unique solution.
3. Ideating: Developing a project plan for the invention.
4. Designing Deciding how to make the invention.
5. Building Construct a prototype of your invention.
6. Testing Seeing how the invention works and revising the design as needed.
7. Communicating Writing about the invention and presenting it to others.
Inventing Process How well did the inventor convey the steps taken from concept to invention? Were the steps logical and clearly
explained, including the description of the problem, resources used, and obstacles faced?
Invention Effectiveness Does the invention solve the identified problem? Does it work as intended or even exceed expectations? Does it address additional problems?
Practicality of the Invention How does the invention compare to existing
  solutions? Did the inventor consider safety, ease of use, and
  choice of materials? Awareness of alternative solutions?
Need for the Invention How significant is the problem the invention solves? Who benefits from it? Does it serve a disadvantaged group,
  like the handicapped, elderly, or animals? Is it more environmentally friendly than current products?

“Must Haves” for an Effective Project: A clear visual or physical representation of your invention. A detailed explanation of how the invention was conceived, developed, and refined. Documentation of the invention’s effectiveness, including testing results and potential improvements.Consideration of the invention’s practicality and need, with comparisons to existing solutions and an understanding of its impact on different groups or the environment.

Rube Goldberg Machine

(Don’t bring the entire machine to the fair!)

Science Fiction Writing

A Rube Goldberg machine is a deliberately over-engineered or overdone machine that performs a simple task in a very complex fashion, usually in a chain reaction. The category is fashioned after the American cartoonist and inventor Rube Goldberg (1883-1970).

Purpose: Create an over-engineered machine to perform a simple task.
Thoughts and Ideas: Infernal Contraptions typically use a sequence and a combination of simple machines and forces to accomplish a relatively simple task that is finally completed at some time after the contraption is triggered. The six classical simple machines are the lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, wedge, and screw. There are many types of forces, including: normal, pressure, drag, tension, elastic, centripetal, gravitational, and magnetic. Themes can be a lot of fun to make...and view! Themes could include using only a certain type of thing to create, or all based around a color, or your imagination is the limit here! Will your machine work with little to no help from you? These devices are always better when you don't have to touch anything to keep them going. Extra challenge: Can you have multiple paths going at once that merge back together? Can you have elements of your machine get reused, or have events that occur more than once?

“Must Haves” for an effective project: Your display must feature a step-by-step visual of your device. Post a video of your working contraption to YouTube or a similar video-sharing service, or use a QR code on your board. Label all simple machines involved in your project directly on your contraption AND on your diagram. Make sure several types of simple machines are included. Label all physical forces acting on your contraption. Make sure to include as many types of forces as possible when building your contraption.

Science Fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary, but more-or-less plausible content, such as future settings, futuristic technology, space travel, aliens, etc. Exploring the consequences of scientific innovations is one purpose of science fiction.

Purpose: Develop a story or concept in which science extends beyond our current understanding.
Thoughts and Ideas: Science fiction presents an imaginative vision of the future of science and technology. Good science fiction tells a story or raises questions that explore concepts beyond our current scientific understanding. This category includes submissions in the form of stories, graphic novels, comic books, and plays. There is no length limit for written stories, but the quality must be grade-level appropriate. Illustrations for written stories and storyboards for non-written entries are encouraged, and collaboration is welcome. Science fiction relies on the concept of “willful suspension of disbelief.” This is the audience's willingness to accept fictional premises as real for the sake of the story. The best works establish this new reality early on and do not violate the rules they have set. While science fiction is similar to other speculative genres like fantasy, it is not the same. Projects that rely on magic or phenomena that cannot be explained by the story's own scientific principles will be evaluated differently from those that do. In short, for this category, science fiction explores the possible, while fantasy explores the impossible.

“Must Haves” for an effective project: An electronic version of a story entry (not the display) must be submitted no later than five days before the STEAM Fair event via email to [email protected]. If the entry is graphical in nature, a photograph with the explanatory text of the presentation display is acceptable. This display must explain your story. It must include: • A copy of the actual story or entry, • A summary of the entry, • References to supporting research and/or similar works, • Illustrations or images that represent the story or concept (optional)

Robotics & Computation

The Robotics and Computation category includes robotics and computer science. This includes such applied sciences as engineering, programming, and mechanical design, and such formal sciences as mathematics, logic, and statistics. Entrants in this category design, build, and operate mechanical and/or software constructions.

