Vaughan Elementary School 2012 Science Fair

Vaughan Elementary School

2012 Science Fair

Mark the date:

Projects are due between 2:30-4:00pm in the Media CenterOn Wednesday, February 29th

Wednesday, February 29th

- Open to grades K-5

- Awards Reception is Monday, March 5th at 6:30pm in the Media Center

- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will receive a trophy and all will receive a participation award

- 1st and 2nd place winners from each grade will be eligible for the Tom Mathis Council Science Fair Monday, March 26th at 6:30pm at Pickett’s Mill ES

Important Details:

Projects should:

Follow scientific methodAnswer question(s)Support results with data

Follow the Scientific Method

Define the questionForm a hypothesisPerform the experiment and collect dataAnalyze data Interpret data and communicate

conclusions

What Makes a Project Great?

Students come up with their own question based on their own interests

Students design an investigation to answer their question(s)

Great projects use… Best Practices…Student initiated and completedExperiment-basedData-driven results analyzed and writtenNo thanks:Models (Volcano, Robot, etc.)“Research only” projects or display boards about general interest topics

What Kind of Questions?

Do coffee grounds affect the growth of plants?

Which type of surface can an insect walk on best?

Which sunscreen blocks sunlight the best?

What food do mealworms like best?

How long does it take a candle to go out?

Examples:

The biggest problem…is choosing a problem!

Scientific Challenge

How do I display my results?

Quantitative data includes numbers and/or units of measure

Measurements: height, weight, voltage, time, distance, quantity

Data presentation: graph, matrix, table, etc.

Comparative data that validates (proves) conclusions

Sample Project Board can be found in the Media Center

Display BoardPicturesProcedureData Notebook or

Journal

How do I display my results?

Example entries

Sample Judges Form Areas of judging are:Use of the scientific

method, knowledge of subject, depth of

study, creativity/originality,

and visual presentation of project

For more information, project ideas or

questions:

Contact Rachel Stamper at rwstamper@gmail.comOr visit Mrs. Pitts’ blog at

http://vaughanrockets.typepad.com/stacy_pitts/ or the Vaughan PTSA website at