Introduction



Introduction

It is Science & Engineering Fair time! This phrase strikes fear and anxiety into many 8th grade students’ (and parents’) hearts, but FEAR NOT! This packet (I know it’s LARGE!) is meant to help you take ‘baby’ steps needed along the way to complete this project. As your Science teacher, a working adult, and a parent, I know that long-term projects are a necessary life-skill in today’s society. Not only will this project teach you SCIENTIFIC problem-solving skills, but it should also be good LIFE-SKILL training for taking the small steps necessary along the way needed to complete large tasks.

ENGINEERING: Your student’s project may cover any of the 8th grade SCIENCE topics, but can also be geared toward the ENGINEERING of a new product, concept, or invention (see website “Overview” link - Year Long and Science Fair Topics)

Below is an extensive list of guidelines, explanations, and rules. Make sure you are clear about them. Share them with the people helping you at home and ask questions if you are not sure. Ultimately, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE!

1. You may do an individual project or work in a group of 2-3 members. NOTE: You are INDIVIDUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL DRAFTS/TYPING!!!!!!!

2. Your project must

• Be based on an experiment, following the scientific/engineering method

• Have collected and MEASURED DATA (quantitative – numbers, measurments…).

• Include a DATA TABLE with measurements and their units that can be GRAPHED. You can build something but you must be able to TEST something about it (stability, strength, pH…) that can be measured. (NO persuasive/informative papers, no rock collections, terrariums, volcanoes…)

3. Follow the sheets included in this packet that will not only guide you through each step of the scientific method, but will also help you pull things together at the end like the bibliography, oral presentation, etc. All information will be kept in your Science Fair Folder; you will need to reference this MANY times over the next 2 quarters.

4. The sheets in this packet are rough drafts and are due along the way. I will set due dates. There is a deadline checklist paper included in the beginning of this packet to keep track of what you have done. DUE DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE (teacher discretion).

5. For each data point, there must be at least 3 TRIALS. When you choose your project, keep in mind the cost of supplies and time available (verify with your parents that it is ok!).

6. Not all topics will be approved. Also some projects require additional approval (working with humans, surveys, etc.). You cannot work with explosives, fire and/or other dangerous materials.

7. If you are going to use plants, purchase small, immature ones that have “room to grow” – 3 for each trial (3+ trials = 9+ plants). With seeds, plant 20 seeds per group in case some die. Plant seeds by the middle of September so they have time to grow.

8. You may CHANGE your project idea up until the due date of the RESEARCH SOURCES. After that 20 percent will be deducted from your final score if you change the project idea.

9. There will be time set aside in class approximately every 2 weeks for conferences.

10. Even if you are absent on the due date, your project is DUE! Late projects lose 10% per day.

Project Due Date: Friday, December 6th , 2013

(edited and typed)

We have read and understand the criteria for Science Fair, as well as the tentative timeline on the back of this page.

______________________________________ ________________________________________

Student signature Parent/guardian signature

Project Timeline (tentative – dates subject to change by teacher)

The following items should be a rough draft, typed and in class for editing on the date provided below. The final draft may only be turned in after all editing in class is corrected!

SAVE ANY TYPED WORK DONE AT HOME ON A “THUMB” DRIVE, SO THAT IT CAN BE WORKED ON AT SCHOOL!!!!!!!

Packet

Project Section Deadline Page #

Signatures on Introduction page 8/2/13 1

Topic Selection 8/8/13 4

Problem Statement/Causal Question 8/13/13 5

Research

4 sources & NOTES 8/16/13 7-11

Bibliography 8/16/13 12-13

Hypothesis 8/21/13 16

ABSTRACT Introduction 8/29/13 17

Experiment:

Materials and Procedures 9/5/13 19-20

START EXPERIMENT WHEN:

“Materials and Procedures” have been OK’ed and pp. 23-25 are complete)

Experiment Completed 9/24/13 22

(with completed entries in Notebook)

Record and Analyze Data:

Data table (typed) 10/22/13 23

Graph and Statisics (typed – color) 10/22/13 25

Results Paragraph (Analyzing Data) 10/25/13 26-27

Conclusion 11/1/13 28-30

Abstract 11/8/13 31-32

Rough Draft (ready to be edited) 11/15/13

Report/Display Board (Completed) 12/6/13

Oral Presentation 12/6 - 12/8/13

Checklist and Deadlines

Directions: Record due dates and dates you completed each task.

