5th GradeBelleview Elementary

Engineering and Science Fair2017-2018

Dear family,

Thank you for your support throughout our science instruction this year. We have been focusing on STEM instruction through our Science units, Math instruction, and Technology special rotation. As we enter the second half of the year, we will enter the mind of the engineer. We will be studying and applying the engineering design process as we solve engineering problems.

The attached packet outlines the scientific process and the project expectations well. On January 25 every fifth grader will be expected to present and display an engineering project that demonstrates all of the steps in the scientific process. In addition, the attached YELLOW engineering fair project plan (due on or before _________) will help to ensure that your child selects an appropriate question to explore.

On January 25, your child will be presenting his/her science fair project as a demonstration speech in his/her homeroom then your child will set his/her project up for other students and parents to view. There will also be a grade for the project. The grading expectation sheet is attached. The specific times of the presentations will be shared at a later time.

Thank you for supporting our engineering and science program,The Fifth Grade Team

Everything you need to know about the Science and Engineering Fair(so you don’t have to ask)

PREPLANNINGOn or before __________, you are expected to turn in the plan (attached yellow sheet) for your engineering fair project. Only after your teacher has signed off on your plan, should you start working on your project. Of course your teacher will sign off early for anyone who wants to get started NOW! Look at the ideas for projects in this packet. Other ideas are located on the following website: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/search.shtml?v=ia&ia=ApMech,CE,EnvEng&p=1

DISPLAY BOARDSAfter you have had your plan signed off, you may purchase a display board. The directions for completing your display board are in this packet. Please label your board exactly as the directions show.

PRESENTING AND GRADINGRemember that you will be graded on your engineering fair project during your presentation on January 25 in your homeroom. The directions for completing your engineering fair project, a checklist, as well as the grading sheet are attached in this packet. Please use the attached task analysis sheet to be sure you have all the included items on your project.

SET UPThe school Engineering Fair will be held on Thursday, January 25 in the fifth grade hallway. You will be setting your project up on the morning of January 25.

VIEWINGDuring the day on January 25, other students will be viewing your work, and from 5:00–7:00 you may bring your parents to see the engineering science fair and take your project home. *Please do not leave your project at school after January 26 or it may be thrown away.

Choosing the Perfect Problem

Selecting an appropriate problem to investigate for the engineering fair is critical to your success. You may repeat the experiment you performed last year if you came up with a way to make it better. If you are choosing a new idea, you must create something that solves a problem. All of the projects are expected to follow the scientific process where the results between two or more variables are compared and can be measured and graphed. Therefore, projects which only demonstrate a scientific principle

like just making a solar cooker and explaining how it works are not permitted . Be sure to get your idea approved by your teacher before you begin your experiment. If you are struggling with selecting an idea, some examples of possible questions that would work for the engineering fair are listed below. Most importantly, select a problem that you are interested in. It will make everything much more fun. You may also use projects from the following website: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/search.shtml?v=ia&ia=ApMech,CE,EnvEng&p=1

Project Ideas1. Which shape makes the strongest bridge?2. Which material makes the strongest bridge?3. Which type of pulley lifts the most weight with the least effort?4. Which type of balloon will allow a hovercraft to float the longest?5. Which shape of foil boat will hold the most weight before sinking?6. Which type of paper will make a paper helicopter fly the highest?7. Which location of a paper clip will allow a paper airplane to fly the farthest?8. Which material will create a boat that will hold the most weight?9. What is the best material to use in sandbags to block water in a flood?10. Which parachute design will fly the farthest?11. Which design of Lego tower can withstand an earthquake?12. Which wall design can withstand wind the most?13. Which paper airplane design flies the farthest?14. Which material makes the highest flying kite?15. Which size of rubber band will make a rubber band car travel the farthest?16. What type of blade design works best for windmills?17. Which type of sound barrier reduces the most noise?18. Which size of wheels on a mousetrap car go the furthest distance?19. Which type of insulation keeps water hot the longest?20. Which catapult design launches items the farthest?21. What is the amount of water that will make a water rocket fly the farthest?22. Will a bigger hot air balloon fly higher than a small one?

****Special note to parents****

While this engineering fair project is the responsibility of your child, your assistance in discussing and planning the process your child will go through is critical to his/her success. Please use the included task analysis for your child to evaluate work and motivate him/her to reach for higher levels of quality (word processing looks nice, but is not required if handwriting is neat). Since your child participated in the Engineering Fair in fourth grade, there should be more independence with the process this year. In the end this is still your child’s project, and he/she will have to present to peers and field questions about the scientific concepts learned. Thank you for your support.

Project Sample*This is an example of an experiment we

performed in class. It is meant to guide you

through the Engineering Design and scientific process.

What’s the ProblemProblem/Purpose:Write the problem in the form of a question. Remember the question mark.

Which pattern block shape can make the tallest tower?

ExploreWhy do you want to solve this problem?

After looking at skyscrapers, I was wondering what effect using various shapes in building has on the height.

DesignHypothesis/Claim:Write a statement of what you predict will happen in the “If...then” format.

If different pattern block shapes are stacked into a tower, then the hexagon will form the tallest tower because it takes up more area than the other shapes.

