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HAMPTON PREPARATORY SCIENCE FAIR 2013-14

October 11, 2013

Dear Parents,

Your scholar will be taking part in Hampton Science Fair on Saturday December 7, 2013. This is an exciting event that encourages students to think like young scientists. During the next few weeks, your child will be designing a science project that uses the scientific method to solve a problem. We hope you agree that the educational benefits are numerous, as scholars develop skills in writing, oral presentation, creative thinking, and problem solving. Each student will be given instructions and a packet during class for the various steps of his or her project.

Your support is key to a successful project, but please do not allow yourinvolvement to extend any further in order to assure equity and promote studentlearning! Most of the work will be done at home, however we will provide some help by talking to the students about expectations etc.

Guide your child whenever and wherever you can, but let the final project reflect your child's individual effort and design. Students participating in this event will be applying the attributes of IB learner Profile, Design Cycle, Areas of Interactions, the Scientific Method, Approaches to Learning , as well as, displaying personal projects and exhibitions.

**All students 6 th - 10 th grade must complete and submit an individual science fair project**

Selected winners will get an opportunity to submit their project in the Annual Uplift Education: District Fair to be held on January 25, 2014.

Sincerely,Jody Elverum & Jaletta JenkinsScience Fair Coordinators, Hampton Preparatory

________________________(Please Detach)____________________I have received a letter, timetable and worksheets about the HP Science Fair formy scholar _____________________________________ and understand thatmy assistance with this project is critical to its success.I will do my best to help my child have a project ready for display at the fair on

Hampton Preparatory • 8915 S. Hampton Road • Dallas, Texas 75232(972) 421-1982 • www.hamptonprep.org

Saturday, December 7, 2013.

__________________________________________

Students and parents: Science Fair Projects are due December 2, 2013, but check the table below for other important dates when certain aspects of the project are due.

Important Due Dates:

TOPIC SHEET: Select Topic, partner (primary siblings only) and parent signature. October 18,

2013 PLANNING SHEET: Two References, Problem,

Hypothesis & the objective (what do you want to study and solve), research plan form(secondary only)

October 21, 2013

PROGRESS CHECK #1: Design an Investigation, plan budget and gather materials. October 25,

2013 PROGRESS CHECK #2: Carrying out procedure,

collecting data & recording observations in table format. Submit Data within a Table Format, Graph w/discussion of results & pictures (digital)

November 8, 2013

PEER & ADULT REVIEW: Formulate Abstract from Evidence to Address the Testable Question (Claim + Evidence + Reasoning = Abstract). Peer and adult review of rough draft.

Execute Experiment: Conduct and Complete your experiment

November 22, 2013

November 25, 2013

PROJECT DUE TO SCIENCE TEACHER : Submission of completed final project with photos, data tables, graphs, paper and journal.

December 2, 2013

Evaluation of project December 2-6, 2013

Hampton Preparatory Science Fair December 7 th 9-12:30


Timeline:

By October 11th Students are told about the Science Fair & Hand Outs go home. October 18th Topic Sheet DueOctober 21st Planning sheet 1 DueOctober 25th Progress Check 1 (journal and forms)November 8th Progress Check 2November 22nd Peer & adult review of rough draftNovember 25th Conduct and Complete ExperimentDecember 2nd Submission of completed final draftJanuary 13th- 17th Presentation/grading in Science classDecember 6th last class period of the day Project Set UpDecember 7th Science Fair and Prize Distribution, afterwards the projects go home in the afternoon. Time- 9:00am-12:30pm.

Consider the following when choosing a project: • Is this project testable? Can this problem be solved by doing an experiment? • Do I have the necessary equipment required to complete this experiment?• Does this project have value? How can this project be applied to real world experiences?• Is this project grade appropriate? Could a third grader do this? Has this project been done again and again and again?• Is this an experiment or a demonstration? A demonstration is not an experiment. Models and inventions are not experiments. They will not be accepted.• Groups may not exceed two members. Members must be in the same grade.Whichever project you choose, make sure it is one that is interesting to you. You will have more fun if your project is exciting to you. Boring does not equal fun and it will be difficult to complete your project.

The Scientific Method (ICSTARS)

IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM: It is one scientific question that will be answered in the conclusion. You should be able to solve this problem experimentally.


COLLECT INFORMATION: Research the problem by collecting information that will help you to understand and design the experiment to test the hypothesis. Use books, magazines, prior knowledge and your own experiences, gather information from professionals and experts such as physicians, professors, scientists, businesses, etc.

