Backboard Guidelines: - aigjcs



Backboard Guidelines:

The following are recommended guidelines for a science fair backboard. Some components (i.e., Title, Abstract, Problem, Hypothesis, Conclusion) need to be in the designated location, but the specific location of other components (i.e., Materials, Variables, Procedure, Data, Results, and photographs) should go where they fit best. It is important to highlight the data collected on the center panel.

Be creative and neat (type, cut evenly, measure, etc.), making sure that you do not detract from your project’s information. Examples: Use paint, fabrics, wall paper, colored paper, stickers, related items, etc., choosing colors or patterns that work well together and fit the theme of your project. Make your title bold and easy to read from a few feet away.

|Abstract | |Procedure |

|The abstract is a summary of your entire |Title | |

|science fair project | |General steps that would allow someone |

| | |to understand how you did what you did |

|Problem | | |

|What do you want to find out? Why is this |Data | |

|important? | | |

|The abstract is a summary of your entire |Graphs and/or Tables |Results |

|science fair project |(Use a computer program.) | |

| | |What happened when you did your |

|Hypothesis |[pic] |experiment? |

|What did you think would happen? | | |

| |Photographs (or drawings) | |

|Materials |(Make sure you place drawings and/or photographs in | |

|List all the materials you used for your |sequential order) |Conclusion |

|experience |[pic] |(include “Next Steps”) |

| | | |

|Variables | |Did you accept or reject your |

| | |hypothesis? And why? |

|Controlled Variables | | |

|Things you keep the same. | |What did you learn from your |

| | |experiment? What would you do next? |

|Independent Variables | | |

|Things you change on purpose. | | |

| | | |

|Dependent Variables | | |

|Things that change because | | |

|of what you changed | | |

Backboards may be purchased at places such as Wal-Mart, Office Max, and Dollar General.

If you are in need of a backboard, please see S. Harris to purchase a board.

Binder Pages

| | | | | |

| | |Table of Contents (sample) | | |

|Title Page | |(item ) (Sample Page #) | |Abstract |

| | |Abstract | | |

| | |3 | |___________________________ |

|Student name | |Problem | |___________________________ |

|School | |4 | |___________________________ |

|School Address | |Hypothesis 4| |___________________________ |

|Grade | | | |___________________________ |

|Homeroom Teacher | |Research 5 | |___________________________ |

|Date | |Materials | |___________________________ |

| | |6 | |___________________________ |

| | |Variables | |___________________________ |

| | |7 | | |

| | |Procedure 8 | | |

| | |Results | |3 |

| | |9 | | |

| | |Data | | |

| | |10 | | |

| | |Conclusion/Next Steps 11 | | |

| | |Bibliography 12 | | |

| | |Acknowledgements 12 | | |

| | |2 | | |

| | | | | |

|Problem in the form of a Question | |Research | |Materials |

|______________________ | |___________________________ | | |

|______________________ | |___________________________ | |The materials I used were: |

| | |___________________________ | | |

|Hypothesis | |___________________________ | |2. |

|___________________________ | |___________________________ | |3. |

|___________________________ | |___________________________ | |Etc. |

| | |___________________________ | | |

| | |___________________________ | | |

| | |___________________________ | | |

| | | | | |

|4 | |____________________ | | |

| | |________t format)and Friday, January | |6 |

| | |29th table of contents, and research| | |

| | |paper | | |

| | |5 | | |

| | | | | |

|Variables | |Procedure | |Results |

| | | | |___________________________ |

|Controlled Variables | |The steps I followed were: | |___________________________ |

|______________________ | | | |___________________________ |

|______________________ | | | |___________________________ |

|Independent Variables | | | |___________________________ |

|______________________ | |2, | |___________________________ |

|______________________ | |3. | |___________________________ |

|Dependent Variables | |Etc. | |___________________________ |

|_____________________ | | | |___________________________ |

|_____________________ | | | | |

| | | | | |

|7 | |8 | |9 |

| | | | | |

|Data | |Conclusion | |Bibliography |

| | | | |(alphabetized) |

|[pic] | |I think that the reason…. | | |

| | |___________________________ | |______________________ |

| | |___________________________ | |____________________ |

|Remember to label the | |___________________________ | |______________________ |

|x and y axis of each graph. Have a | | | | |

|title and use keys. | |Next Steps | |Acknowledgements |

|Pictures or drawings may be included.| |Things I might do differently | | |

| | |next time… The next steps | |I would like to thank my |

| | |or next experiment that might | |family for helping with my |

| | |be done based on my results | |project. I would like to also |

|10 | |are… _____________________ | |thank … |

| | |___________________________ | | |

| | | | | |

| | |11 | |12 |

****Use a report cover or a binder (usually ½ to 1 inch). It is required that you put the log where you recorded results (in your handwriting) and the notes you took during your experiment (in your handwriting) in the binder behind the graphs of your data. You may also put pictures in your binder in which you didn’t have room for on your back board.

