A model-building item that appears in both the Science and the Maths fairs of the Kerala Sasthrolsavam: a team entry in Science, an individual entry in Maths, each scored out of 100.
A Working Model is a moving, functioning exhibit. Unlike a still model, which shows a structure or process through a fixed display, a working model has to do something in front of the judges: lift water, generate current, sort objects, purify a sample, track the sun. The team must be able to start it, run it, repeat it and explain the science behind every moving part.
In the Kerala School Sasthrolsavam Science Fair 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 item open to girls and boys together. The official manual prints a team headcount of two children for most group items in this fair. Lower Primary pupils do not enter this item; they take the simpler experiment and chart items instead.
The Social Science Fair has its own Working Model as a team item at Upper Primary, High School and Higher Secondary/VHSE. It is scored on curriculum relation and idea 20, construction materials 20, technical knowledge, construction skill and functionality 30, novelty, originality and attractiveness 20, and explanation or interview 10, and it shows a social science idea such as a water-harvesting system, a transport model or a working market-day display.
The same title also appears in the Mathematics Fair, but there it is a different item. In the Maths Fair a Working Model is an individual entry at High School (classes 8-10) and Higher Secondary/VHSE (classes 11-12), and it demonstrates a mathematical idea such as a geometric transformation, a measuring device or a probability apparatus. It is scored on a five-line table: knowledge of content and mathematical value 30, relationship with the curriculum 20, mode of presentation and write-up 25, utility and craftsmanship 15, and exhibition 10. Read the fair’s own rules before you plan.
On the day a team sets up its table, the judges walk round, and each team switches the model on and explains it. Expect to be asked why it works, what would happen if one input changed, where the idea is used in daily life and how much it cost. A model that runs but cannot be explained scores poorly; a clear explanation of a modest model usually does better than a flashy one nobody understands.
Because the same seven-part score sheet is used for Working Model, Still Model, Improvised Experiments, Robotics, Electronics and IoT, the item is a good place for a school to start building a habit of documented, explainable projects that can later grow into a research project or electronics entry.
Where Working Model is run
Working Model is part of the official Kerala School Sasthrolsavam Science Fair (team entry), the Mathematics Fair (individual entry) and the Social Science Fair (team entry). On eTalenter it is installed through all three templates. This page describes the Kerala format only.
- Kerala, India
Key facts
- Team item, girls and boys together; the manual prints two children per team for most group items in this fair.
- Offered at Upper Primary, High School and Higher Secondary/VHSE; not at Lower Primary.
- Scored out of 100 on a seven-part indicator table.
- Creativity carries the most marks (20); four criteria carry 15 and the last two 10 each.
- The model must operate and be explained live to the judges.
- Entries that advance are the grade-A winners at each level.
- Science Fair: team item, Upper Primary to Higher Secondary/VHSE, seven-line table (creativity 20 first).
- Maths Fair: individual item, High School and Higher Secondary/VHSE, five-line table led by mathematical value (30).
- Social Science Fair: team item, Upper Primary to Higher Secondary/VHSE, five-line table led by technical knowledge and functionality (30).
On eTalenter, Working Model is filed under Special and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 3 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Working Model is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100.
What judges look at in Working Model
What a Working Model panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Creativity (20): a fresh way of showing the idea, not a copy of a textbook or online build.
- Innovation and originality (15): what your team changed or invented, and whether you can say so plainly.
- Scientific thought and principle (15): the model must rest on a correct, explainable principle.
- Technical skill and craftsmanship (15): clean joints, safe wiring, parts that stay put when the model runs.
- Utility (15): a real use or lesson that the model makes clearer.
- Durability and low cost (10): robust, repeatable, built from affordable or reused materials.
- Presentation (10): confident demonstration, clear labels and answers to questions.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Working Model under Scoring Setup, or start from the judging and scoring software guide.
How to prepare for Working Model
How entrants and their teachers usually get Working Model right on the day:
- Choose a principle from your own syllabus that you can explain in three sentences, then design the model around it.
- Build early and run the model at least twenty times; fix whatever fails before the judging day, not on it.
- Keep a spare for the parts most likely to break, plus tools, tape, batteries and a simple repair kit.
- Prepare a one-page label explaining the principle, the materials used and what each part does.
- Practise a two-minute demonstration, then practise answering ‘why’, ‘what if’ and ‘how much did it cost’ with a teacher playing judge.
- Use reused or low-cost materials where you can and say so; the scheme rewards economy as well as skill.
- After a district defeat, ask for the judges’ remarks, find your lowest-scoring criterion on the sheet and rebuild that part first.
- Idea to try: a hand-cranked rainwater filter with sand and charcoal layers
- Idea to try: a hydraulic lift built from two syringes and tubing
- Idea to try: a solar-powered tracker that tilts a small panel towards the sun
- For the Maths Fair version, tie the model to a textbook concept and write a short note linking it to the curriculum; that link carries 20 marks.
Ready-made event templates that include Working Model
Open any template to preview it in eTalenter and install it as a live, editable event.
| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kerala School Sasthrolsavam – Mathematics Fair | Special | Marks | 2 |
| Kerala School Sasthrolsavam – Science Fair | Special | Marks | 3 |
| Kerala School Sasthrolsavam – Social Science Fair | Special | Marks | 3 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Working Model 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.
Does a Working Model have to be new every year?
The marking sheet rewards creativity and originality, so a copy of an earlier winning model will score poorly on those lines. Building on an old idea with a clear improvement is fine if you can explain what is new.
What is the difference between a Working Model and a Still Model?
A working model operates in front of the judges; a still model explains a principle through a fixed display. They use the same score sheet, but the working model must demonstrably run.
Can a teacher help with the model?
Teachers guide and supervise, but the manual’s emphasis is on the student’s own work and explanation. Judges question the team, so the students themselves must be able to explain every part.
Is it a team or an individual item?
A team item at all three levels where it is offered, open to girls and boys together. The manual prints two children per team for most group items in the Science Fair.
Is the Maths Fair Working Model judged the same way?
No. It is individual and scored on mathematical value 30, curriculum link 20, presentation and write-up 25, utility and craftsmanship 15 and exhibition 10. The seven-line table on this page applies to the Science Fair item.
How is the Social Science Fair Working Model judged?
Curriculum relation 20, construction materials (high, low or zero cost) 20, technical knowledge and functionality 30, novelty and attractiveness 20, explanation or interview 10.
Want the full judging picture? Read the judging and scoring software guide, or browse every special competition item.
Try Working Model in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Working Model, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.