Complete Due Date Project Section

_________ _________ Topic Selection

_________ _________ Problem Statement/Causal Question

_________ _________ Research – 4 Sources (3 must be different)

_________ _________ Research - Written Summary (With note cards attached)

_________ _________ Hypothesis

_________ _________ Experiment (Materials and Procedure)

_________ _________ Data Table

_________ _________ Graph

_________ _________ Results

_________ _________ Conclusion

_________ _________ Bibliography

_________ _________ Abstract

_________ _________ Title Page

_________ _________ Table of Contents

_________ _________ Final Draft of Report

_________ _________ Oral Presentation

Topic Selection

This is one of the most difficult things about doing a science project. Keep in mind as you are picking a topic that you will have to live with it for about 10-12 weeks. Once you choose an idea that you like, spend a few quiet moments thinking about how the whole project would work (remember it needs to be an experiment and it must be measurable). If you can imagine obstacles that will be too difficult, then find a new topic. Don’t forget the cost of supplies and time constraints. Also check with your parents that they are ok with your choice of topic. If you change your topic after the deadline for the research sources, then you will lose 20 percent off of your final score.

Sometimes the most interesting projects come from things that you like to do in your spare time. Think of your hobbies, sports, clubs, chores at home, etc. Is there some aspect of these that you could measure and test?

Refer to science project books in the library or ideas on the Internet. You will probably have to expand or change an idea in order to make it into a measurable and experimental project.

In the space below, describe in one paragraph what you would like to do for a science fair project. Include ideas such as why this topic interests you and what you hope to learn.

MY TOPIC:

• Experiment:

• What will I change (independent variable – several ideas are ok, if you’re not sure of one) _____________________________________________________________________

• What will I measure (dependent variable – must be QUANTITATIVE, or a number of some sort; again, several ideas are OK, if you’re not sure of one)? ______________________________________________________________________

• I’m interested in this because ______________________________________________

• I hope to learn___________________________________________________________

PROJECT AREA (circle one):

8th grade

• Reproduction & Heredity (genetics)

• Diversity, Adaptation, & Behavior (Life Science)

• Properties & Changes of Properties in Matter (Chemistry)

• Motion & Forces (Physics)

• Medicine & Health

• Engineering

Parent signature__________________________________ Date_____________________

Teacher okay: _____

Problem Statement

The next step is to turn your topic into a problem statement (what are you going to answer/solve?) for the project. The problem statement is a sentence or question that identifies the independent variable and the dependent variable.

Independent variable: the variable or factor that you decide to change; the cause

Dependent variable: the effect that you measure as a result of the independent variable

Example: How does the amount of water affect the height of plants?

Independent variable: amount of water

Dependent variable: height of plants

Notice in the example that both the independent and dependent variables are measurable in metric units.

Think about your topic and imagine a few possible independent and dependent variables that you could use. List them below. If you are already certain, you can just list one of each.

Independent Variables Dependent Variables / UNITS

(What will you change?) (What will you measure? How?)

________________________________ _______________________________

________________________________ _______________________________

________________________________ _______________________________

Now choose one from each list that will work well together and that you find most interesting. Write a problem statement including these as your independent and dependent variables for the project.

PROBLEM STATEMENT (not hypothesis):

WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF ______________________ ON _______________________?

