Science Fair Due Dates

Science Fair information was sent home with students on January 20, 2009.

 

Topic Sheet: January 27, 2009

Research Information:

Bring Books, Articles, and Websites to school. February 3, 2009

 

Bibliography: February 4, 2009

Question, Hypothesis, Materials and

Procedure (Experiment Steps): February 10, 2009

 

Research Notes Due (in outline form- Grades 6 & 8): February 13, 2009

 

Introduction and Typed Background Research:

(Turn in your paper in correct order up through procedure.) February 19, 2009

 

Notebook with Observations and Recorded Date: February 25, 2009

 

Measurement Data (Chart Form) and Graphs: February 27, 2009

Rough Draft (including data in chart form and graphs)

of whole science fair paper: March 5, 2009

 

You will receive your corrected rough draft back with

changes you need to make noted. March 6, 2009

 

Final Draft of Science Fair Paper: March 9, 2009

Complete Display: March 10, 2009           Bring your display to school today!

 

 

I have received the science fair information and will complete my work by the deadlines noted above. 

Date:  __________________

Student Signature:  ________________________________________

Parent Signature:  _________________________________________

Bring in this packet and show the signatures to Mrs. Marti on Wed., January, 21, 2009.

January 20, 2009

Dear Parents,

 

Students in Grades 4, 6 and 8 have an exciting opportunity to complete a science fair project.  Attached are the requirements.  These requirements are very complete.  Please read them carefully.  Students will need some parental guidance for the science fair.  It’s an amazing opportunity to learn how to experiment, use math measuring skills, interpret findings, write a report, create an artistically pleasing board and present a speech!

One of the most challenging tasks is to choose an appropriate topic.  It’s important to pick a topic that is scientific and at the appropriate grade level.  Students will solve a problem by carrying out the scientific method.  Fortunately, there is a wealth of information available in the form of library books and the internet.  The library is a fantastic source.  You may also check out my teacher website for links – find Mrs. Marti’s homepage by following the directions at teacherweb.com.

 

I’d like to emphasize the following points for the 2009 science fair.

 

§        Choose a topic from questions you have about the marvelous world God created.  The best topics come from personal inquiry and curiosity.  Judges will want to know why you chose your topic so find a topic that interests you and that is scientific.

§        There are 4 questions you should ask about your topic:

o        Can I find research on the topic – at an age-appropriate student level?

o        What will I test?

o        How will I measure my test?

o        Can I repeat my test 3 (or more) times?

§        Students need to conduct an experiment with measurable results.  Follow the scientific method.  Stick to your topic.  METRIC is the measurement to use!  Repeat your test 3 or more times.

§        Students need to research their topic in depth.  The goal is to learn something scientific you can share with classmates and judges!  Many students become experts in their topic.

§        All students (including 4^th Graders) need to write a short paper, following the requirements attached.

§        Please do not test products.  Most students don’t really care about which cleaner works best.  Plus, product testing is extremely hard to research.  Also, please do not use purchased kits.  And remember, it’s difficult to control variables with certain topics, especially sports topics.

§        Start early.  Meet deadlines!  Science fair projects can be fun and are not difficult if deadlines are met and the project is not put off to the last minute.

 

We are looking for parents, grandparents, or older students to help judge the science fair.  Please contact your child’s teacher or Mrs. Marti if you are willing to help.  Judging will occur on Wed., March 11, 2009.  It takes about 3 to 5 hours.  Great fellowship and food is provided!  Projects may be viewed at the open house on Thurs., March 12, in the evening.

 

Please contact your child’s teacher or Mrs. Marti with questions.  We’re excited to learn more about God’s amazing world through the 2009 Science Fair!

 

In Christ’s Service,

 

 

Mrs. Marti

Upper Grade Science Teacher

952-941-9047

 

2009 Science Fair Project Guidelines

Bloomington Lutheran School

Grades 4, 6, and 8

Final Project Due Date:  March 10, 2009

 

1. Select a Topic
Check out some science fair web sites or books from the library to get ideas on a topic. Remember that a Science Fair Project is a test you do to find an answer to a question.  You will do an experiment following the scientific method to find an answer to your question.   This is very important to remember.  Science demonstrations or collections will not be accepted.  Product testing will also not be accepted as it is very difficult to research.  So, think of a question about a topic that interests you that you can find a way to test, measure and repeat.

