INTRODUCING OUR SCIENCE FAIR - Mrs. Anderson 7th Grade …



INTRODUCING OUR SCIENCE FAIR

Dear Parents:

Soon your child will be taking part in an exciting school event – a science fair. Science fairs offer children experiences in exploring beyond the classroom to understand more about their world. Investigating a selected science topic in detail can open up new vistas and a new appreciation for not only this planet but the worlds beyond.

I would like to invite you to work along with your child as he or she selects, investigates, and reports on an appropriate area of science. With your interest and your encouragement, your child can develop the skills and attitudes he or she needs to make this project a valuable experience. However, do encourage your child to do most, if not all, of the work. Parents sometimes want to build an entire project, to make it “perfect.” It is more important that your child wrestles with problems and tries to solve them, because learning is in the doing. Guide your child whenever and wherever you can, but let the final project reflect your child’s individual effort and design.

To help you in helping your child as we prepare for the science fair, I am sending home instructions and suggestions in the attached packet. These guidelines will give you and your child some ideas on how to create an effective project. Plan to take some time with your child to go over the enclosed materials. Please mark calendars with important dates, as deadlines are important to meet.

Remember that your child’s success in our science fair will not be measured by ribbons, trophies, or certificates. Your child will succeed by learning and understanding more about science and how scientists work. Awards are secondary. The real goal of the science fair is stimulating your child’s curiosity about our world.

I look forward to your participation in our upcoming science fair. Please call any time during the preparations and during the fair with your questions and suggestions. Let’s work together so that your science fair will be a memorable and pleasant experience for your child.

Sincerely,

Your Child’s Science Teacher

You can reach me at 382–1610 during school hours.

Dear Parents and Students:

We have three science fairs this year:

January 15 – 20 CARSON MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE FAIR

March 6 Pike’s Peak Regional Science Fair (PPRSF)

April 8 – 10 Colorado State Science and Engineering Fair

All three fairs have awards. All students who win Grand Prize, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place ribbons at our school-wide science fair will be invited to enter their projects in the PPRSF. Winners of the PPRSF will compete in the Colorado State Science Fair. Participants are also recognized in local newspapers and radio.

All 7th grade honors and all 8th grade students are required to enter a project in the Carson Middle School Science Fair. It will be one third of their Science grade for the third quarter. Therefore, Parents, please encourage your child to do his/her best.

All projects must be experimental in nature, innovative, or a study to enter the Y.E.S. Fair and must also follow the steps of the scientific method. Projects will be categorized as Physical Science, Life Science, and Technology, Mathematics and Engineering. All projects must be approved by submitting the necessary forms to their science teachers by the deadlines set forth. Students will follow all rules and guidelines enclosed.

Try out several ideas in the coming weeks. This should help you to be comfortable with the final project. If you want to change your project, please get approval from your science teacher.

Parents, your role is to encourage your child by answering questions and discussing project ideas. Be sure you do not actually do things for your child’s project except to help get materials. So that we know you are aware of the contents of this booklet, please sign the Science Fair Letter of Acknowledgment on the last page of the booklet and return to your child’s science teacher by October 23, 2009.

Sincerely,

Jammie Anderson – 7th grade Honors Science Teacher

Pati Hawker and Melinda Skinner – 8th grade Science Teachers

Carson Middle School

JUST THE FAQS

(FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SCIENCE FAIR)

My teacher keeps talking about a control. What does that mean?

Giving an example is the easiest way to understand a control. Let’s say your problem is: Do plants grow larger if given Miracle Grow plant food? Obviously, your experiment would involve giving plant food to one of your plants. Since the “control set up” does NOT contain the variable, and in this experiment the variable would be the Miracle Grow, then the control is the plant without Miracle Grow.

I’ve heard about variables in math, but what are they in science?

In math or science, variables are things that vary, or able to change. The scientific definition of a variable is “the factor being tested.” In growing plants, for example, variables might include amount of water, temperature, pot size, soil type, amount of light, and, of course, plant food. However, you must remember to test only one variable at a time or your results will be invalid. The set up that contains the variable (the one with the plant food) is the “experimental set up.”

How do I test just one variable?

You test just one variable by controlling everything else. In the previous plant experiment, plant food is the one variable you are testing, so everything else about the two plants MUST be the exact same. For example, the plants in the previous experiment should both have the exact same type of soil, the same temperature, the same amount of water, be the same type of plant, about the same size, the same amount of sunlight, etc. It goes without saying that the plants need to be of the same variety. Don’t do an experiment on a bean plant and use a daffodil as your control! The only thing that would be different between your two plants would be that one received plant food and one did not.