(Independent Variable) (Dependent Variable)

Teacher okay: _____

Research Explanation

When you do research, you want to find articles and books that can teach you something about the independent and dependent variables of your project. Learn about the topic so that you can make a hypothesis in the next step based on intelligent information. Your conclusion will have to be related to what you learn about the variables now and how they turn out in your experiment. Therefore, the research is the foundation of a good hypothesis and a meaningful conclusion. This is what will help you determine what happened in your experiment. Do not just look for basic elementary information (this will hinder your understanding) but information that will help you truly understand the science of what happened.

No complaining about how hard it is to find sources for your topic. Don’t wait until the last minute. Take advantage of the librarians and interlibrary loan. Visit other libraries. This step is not hard, but it requires you to plan and be persistent.

YOU MUST HAVE AT LEAST 4 SOURCES:

Must have 2 BOOKS (one MUST be an encyclopedia – either online or text)

Must have 1 OTHER (newspaper, magazine, interview with an expert in the field, etc.)

Must have 1 Internet (ONLY from a .org, .edu, .gov site)

Come up with keywords for your research. Use your independent and dependent variables, any words or phrases related to them, or synonyms.

KEYWORDS:

|LIFE SCIENCE |CHEMISTRY |PHYSICS |HEALTH |

|Adaptations |Melting/boiling/freezing |Force, motion, gravity, | |

| |Points |friction | |

|growth |Solubility |Newton’s Laws | |

|*look up the specific |pH/acids/bases |Wind/water resistance | |

|plant/animal or topic you will| | | |

|be studying (growth, seeds…..)| | | |

| |Solids/liquids/gases | | |

| |(physical properties) | | |

| |Chemical property/change/reactions | | |

| |Matter | | |

| | | | |

Source 1 - Book

Title of book:

Author(s):

Publishing company:

City where it was published:

Date of publication:

Page(s) you used:

Rewrite the information above in the correct bibliographic format.

Bibliography:

Two very specific things learned from this source (use 2 complete sentences for each response):

1.

2.

Teacher okay: _____

Source 2 - Periodical

Title of periodical:

Title of article:

Author(s):

Volume number of periodical:

Date of periodical:

Page(s) of article:

Bibliography:

Two very specific things learned from this source (use 2 complete sentences for each response):

1.

2.

Teacher okay: _____

Source 3 - Internet

Name of source:

Title of article:

Web address: http://

Date site was last updated:

? Author(s)

? Volume of periodical:

? Date of publication:

Date of Search:

Page(s):

Bibliography:

Two very specific things learned from this source (use 2 complete sentences for each response):

1.

2.

Teacher okay: _____

Source 4 - Your choice

If this source is a book or periodical, see the previous pages for the kind of information necessary.

Bibliography:

Two very specific things learned from this source (use 2 complete sentences for each response):

1.

2.

Teacher okay: _____

Extra Source(s) if you need

If this source is a book or periodical, see the previous pages for the kind of information necessary.

Bibliography:

Two very specific things learned from this source (use 2 complete sentences for each response):

1.

2.

Teacher okay: _____

Sample Bibliography Form

YOU MAY USE to organize sources, or follow the samples below.

A book with one author

Ambrose, Stephen. Undaunted Courage. New York:

Simon and Schuster, 1996.

A book with two authors

Moore, Harold and Joseph L. Galloway. We Were Soldiers Once...And

Young. New York: Random House, 1992.

A book with more than two authors (et al means "and others" in Latin)

Ottoman, James, et al. Exploring Architecture. 2nd ed. New York: Bantam,

1997.

A book with one editor, but no author

Wigginton, Elliot, ed. Foxfire 5. New York: Doubleday, 1979.

A book with two or three editors, but no author

Tyson, James and Tom L. Gray, eds. African-American Poetry. New York:

MacMillan, 1995. 345-58.

A book with no author and no editor

Primary Reference Books. 1995 ed. New York: Bowker, 1995.

An encyclopedia article (with no author)

"Fire Fighting." The World Book Encyclopedia. 2002 ed.

An encyclopedia article (with an author)

Bates, William. "Video Games." The World Book Encyclopedia. 2002 ed.

Magazine and Newspaper articles

An article from a print magazine (not on the computer or internet)

Cain, William. "Big Business of the Nineties." Business Week.

