Annual 4th Grade Science Fair



Annual 4th Grade Science Fair

As a culmination of our 4th grade year, our students will be hosting a Science Fair. Classes from other grade levels at Wilson Elementary will be invited to view experiments and demonstrations prepared by our 4th grade students. The purpose of the fair is to showcase our student’s incredible science knowledge of the scientific method of investigation.

The Science Fair will be broken down into three phases: planning, experiment, and demonstration. A successful science fair project does not have to be expensive or even terribly time-consuming. However, it does require some planning and careful thought. You can't rush good science!

|Details |Date of Distribution or Due Date |

|Introduction of Science Fair Project |Wednesday, April 6 |

|Project Due |Friday, May 6 |

Important Dates:

Planning:

Probably the most difficult part of a science fair project is coming up with a good subject to research. We suggest to all students that they:

▪ think about WHAT INTERESTS them.

▪ think of a TESTABLE QUESTION about the subject.

A good starting place for ideas is the student textbook. We require that student ideas for this project be grounded in one of the following categories:

▪ Nature of Matter

▪ Energy

▪ Force and Motion

▪ Processes that Shape the Earth

▪ Earth and Space

▪ Processes of Life

▪ How Living Things Interact with their Environment

There are also many good resource sites that can help students identify a good topic for research, and we have assembled a few for reference.

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As soon as you come up with a testable question, you will probably instantly have a hypothesis (prediction) about what the results will be from your testing. It's a good idea to write this down before starting, because it may change as you go about your experimenting.

Experiment:

Once you have decided upon a question that you can actually test with materials at your disposal, you need to figure out the steps to follow to conduct the experiment. You will need to run through your experiment several times to confirm everything works as planned. Also, you want to be sure to try your experiment several times to so that you have enough data to form your conclusion.

Demonstration / Display:

To minimize the stress and frustration of this project, we have decided to simplify the presentation requirements to “Science in a Box”. What this means, is that the entire student project should be able to fit within a box not larger than a student’s desk.

Also, remember that a picture “is worth a thousand words”. Plan to take pictures or create sketches of the materials you used and the experiment as it is being practiced.

Safety Rules for Demonstration / Display:

▪ The following items may NOT be displayed (sealed or unsealed):

1. No foods “stuffs” (candy, gum, popcorn, etc.)

2. NO LIQUIDS (This includes water)

3. No soil or waste products.

4. No living plants or plant materials, which are in their raw, unprocessed, unmanufactured, or natural state such as leaves, seeds/nuts, bark, stems, or roots.

5. No live animals (vertebrate or invertebrate) or animal tissues including eggs

6. No preserved animals or their parts

7. No human parts, blood or other body fluids (except teeth or hair)

8. No syringe needles, pipettes, and similar devices

9. No poisons, drugs, hazardous substances, controlled substances or devices

10. No laboratory/household chemicals.

11. Lasers

12. No dry ice or other sublimating solids.

13. No flames, open or concealed, or highly flammable materials.

14. Rocket fuel and launch apparatus.

15. No dangerous chemical substances, such as caustics, acids, or highly combustible solids, fluids, or gases in pressurized tanks.

Things a Parent May Do:

▪ Give encouragement, support, and guidance. (Be positive!)

▪ Make sure the project is primarily the work of the child.

▪ Realize that the main purpose of a science fair project is to help your child use and strengthen the basic skills he or she has learned and to develop higher-level skills.

▪ Help your child design a safe project that is not hazardous in any way.

▪ Provide suggestions for successful project.

▪ Look over the project to check for neatness and accuracy. Make suggestions on how it can be corrected.

▪ Realize that a good project doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Many times a simple project that is well displayed and explained is the best.

▪ Help your child keep a record (science project notebook) of all he or she does and a list of references used.

▪ Explain to your child that he or she should consult with you or the teacher when problems arise.

▪ Have your child present his or her science project to you before he or she takes it to school.

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