Teacher's Guide to Science Projects

[Pages:29]Teacher's Guide to Science Projects

Copyright ? 2007 Kenneth Lafferty Hess Family Charitable Foundation. All rights reserved. Version 1.0, October 2007

Teacher's Guide to Science Projects

Table of Contents

Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 3

Audience for This Guide.............................................................................................................. 3 Alternative Ways for Students to Wrap Up Their Projects .......................................................... 3 Benefits ....................................................................................................................................... 3 How to Use This Guide ............................................................................................................... 4 Teacher Timeline ........................................................................................................................... 5 Tips: Guiding Student Assignments .......................................................................................... 6 Step 1: Do initial program planning. Part I: Set goals. .............................................................. 6 Step 2: Part II: Set the schedule. .............................................................................................. 7 Step 3: Optional: Make initial expo plans. ................................................................................. 7 Step 4: Ask a question. Part I: Find a project idea.................................................................... 7 Step 5: Part II: Do project proposal. (First Safety Review) ....................................................... 8 Step 6: Do background research. Part I: Collect information.................................................. 10 Step 7: Part II: Write a research paper.................................................................................... 10 Step 8: Construct a hypothesis. ............................................................................................... 10 Step 9: Optional: Do advance expo steps............................................................................... 10 Step 10: Test the hypothesis by doing an experiment. Part I: Design an experimental procedure. (Second Safety Review) ......................................................................................... 10 Step 11: Part II: Do an experiment.......................................................................................... 11 Step 12: Analyze the data and draw a conclusion. .................................................................. 11 Step 13: Communicate the results. .......................................................................................... 11 Science Expo Planner ................................................................................................................. 12 Expo Step 1: Set expo date and place..................................................................................... 12 Expo Step 2: Determine a schedule for the expo. ................................................................... 12 Expo Step 3: Invite visitors to the expo. ................................................................................... 13 Expo Step 4: Plan expo room details. ...................................................................................... 13 Expo Step 5: Identify and schedule expo volunteers. .............................................................. 14 Expo Step 6: Send a reminder to parents and students. ......................................................... 14 Expo Step 7: Set up the room. ................................................................................................. 15 Expo Step 8: Set up display boards. ........................................................................................ 15 Expo Step 9: Monitor the event................................................................................................ 15 Expo Step 10: Return the room to normal. .............................................................................. 15 Program Evaluation..................................................................................................................... 16 Evaluate your program. ............................................................................................................. 16 Let Science Buddies know about your experience. .................................................................. 16 Appendix: Printable Worksheets & Resources .......................................................................A-1 Student Science Project Schedule...........................................................................................A-2 Introducing Science Projects....................................................................................................A-3 Parent's Guide to Science Projects..........................................................................................A-4 Science Project Proposal Form................................................................................................A-5 Background Research Plan Worksheet ...................................................................................A-6 Bibliography Worksheet ...........................................................................................................A-8 Research Paper Checklist........................................................................................................A-9 Variables & Hypothesis Worksheet........................................................................................A-10 Final Report Checklist ............................................................................................................A-11 Final Expo Participation Reminder.........................................................................................A-12 Works Cited...............................................................................................................................A-13

Teacher's Guide to Science Projects

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Introduction

Remember how you discovered your own love of science. Probably it was a time where you were investigating the answers to a scientific question that was important to you. Doing an inquirybased science project fosters enthusiasm for science while also improving knowledge and skills.

Science Buddies has created this guide as a starting point to implement a science project program in your classroom. Science Buddies is a nonprofit organization that provides free science fair project ideas, answers, and tools for teachers and students in grades K-12. The goal of this guide is to give you tools to overcome some common science project challenges.

Less Time-Consuming Ways to Showcase Projects First, leading your students as they tackle science projects doesn't take as much time as you think. This guide will present easy ideas to showcase projects without the additional work of a fullfledged science fair. These easier ways range from presentations in class to a basic expo without judging and scheduling headaches. However, if you want to put on a fair, we have other resources to help you with that.

Tools to Guide Projects Second, we will provide tools to help your students to do their projects over the long-term, with quality results. These tools include worksheets that take your students through the scientific method step by step and grading criteria forms that make evaluating projects easy.

In Support of Standards Third, we will demonstrate how science projects help you meet, not detract from, science education standards.

Audience for This Guide

This guide is aimed at a teacher who: ? Has never run a science fair or expo before. ? May not have assigned science projects before. ? Teaches grades 6-8.