16 Aug. 1998. 19-21.

A newspaper article ( print version, not Internet)

James, Noah. "The Book Everyone Loves to Hate." New York Times. 22 Jan.

1998, sec C: 12.

Internet/Electronic Resources

Article from Encarta Encyclopedia CD-ROM

"Lewis Carroll." Encarta Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. Microsoft, 1996.

Article from WorldBook Online

McGinnis, Terri. "Dog." World Book Online Reference Center. 2005. World Book, Inc. 1 Feb. 2005. .

WEB SITE -- Professional or Personal

Format:

Author(If given). Name of Page. Date of Posting/Revision. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site. Date of Access .

Examples:

Basic Hula Words. 15 Nov. 1999. Hawaiian Language House. 8 Nov. 2000 .

Li, Rong-Chang. English as a Second Language. 12 Feb. 2001. Society of English Teachers. 6 Nov. 2000 .

Resources from a Data Base Online (such as Chandler Public Library)

Author #1- Last Name, First Name/initials, Author #2 and more - First Name/Initials, Last Name, and Final Author - First Name/Initials, and Last Name. "Article Title." Journal/Magazine Title volume number.issue number (publication year): page numbers. Database name. H.W. Wilson. Library name or system, city state. Date accessed /

Example:

Kean, Rita, LuAnn Gaskil, Larry Leistritz. "Effects of community characteristics, business environment, and competitive strategies on rural retail business performance." Journal of Small Business Management 36.2 (1998): 45-57. Wilson OmniFile Full Text, Mega Edition. H.W. Wilson. Colgate University Libraries, Hamilton, NY. 10 Jan. 2005 .

Parenthetical Documentation

When you write research papers of any type it will be necessary for you to use the ideas of others to support your own views. There are three different ways that you can use the ideas of other people:

1. Summarizing

2. Paraphrasing

3. Quoting directly

All of these examples require you to acknowledge that the ideas or words are not your own. Whenever you write something you must identify which ideas are not your own and indicate where they came from. People reading your paper must know when things you write are not your own thinking and how to find the original source if they need to find it. (Evans, 1998)

Summarizing:

When you summarize the major point, the general position, or an overall argument by an author, then a reference to the work as a whole without a page number is okay.

Paraphrasing:

A good way to use another author's words is to take their ideas and put them into your own words. In this way you can put emphasis on the parts that relate to what you are studying. You need to make sure that your paraphrase is accurate. (Evans, 1998)

Paraphrasing should be in your own words. You cannot paraphrase by taking sentences or phrases and just changing a few words - that is plagiarism. Paraphrasing works best if you read the whole section you wish to refer to several times until it is clear to you. (Evans, 1998, p. 2).

Quoting Directly:

Quoting directly is using the author's exact words. You should only do this if the author has a very exceptional way of stating something. A good thing to do is paraphrase most ideas and use one or two direct quotes to capture something an author said. Direct quotes should be in quotation marks unless the quote is longer than 3 lines, then it should be indented without quotes.

Parenthetical Documentation Cont’d

Examples:

(Evans, 1998) - a summary - no page number necessary.

(Evans, 1998, p. 2-3) - a paraphrase - need the page numbers.

(Evans, 1998, p. 3) - a direct quote - need the page number.

(Source: Evans, D.R., Rossman, G.B. (1998). Using the Work and Words of Other Authors: A

Short Guide to Using APA guidelines. Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts.)

Plagiarism

PLAGIARISM is considered a serious offense. Students, like other writers, are expected to acknowledge the work of others and to assist their readers in finding specific locations from which their ideas are drawn. In other words, if you are summarizing, paraphrasing, or quoting another person, you need to attribute that material to its source. You may be taking the information from an interview or other oral text, or from the Internet, or from the conventional printed text. In either case, the source MUST be documented.

Failure to document carries severe penalties.