What is your INDEPENDENT VARIABLE? Different pattern block shapes

What is your DEPENDENT VARIABLE? The number of blocks used to build the towers

What is the CONTROLLED VARIABLES? The location of the blocks, the width of the blocks, and the builder will all stay the same

CreateMaterials:

List and quantify.Pattern Blocks (45 of each shape)

Procedure:Number the steps so procedure can be replicated easily.

1. Choose one pattern block to stack into a tower.2. Count the blocks you use until the tower falls.3. Repeat with all the other pattern blocks.4. Graph the results of each tower.5. Repeat the experiment two more times and compare the results.

Try it OutMake a graph of your results. ( by hand or computerized)

Results/Evidence: Describe in paragraph form what happened during your experiment. Be detailed.

After stacking each pattern block as high as it could go before toppling, and repeating each experiment three times, it became clear the the hexagon made the tallest tower with a maximum of 40 blocks followed by the triangle with 37, the trapezoid with 35, the square and blue rhombus with 30 each, and finally the tan rhombus with 24.

Make it BetterConclusion/Reasoning:

1) Rewrite your hypothesis in past tense using “when...then” format. When pattern blocks are stacked into a tower then hexagons will make the tallest tower.

2) Was your hypothesis supported or not? My hypothesis was supported because the hexagon made

the tallest tower.

3) Describe any scientific principles learned. I learned the larger the area of the block, the taller the tower;

however it is strange that the green triangle made the second tallest tower and has the smallest area.

4) Next Problem - another related experiment you could try or how could you make this experiment better.

What if pattern blocks were combined to make towers?

5) What’s a real world problem that this could relate to and help solve?Knowing that shapes have an effect on building a tower, could looking at current building methods be changed to make even taller buildings.

Name_____________________ Homeroom Teacher __________________Due on ___________________

Engineering/Science Fair Project Plan(turn this form into your teacher for approval before you start your experiment)

What’s the ProblemProblem/Purpose: Write the problem in the form of a question. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ExploreWhy do you want to solve this problem?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DesignHypothesis/Claim:Write a statement of what you predict will happen in the “If...then” format.If___________________________________________________________ then_________________________________________________________because ______________________________________________________

What is your INDEPENDENT VARIABLE? ________________________ (the part changed and tested)

DEPENDENT VARIABLE? ___________________________(the part measured)CONTROLLED VARIABLES? _________________________(the parts that stay the same)

Materials: (List and quantify.)___________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ___________________________

CreateProcedure: Number the steps so procedure can be replicated.1.___________________________________________________________2.___________________________________________________________3.___________________________________________________________4.___________________________________________________________

Parent Signature:__________________Student Signature: _______________________

Engineering/Science Fair Project*use this as a guide through your experiment and then transfer

the information to your board.What’s the ProblemProblem/Purpose:Write the problem in the form of a question. Remember the question mark.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ExploreWhy do you want to solve this problem?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DesignHypothesis/Claim:Write a statement of what you predict will happen in the “If...then” format.If___________________________________________________________ then_________________________________________________________because ______________________________________________________

What is your INDEPENDENT VARIABLE? ________________________ (the part changed and tested)

DEPENDENT VARIABLE? ___________________________(the part measured)CONTROLLED VARIABLES? _________________________(the parts that stay the same)

Materials:List and quantify.___________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ___________________________

CreateProcedure:Number the steps so procedure can be replicated easily. 1.___________________________________________________________2.___________________________________________________________3.___________________________________________________________4.___________________________________________________________5.___________________________________________________________Repeat experiment three times in order to compare results.

Try it OutMake a graph of your results. (this can be done by hand or computerized using

https://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/)

Results/Evidence: Describe in paragraph form what happened during your experiment. Be detailed________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Make it BetterConclusion/Reasoning:1) Rewrite your hypothesis in past tense using “when...then” format.

When________________________________________________________then__________________________________________________________

2) Was your hypothesis supported or not? My hypothesis was_______________________________________________

3) Describe any scientific principles learned. I learned _____________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________4) Next Problem - another related experiment you could try or how could you make this experiment better.

What if ______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________5) What’s a real world problem that this could relate to and help solve?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Your Poster Should Be Set Up Like This: Colorful! Include pictures and graphics. Make it clear to the reader what you did and

why and what the results are that you found.

Name ______________________

Engineering Fair Task Analysis

Statement of the Problem: It is in the form of a question. (2 pts.) ________

Hypothesis/Claim:Written in a full sentence with a good reason. If, then, because… (3 pts.) ________

Explore (2 pts.) ________Why do you want to solve this problem?

Procedure:Complete numbered steps of procedure listed. (5pts.) ________

Materials:Listed (quantities if possible) (2pts.) ________

Independent/Dependent/Controlled Variables:Fully explained (3pts.) ________

Results/Evidence:Clear description of experiment results in paragraph form. (5pts.) ________

Graph:Effectively displays data from experiment. Hand made or computerized (3pts.) ________

Conclusion/Reasoning:Rewrite hypothesis in “When … then” format.Tell whether your hypothesis was supported or not.Tell what you learned.Tell how you would change the experiment or what new experiment you could do. (5pts.) ________What’s a real world problem that this relates to and could help solve?

Display Board:Neat, correctly spelled display with proper placement of all areas. (10 pts.) _______

Oral Presentation:Eye contact, posture, gestures, volume, speed, organization (10 pts.)_______

Total (50 pts.) ___________ x 2 = ____________%

Grade __________