Science Fair Project Information

Transcription

1 Science Fair Project Information Dear Parents and Students, Your child received a science fair information packet. This packet is a resource for you to use as you are working on your science fair project. At the bottom of this page is a permission slip regarding the project your child has chosen. The permission slip needs to be turned in to your teacher by. Your child s teacher must approve all projects in order to be recognized in the science fair. All science fair projects are due on. Attached is a copy of the scoring guide for the projects. Please use this as a guideline for your child s project. This scoring guide is how your child s project will be graded for science class (not a private science fair). If students follow the timeline provided, they will stay on track and finish on time. This is not a project that can be finished in one night. All projects are to be submitted to the classroom teachers by. There will be grade penalties for late projects. Teachers will keep track of student progress by using the Science Project Journal page. Each step will receive a teacher s initial to indicate approval. Students should not proceed to further steps without this approval. Here are the due dates for the different components of the project. 1. Big Question Approval: 2. Research Completed: 3. Variables Listed: 4. Hypothesis Written: 5. Final Draft of Procedures: 6. Experiment Data: 7. Finished Project Board: Please sign below and return by. Big Question: I approve of my child s project and I am aware that it is due by. Parent/Guardian signature

2 STEP 1: Logbooks A logbook is a central place in which you document all of your observations, procedures, opinions, research, and conclusions regarding your science experiment. Using a spiral notebook, a composition book, or a binder is acceptable. All information in the logbook MUST be HANDWRITTEN and DATED. Your logbook should have three distinct sections that are clearly labeled. Section one should be labeled Research. This is the section in which you display all the information you discovered about your topic. This information should be in your own words. Do not submit a print-out from the internet. This is the information you will use to form your hypothesis. Section two should be labeled Experiment. This is where you will state your hypothesis, list all of the materials you will use during your experiment, and give a brief description of what experiment you will be conducting. You will also give a day-to-day account of what is happening with your experiment from beginning to end. These accounts should begin with the first thing you do regarding your project, and the last entry will be the last thing you do regarding your project. Section three should be labeled Conclusion. This section is where you will state if your hypothesis was correct or incorrect, and why it was incorrect or correct. If it was incorrect, you will state the correct answer. You will also state what happened in your experiment. A copy of your graph should be included in this section. Section 1: Big Question & Background Information Section 2: Hypothesis, Variables, Materials List, Description of Experiment, Day-to- Day Dated Entries, Experiment Data Section 3: Conclusion (Was your hypothesis correct?), What Happened, Graph STEP 2: Selecting a Big Question In selecting your topic and big question, there are several things to remember: 1. We do not allow any projects involving animals unless you get special approval. 2. If you are doing a project with plants, we recommend purchasing plants. It takes long time to grow a plant from seeds. 3. There is a difference between a science fair project and a science project. We do not allow models or collections, only scientific questions. To start, think about what interests you in science and do some general research on your interests. As you do so, you can begin to focus on one aspect of the topic. For example, plants - how they grow, electricity - how it works, or people - how the heart functions. Using the ideas and learning from what you have read, you now need to be more specific. What question would like to answer and how can you measure it? For example:

3 Plants: Does a plant grow faster in sunlight when covered by colored cellophane paper? Electricity: Which is a better conductor of electricity: an apple or a banana? People: How does listening to music affect the heart rate? Once you have decided on your question, you need to write it down and submit it to your teacher for approval. STEP 3: Research Once your big question is approved, you need to gather Background Information. Find out more information related to your big question. Textbooks, encyclopedias, interviews, and websites are good sources of information. As you do your research, make sure to keep a record of the sources of your information. Write the background information in your logbook. STEP 4: Variables & Constants After your research you are ready to determine the three kinds of variables related to your test. First, name the independent variable. This will be the aspect of your test that is changed on purpose. Next, name the dependent variable, or what you measure in your experiment. Last, identify the constants (controlled variables) for the experiment. These would include all of the conditions that will be kept exactly the same throughout the experiment. STEP 5: Write a Hypothesis Your hypothesis is a prediction of the outcome of your experiment. This prediction should be based on information you gathered during your research. It is best to write your hypothesis as follows: If (independent variable) then (dependent variable). For example, If a plant gets more light, then it will grow taller than a plant with less light. STEP 6: Write procedures for your experiment Think carefully through your experiment and then write the procedures for your experiment. This description of the experiment must be very detailed; tell everything you will do and describe the process thoroughly so that someone else could follow it and repeat the experiment. Also, describe what you will do to measure the results of your experiment. You may write this in paragraph format or list the steps numerically. Also, you will need to list, in detail, all the materials needed for the experiment. Make sure to provide sizes and amounts in your materials list. STEP 7: Experiment Data Now you are ready to carry out your experiment. While doing so, you must keep detailed records of your results and measurements. You may also want to take pictures or make drawings during the experiment. These pictures can be used on your project board.

