HSTA Symposium
	The HSTA symposium occurs every spring, usually in mid-April. The whole day is devoted to this event. Teachers, HSTA faculty, staff, and students all gather to see the students present their projects. A successful presentation of a HSTA science project consists of two main components, the oral presentation and the display. Each HSTA team member is required to participate in his or her group's oral presentation. Check out some exemplary past HSTA science projects. Students are required to complete an oral presentation and display every year at the HSTA symposium (and a minimum of 2) to successfully complete HSTA upon high school graduation. Only the LGB may excuse a student from attending the symposium. Once excused, the LGB must approve another oral presentation arrangement. Teachers are required to attend the HSTA Symposium, unless approved otherwise by their Local Governing Board. Oral Presentation: The oral presentation should consist of title, problem hypothesis, procedure, results in graphics format, conclusions, why the project was of interest to the group, plus anything the students found that was particularly interesting. Students may benefit by reading "A More Robust Introduction" or "A More Robust Conclusion"(Appendix A). The audience is allowed to ask questions which may be answered by any of the presenters. The audience will evaluate HSTA students with the Oral Evaluation Rubric (Appendix A). Display and Rubric: The display is to consist of a backboard and visuals. Data in the form of pictures, graphs, etc. are to be displayed on the backboard, along with the title, problem hypothesis, materials, procedure, dependent and independent variables, results, conclusions, and applications. The Science Projects Rubric (Appendix A) is an excellent guideline for students. Concept Maps: The use of the concept-mapping tool can greatly enhance students' presentation. The map can be used as an organizer and/or also allows for creativity in showcasing key concepts and understandings.