Chapter 5 section 1 & 2 notes due Friday. Finish writing and naming chemical compounds #s 9-30
for tomorrow (Thursday).
Rethinking the Science Fair Project
Dear Parent/Guardian,
“Service-learning” is defined by www.servicelearning.org/what-service-learning as “a teaching and
learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to
enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.”
The Egan science department agrees with the National Science Teachers Association that this
type of learning has a special relevance to science classes. It is in this spirit that 8th grade science
would like to supplement the science fair project with service-learning. We’d like the students to
incorporate the scientific method into a project that is both meaningful to the student, and the
community. Next year we plan to do away with the science fair model. We plan on moving into the
service-learning model, specifically by encouraging students to look at conservation, ecological, and
environmental problems in their immediate community. Then we’ll ask students to take action to
work towards a simple solution. It’s called the Personal Environmental Action Plan (PEAP) and we
are piloting this project with the current 8th graders. So, we are asking students to develop their
Personal Environmental Action Plan to meet the science fair project requirement of scientific method
and investigation. See the project overview available on both Mr. Davies’ and Mr. Weitz’s websites
for more details.
Here is how it might work, for example. The action that students have taken (for example,
making sure that lights are turned off at home) is the manipulated variable. The student could then
measure the difference using the utility bills, which is the responding variable. Finally, the student
would analyze other variables that could have effected any changes in power usage besides just
turning off lights, like # of people in the house, extreme weather, etc. and make conclusions about
the effects of the behavioral changes made.
All projects will be presented during class in a format of the student’s choosing (iMovie,
PowerPoint/Keynote, poster board, a or traditional tri-fold display board) during Earth Week.
However, we do value the science fair idea in general and will continue to encourage students to
enter at the county level, as well as offer ourselves as mentors. If a student prefers to complete a
service-learning project following the traditional science fair model, we just ask that they choose a
meaningful topic.
Please follow the link below to a quick, 3-question survey and give us your feedback regarding
this change. Thank you very much for your time and attention.
Click
Here to take survey
Best Regards,
Mr. Greg Davies and Mr. Damon Weitz
