This is my OSF DBPC project (One Display Science Fair Board Per Child). This is Go Green, because it saves the planet one piece at a time. It saves you money (American vernacular: green) by not having to buy one when you don’t need it.
P.T. is a great example of marketing and a tribute. Barnum sells a large piece of cardboard disguised as a Science Fair Display Board and then puts a sticker with $8.00 (tax and VAT not included). It doesn’t come with any guarantee that your child will learn anything from doing activities with it for that price. How can we expect schoolchildren to spend even a small amount of money on education when they don’t have the means to buy lunch? Here’s another frugal family project… and it’s way more fun if you make it.
Step 1: Get it together
Although I haven’t read the Intel Science Fair rules, I science tattoos believe the display board doesn’t need to be sold commercially. Display Science Fair Board standard dimensions are 3 feet high by 4 foot wide (36″ tall x 48″ wide). Each of the side panels is 3 feet tall by 1 foot wide if it’s a tri-fold design. It is easy to transport and store the display because both sides can be folded in.
You have time to go through the paper recycling pile and search for large corrugated pieces or boxes.
Cardboard. You can choose a larger box, but we will cut the cardboard to your specifications. Shopkeepers may also have large boxes that they are willing to dispose of. The cardboard boxes from IKEA furniture are minimal in size and will puncture easily. They also lack the strength to be used as display boards. However, you can laminate two layers and then paint the surface. A bottle of school glue, paint and the tools to measure and cut are all you will need.
Step 2: Sign it off
For the tri-fold, mark the lines you’ll use to crease the board. To create a neat fold, tap/press a metal straightedge or use a pizza cutter/window repair tool to indent the line. For a neat crease, bend the board slowly backwards and flatten the cardboard.
You can reinforce your board by glueing a piece of cardboard to the seams and creases that cause it to bend or flop. This should be done on the “back” side of the board, so the repair isn’t visible from the front. For maximum strength, the grain of the reinforcing pieces should be parallel to the direction the cardboard is flexing. For a cleaner appearance, cover the exposed edges of your reinforcing pieces.