Purpose: Create all or part of a working software program or automated device.
Thoughts and Ideas: Computer science is the study of the principles and use of computers. Included in that is the design of software that performs tasks. Robotics involves computer science but adds the design and application of physical components that perform tasks. When thinking about design, the focus is on the physical design (user interface) of the entry. Sensors or operator input must be appropriate and understandable for the planned purpose(s). Manipulators and/or displays should be used as needed to accomplish the desired tasks. Physical or interface construction should also be appropriate and elegant. Functionality is also a key part of this category. Operational methods of the software or robot should be complete and appropriate for the purpose. The design should allow for variables in the operating environment and error handling. Operation should be repeatable and consistent with the planned function. In the process of creating a Robotics and Computation project, it is usually necessary to define how to determine if the project was a success. This can often be done with a formalized test plan that not only provides a means of testing the success of the project, but also can offer an additional definition of what is important within the project.

“Must Haves” for an effective project: The display must show a working robot or sub-assembly, and the working software must be presented. Some of the displays must be descriptive so that people can understand the function or purpose of the robot or software, and how it is, or could be, used. Included in the description, the implementation of any sub-components must be explained. The display must help the viewer understand the way the entry relates to a real-world application (if it does). A written document that defines the functional specification of the entry, and documented code listings, may also be part of the project presentation.

Reverse Engineering & Invention

The Reverse Engineering and Invention category involves the understanding of how things work together in either a creative or evaluative manner. Reverse Engineering is to take something apart and analyze its workings, while Invention involves creating something new. Both aspects focus on a product that solves a specific problem or need.

Purpose: Determine a real-world problem and create something new or deconstruct something old to find how to recreate or, better yet, improve it.
Thoughts and Ideas: This category focuses on the exploration of problem-solving in the physical world. Invention and Reverse Engineering are two faces of the same subject. In both cases, the project creator must learn or define how something works. The category is specifically focused on physical devices and products. The projects in this category must describe what problem is being solved. They must also show how the project’s device solves the problem. A Reverse Engineering project will have enough complexity to allow the student to gain an understanding of how something works, in detail, without being overwhelming. In the process of understanding how something works, different, maybe better, means of accomplishing that job may be discovered, which can lead to the project being both Reverse Engineering and Invention. An Invention project may be simpler than an equivalent Reverse Engineering project because the invention itself may be something simple that no one else has yet created. Sometimes, unique or innovative methods are used in the solution or the creation of the solution. These methods are what make it exciting.

“Must Haves” for an effective project: A complete ‘mock-up’, prototype, or construction of all or part of the device should be presented. If this is an invention, this is the key physical portion of the project. The project display must have a description of the use of the device and the benefits associated with it. The display should have a disassembly of the completed device showing the components and/or subcomponents with a description of their purpose and how they work. If this is a reverse engineering project, this is the key physical portion, and these pieces are expected to be the centerpiece of the display. If an invention, this portion may consist of photographs, drawings, or textual descriptions of the components (and sub-components, if any) of the device. The display should also have a description of the tools (simple or complex), methods, and sequences required in the construction or deconstruction. Marketing material is often key in describing a product or device, and its inclusion is appreciated and recognized.

Mixed-Media Artwork

This could be any form of artwork that utilizes Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Mathematics to develop it. It could be in the form of sculpture, portrait, digital photography, etc.

Purpose: To celebrate the integration of Art into STEM
Thoughts and Ideas: There are many creative and artistic displays in different science museums, including some pictured here from the Exploratorium. These works of art require knowledge and usage of scientific ideas and the engineering process. You can also utilize new and exciting forms of technology, such as Tinkercad, programming, photography techniques, etc., to create your artwork.

“Must Haves” for an effective project: A display of your creative and innovative artwork. Please feel free to contact Bella Githere ([email protected]) about how best to display your artwork at the STEAM Fair. We will be working with an Art Coordinator to support these entries and determine the best locations for the artwork. Also, a brief explanation/description of your process and the artwork would be helpful for our judges, but also for STEAM Fair attendees. Artwork can be dropped off the same day as other projects (the Friday before) or earlier.

Project-Based Learning Projects

Whether it's from your school curriculum, a passion project, genius hour, etc., if it utilizes and/or celebrates STEAM, this is your category!

Purpose: To provide all access points into STEAM for students and celebrate STEAM by jumping in and just “doing” STEAM.
Thoughts and Ideas: Many science curricula and programs include unit projects that require students to utilize the 8 Science and Engineering Practices from the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). We want to acknowledge and celebrate students “doing” science and engineering in the classroom. Unit projects or other programs, such as genius hour, lend themselves to students having an opportunity to explore, research, and develop incredible projects… and why not showcase that?!

“Must Haves” for an effective project: The project should display the students' excitement and passion for their topic. While this may have been an assigned classroom project, what made this project unique and special for sharing? The display of this type of project is open, but could include a tri-fold, poster, prototype, etc. If you have any questions or special requirements for the display, please contact Bella Githere ([email protected]).

Page Updated 09/15/2025