Science Project



Science Project

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Assistance Packet

September 9, 2014

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

During the next few months your child is required to complete a science project which uses the scientific method to solve a problem. All students enrolled in Hapeville Charter School must complete a science fair project as this project will count for 15% of your child’s overall science grade. Science projects are primarily independent study assignments involving experimentation on a topic of individual interest. The educational benefits to the student who completes a project which are numerous include, developing skills in writing, oral presentation, creative thinking and problem solving.

Your child has been given a copy of a packet called “Science Fair Basics”, and should have this at home with their project. Please use this packet as a how-to guide for the individual assignments associated with the science fair. In the coming days students will be given instructions and handouts during science class for the various steps of his/her project. All of the work will be completed at home. A calendar that shows all of the due dates for the various stages of the project has been attached to this letter for you to have at home. DEADLINES WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED. LATE PROJECTS = LOW GRADES. Hopefully, this close supervision will help your child develop good time management skills and will ultimately result in a quality project.

Please purchase the tri-fold project board for the science project now. They sell out quickly, and it takes several weeks and sometimes longer to get new shipments in. You may purchase the project board at Wal Mart, or any office supply store that sells school supplies. Try to get a board that has a separate title board that will go on the top of the main board. You will also need to purchase a composition notebook that will be used at the science fair journal or log book. Both the tri-fold board and composition book will remain at home where the project is being worked on.

Your child may need you to monitor his/her progress and provide encouragement. Your support is important to a successful project, but please do not allow your involvement to extend any further in order to assure equity and promote student learning! Also, be aware that a prize winning project can be completed for under $10.00.

If you have any questions, please contact your child’s science teacher or Ms. Rainey, science department chair, using the information below.

6th grade—mphelps@

7th grade—swade@

8th grade—dcain@

Dept. Chair—krainey@

Thank you,

Hapeville Charter School

Science Department

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TEN Steps to a Perfect Project

I. Pick your topic—Ideas come from hobbies, interests, or problems needing solutions. Limit your topic to concentrate your time and resources. Many ideas are available through books and websites.

II. Study your topic—Go to the library, talk to professionals in the field, write to companies for information, obtain or construct needed equipment.

III. Organize and Theorize—Organize everything you have learned about your topic. Narrow down your hypothesis by focusing on a particular idea.

IV. Write out a research plan—This plan includes: Problem, Hypothesis, Procedures, and Bibliography. It should explain how you will do your experiment before you begin and exactly what it will involve.

V. Begin Experimentation—Keep detailed notes of every experiment, measurement, and observation in a bound log book (composition notebook) in blue/black ink. Remember your control and experimental groups with at least 3 test subjects in each. LOG BOOK CHECK: 100 POINTS

VI. Examine your results—Examine and organize your findings. Statistically analyze your data and organize your results into charts and graphs.

VII. Draw Conclusions—Did your experimentation support your hypothesis? Discuss this, any problems you had, and future plans.

VIII. Write an Abstract—Your abstract is a summary of your research using 250 words or less. 100 POINTS

IX. Prepare Your Report—Your written report is a complete discussion of your research including your problem, hypothesis, materials, procedures, results, graphs, charts, conclusions, acknowledgements, and bibliography.

X. Prepare Your Display—Attractive, simple informative. Follow the GSEF/ISEF Rulebook for size and display safety limitations.

Science Fair Project Ideas

Animals and Insects:

• How does electricity affect fruit flies?

• How do different types of liquids affect fruit fly growth?

Earth, Sun, and Stars:

• What is the size of the sun?

• How does sunspot activity affect radio reception?

Food and Our Bodies:

• What are eating disorders?

• Is there a relationship between eating breakfast and school performance?

• On which foods does fungus grow best?

• How are teeth affected by fluorides and acids?

Oceans, Rivers, Streams:

• Does the amount of water affect the size of the wave?

• How does the volume of a stream affect its flow rate?

• Where is the current of a stream the fastest?

• Is there a relationship between phases of the moon and our weather?

Plants and Gardening:

• What kind of soil is the best for water retention?

• Will antacids help soil polluted by acid rain?

• Does human hair affect the growth of plants?

• What is the percentage of water in various fruits and vegetables?

• Which plants and vegetables make the best dyes?

• Does the type of water affect the growth of plants?

• How does rotation affect plant growth?

• Does music affect plant growth?

• Can plants deprived of sunlight recover?

• Can potatoes grow without soil?

• How do worms affect plant growth?

• Is soil necessary for plant growth?