What is the difference between an experiment and a demonstration?

A demonstration does not have both a control set up AND an experimental set up. It simply shows information. Growing one plant with Miracle Grow and showing how big it grew is a demonstration. You have nothing to compare it to. How do you know how large it would have grown if you had not used Miracle Grow?

Having a gerbil run through a maze is a demonstration. An experiment would be asking if diet affects the thinking of gerbils, then feeding one gerbil junk food and another healthy food, and finally running both through the maze.

By asking a question I can turn a demonstration into an experiment, right?

WRONG! Just because you can phrase it into a question does not mean you have an experiment. “Which metals will rust?” is a question, but is still a demonstration, not an experiment, even though you may have several set ups. You merely have a demonstration showing how each type of metal rusts. You have not controlled your variables. What makes an experiment is the control and the variable, not the question.

What’s wrong with product comparisons?

Usually product comparisons are very boring. Which detergent cleans best? Which battery lasts longest? Which paper towel holds more water? The hypothesis is almost always so predictable. “I think the most expensive one cleans the best,” or “I think the most expensive one lasts the longest” or “I think the most expensive one holds the most water.” Also, how can you come up with a valid bibliography when you are comparing Duracell to Rayovac? Are you learning something scientific or are you learning to save a buck or two?

Because some product comparisons are superior by far and have gone on to win at the Y.E.S. Fair, they are not banned, but rather discouraged. If you insist on doing a product comparison, be prepared to present a good, strong argument to your teacher on how your comparison would be genuinely useful to the world. (Hint: Having whiter socks is not genuinely useful.)

What is an abstract?

An abstract is a brief summary of your project. It should simply be titled “Abstract,” and should not exceed 250 words (about two to four paragraphs). All seventh and eighth grade projects are required to have a typed abstract, and ten points will be deducted if one is not included.

Your abstract should tell:

• Why or how this experiment would be useful

• What you thought you would learn

• What you did (Procedure)

• What you learned

DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME OR ANY PERSONAL

INFORMATION ON YOUR ABSTRACT!

Where should I put my abstract?

Your abstract may be attached to your backboard or placed in a binder on the table in front of your backboard as part of your display. If you place it in a binder, don’t put any personal information on the abstract or the binder.

What is a journal and do I have to have one?

Journals are required! Journals are worth 10 points!

A journal is a notebook with the details of every phase of your experiment. It’s where you draw out and plan your experiment, where you make a checklist of the materials you need, where your original data is recorded, where your day-by-day observations are recorded. Much of this information will be transferred to your backboard later; this is where you record it originally.

Seldom do journals look perfect. The pages of genuine journals are usually ruffled and the writing is sometimes smeared due to the constant use; so you can feel confident in displaying your journal, even if it shows some signs of wear. Also, do not think for a moment that you will fool anyone by hastily putting together a journal the night before it’s due just for show.

Do I have to have a bibliography?

Yes.

Why?

The purpose of a bibliography is to keep a record of what you read about on your problem. In the real world, it simply makes sense to see what has been discovered already about your problem, whether your problem is trying to cure a disease or simply trying to remove a stain.

Most middle school science fair projects are repeating experiments already thoroughly documented, and this is perfectly acceptable. The bibliography should reflect that you read a variety of material on the subject. Your hypothesis also should reflect that you learned something from all your reading.

Yes, sometimes it is confusing to write your actual bibliography with all the periods, commas, page numbers, and such, but they are a fact of life all the way through high school, college, and beyond. We have tried to make it easier for you by including a page in this booklet on how to write your bibliography.

SAMPLE BIBLIOGRAPHY

Book with one author:

Chambers, Veronica. The Harlem Renaissance. Philadelphia: Chelsea House

Publishers, 2007.

Book with multiple authors:

Somers, Albert B. and Worthington, Janet Evans. Novels and Plays: Thirty Creative Teaching Guides for Grades 6 – 12. Englewood, Colorado: Teacher Ideas Press, 2008.

Encyclopedia with author:

Berrill, N.J. “Biology.” The New Book of Knowledge, 2007, Vol. 2, pp. 193 – 202.

Weekly Magazine with no author:

“Eclipse: Good, Bad and Disappointing.” Time, August 23, 2008, p. 21.

