SCIENCE FAIR 2007



SCIENCE FAIR 2020

January 10th, 2020

Dear Parents and Students,

The Science Fair for this school year is fast approaching. As a fifth grader, a research report is required to be completed in steps and handed in on Thursday, February 20th. If you find that you MUST have more time to do a quality report, I will grant an extension with a signed note from a parent. If there is no note, your report will be considered “late” if not handed in on February 20th. Handing in a late report will affect your grade. Points can be earned by meeting the deadlines even before the finished product is turned in.

Hopefully, you can find an interesting topic that you would like to research. I would discourage studying about an animal as most fifth graders already know a great deal about many animals and will benefit more from researching another topic. Just be sure there is enough information look at it, given your choice that is at a fifth grade level before you decide on your topic. Popular topics range from diseases, weather phenomena, elements and minerals, physics of sports activities, dreams, fingerprinting, etc. A form is attached to be used to declare your topic. This form will be due by Friday, January 17th. It must be handed in on time to earn these points. Ideally, the topic you choose should lend itself toward some “project: which could be completed as a sixth grader for Science Fair 2021.

The report itself must be five (5) pages long if hand-written. If typed or printed on the computer, it should be three (3) full pages, double-spaced, using a standard size (12 pt) font. In addition to these pages, it should have a title page and include a bibliography/references as the last page. To make it easier to display your report for the Science Fair, we ask that you NOT place your finished work in any kind of folder or report holder. You may add a drawing or lettering to your title page to make your report look more appealing. A drawing, graph, or chart is needed to show the scientific engineering process. It may be computer generated or copied (please site your source). Please see me on your topic if you have a question. Other pictures will not improve your grade but will lower your grade if not completed neatly. If you include diagrams/drawings, be sure to lengthen your report so you still have the required written amount. No subtitles or headings are to be used. The report should flow as one continuous piece. Don’t forget a catchy introduction and summarizing conclusion paragraph.

There must be four (4) or more references for your report. These are to be listed on a bibliography page using MLA format. They may include one resource person and one encyclopedia. The remaining references should be books and websites. Be sure to make a list of any book titles, the author’s name and copyright date before you return them to the library, as you will need to include this information in the bibliography of your final report. Attached is a form to help track any source you may use.

About ten days before the final report is due, I would like to see a rough draft. This need not be a completed report… I just want to be sure the writing has begun. You should have about one-half or a bit more finished. This rough draft may be done on the computer. I will look at it, give credit (8 points), and return it to you. I will not edit these but will try to make a comment or two to let you know if you are on the right track or not. The rough draft will be due by Thursday, February 6th, 2020. It may be handed in sooner if it is completed earlier.

The final list of important dates is:

Friday, January 17th: declare topic (2 points) – form attached

Thursday, February 6th: rough draft due (8 points)

Thursday, February 20th: final report due (40 points)

Wednesday-Thursday, March 4-5, 2020 SCIENCE FAIR

The numbers in parentheses above indicate value towards the final grade. The report itself counts as a test grade for third quarter. I encourage you to start the investigation of your topic and the reading/researching as soon as possible. It will be easier and more fun to write if you choose a topic that interests you. When deciding on your topic, be sure there are books available that are at your level. It is extremely difficult to understand a college text when you are a fifth grader. You may not copy material directly from a text, it must be paraphrased. Do not plagiarize! (Plagiarism is to present the ideas or words of another as one’s own.) Take a sentence of information and restate it in your own words.

Although this may sound overwhelming, if taken in steps, it is manageable. Fifth graders need the encouragement and support of their parents and for this work I thank you now. The papers have always been fine efforts and I look forward to reading (and learning from) this year’s reports.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Kimberly Verhines

Please fill out, sign, and return the attached final sheet to Mrs. Verhines by

Friday, January 17, 2020

Science Fair 2020

We have received Science Fair 2019 information. We are aware that the final report is due on or before Thursday, February 20, 2020.

For Science Fair 2020, I will be studying and writing about:

________________________________________________________________________

Student Signature _________________________________________ Student # _______

Parent Signature __________________________________________

PLEASE HAND IN THIS ENTIRE SHEET BY Friday, January 17, 2020.

Sample Grading Rubric

Name ___________________________________

Title ____________________________________

**Declare topic (2) _______

On due date

**Rough Draft (8) _______

One and one half typed pages of material; no bibliography is needed at this time

**Content (15) _______

Meets Length requirements, contains accurate, interesting information

**Spelling, Punctuation, Grammar, and

Capitalization (8) _______

**Organization (7) _______

Neat Cover (1)

Introduction (2)

Conclusion (2)

Neat, Legible (2)

**Bibliography (4 references) _______

Total _______ x 2 = _______

Grade _______

Requirements for submitting your paper:

1. Title Page - includes topic/title, author, date, homeroom, may contain a picture

2. Written research paper – 3 typed pages, double spaced, 12 font, one inch margins

3. Bibliography – a complete list in bibliography form, at least 4 sources

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