 

2. Gather Background Information
Gather information about your topic from books, magazines, the Internet, people and companies.
Get a notebook for your science fair project and keep notes about where you got your information.  Be careful to use your own words.  Do not plagiarize (copy).

 

3. Scientific Method (see attached sheet)
Problem Statement – Write down the question you’re trying to answer.
Select a variable (something you will change/vary) that will help you find your answer.
State your Hypothesis – what do you think will happen, based on your research.

Plan your experiment.  List the supplies you’ll need to do your experiment.  Make a numbered list of the steps that need to be followed to carry out your experiment.

Draw a conclusion based on your results.  Use your data to support your conclusions.

 

4. Run Controlled Experiment and Record Data
Do the experiment. Repeat the experiment to control variables.  If you’re doing a longitudinal experiment, collect a lot of data over a long period of time.  Use metric measurements.  Keep notes of your observations and write down your data in your science fair notebook. Write down everything that you can think of because you will need it later.  Make sure you display your notebook at the Science Fair.

 

5. Graphs and Charts
What happened? Answer that question. Put the results of your data in graphs and charts.  Remember to correctly label your graphs and use metric measurements.

 

6. Write a Short Report
Tell the story of your project - tell what you did and exactly how you did it.
All the parts listed on the Science Fair Paper Requirements Page (attached) must be included.

 

7. Construct an Exhibit or Display
Neatness counts.  Typing is a plus.  Follow a logical order.
Make it fun, but be sure people can understand what you did.  Display anything you used in your experiment if you can.  Show that you used the Scientific Method.

Students may purchase science fair boards from Mrs. Marti for still only $4 each.

 

8. Practice Presentation to Judges
Practice explaining your project to someone (parent, friend, grandparent, etc.) This will help you be calm on Science Fair Day. The judges are very nice and will be interested in what you did and what you learned.  They will ask you questions.

 

9. Come to the Fair and have fun! See you there!

 

Science Fair Links

• Check out Mrs. Marti’s website at TeacherWeb.com for science fair links.
• Helpful hints for parents are found at http://www.terimore.com/Science-Fair-Projects-Parents-Tips.htm
• An especially helpful link with a complete blueprint for doing the science fair project is at http://www.terimore.com/science_project_preview.htm

 

 

 

 

Science Fair Paper Requirements

Upper Grades need to type their report.

Title Page

Include your project's name (it can be in the form of a question), your name, school and grade.

Introduction

Write one or two paragraphs that tell the whole story. One way to do this is to write a sentence for each idea in the scientific method. Include one sentence for the purpose, one telling what experiment or test you did, etc.

Background Research

State your PURPOSE in more detail, what made you think of this project. Then, tell what you found out from the books or other sources you used to learn about your topic and be sure those sources are listed in your bibliography.  Use paragraphs and include scientific information written in your own words.

Question and Hypothesis

Write your question and hypothesis.  The question is what you wondered about your topic.  The hypothesis is a sentence saying what you think will happen in your experiment – an educated guess based on your research.

Materials

List the materials you used.  Be specific and tell how many and what size. 

Procedures

Write the numbered steps that explain what you did in your experiment.  People who read your paper should be able to do your experiment following the steps you write.  Be clear just like you’re writing a recipe for cooking. Include exact measurements.

Results

Describe what happened, what you observed in words. Include your data.  Then, make graphs or charts from your data.  Upper grades should use a computer (Excel) to create graphs. Use METRIC.

Conclusion

Was your hypothesis (what you expected to happen) correct?  Or was it incorrect.  How do you interpret your results. Look over your notes, data log and graphs.  Then write what you think your data shows. Be specific and use numbers to explain your conclusion.

Tell what you learned.  What might you do differently next time?

Don't be afraid to say that you might have made a mistake somewhere. Great discoveries can come from what we learn from mistakes!   Also, be sure to state the limitations of your project. (For example, if your project was to test something about dogs and you used your own dog, you can say "My dog did this. This might not be the same for other dogs." You can't say that all dogs would behave the same as yours because you didn't check all dogs.)

 

Bibliography

List all books, articles, pamphlets, people you talked to and any other sources you used for researching your idea and writing your paper.  These should be listed in a bibliography at the end of your paper.  Follow Bibliography requirements listed on Mrs. Marti’s teacherweb website.   It’s so easy!