Hypothesis

After learning about the independent and dependent variables, you must state an opinion about the relationship between the variables. The hypothesis is one sentence that states what you think the answer to the problem statement will be based on what you learned in the research. The sentence should indicate what you expect the dependent variable (effect) to be as a result of changing the independent variable (cause) and why this “effect” will happen (because).

The hypothesis should not be written in 1st person (I, we, my, etc.).

Your hypothesis should be in the form:

If _____(IV change stated)___________ , then ___________(DV change stated)____________ because…

WRITE YOUR HYPOTHESIS:

Teacher okay: _____

Abstract Introduction

An introduction gives information on your topic, including background information, variables of the experiment, etc. Use the following format to write an introduction paragraph. (The background information is the information you completed on your variables and topic. Take the information you already created for that section). Remember the following is a format to follow. You need to write in proper paragraph format when completing your introduction paragraph.

1. General statement about your topic:

2. State your independent and dependent variable:

3. Background information on your independent and dependent variables.

4. Your problem question.

5. Your hypothesis.

Teacher okay:_____

Organizing and Planning Your Project

In order to make sure you know what you’re measuring, how you are going to measure it, and how you will set up your experiment, fill in the following worksheet.

1. Independent variable: list ALL materials for changes

Units of measurement (using the metric system):

Instrument/tool for measuring: measuring cups, meter sticks, scales………

2. Dependent variable:

Units of measurement (using the metric system):

Instrument/tool for measuring:

3. List all factors that must remain constant and explain how you will keep them constant.

4. Describe the control group.

5. If you are using plants, list their scientific names.

Teacher okay: _____

Experimental Design - Materials

List all materials, supplies, equipment, tools, etc. that you will need for this project. Add or delete things from this list later when you perform the experiment so that the list you include in your final project is correct. Remember you must include brand name used, amounts, quantities, etc.

Typically, if you are using chemicals or plants, those things should be in a separate list next to the equipment.

You may use bullet when listing your materials.

• Paper

• Pencil

•

Teacher okay: _____

Experimental Design – Procedures

Write a list of all the steps you will need to follow to run the experiment. Another person should be able to follow your procedure without ever having to talk to you, so make it good/very detailed. In your final report, your procedures must be in a well-written paragraph. However, to assist you to begin with, you may want to list the steps in numerical order and then develop your paragraph.

• Gather materials

• Build……

• Set up……

• Controls

• Safety

• Conducting experiment (3 trials!!!!!)

• Managing errors/mistakes…

• Measuring

• Recording data

Teacher okay: _____

Data Log ( Log book)

• All entries will be in your log book (spiral notebook or composition notebook)

• All entries should be dated.

• All entries should be written in complete sentences following appropriate conventions.

• All entries should provide enough detail so that another researcher could follow them later.

• All entries should be neat

• All entries should be relevant to the topic studied

• Include any questions you think of during experimentation that may lead to a better understanding of the topic. (Each day as you think of them)

• DO NOT WRITE YOUR NAME ANYWHERE ON OR INSIDE YOUR LOG BOOK!

Sample:

Record and Analyze Data - Data Table

You must have a data table drawn before you experiment so that you have a place to record your observations neatly. It is difficult to draw one sample data table as an example, since yours will depend on the type of experiment you choose, but the one below may help you get started.

Guidelines: 1. Label each data table with a number and title.

2. Each column should have a heading with units if appropriate.

3. All 3 trials for each group should be shown.

4. The average for the trials in each group should be calculated.

Table 1: The Effect of ________________ on _________________

|Independent Variable (unit) |Dependent Variable (unit) |

| |Trial 1 |Trial 2 |Trial 3 |Average |

|Independent Variable A | | | | |

|Independent Variable B | | | | |

|Independent Variable C | | | | |

Table 1: The Effect of Different Amounts of Water (in mL) on the Growth of Marigolds (in cm).

|Amount of Water per |Height of Plants at Three Weeks |

|Day |(cm) |

|(mL) | |

| |Trial 1 |Trial 2 |Trial 3 |Average |

|0 | | | | |

|2 | | | | |

|4 | | | | |

|6 | | | | |

|8 | | | | |

|10 | | | | |

Sketch your data table on the next page and use it as a rough draft for your experiment.

