Students from all public primary schools in the Hastings and Camden Haven valleys including seven Port Macquarie public primary schools will take part in the Hastings Science Fair.

Other public primary schools from as far afield as Harrington, Kendall, Laurieton, Comboyne and Long Flat will also be attending.

The Science Fair will showcase the work of Hastings Secondary College’s year 8 students’ Techno Museum, based on a task from Flinders University’s Australian Science and Mathematics School, to address the question, “Is everything the same as it used to be?”

Each school will also display a selection of year 10 student research projects, in which students have chosen science investigations based on their interests and abilities.

Exhibits will focus on a broad range of topics such as video games, solar systems, chemistry, volcanoes, air pressure and static electricity.

Students will learn about communications skills and the importance of selecting topics and fine-tuning their presentations in ways that will make them most likely to impress science fair judges.

Expert judges from the community and all year 5 primary school students will judge the projects on a range of criteria to award prizes for demonstrating sound scientific method and understanding.

Parents and the community are welcome to visit throughout the day to talk with students about what they have learned.

Visitors might even be invited to guest judge.