JC Sawyer Elementary School’s Science Fair Project Due Dates

Grades 4 and 5

|Assignment to be completed |Due Date |Teacher |Teacher Comments |

| | |initials | |

|Topic submitted for approval – teacher’s signature on topic page means | | | |

|it was approved | | | |

|See |Problem and hypothesis | | | |

|Binder | | | | |

|Page | | | | |

|for an | | | | |

|example| | | | |

| |List of materials needed for experiment | | | |

| |Step-by-step procedure | | | |

| |(Remember to repeat the process at least three times) | | | |

| |Variables – controlled, independent and | | | |

| |dependent | | | |

|Rough Draft of Research Paper Due - | | | |

|Submit: | | | |

|1) Notes (in your own words) | | | |

|2) Research paper typed or hand-written | | | |

|3) Bibliography | | | |

|See |Final Research Paper that you have revised and edited (Typed) | | | |

|Binder | | | | |

|Page | | | | |

|for | | | | |

|an | | | | |

|example| | | | |

| |Results | | | |

| |Data – All graphs need to be either bar graphs or line graphs. | | | |

| |They MUST be in METRIC! | | | |

| |Conclusion and Next Steps | | | |

| |Acknowledgements (Can be on the same page as bibliography) | | | |

| |Abstract | | | |

|Turn in completed Binder for final overall binder grade. (All above | | | |

|items should be included PLUS title page & table of contents) | | | |

|Backboard | | | |

|Oral presentation - (Students should “know” the information well enough| | | |

|that they are NOT reading from their backboard!) | | | |

|JC Sawyer Elementary School Science Fair is Friday, January 27th in the multipurpose room. |

|Parents are welcome to attend! |

Research before writing your hypothesis! Use sites that end in .edu and .org for your research. (Don’t use Wikipedia.) Other sources could be: interviews, books, magazines, etc. Write notes in your own words. Remember to take pictures throughout the process!!!!

JC Sawyer Elementary School

Science Fair – Student Packet

Explanation of Terms

Problem

• Must be in the form of a question.

• Must not have a yes or no answer.

• Must be testable and measurable with an experiment

(A demonstration is not an experiment! You must have variables in an experiment.)

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Research Paper

The research portion of the scientific method occurs BEFORE the hypothesis is determined and the experiment is performed. The research paper consists of original material summarizing the information taken from your sources. (Minimum of three sources must be used and documented) Your research paper should NOT include any data from the experiment. It should merely state the background information used in determining your hypothesis. The research paper must be typed in 12 pt font, doubled spaced in Times New Roman.

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Hypothesis

• The hypothesis should answer the question (Problem Statement) and predict the outcome of the experiment.

• A hypothesis should be supported or not supported by the experimentation and data collected. Example: “If three plants are exposed to 0%, 5% and 10% concentration of fertilizer, then the plant with the 5% fertilizer will grow the most.”

• Most hypothesis can be stated in the form of an “If _________, then __________ statement.”

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Materials

Include ALL items used during your experiment. Remember to include quantities in a consistent unit of measurement. (All measurement MUST be recorded in METRIC!!!)

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Variables (Information below come from )

Scientists design experiments so that changes to one item cause something else to vary in a predictable way. These changes are called variables. A variable is any factor, trait, or condition that can exist in differing amounts or types.

• Independent – is the one that is changed by the scientist.

• Dependent – the scientist focuses his/her observations on this variable to see how it responds to the change made to the independent variable.

• Controlled – are the conditions that a scientist wants to remain constant.

Example: If you are testing fertilizer benefits on plants, the type of fertilizer would be your independent variable. The growth of the plant would be your dependent variable. The controlled variable would be the location of the plants, the amount of water provided to each plant, the exposure to sunlight, etc... (Those items would be the same for all plants.) The number of dependents variables in an experiment varies, but there is often more than one.

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Procedure

“Your Method” – numbered steps so that the reader could easily follow how you conducted the experiment.

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Data Collection (Don’t forget to take photos throughout your experiment process)

Raw Data

Every experiment must have some form of data to be collected and analyzed in order to address the problem and support or reject the hypothesis.

The first form of data collection can be a “raw data log”. This is your written observations and/or measurements. This can be a simple notebook with data entries. Be sure that you note the unit of METRIC measurement and keep it consist.

It is required that you put the log where you recorded results in your handwriting and the notes you took during your experiment in your handwriting in the binder behind the graphs of your data. You may put pictures in your binder that you didn’t have room for on the back board, too.

Data Tables - Complete data tables with available data from raw data log.

Organizing your data collection – Think carefully about columns and rows. The trials in your experiment should be in rows and the independent variables should be in columns (You must have at least 3 trials for your experiment!!!) The dependent variables will be the information you put in each cell. You must label the x and y axis of each graph. You need to include a title and a key. (It is recommended to use only a bar graph or line graph. Line graphs can only be used IF you are showing change over time!)

A great online website to help create a graph is:

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Conclusion

Drawing a conclusion means making a statement summing up what you have learned from your experiment.

Conclusion should:

• Refer to the hypothesis (restate)

• Determine whether the data supports the hypothesis or rejects it.

• Cite proof from data.

• State what might be done to further investigate the same problem.

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Abstract

The abstract is a summary of your entire science fair project. Thus, it includes the important information from each section of your binder.

The abstract should include:

• Problem

• Brief summary of the procedure

• Results/Data

• Conclusion

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Bibliography

You must have at least 3 sources. To ensure you are using the correct format, it is suggested that you use MLA Elementary Citation Maker to create your bibliography. That website is:



If you do not have internet available at home, then please contact your child’s teacher.

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