Water Quality:

• What is in our drinking water?

• Are our local waters acidic?

• Do our soils show the effects of acid rain?

• How polluted is our water?

Other:

• Are safe homemade cleansers as effective as commercial cleansers?

Note: These ideas are only suggestions. Your child does not have to use any of the above ideas.

Helpful Science Fair Websites

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Your science fair project must have the following:

• A title

• A problem or topic—in the form of a question

• A hypothesis

• A procedure

• A research paper

• A tri-fold project display board

Science Project Research Paper Format

Your research paper must be typed and include the following:

Title Page

Your title page should include: the title of your topic, your name, the date of the science fair, your teacher’s name and your grade

Introduction

Your introduction should be one page briefly telling what your research is about.

Informational Pages

These pages cover all the information about your topic. The pages do not have to be completely full; however you must have separate pages for separate topics. For example, if your research topic is the light bulb, you might want to write a paragraph or two about inventors of the light bulb, how it was made, how it has changed over time, and what its uses are. This would be typed on four different pages.

Conclusion

Your conclusion should be one page briefly telling what you learned.

Bibliography

Follow the guidelines provided for writing a bibliography. Be sure to list your references in alphabetical order.

Sample Bibliography

Brown, John. “How to Build Mazes.” Games, 91:113-15, Sept. 1980.

Driver, Hank. Indians of North America. Chicago, Benefic Press, 1979.

Harrison, Jan. Bridge Building. New York, Harper and Row, 1982.

“Japan,” World Encyclopedia. Chicago, Field Enterprises Educational Corp., vol. 15,

1983.

Smith, Sam and Tom Jones. “Vacations in Europe.” Newsweek, 34:95-100, May 16,

1983.

Sample Bibliography Entries

Book

Hopkins, Jane. All About Cats. New York, MacMillan, 1981.

Encyclopedia

“Sitting Bull,” World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago, Field Enterprises Educational

Corp., 1982, Vol. 15.

Interview

Bannon, James. Manager of King’s Department Store, Oak Ridge, Tennessee,

Interviewed on May 7, 2004

Magazine

Cook, Donna. “Horse Racing in Kentucky.” Time, 202:37-45, April, 1980.

Letters

Braggett, Jan. Teacher, Hapeville Middle School, Hapeville, Georgia, private

Communication, October 5, 2004.

Brochure

James, Katherine. Common Ear Diseases. New York, New York, Department of Health,

Education, and Welfare, 1999.

Newspaper Article

“Smoking is Hazardous to Your Health.” New York Times, April 22, 1983, page 56.

Television Show

NBC, “Nova: Genes,” October 19, 2003.

Display Board

Your display board should be neat, colorful and creative. It should include all of the steps of the scientific method:

Title

Background information and question

Information you gather after selecting your topic for the project.

Purpose of Project

Why you are doing this project.

Hypothesis

What you think will happen before you do your experiment.

Materials and Methods

Things that you used and the steps you took to complete the experiment.

Results

Write the results of your experiment down. This can be in the form of a graph, or a tally sheet as well.

Conclusions

What did you learn from this experiment?

Display Board

| |Title | |

| | | |

|Background Information |Materials and Methods |Results |

| | | |

| | | |

|Purpose | | |

| | | |

| |Photos, Illustrations, Etc. |Conclusions |

|Hypothesis | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

Judging Criteria

(Rating of 0 to 10 points with 10 being excellent and 5 being average)

1. Your display is attractive and appealing

2. Your materials are easily understood by the viewer

3. You use proper grammar and correct spelling

4. Your work is very neat

5. You show creativity and originality in your topic choice, methodology and use of materials.

6. Your background information shows you researched your project choice thoroughly.

7. You have shown that you followed the process of the Scientific Method by defining the problem, finding a purpose, writing a hypothesis, developing a procedure, analyzing results, and drawing a conclusion.

8. The variable in your experimentation was measurable and appropriate, and the control was properly maintained.

9. You allowed an adequate amount of time for your experiment to be completed.

10. Your graph(s) and/or table(s) clearly show the change in the variable. The graph(s) and/or table(s) are properly labeled and easy to understand.

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Main Campus

3535 South Fulton Avenue

Hapeville, GA 30354

Phone: 404-767-7730

Fax: 404-767-7706

Hapeville Charter Career Academy

6501 Buffington Rd

Union City, GA 30349

404-766-0101

Hapeville Charter School

La Escuela Charter de Hapeville

school/hapevillems

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