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3342005914402106930793756057901816104523740-74930-165735309245464947024130Science Fair Project centercenterScience Fair ProjectsPurpose: Use the steps of the scientific method to answer a questionProcedure:Develop a question that can be answered by using the steps of the scientific method. Choose something that interests you, this will make it more enjoyable.Gather information about your topic by talking with experts on the topic, researching in books, magazines, and the internet.Form a hypothesis or a possible answer to your questionTest your hypothesis by doing a controlled experiment with a control and a variable. It should be able to be tested again.Analyze the results by listing what you foundDraw a conclusion by explaining whether your hypotheses was rejected or acceptedWhat is an acceptable science fair project?Something that answers a question to which you do not know the answerSomething you can figure out yourselfSomething you can change somehow, add another variable, and then predict the outcome. That’s an experiment!What is NOT an acceptable science fair project?Reproducing results found on the web is NOT an experiment; it’s a reproduction.Using any materials that would be considered inappropriate for schoolA demonstration is not an experiment (i.e., volcano).Helpful Hints:Start EARLY; don’t wait until the last two weeks before it is due.Plan it out. It will be much more fun if you spread the time out over several days per week or several weekends, and you won’t have to race to get it done!Not all web sites give correct information. Remember:Anyone can create a web site; this does not mean its information is correct!Make sure the web site is run by a large, recognized group such as a college or organization.DOT “org”, “gov” or “edu” are generally trustworthy for accuracy of content.Written ReportScientists always report their research and experiments so that others may benefit from this new knowledge. Some research is reported through published papers while other work is presented at conventions, on TV, or through the Internet. Your research will be presented through your written report, and a project display. Your written report needs to be typed, with a new page for each of the following bold headings. It should also be double-spaced, Calibri font size 11 or 12. TITLE PAGEThe project title must be centered on the page, horizontally and vertically. A descriptive title for your experiment needs to be first and in a larger font. Next should be your name, below that your partners name (if you had one), grade, teacher name, school name, and due date. Each item should be on its own line, single spaced and in a reasonable font.IntroductionIn one or two short paragraphs, explain the question that you hope to answer and why you chose that question. Describe what you are going to show or hoping to find out from your project. Explain what your hypothesis is. (DO NOT include any results from your experiment)AcknowledgementsOn one page, say “thank you” to all the people who helped you with your project. Include any family members, teachers, or experts who assisted you with information, materials, or equipment, or participated in some way in your experiment.ResearchThis section is a summary in essay form of the information you collected about your topic. This should be information that you looked up on your topic. To do your research, look online, visit stores, read books, and interview experts. Be sure to only use accurate sources. Each source needs to be included in a bibliography. This should be one to two pages long. MethodsWrite up a complete detail of what you did and how you completed your experiment. This needs to be in great detail so another scientist could replicate your experiment. Be sure to include the types of materials that you used and how much of each material was used. This section should be in past tense, and you should avoid personal pronouns (I, we, she, he etc.). Be sure to include what your variable was and what the control was.DataThis section is where you list all of your results. You must include at least one graph and one data table. DO NOT discuss what the results mean, just report on what the results were. Try to make the information clear and easy to interpret. This should be in paragraph form with your tables and graphs at the bottom of this section. (refer to the data and graphs section) ConclusionExplain if your data supports or rejects your hypothesis. Refer back to your graphs and tables. Include any possible errors that could have occurred during your experiment. Describe how your findings could apply to society and/or you personally. Work CitedEvery source used needs to get its credit. An easy way to complete the work cited is to use: .Project DisplayYour display should be eye-catching and informative, without being crowded and sloppy looking. The display must be sturdy and stand by itself on a table. Foam core-board and cardboard are the best materials. If you need to cut through the sides of your core-board to make “wings”, do not cut all the way through. If you need to paint your backboard, enamel paint works best. Do not use water-based paint. Contact paper may also be used. Use a minimum of three contrasting colors on your board. All items on the display must be glued to the board. Do not use pins, tacks, staples, or tape and avoid handwritten items. What to display:The title of your project should be in larger font and front and center on your display. You also need to include an introduction, a summary of your research, how you conducted your experiment, your data (include data tables and graphs), your conclusion, and your work cited. Do not just attach parts of your paper to your board, this should be a summary of your paper. Someone should be able to look at your display and know what you wanted to find