Important Science Project Information - Chandler Unified …

Important Science Project Information

from your science teacher

As part of our science curriculum, all students are required to

complete a science project. Students will complete their Science

Fair projects during the months of October through January. This

project is an excellent opportunity for students to apply scientific

thinking and processes to questions of their own design. The

science projects are due on Friday January 17th, 2014 and will be

exhibited at the Willis Junior High School Science Fair during the

first week of February.

Group Work and Experimentation

Students will be permitted to work on their projects in groups of two or on their own. Students may work in

groups of three if they can justify why their project requires three people. Students should exchange phone

numbers so they can get in touch outside of school.

Students will be allotted class time to work on their projects. However, they should expect to work on some

parts of their projects at home. This is especially true for experimentation and some of the written sections

of the project and typing of display board information.

Students will be required to supply materials for their projects. The science project is NOT intended to be

an expense to any family. Thus, students should be making every effort to use affordable materials. If

students have difficulty obtaining materials due to expense or availability, some materials may be available

to be used at school. In this case students will have to schedule a time with your science teacher before or

after school to work on the project.

Grades

The science project will make up approximately 50% of each

student¡¯s quarter grade. Therefore, failure to complete a

quality project will result in a significant decrease in the

student¡¯s grade. The science fair grade consists of written

sections that students will complete throughout the course of

the project, their participation in and completion of

experimentation, that work is completed and turned in on

time, safety rules and expectations are followed, and the

quality of the final display board.

Technology

Required Science Project Materials

?

?

?

?

USB Flash Drive

(recommended)

Single subject spiral notebook

(students will keep a daily

record of their project)

All necessary materials for

experimentation

1 science fair display board (per

project/group)

Willis Gifted Academy provides access to technology resources that will streamline and enhance your

child¡¯s science project experience.

Google Docs - Students will keep a physical notebook but will also create and store their work in Google

Docs.

Noodle Tools - Research, bibliography of sources, and notecards will be created and stored in Noodle

Tools.

Google Sites - Students will create a Google Site for their project for submission

to electronic science fairs.

Quick Response (QR) Codes - Students are permitted to create additional

materials such as videos, photos, links to online resources concerning their topic,

and more. They can then create a QR Code to place on their board which can be

scanned by a mobile device and link to these online materials. Download a QR

Code scanner to your smartphone or mobile device and TRY IT WITH THIS ONE!

These tools also facilitate greater collaboration and communication among teams.

If your child is working with a partner, they can share projects through

NoodleTools, Google Docs and Sites, Edmodo, etc. and work on them simultaneously while being in two

different places.

By the way, there are many more online tools that can help, but these are the main ones we¡¯ll be using.

Science Fair Rules

1) Students should follow the rules outlined by the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

Detailed descriptions of rules and forms are available at -

2) Science Fair projects and experiments must be aligned with the current grade level curriculum.

3) Experiments involving animals, human subjects, or hazardous materials of any kind may not be

conducted without appropriate approval. Approval forms are available on my website.

4) Lab safety rules and precautions must be followed during any project.

5) Students may enter only one project.

6) All exhibits must be durable and safe. Research papers and data logs should be the only items

submitted with the display boards. Experimental materials may not accompany display boards.

7) Students will need to provide a project display board. They are available at most Staples, Office Max,

Walgreens, Wal-Mart, etc. If students cannot afford a project display board, one can be provided with a

written and signed note from the parents or guardians.

The information in this letter and Science Fair Resources including helpful

handbooks, approval forms, rules, and timelines can be found on Mr.

Prichard¡¯s website. It is highly recommended that you use the resources that

are there.

Please acknowledgement that you received this information by Monday August 12th by emailing

me at prichard.jason@chandler.k12.az.us. I am also happy to answer any questions you might

have.

Junior High Division Science Fair Categories

Grades 7-8

Your science fair project should be entered under one of these categories.

1. Behavioral & Social Sciences

2. Computer Science

3. Earth & Space Science

? Geology

? Astronomy

4. Engineering/Inventions

5. Environmental Sciences

6. Life Science

? Animal Sciences

? Plant Sciences

? Cellular & Molecular Biology

7. Mathematical Sciences

8. Medicine & Health Sciences

9. Physical Science

? Chemistry

? Physics

Timeline for Completion of Science Fair Project

Tasks to be completed

WHERE

Due date

My Views and Opinions on Science Essay - Identify

topics of interest and conduct background research. Science Fair Notebook

Noodle Tools

Parent Acknowledgement of Science Project

Google Docs

Information

August 12, 2013

Science Fair Notebook

Brainstorming, narrow, and choose a topic. Continue

Noodle Tools

background research.

Google Docs

August 8-15

Formulate an Experimental Question and record it in

the composition notebook.

Science Fair Notebook

Develop an ¡°If¡­, then¡­, because¡­¡± Hypothesis and Noodle Tools

Google Docs

record it in the notebook.

August 16

Continue background research.

Identify the Independent, Dependent, and Controlled

Variables in your experiment.

Describe the Operational Definitions for the

Independent and Dependent Variables.

Science Fair Notebook

Noodle Tools

Google Docs

August 16-20

Science Fair Notebook

Noodle Tools

Google Docs

August 23-29

Continue background research.

Design the Experiment: Write up a list of required

Materials and a list of Procedures that will be followed.

Design a blank data table for record data.

Continue background research.

Research Proposal due ¨C includes the topic,

experimental question, hypothesis, variables,

operational definitions, procedures, and blank

data table.

Start Experiment and record data in the Science Fair

Notebook.

To be typed and submitted to

your instructor.

Friday August 30th

Science Fair Notebook

Google Docs

At the home of each group

Monday September

member. Science Fair notebook

9

September 16

At the home of each group

Conduct Experiment and record data in the Science member. Science Fair Notebook September 23

Fair notebook.

October 21

Notebooks will be checked weekly for evidence of Science Fair Notebook

Google Docs

experimentation and data collection.

October 28

November 4

November 11

Experimentation finished.

All data collected and recorded in the Science Fair

notebook

Science Fair Notebook

Monday

November 18,

2013

Continue background research.

Graphs and Data Analysis

Correlation coefficient, standard deviation, etc.

Discussion of Results

At home and in class.

Science Fair Notebook

Noodle Tools

Google Docs

At home and in class.

Science Fair Notebook

Noodle Tools

Google Docs

November 19-22

November 22-29

At home and in class.

Science Fair Notebook

Noodle Tools

Conclusion ¨C Summary and discussion of your project.

Google Docs

December 2-6

FINAL TYPED and PRINTED copies of all sections for

At home and in class.

display boards.

January 8-10, 2014

Work on Science Fair display boards

January 13-16,

2014

Bring blank Display Board to class

At home and in class.

FINAL PROJECT DUE - Completed Display boards

In Class

and Science Fair notebooks due

Friday January

17, 2014

Project Presentations/Classroom Science Fair Judging In Class

January 17-21,

2014

Willis Junior High Science Fair Judging

Tuesday January

28th, 2014

In Media Center

Willis Junior High SCIENCE FAIR projects on display

Date Thursday February 6th, 2014

Hamilton Invitational Science and Engineering Fair (HISEF)

Date TBA __________________________

Arizona Science and Engineering Fair (AZSEF)

April 1-3, 2014

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