Alternative Ways for Students to Wrap Up Their Projects

This guide will present you with four ways to have students communicate the steps and results of their science projects. You can mix and match them as you see fit for your situation: ? Final report: A summary of all steps taken in the scientific method ? Oral presentation: A five to ten-minute presentation by each student to the class ? Display board: A classic science project summary, typically a large three-paneled board ? Science expo: A one-day showcase of project display boards without judging

Benefits

A science project can give your students their first chance to design their own learning experience, one that allows them to innovate just as scientists do in the real world. Each student will: ? Use the scientific method to answer a question. ? Get the chance to choose the area for his or her project. ? Improve math skills by analyzing data and creating graphs. ? Improve reading comprehension and writing skills by doing background research and writing

a research paper. ? Learn to manage his or her time through a multiple-step project.

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Projects are not just feel-good exercises. We know that you are most likely under pressure to teach to standards, and projects can be powerful ways to achieve standards related to scientific inquiry, as defined by The National Research Council.

Connecting to the Standards

Teaching Standards Standard A: Teachers of science plan an inquiry-based science program for their students. Standard E: Teachers of science develop communities of science learners that reflect the intellectual rigor of scientific inquiry and the attitudes and social values conducive to science learning. Content Standards Grades 5-8, Content Standard A: Science as Inquiry Students in grades 5-8 should be provided opportunities to engage in full and in partial inquiries. In a full inquiry students begin with a question, design an investigation, gather evidence, formulate an answer to the original question, and communicate the investigative process and results. In partial inquiries, they develop abilities and understanding of selected aspects of the inquiry process. As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop:

? Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry: o Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations o Design and conduct a scientific investigation o Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data o Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence o Think critically and logically to make the relationships between evidence and explanations o Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and predictions o Communicate scientific procedures and explanations o Use mathematics in all aspects of scientific inquiry

? Understanding about scientific inquiry (divided into seven categories)

(National Research Council 1996)

How to Use This Guide

This guide provides two timelines to guide you and students through doing a science project: ? Teacher Timeline: Steps to guide students and plan additional activities, such as an expo ? Student Science Project Schedule: Steps and list of assignments for students

You will find tips on the following pages regarding each of the Planning Activities and Student Assignments listed on the Teacher Timeline. These tips reflect the experience of Science Buddies staff working with many science project programs across the country. After the tips, a Science Expo Planner describes all of the steps for putting on an expo.

In the Appendix you will find two types of useful tools: ? Worksheets for students to complete for many of their assignments ? A letter and guide for parents

This guide defines a science project as an educational assignment that requires students to work independently using the scientific method, which includes the following steps: ? Ask a question ? Do background research (includes writing a background research paper) ? Construct a hypothesis ? Test the hypothesis by doing an experiment ? Analyze the data and draw a conclusion ? Communicate the results

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Teacher Timeline

Time Planning Activity

Teacher Task

At least one month before start

Do initial program planning. Part I: Set goals.

Part II: Set the schedule.

Optional: Make initial expo plans.

Decide on goals and requirements.

Determine program start and end dates. See Science Expo Planner, Expo Step 1, set date and place.

Week Student Assignment

Assignments to Grade / Other Teacher Tasks

1

Ask a question.

1. Hand out Student Science Project

Part I: Find a project idea.

Schedule. 2. Send information to parents.

3. Grade Topic Selection Wizard

results/science project questions.

2

Part II: Do project proposal.

Science Project Proposal Form*: Assess

safety, practicality.

3

Do background research.

1. Background Research Plan Worksheet*

Part I: Collect information.

2. Bibliography Worksheet*

4

Part II: Write a research paper. 1. Research Paper*

2. Research Paper Checklist

5

Construct a hypothesis.

Variables & Hypothesis Worksheet*

6

Optional: Do advance expo steps. See Science Expo Planner to begin Expo

Steps 2-6.

6

Test the hypothesis by doing an

1. Materials List*

experiment.

2. Experimental Procedure*

Part I: Design an experimental procedure.

7 & 8

Part II: Do an experiment.

1. Paragraph describing observations 2. Data table

9

Analyze the data and draw a

conclusion.

1. Graph 2. Conclusions

Communicate the results.

+ 1

Option A: Display Board

Display Board

+ 1

Option B: Final Report

1. Final Report 2. Final Report Checklist

+ 1

Option C: Class Presentation

Presentations

+ 1

Option D: Science Expo

See Science Expo Planner, Expo Steps 7-10.

* Find grading rubrics for these assignments on the Teacher Resources Page on the Science Buddies website. Bold=a worksheet or tool provided in the Appendix.

Students must pass this assignment to go on to the next.

Teacher Due Date

Student Due Date

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