4 Make certain that no faces show in the pictures. Your results must be summarized with tables or graphs, but you must also provide a written summary of your results. You must also summarize your results with a conclusion. The conclusion will say whether your hypothesis was accepted or rejected. You may also want to mention what you would do differently next time, or how you might change the experiment. You will post your data table and graph(s) on your display board. STEP 8: Display Board Use the attached diagram to make sure the display has all of the required components. The items should be placed in the location shown on the diagram. There are 10 required components: 1. Title 2. Big Question (State the Problem) 3. Hypothesis 4. Background Information 5. Materials 6. Variables & Constants 7. Procedures 8. Results (Data Table) 9. Graph(s) 10. Conclusion

5 Science Project Scoring Guide Assignments Big Question 15 Research 10 Variables & Constants 20 Hypothesis 10 Experiment Procedures 20 Experiment Data 15 Punctuality 30 Display Board of the ten items show understanding of the scientific method. 40 of the 10 parts are placed in the correct location. 30 A fellow student could repeat this experiment in exactly the same way based on the information presented: very easily with little difficulty adequately with some guesswork unlikely not at all Overall presentation (attention grabbing/use of colors & graphics/clarity in communicating/grammar & spelling) can be described as: outstanding well done adequate needs some improvement not much effort is evident unacceptable Logbook The logbook is clearly divided into 3 sections. (Research/Experiment/Conclusion) 10 The logbook includes the right features : 1. handwritten 2. dated entries 3. background information 4. hypothesis 5. variables 6. materials list 7. experiment procedures 8. day-to-day account of the process 9. experiment data 10. conclusion 11. graph A fellow student could repeat this experiment in exactly the same way based on the information presented: very easily with little difficulty adequately with some guesswork unlikely not at all

6 Thanks for downloading this item! Math Resources Other Bits-n-Pieces You Might Like... Science Resources Fraction Reference Fractions & Percents $1.20 Foiltrons Dichotomous Key $2.40 Fraction Reference - Improper Fractions $1.20 Laws of Motion Unit Materials $2.40 Fraction Reference Least Common Multiples $1.20 Moon Phase Quiz $1.20 Fraction Reference - Reduced Fractions $1.20 Plant Processes Quiz $1.20 Fraction Reference Pack $3.60 Plant Processes Unit Materials $1.80 Math Quiz Question Bank $1.80 Plant Worksheets & Study Guide $1.20 Measurement Units Quiz $1.20 Science Quiz Question Bank $2.40 Spelling Numbers Reference $1.20 Scientific Method Quizzes $1.20 Math Vocabulary Quiz Bundle $4.80 Simple Machines Assessment $1.20 Math Resources Bundle (Everything) $6.00 Simple Machines Unit Materials $2.40 Language Arts Resources Solar System Unit Materials $2.40 Water Cycle Quiz $1.20 Language Arts Reference $1.20 Weather Unit Outline $1.20 Nouns Quiz $1.20 Weather Quizzes $ Word Work Task Cards Set 1 $3.00 Weather Unit Materials $ Word Work Task Cards Set 2 $3.00 Vertebrate Unit Notes $ Word Work Task Cards Set 3 $3.00 Invertebrate Unit Notes $ Word Work Task Cards Set 4 $3.00 Classification Basics Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 Complete Word Work Task Cards Set $6.00 Sponges Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 Vocabulary Worksheet Template $2.40 Cnidarians Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 Reading Exit Slip $1.20 Flatworms Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 Treasures Accelerated Reader Quiz Numbers $1.20 Roundworms Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 Literature Resources Segmented Worms Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 Mollusk Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 Old Yeller Spelling & Vocabulary $1.80 Arthropod Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 Sarah Plain and Tall Literature Set Resources $1.80 Insect Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 Sign of the Beaver Quiz $1.20 Arthropod Classes Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 The Call of the Wild Literature Set Resources $1.80 Echinoderm Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 The Mixed-Up Files Literature Set Resources $1.80 Chordates Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 The Whipping Boy Literature Set Resources $1.80 Jawless Fish Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 Treasure Island Literature Set $1.80 Cartilaginous Fish Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 Bony Fish Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 Other Resources Amphibian Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 Reptile Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 Quiz Question Bank $6.00 Birds Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 Social Studies Quiz Question Bank $2.40 Mammals Teacher Notes & Worksheet $1.20 MORE THAN 25 FREE RESOURCES IN THE STORE!!! FREE! Animal Classification Assessment $1.20 Complete Animal Classification Unit $9.60 Science Resource Bundle (Everything) $15.30