happy science fair: from horror to happy in four (or so) easy steps anderson mill elementary school...
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Science Fair: From Horror to HappyHappy in Four (or so) Easy
Steps
Anderson Mill Elementary School
October 2, 2014
The Four Easy StepsThe Four Easy Steps
1. Choose a kid friendly question (and have the student answer it!).
2. Start early and follow a reasonable timeline.
3. Make it good science.
4. Think like a science fair judge.
Choose a kid friendly question Choose a kid friendly question (and have (and have the student the student answer it!) answer it!)
Step OneStep One
Step TwoStep Two
Start early and follow a reasonable timeline
Step ThreeStep Three
Make it good science
It’s ok if it doesn’t turn out the way you hypothesized.
That’s science!
Step FourStep Four•The title should be the question that’s being investigated.•Focus on neat and “followable.” If you have to make it pretty, do it with data display and relevant digital pictures.•Include the data and an explanation of what it means. (Check out this site for making graphs:
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createAGraph/)•Focus on science fundamentals.•Follow the rules!
Think like a science fair judge
The Rules
A few surprises…• Your project may NOT have plants or plant
parts with it.• Your project may NOT have any food with it.• Your project may NOT have any liquids with
it.• Your project MAY have teeth, hair, nails, or
dried animal bones with it.• Yuck!
The bottom line (Get it?! The bottom line!): Take pictures.
Title in the Form of a QuestionResults
This tells us what happened. This should include
evidence of at least 3 trials and can contain both
quantitative (numbers) and qualitative (observations)
results. This is a good place for pictures.
Data
This section should include labeled tables and/or
graphs. This is a good section in which to garner higher presentation points with good looking, color graphs. Sites such as
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createAgraph/default.aspx
are a good source.
Purpose/ ProblemWhat is the student trying to
find out?
ResearchThis can be experiential. “I
have noticed that when….”
HypothesisWhat do you think will happen? This should be testable and based on the
research!
ProceduresThis is what you did. This
should be listed out step-by-step. Variables should
be noted.
MaterialsListed alphabetically. This
section could be in the middle column, too.
Summary of Results/ Discussion
The data in a nutshell. What does it all mean?
ConclusionWhat did you learn? Was
the hypothesis supported or not? What
would the student do differently next time?
What other experiments would the student like to
do based on these results?
AcknowledgmentsThis is where you credit the
people that helped (parents, teachers, etc) by telling what part they
played in the project. This can also serve as a place to reference items utilized for the research
section.
Results, Data, Summary
• Pictures
• Data tables
• Notes
• Graphs
• No opinions – just the facts!
Conclusion
• BASED ON YOUR DATA was your hypothesis supported or not?
• What would you change next time?
• Your thoughts