The recent Next Generation Science Standards recommend students have increased opportunities engaging in modeling work scientists do. Science classroom tasks include simple inquiry compared to more complex authentic inquiry that closely resembles authentic science. Science fair participation presents students with the opportunity to engage in…

Experiments are essential for both doing science and learning science. The aim of the German youth science fair, "Jugend forscht," is to encourage scientific thinking and inquiry methods such as experimentation. Based on 57 interviews with participants of the competition, this study summarises students' conceptions and steps of learning…