Sketch of Data Table: (don’t forget the title)

Teacher okay: _____

Record and Analyze Data - Graph

Guidelines:

❑ Decide whether a line graph, a bar graph, or other type of graph is better for your data.

❑ Label the top of the graph with a number and title that includes the dependent variable first and the independent variable second along with units of measurement

❑ Label the x-axis with the independent variable and its units.

❑ Label the y-axis with the dependent variable and its units.

❑ Number the axes appropriately. Label the individual bars appropriately.

❑ Indicate the relationship between the variables.

Sketch your graph here (or attach it) in order to have it checked before the final draft.

Teacher okay: _____

Analyzing Data

The results paragraph will analyze all data collected during the experimental process. Before writing the results paragraph, fill in the answers to the following questions. Use the answers to form a proper paragraph including all of the information below. Do not use personal pronouns!

1. What does the graph represent (include IV and DV information)?

2. What are some interesting features about the data?

3. What does this graph (data) tell you? Summarize the data in words.

On the next page, write a rough draft of your analysis. Do not just answer the questions from above- you need to develop a well-written paragraph that summarizes the data.

Rough Draft of Analysis

Teacher okay: _____

Conclusion

The conclusion will be another mini-report that summarizes the experiment and relates it to the research and hypothesis. In addition, you need to think about how the experiment might be improved upon. Before writing a rough draft of your conclusion, fill in the information in each area below. These are the things that you will then organize and summarize in the conclusion.

1. State the purpose of the experiment.

2. Was your hypothesis supported or not? (A hypothesis is not proven)

3. List data averages that will defend your answer to #1. (This tells WHY your hypothesis was supported or not)

4. List at least 3 errors that might have happened and explain how they affected your results. (Do not include “I might have written down the wrong number,” or “I might have calculated wrong,” etc.)

5. What could be done differently if you repeated this experiment (either to minimize errors or help clarify your results)?

6. What is the importance of this experiment? What impact could the results have?

7. What are some areas for future research or experimentation?

8. Restate the purpose of the experiment and your findings. (“In conclusion, the purpose of this experiment was to….. and it was found that….”)

Use the answers created to write your conclusion. A good format might be to write one paragraph about questions 1, 2, 3,4 and 5; a second paragraph about questions 6 and 7, and a third paragraph about question 8.

Use correct grammar, spelling and sentence structure. Write good introductory and concluding sentences. Do not use the 1st person.

Conclusion Rough Draft:

(Conclusion rough draft continued)

Teacher okay _______

Abstract

• Do not use I, we, our---remove all personal pronouns

• Write in the past tense

• Must be between 150-250 words

• Use scientific wording- Checked, observed, monitored, watched, looked, concluded, conducted, etc.

The four areas your abstract must include:

1. Purpose of the experiment

• An introductory statement of the reason for investigating the topic of the project

• A statement of the problem or hypothesis being studied

2. Procedures used

• A summarization of the key points and an overview of how the investigation was conducted.

• An abstract does not give details about the materials used unless it greatly influenced the procedure or had to be developed to do the investigation.

•

3. Observation/Data/Results

• This section should provide key results that lead directly to the conclusions you have drawn.

• It should not give too many details about the results nor include tables or graphs.

4. Conclusions

• Conclusions from the investigation should be described briefly.

• The summary paragraph should reflect on the process and possibly state some applications and extensions of the investigation.

Draft of Abstract

Teacher okay _______

Bibliography

Write all of your sources in the correct bibliographic format in alphabetical order by author. Remember indentations and correct punctuation!!! Include bibliography information for any clipart, photos from the internet, etc. that will be used on the display board. (ex: picture taken by, website for picture, etc) See pages 12 and 13 for specific information.