Monthly Magazine with author:

Kreutz, Douglas. “The Little Colorado.” Arizona Highways, June 2008, pp. 4-13.

Newspaper with author:

Smith, Alex. Caribbean Volcano May be Approaching ‘Very Big Bang.’ “The Arizona Daily Star,” August 31, 2009, sec. A, p. 9.

Newspaper with no author:

“Pope Puts Church’s Stamp on Man’s Evolution,”The Arizona Daily Star,” October 25, 2007, sec. A, p. 1.

Personal Interview:

Jerman, Steven. Carson Middle School Principal. Personal interview, December 5, 2009.

Web Sites:

The American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Videocassette:

Introduction to Magnetism. National Geographic Television, 2007. Videocassette.

Filmstrip:

Japan: Asia’s Superpower. Knowledge Unlimited, Inc., 2006. Filmstrip.

CD-ROM

Library of the Future, Second Edition. World Library Inc., 2008. CD-ROM

SCIENCE PROJECT GRADE SHEET

Project Title _________________________________________________ Number _______

Student Name ________________________________________________ Date _________

PRIMARY REQUIREMENTS – 30 POINTS TOTAL

Abstract Included (5 points) __________

Met Deadline (10 points) __________

Journal included (5 pts) __________

Exhibit/Display Appearance - The WOW! Factor (10 points) __________

SCIENTIFIC METHOD – 70 POINTS TOTAL

Stated The Problem – 5 points

(In the form of a question) __________

Gathered Information – 5 points

(At least three - One real book - Material was read and applied) __________

Formed a Hypothesis – 10 points

(Answers question - Is based on the research - Hypothesis justified) __________

Designed and Ran an Experiment – 20 points

(Includes information & written procedure - Includes a control) __________

Recorded Data – 10 points

(Metrics only - Journal format - Includes dates & all data that applies) __________

Displayed Data – 10 points

(Metrics only - Backboard graphs, tables, charts easy to understand) __________

Stated a Conclusion – 10 points

(Answers above question - Is based on direct observation of data –

Answers the question, “Can information gained in this lab be applied to

reallife situations and how does it relate to major scientific principles?”) __________

Optional Extra Credit __________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Total number of points: __________

Letter Grade: __________

Comments:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

|Carson Middle School Science Fair Judging Form |

|      Project # ____________      Judge #: ____________ Grade ____________  |

|A |

|Definition |Level 1 |Level 2 |Level 3 |Level 4 |

| |(acceptable) |(fair) |(good) |(excellent) |

|Experiment |Duplication and reporting |Extension of a known |A new approach to the design,|A new experimental approach to |

|Investigation undertaken to test one |of an experiment to test a|experiment through |modification or application |a research problem in which |

|or more hypothesis. |previously confirmed |modification of its |of an existing experiment |most of the significant |

| |hypothesis. |procedure, data collection, |with control of some |variables are controlled. |

| | |analysis or application. |variables. | |

|Study |Study and presentation of |Study of material collected |Study based on new |A new approach to the study of |

|A collection and analysis of data |printed material related |through compilation of or |observations and research of |a problem which correlates |

|showing evidence of a correlation, or|to the basic issue. |expansion of existing data |a previously studied topic.  |information from a number of |

|pattern of scientific interest.  | |and through observation.  The|Appropriate analysis of data |sources.  The report also |

|Variables are identified and | |study attempts to address a |and correlations made. |offers new insights or |

|controlled. | |specific issue. | |solutions to the problem. |

|Invention |Building models or other |Make improvement to an |Design and build an |Build a novel technology or |

|The development and evaluation of |devices that duplicate |existing technology or use an|innovative adaptation of an |integrate technologies to form |

|models or innovative devices, using |existing technology; |existing technology for new |existing technology for a new|an innovative system that has |

|techniques or approaches from the |minimal reporting. |applications. |application. |commercial or human benefit. |

|field of technology or engineering. | | | | |

|Score out of a possible 45 points. | | | | |

|(See note below on Teams) |15 |25 | | |

| | | |35 |45 |

| |A |Score: |

|Display Part 1 |B |Score: |

|Skill (maximum 10 points) | |  |

|Is workmanship neat and carefully done? | | |

|Is lettering clear? | | |

|Are colors strong and suitable? | | |

|Is the layout complete, logical and self-explanatory? | | |

|Is the content clearly and logically presented? | | |

|Circle:   1      2      3      4      5       6       7       8       9      10 | | |

