Please follow any rules that your teacher wants you to follow, but be aware that other schools may do things differently. Click here to download a printer-friendly version.
- MYTH: You must have a backboard!
REALITY: No, you do not need a backboard! (This is up to your teacher.) You need to have a display. A backboard is the most convenient way to display your project, but it is not the only way. You can make a video, use a tablet or SmartBoard, or display your project in any number of ways. However, it is a good idea to have something in the display that anyone can read when you are not at your project. - MYTH: You must have an essay!
REALITY: No, you do not need an essay! (This is up to your teacher.) You need to put your research together into a written report for your class, which you then use to write an outline for your presentation, as well as write what goes into your display. Your display and presentation are the only things being judged at the Regional and Provincial levels. - MYTH: Heritage Fairs is just about history!
REALITY: Heritage Fairs is about heritage, not just history. Heritage is living and ever-changing. It makes us who we are and guides us where we are going. Topics about the present, such as ongoing events or currently-living Canadians, are just as important as topics about the past. Your presentation should mention the history of your topic, but it does not need to focus only on the past. You can even talk about the future! - MYTH: Heritage Fairs is just about where you/your ancestors are from and their cultures!
REALITY: See #3. Of course, culture is a big part of heritage! Your family heritage is a great place to start looking for Heritage Fairs projects, and your teacher might decide that the whole class is going to do projects about their families. But if your teacher lets you choose any topic you like, you can talk about anything that has to do with Canadian heritage. - MYTH: Heritage Fairs projects need to be about Saskatchewan!
REALITY: Your topic for your Heritage Fairs project needs to be connected to Canada in some way, but your project does not have to be specifically about Saskatchewan or even mention this province at all. - MYTH: Heritage Fairs projects are not supposed to be about science!
REALITY: Of course, your project can be about science! Canada has contributed a lot to science and technology. Unlike for a Science Fair project, a Heritage Fair project is more than just an experiment. Judges will want to hear about the history of the topic and what it means for the present/future, as well as what it is and how it works. - MYTH: You should only do your project on something you have direct experience with and you should not do anything controversial!
REALITY: You can do your project on anything to do with Canadian heritage. However, you need to do your research, be respectful, and consider other people’s feelings and perspectives, especially when it comes to what you wear or include in your display.