Science Fair Due Dates
Science Fair information was sent home with students on
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
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 4th 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
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
Mrs. Marti
Upper Grade Science Teacher
952-941-9047
2009 Science Fair Project Guidelines
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 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!