|Display Part 2 |C |Score: |

|Dramatic Value – The WOW! factor (maximum 10 points) | | |

|Is the display simple and visually balanced? | | |

|Does it capture attention? | | |

|Does it have impact? | | |

|Is there good balance and use of contrasts? | | |

|Do the backboards, table and all displays meld together? | | |

|Circle:   1      2      3      4      5       6       7       8       9      10 | | |

|Notebook / Work Journal (maximum 10 points) |D |  |

|Is the notebook clear, concise and neat? | |Score: |

|Is it different from the backboard display? | |  |

|Is it well organized? | | |

|Is there a journal summarizing actual work noting both successes and failures? | | |

|Is there a bibliography? | | |

|Are there acknowledgements? | | |

|Circle:   1      2      3      4      5       6       7       8       9      10 | | |

|Abstract (maximum 5 points – missing abstract =0 points) |E |Score: |

|Is the abstract present? | |  |

|Does the abstract contain all aspects of the project? | | |

|Is the information concise, complete, and accurate? | | |

|Is the abstract well written? (grammar, syntax and spelling) | | |

|Circle:   0 1      2      3      4      5 | | |

Comments for Students (check any that apply)

Good use of photos Excellent display Interesting topic explore it more for next year

Run the experiment more times to see if the trend continues. Text is hard to read

Increase the size of your ___control group ___sample group

Be careful about spelling Great Job You need more quantifiable data

Try a larger sample to see if the results are the same Work on improving your penmanship

Other __________________________________________________________________________

REQUIRED INFORMATION TO BE SHOWN ON PROJECT

THE SEVEN STEPS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

You must display the first six steps of the scientific method on the backboard. This will constitute a good portion of the grade and is essential for the judges.

1. STATE THE PROBLEM – Specifically state what you are attempting to find out. This should be in the form of a question. (e.g. Do plants grow larger if given Miracle Grow plant food?)

2. GATHER INFORMATION – Display a bibliography of books, websites, magazine articles, etc. to be used to find information concerning the problem stated in Step 1.

3. FORM A HYPOTHESIS – It must answer the question in Step 1. Form an opinion and explanation to the problem stated in Step 1 based on information gathered in Step 2.

4. RUN AN EXPERIMENT TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS – Design and run an experiment that solves the problem or answers the question from Step 1. A control and adequate samples should be used. (A control is the standard for comparison and is an unaffected sample that is compared to the experimental sample.) You may test only one variable at a time, so all possible variables must be controlled except the one being tested.

5. RECORD AND ANALYZE DATA – Present your data so that the viewer can see the relative effects of one or more variables. Results can be observable or measurable quantities and can be presented in tabular or graphical form. Remember, always use metrics for all measurements.

6. STATE THE CONCLUSION – It must answer the question in Step 1. What was discovered during the experiment? Is there sufficient evidence from the results to answer the original question? Review the hypothesis. Was it correct? If not, why not? Just because the conclusion does not support the hypothesis, it does not mean the experiment failed. In your conclusion, report the facts as you found them.

7. REPEAT THE EXPERIMENT – This step is not mandatory, however, it will confirm the results to be accurate. Again, repeating the experiment is suggested but not required.

CARSON MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE FAIR

RULES AND GUIDELINES

1. All entries will be by individual students and a student may enter only one project and in one category.

2. The only place the student’s name may appear is on a 3X5 card. On both sides of that 3X5 card, put the student’s name, grade, school, and science teacher. Attach the card so that it hinges on the top right corner of the backboard.

3. Exhibits must not exceed 40 cm (15 in.) from front to back, 75 cm (30 in.) from side-to-side, and 100 cm (76 in.) high.

4. Students in grades seven and eight will submit upon registration a typed abstract of the research including purpose, procedure, results, conclusions, reflections or applications and using not more than 250 words.

5. An exhibit may not be an identical repletion of one shown by any student at a previous Science Fair.

6. All safety precautions must be observed. Read all rules and regulations from the International Science Fair.

7. No live insects, animals, unhatched eggs, or disease carrying organisms may be displayed at the fair. Instead, use photographs, drawings, charts, or graphs to illustrate results of projects with such organisms.

8. All experiments involving animals must conform to the International Science and Engineering Fair’s Regulations and forms are available from your child’s science teacher.

9. It is the responsibility of the exhibitor to care for his/her exhibit and display items during the time it is on display. Projects should be durable enough to stand up well without repair, but normal wear and tear is to be expected during the time of judging and public display. Each contestant is advised to protect his/her exhibit. Reasonable efforts will be made to secure and protect exhibits; however, Carson Middle School can assume no liability for damages or thefts during set-up, display, or removal.