out, why you wanted to find this out, and what you actually found out.DRAWINGS, DIAGRAMS, PHOTOS AND GRAPHSDrawings, diagrams and photos are most useful on the display. Drawings and diagrams should be drawn in pencil first and then retraced. They should be in color and outlined in thin black felt tip pen. Diagrams must have all parts labeled, using symbols to label the parts. Graphs and charts must have explanatory titles. Graph axes must be labeled. You should photograph your experiment in progress. A photo of you with your experiment is encouraged. All photos must be titled.DISPLAY RequirementsWhen backboard (display portion) is flat, it should be 48 inches wide. Side panels (“wings”) should be l2 to l8 inches. Height should be no more than 48 inches.Title, your name(s), your grade, the subtitles: Introduction, Research, Methods, Data, Conclusion, and Work CitedThere must be a “pocket” on the display to hold your written reportIf possible bring in parts of your experiment to displayResearch3873582550Picture00PictureWork CitedScience Fair TitleNamesGrade Introduction 135064533020Paper Report00Paper Report Methods125984015875Report Pocket00Report Pocket1021715133985Example: Arrange your materials however you would like, this is just an example of how it could be done, just be sure to include all required items4000020000Example: Arrange your materials however you would like, this is just an example of how it could be done, just be sure to include all required itemsData-20955166370Graph00Graph34099526670Data Table00Data TableConclusionData Tables and GraphsData TablesExperimentation that produced data in the form of numbers (quantitative data) must be placed in data tables. Data tables are needed in reports so that you can display your observations (data) in a clear, organized form. Several data tables may be included on one page, as long as the format is clear and easy to read. Data tables should be created on computers. Each table’s columns need headings above them (titles). Any units needed (centimeters, seconds, grams, etc.) should appear in the labels, not within the table itself. Rows may also need labels to identify a variable.Titles for data tables should go at the top of each table and include a specific description of the kind of data the table contains. In formal reports, each title should also include the date and location where the data was collected. High school reports working with specific animals or plants should include the scientific as well as the common name. Always remember to underline or put into italics all scientific names.81026061595GraphsGraphs are a perfect way to visually present your data. A data table will show your results in numbers, but is often uninteresting or difficult to interpret. A graph can take the same data, make it eye-catching and easily show large differences in your results. Graphs show comparisons between two or more groups or differences between variables. A graph cannot stand alone - it must be preceded by a data table. The data table contains exact details from an experiment that a graph often cannot show. They complement each other: one gives the details, one displays the trends. Label both the X and Y axes and include any units necessary. Data from dependent variables (data that vary as the experiment continues) are placed on the Y axis. Data from independent variables (data that do not vary during the experiment, such as the days of the week, experimental group numbers, and time periods) are placed on the X axis. Graphs must be properly titled. Written Report (76 pts)02468Title PageMissing information, incorrectly formattedIncludes all required information and is organized correctlyIntroductionMissing or incompleteMissing some componentsAll information was included and completeAcknowledge-mentMissing or not completeWell written and thoughtfulResearch(x 2)Missing or plagiarizedIncomplete, shows little effortMissing some important aspects of the researchWell written, missing some important aspects of the researchWell written, Includes research from trustworthy sourcesMethodsMissing or incompleteLittle detail, no one could dublicate experimentEnough info for someone to duplicate part of experimentSome detail, someone could duplicate experiment Very detailed, anyone could duplicate experimentData(x 2)Missing or incompleteSome results are listed, no graphsResults are listed, does not refer to graphsWell written, refers to graphsWell written, refers to graphs, graphs are outstandingConclusionMissing or incompleteDiscuses some findingsSome detail, missing some important informationStates if hypothesis is accepted/rejected, discusses findingsDescribes why hypothesis is acc/rej, discusses findingsWork CitedMissing or incompleteIncludes all sources, incorrectly formatted, includes search sitesCorrectly formatted, includes all sources, does not include search sitesPresentation(x 2)Missing or incompleteShowed little effortIncorrect informationAccurate conceptsShows great effort, accurate conceptsDisplay (18 pts)246810AppearanceLooks sloppy and quickly put togetherLooks sloppy, missing two or more objectsLooks nice, missing one or two objectsLooks nice, includes all required objectsShows a great deal of effort, includes all requirementsDrawings/Diagrams/PhotosMissing or incompleteNo captions, shows little effortWell made, colored and have captionsEye catching, easily understandableUse of Class Time (8 pts)02468Rarely used time effectively, bothered othersOccasionally had to get talked to about using timeOccasionally used class time effectivelySometimes used class time effectivelyAlways used class time effectivelyRubricName(s):________________________________________________________________________________Report total: _________ + Display ___________ + Class Time____________ = ________/102 ___________% ................
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