A science item in which a team designs and demonstrates experiments using improvised, low-cost or discarded apparatus, scored out of 100 at the Kerala Sasthrolsavam science fairs.
Improvised Experiments tests whether a team can do real science without a laboratory. Instead of standard glassware and instruments, the team builds its own apparatus from everyday or waste materials: a plastic bottle becomes a measuring cylinder, a straw and a balloon become a pressure demonstration, a torch and a mirror become an optics bench.
The item is offered at Upper Primary (classes 5-7), High School (classes 8-10) and Higher Secondary/VHSE (classes 11-12) as a team entry for girls and boys together. Each team presents experiments to the judges, performs them live and explains the principle and the improvisation.
What sets it apart from a working model is the emphasis on the experiment itself. The judges want to see a testable idea, a controlled change, an observation and a conclusion, all carried out with apparatus the team has adapted. A clever substitute for a lab instrument, explained honestly, impresses more than an elaborate build.
It shares the seven-line indicator table used across the model items, with the durability and economical-cost line particularly well suited to improvised kit.
Where Improvised Experiments is run
Improvised Experiments is part of the official Kerala School Sasthrolsavam Science Fair, the state school science exhibition that runs from school level to state level. On eTalenter it is installed through the Science Fair template. The idea of low-cost, improvised science apparatus is widely used in school science education, but this page describes the Kerala competition format only.
- Kerala, India
Key facts
- Team item, girls and boys together.
- Offered at Upper Primary, High School and Higher Secondary/VHSE; not at Lower Primary.
- Scored out of 100 on the seven-part table: creativity 20, originality 15, scientific thought 15, technical skill 15, utility 15, low cost 10, presentation 10.
- Experiments are performed live, so everything must be safe and repeatable.
- Improvised or waste materials are the point, not a shortcut.
- The manual prints two children per team for most group items in this fair.
On eTalenter, Improvised Experiments is filed under Special and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Improvised Experiments is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100.
What judges look at in Improvised Experiments
What a Improvised Experiments panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Creativity (20): a surprising but sensible substitute for standard apparatus.
- Innovation and originality (15): an experiment or set-up that is your team’s own idea.
- Scientific thought and principle (15): a clear question, a fair test, and a conclusion the result supports.
- Technical skill (15): improvised kit that is neat, stable and gives readable results.
- Utility (15): usefulness in a classroom with limited resources.
- Durability and low cost (10): cheap, reusable, easily rebuilt materials.
- Presentation (10): a smooth live demonstration with clear explanation.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Improvised Experiments under Scoring Setup, or start from the judging and scoring software guide.
How to prepare for Improvised Experiments
How entrants and their teachers usually get Improvised Experiments right on the day:
- List the standard lab apparatus a topic needs, then design a household or waste-material replacement for each item.
- Test every experiment several times and note what goes wrong, so your demonstration is reliable.
- Start with a question, such as ‘does the volume change when we heat it?’, and plan what you will measure.
- Prepare a materials list with costs; it makes the low-cost argument for you.
- Keep safety first: avoid open flames, sharp edges and chemicals that are not classroom-safe.
- Practise explaining the real scientific principle in plain words before explaining the improvisation.
- Bring spare consumables, because live experiments often need to be repeated for different judges.
- Idea to try: measuring the speed of sound using a tube, a ruler and a tuning fork substitute
- Idea to try: showing air pressure with a straw, bottle and balloon set-up
- Idea to try: a pinhole camera and a mirror-and-torch optics bench from household items
Ready-made event templates that include Improvised Experiments
Open any template to preview it in eTalenter and install it as a live, editable event.
| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kerala School Sasthrolsavam – Science Fair | Special | Marks | 3 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Improvised Experiments judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
What counts as improvised apparatus?
Anything built or adapted from everyday, low-cost or discarded materials to replace standard laboratory equipment, as long as the experiment remains scientifically sound.
Do we need to do many experiments?
The manual’s table scores the quality of the presentation as a whole, so a small number of well-planned, well-explained experiments is better than many hurried ones.
How is it different from Working Model?
A working model builds one device; improvised experiments demonstrate experiments with improvised apparatus. They share the same score sheet, but the experimental method is the focus here.
Is it open to Lower Primary?
No. Lower Primary pupils take the Simple Experiments item instead.
Want the full judging picture? Read the judging and scoring software guide, or browse every special competition item.
Try Improvised Experiments in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Improvised Experiments, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
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