Teacher okay: _____

Putting It All Together

The following chart will explain the typing requirements for the display board and the final report. Everything listed below will need to be typed as a final draft after peer editing. Each section of the report checklist will be a new page, and each section of the display board checklist will need to be typed separate in larger font for the display board.

|Report/Display Board Checklist |

| |

|Typed in large, fancy font for display board that is easy to read. |

| |

|_____Title for board (different font from report) |

|_____Abstract |

|_____Problem Question |

|_____Hypothesis |

|_____Materials |

|_____Experimental Procedures |

|_____Data-tables (use title of tables) |

|_____Graphs (use title of graphs) |

|_____Analysis paragraph |

|_____Conclusion/future research |

|_____Bibliography(includes proper citation for clipart and pictures |

|included on display board) |

|_____Pictures, clipart (No faces may be shown in pictures and pictures |

|must be cited) |

Peer Editing

Editor: _________________________________ Peer: ______________________________

As an editor, it is your responsibility to help your peer edit his/her paper. Often when you write a paper it is easy to overlook common mistakes. When a different person reviews your work they often find mistakes that you have overlooked. Please take this responsibility seriously. Editing can make the difference between an 'A' and a 'B' paper. Also, as the editor, you will be receiving points in your final grade for your editing work. The peer whose paper you are editing should supply you with a rough draft of their paper that you are free to write on. You will be turning a copy of this rough draft in with this sheet and returning a copy to them.

Spelling: You should circle all misspelled words. Done ______

Grammar: You should underline all grammatical errors. Done _____

- places where commas are needed

- places where capitalization is needed

- incorrect verb tenses

Complete sentences: You should look for incomplete sentences or run-ons. Done _____

- put a star anywhere that you see a sentence that is incomplete

or running on

Clarity: You should read the paper out loud to yourself. Done _____

- put a box around any single sentence or phrase that does not

make sense. (You don't have to correct these, just box them.)

Format: Make sure that your peer has all the required parts

|____ Title Page |_____Title for board (different font from report) |

|_____Table of Contents |_____Abstract |

|_____Abstract |_____Problem Question |

|_____Introduction |_____Hypothesis |

|_____Materials |_____Materials |

|_____Experimental Procedures |_____Experimental Procedures |

|_____Data-Charts |_____Data-Charts |

|_____Graphs |_____Graphs |

|_____Results paragraph |_____Results paragraph |

|_____Conclusion/future research |_____Conclusion/future research |

|_____Bibliography |_____Bibliography |

Teacher okay: _____

Oral Report Guidelines

_____ Prepare for your presentation by reviewing each part of the experiment so that you

know it well. Review your research so that you can speak intelligently about your

topic.

_____ Think about the following questions:

What were your results?

Why did you choose this project?

What was the hardest part (or easiest)?

What were the one or two things you learned?

What would you do differently next time? Why?

_____ Use note cards for your presentation. Do not read from your display board.

_____ Practice your presentation before you actually present.

_____ Prepare a 2 - 4 minute introduction of your project.

_____ Speak slowly. Take a deep breath if you get confused.

_____ Explain how you tested your hypothesis.

_____ Review your major findings.

_____ Discuss your conclusions.

_____ Prepare a 1-2 minute conclusion to your presentation.

_____ Ask if there are any questions.

• Make sure all parts discussed above are included in your oral report.

Due Date: November 30, 2012

-----------------------

December 19, 2007

Experimental Question:

What is the effect of alcohol on a spiders ability to spin webs?

Entry:

Today we gathered our spiders from the area around our house. We collected 15 Daddy Longleg spiders from the backyard. I have drawn a map of where we collected the spiders. We placed the spiders in fifteen different jars and we are getting ready to start experimenting on them tomorrow. We are planning on feeding them 2 crickets and three dead flies tonight.

PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE, GUT CHECK!

• Begin with what you accomplished since your last entry.

• Reflect on problems or challenges and how to fix them.

• Acknowledge successes!

• Next steps?

• Overall feelings (encouraged, excited, nervous, confused . . . . ) because . . . .

Insert picture/sketch if needed

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