10.Each student is encouraged to be available during the public display to

respond to questions from the public.

11.The entry must be the work of the individual student, not the teacher, other

adult, or other child. The advisor’s role is to guide and advise, encouraging creative thinking on the part of the student.

RULES FOR DISPLAYING A PROJECT

1. See the page in this booklet titled “Required Information to be Shown on the Project” for mandatory information.

2. All projects must be able to stand up on their own.

3. The title gets the largest lettering, the headings the next largest, and the other information smaller yet, but still easy to read at a distance.

4. Put your name, school, grade, and teacher on a 3X5 card to be flipped over after judging for identification during public viewing: Hinge card with tape and place in the upper right hand corner.

5. Topics may appear anywhere (the drawing below is a suggestion).

6. Hand lettering backboards is highly discouraged. Recommendations are computer print outs, hand cut letters, or store bought letters.

HELPFUL HINTS FOR DISPLAYING A PROJECT

1. Proofread all text and have someone else proofread it, also.

2. Likewise with graphs, diagrams, etc. Make sure several people can interpret them accurately without explanations from you.

3. Photos, drawings, models, etc. attract attention and are encouraged.

4. Be brief. Long explanations are often left unread.

5. Be neat. Sloppy displays are hard to take seriously.

6. Use color! Attract the viewer’s attentions with an eye-catching color scheme.

7. Keep in mind the WOW! Factor. Does the first impression make the viewer stop walking by? Pull them in? Make them want to learn more? Does the first impression make them say “WOW! “?

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SCIENCE FAIR CHECK LIST

2009 – 2010

• Our Science Fair will be held January 15 – 20, 2010, in the Carson Middle School gym. Set up begins at 7:30 A.M. on Friday, January 15. Judging will be during school hours on Tuesday, January 20. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, January 20, and Open House will be from 4:00 – 6:00 P.M. on January 20.

• The following check list will help you plan your project. Please see the entire science fair packet for specific rules and guidelines. In addition, the packet contains valuable information on evaluation criteria.

___ Week 1 (October 25 - 31) – Choose your topic, determine the variable being tested, determine the practical application for your science experiment, and begin research on your science experiment topic. Write the question (a.k.a. the “Problem”) to be investigated, continue research, and create a bibliography of three or more sources (one source must be a real book).

___ Week 2 (November 1 - 7) – Write your hypothesis (educated guess), list and purchase the needed materials for your experiment (including a journal), and begin your experiment that tests only one variable.

___ Weeks 3 – 6 (November 8 – December 5) – Continue conducting your experiment, gather supplies for your backboard, and write the step-by-step procedures you used to conduct your experiment. Be sure to write in your journal every day. Choose a creative title (the title should never ask a question), determine the best way to display your data (a graph, table, or chart), and begin creating a display for your backboard.

___ Weeks 7 (December 8– 11) – Finish your experiment, state your conclusion, make a graph, table, or chart to display data, create a backboard for your science experiment, and type your abstract and topics that will be displayed on your backboard. Bring your backboard, abstract, journal, and optional display items to school on the morning of Friday, December 11.

___ Week (December 11 – January 15) – WITH A WRITTEN LETTER FROM YOUR PARENTS continue to work on your project over winter break. Put the finishing touches on your backboard. Bring your backboard, abstract, journal, and optional display items to school on the morning of Friday, January 15, 2010 or earlier.

SCIENCE FAIR LETTER OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I have read the contents of this booklet and understand that my child, ___________________________________, is required to complete a science project, as outlined in the Science Fair Project Guide. I understand that this assignment is a major portion of his/her science grade for the third card-marking period and that the project must be completed at home since time will NOT be given in school for actual work on the assignment. Projects must be brought to school on Friday, January 15, 2010, without exception.

I understand that all judging will be done by qualified personnel, the judges' scores will not affect the students' grades for their projects, and that the judges' decisions are final.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Parent Signature Date

_____________________________________________________________________________

Student Signature Date

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

Technology & Engineeromg

Life Science

Physical Science

Carson Middle School

Carson Middle School

Science Fair

January 15— January 20, 2010

6200 Prussman

Fort Carson, CO

Science Fair Open House

January 20, 2010

4:00—6:00 P.M.

Science Rules!

2009—2010

Science Fair Project Guide

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