Once a rite of passage, science fairs lose luster

Orlando Sentinel: Science fairs used to be big deals -- competitions that exercised critical-thinking, research and public speaking.

It's also a blast to set off papier-mache volcanoes and grow tiny Sea-Monkeys.

But participation in county science fairs has dropped dramatically among Florida high-school students -- ironically, at the same time the state has ordered teachers to focus more intensely on biology, chemistry and other sciences.