STATE THE HYPOTHESIS: The hypothesis shows cause and effect. You will need to identify the variables. Variables are things that have an effect on an experiment. The three types of variables that you will need to identify in the experiment are the independent, dependent, and controlled variables. The independent variable is the variable that you change on purpose. The dependent variable is the variable that you observe because it changes in response to the independent variable. The variables that are not changed are called controlled variables. The hypothesis is written in the If…then… format. “If” is the “cause” and can be changed (called the independent variable aka manipulated variable). “Then” is the “effect” and is the result of the cause (called the dependent variable aka responding variable). Don’t change your hypothesis if the experiment does not support it.

TEST THE HYPOTHESIS: • This is where you actually conduct the experiment. • Materials: list the materials used. Include how much, what kind, and only use metric units. Be specific.• Procedure: line up and number the steps used to complete the experiment. Anyone should be able to follow the procedure and expect to get the same results.

ANALYZE THE RESULTS: Keep a science log/journal (spiral notebook or a 3-ring binder) to record your progress. Record your observations immediately while you are looking at it and details are fresh. Every entry should be dated and include the time. REPORT THE RESULTS: Before you can state the conclusion you need to organize all the data collected. Use graphs, charts, tables, drawings, and photographs. Use only metric units. Graphs, charts, and tables should be computer generated. Label the graph(s) with title, x axis, y axis, or key.

STATE THE CONCLUSION: This is where you answer the question, accept/reject the hypothesis, and explain why it was important to do this experiment. • Begin the conclusion by stating “The data showed …” and answer the problem in a complete sentence. • Accept or reject the hypothesis. Be honest if the hypothesis is rejected. What you expected and what actually happened might not be the same thing. That’s okay. You can explain what you think are the reasons why the results did not support the hypothesis. • Discuss why this project is important. What did you discover based on your results? What might you do differently to improve your techniques and/or the data results? How could you improve your project? Were the results what you had expected? Report everything, especially the truth.

Preparing your display board

A typical board is divided into three sections. This design allows your display to fold flat, making it easier to transport and store. The illustration on the next page is one example of how information can be laid


out on the display. Remember to place the information from left to right in the general order that you performed each step.

While you want your display to be as interesting as possible, the design should not distract from the content. You want the judges to be able to recognize quickly that you performed a successful science fair project. Be creative with boarders, font, and layout, but make sure that a judge would find it easy to read the information contained in the display. You want to impress the judges with the project’s seriousness, show what you have learned, yet be unique and fun. Color is good, but do limit the number of colors used.

• Plan ahead to be sure that all lettering and segments will fit and will be straight. Arrange the letters on the backboard by first laying the letters out on the board without attaching them. Use a meter stick and pencil to draw a straight, light guideline where the bottom of each letter should line up. Before adhering anything, ask your family members if it looks straight.• Do not write the information for your display by hand. It should be typed. Place typed material on a colored backing. Leave a boarder of ¼ to ½ inch around the edges of the typed material. Use scissors or a paper cutter to make straight edges.• Your title and subtitles should be readable from a distance and any other information can be smaller. Remember: if you use stencils or plastic lettering, use a ruler to apply them in a straight line. Check your spelling. • Use photos or drawings to show what was done. Photos must not contain any faces. Illustrations should be informative, not just decorative. Don’t forget to include graphs, charts, or tables. • Adhere papers using double-sided tape or white school glue. Do not use staples.

On the back, upper right hand corner of the display board, print the student’s name, homeroom teacher, and grade level. The name should not been seen on the front of the board.

Helpful hints for the judging and oral presentation : You will discuss your project and explain the problem, procedure, results, and conclusion to the judges. Use the display board during the oral presentation. Be enthusiastic and proud of your project. Your ability to discuss your project and answer any questions shows the judges that you did the work and that you understand what you have done. You will receive more points if you accomplish the following: • Present an original idea.• State the problem clearly.• Define variables and controls.• Be knowledgeable about the equipment used.• Safely perform the experiment.• Repeat the experiment to verify the results.• Have measurable results.• Use tables, graphs, charts, illustrations, photographs, etc. Collect enough data to make a conclusion. • Use only data collected to make a conclusion.• Summarize what you learned.

Informative Links:


http://www.sciencenews.org/www.sciencebuddies.org/http://www.discovery.com/http://school.discoveryeducation.com/sciencefaircentral/http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/projects/index.html

Topic SheetDue date : October 18, 2013

Grade will be assessed

I have read the above and understand the timeline and commit to participate in the Science Fair on Saturday December 7th , 2013

Student Signature __________________________________ Date _____________________ Parent Signature ___________________________________ Date _____________________ Participants Name(s) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fill out this project entry form and turn in to your Science teacher. Include at least 3 possible project ideas. Before you come up with your project ideas ask yourself if your project applies to the real world?


http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/projects/index.html

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/sciencefaircentral/

http://www.discovery.com/

http://www.sciencenews.org/

This form will be returned to you showing that your project is approved and that it is registered for the science fair. Idea #1 should be your first choice.

1) ________________________________________________________________

2) ________________________________________________________________

3) ________________________________________________________________

Planning SheetDue date: October 21st Grade will be assessed

Title: _______________________________

STEP 1: State the problem. (To state the problem, we need to ask a question.)

__________________________________________________________________________

STEP 2: Gather information. (Do research about your question.)

Three facts I know about my question’s topic:

1. ______________________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________________

STEP 3: Form a hypothesis. (A hypothesis is an educated guess about the question you asked.)


____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

STEP 4: Test your hypothesis. (Do an experiment to see if your guess was right or wrong.)

Materials: ___________________ _______________________ ___________________

___________________ _______________________ ___________________

What is your independent variable? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is your dependent variable? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What other variables will you control or keep the same (controlled variables) in order to get reliable results. List all of them. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Procedures: 1.__________________________________________________________________

2._________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________

4.__________________________________________________________________

5. _________________________________________________________________


STEP 5: Collect and analyze data. (To analyze something means to think about what it means.)

STEP 6: Form a conclusion. (Was your hypothesis correct? What is the answer to your original question? What data do you have to support your answer?)


Student Name(s): ______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

Project Title (Question):

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Student Name(s): ______________________________________


______________________________________

______________________________________

Project Title (Question):

TYPES OF PROJECTS

Inquiry-based one variable project

Good scientists, both young and old, frequently use a process to study what they see in the world. This process has been referred as the ‘Scientific Method’ or more recently as the ‘Inquiry Cycle’.

The following stages listed below will help you produce a good scientific experiment:

Be curious, choose a limited subject, ask a question; identify or originate/define a problem. It is important that this question be a ‘testable’ question – one in which data is taken and used to find the answer. A testable question can further be identified as one in which one or more variables can be identified and tested to see the impact of that variable on the original set of conditions. The question should not merely be an ‘information’ question where the answer is obtainable through literature research.

Evaluate possible solutions and guess why you think it will happen (hypothesis).

Experimental design (procedure). In designing the experiment, it is critical that only one variable – a condition that may affect the results of the experiment – is changed at a time.

o This makes the experiment a ‘controlled’ experiment. Challenge and test your hypothesis through your procedure of

experimentation (data collection) and analysis of your data. Use


graphs to help see patterns in the data. Draw conclusions based on evidence from your experiment. Prepare your report and display board. Review and discuss the findings with your classmates and teacher.

PROJECT IDEAS

Feel free to use the ideas below or to come up with your own!

Is a pine needle a conductor or insulator? What is more dense – ketchup or mustard? Does salt affect the melting point of an ice cube? How much water does a lima bean plant need to grow? Which brand of toothpaste has the greatest density? Do white candles burn faster than colored candles? Which is stronger – a paper bag or a plastic bag? What brand of band-aid stays stuck to your skin the longest? Which brand of battery lasts longer – Energizer or Duracel? Does the shape of an ice cube affect how quickly it melts? Do all brands of bubble gum make the same size bubble? How are different soils affected by erosion? Do all brands of paper towels pick up the same amount of liquid? Does a person’s height affect how long he can hold his breath? Which has the most liquid – an orange, a lemon, or a tomato? Will a penny rust faster in salt water or fresh water? Which type of fabric dries quicker – cotton, silk, or wool? Do all kinds of soap make the same amount of suds? Do red apples or green apples have more seeds? Does the size of the fruit affect the number of seeds it has? How much water does a lima bean plant need to grow?

*Projects may NOT involve animals or any microorganisms, i.e. mold)

*Projects may involve plants.

EXAMPLE DISPLAY BOARD


DISPLAY BOARD

Back all typed sheets of paper with either construction paper or scrapbooking paper so the information stands out. Do not directly glue or tape typed information to the display board.


Nothing on the board should be hand written or hand drawn.

Also, a border or trim around the edge of the title and display board is always a nice touch.


PROBLEM

RESEARCH

HYPOTHESIS

MATERIALS

DATA

RESULTS / ANALYSIS

PROCEDURES

VARIABLE

CONCLUSION

GRAPHS CHARTS

TABLES PHOTOS

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