2013-2014 Science Fair Handbook - Houston ISD

2013-2014 Science Fair Handbook

Fall 2013

Parents of upper elementary grade students: Harvard Elementary will hold its annual school-wide Science Fair on January 30, 2014. All students in the upper elementary grades will complete a comparative investigation science project to be turned in the morning of Tuesday, January 28, 2014. Judging will be on January 30, with every child giving a verbal presentation to a judge. Project Showcase Night will be held later that day in the evening. Students will receive relevant guidance periodically throughout the next few months for this project in the Science Lab. Every upper grade student will participate in classroom activities where guidelines for investigative and research projects are discussed and modeled. Students will be directed to various web sites for additional help. Since we are a Science & Technology Magnet school, the students are required to participate in the school-wide fair. Included in this guide is a schedule to help with pacing. THIS ASSIGNMENT IS A PROJECT DONE AT HOME . It might be a good idea to regularly set aside a small period of time on weekends, like ay other homework, to complete small steps of this assignment so it does overwhelm your child at the end. Students will receive their project boards (FREE) closer to the date. Please monitor your child and help them reach their deadlines. Younger grade students, down to and including Kindergarten, will be completing class projects with their homeroom teachers and possible parent helpers in order to participate in this event. This guidebook is comprehensive, but there still may be questions. They may be directed to me either via email at [email protected] or through a note with your child. Please read, sign and return the parent agreement on the next page to your child’s homeroom teacher. Students may use this project guide as a place to write their draft section responses before typing or copying nicely for the presentation board, but they also need to be working in a separate journal for their project’s research. This should be a FUN and enriching learning experience for your child. We don’t want you to spend large amounts of money on this, or have it take over your life! Sincerely, Lynn Gerbode Harvard Elementary Science Lab Teacher

Parent / Student Agreement

The Harvard Elementary Science Fair Project is a large part of our Magnet Program and counts for a major science grade for the spring semester. This experience prepares your child for future projects in many academic areas. We understand that not all students are interested in competing at an advanced level, however it is important that you and your child understand the importance for each student to follow the guidelines as closely as possible in order to gain the most from this experience. A project is due from each upper elementary student on January 28th, 2014, or they may receive a failing classroom grade in science for the 3rd 9 weeks grading period. This is a project to be completed at home but some class time will have been spent on guidance towards the completion of a successful project. A quality project board will be provided to every student! Thank you for your support in the enrichment of your child’s science education. ___________________ ___________________ Parent Signature Student Signature

Parents: If you want to be part of my science fair e-mail update list, please send me an e-mail at [email protected] with the words: SCIENCE FAIR UPDATE LIST in the subject line. Please include your child’s name, grade, and homeroom teacher in the e-mail. Often, teachers send out information with the students but it somehow doesn’t get home until the project is almost due. J I will be sending out periodic reminders regarding what the students are supposed to be recording in this guidebook, that way you’ll know where they should be on their project! Your e-mail address WILL NOT be shared with others.

Suggested Science Fair Section Completion Dates

Project Task Due Date Teacher Initial

Identify a Problem Statement (choose a project idea in physical science, earth/space or life science)

October 28,2013

Complete Research of Topic (record in composition journal, remember your I.I.M. steps) Bibliography Rough Draft

November 22,2013

November 22,2013

Complete the Hypothesis (“If…then…because…”)

November 22,2013

Identify Procedures and Materials List PROJECT BOARD (& Labels) GIVEN

November 22,2013

TBA early December

Identify the Independent and Dependent Variables (pick ONE thing to change to see what will happen [Independent] and ONE thing to measure or look for when observing the effect [Dependent] )

November 22,2013

Gather Materials and Begin to Conduct Experiment (if planting seeds, start MUCH earlier. They take >6 weeks)

November 30,2013

Verify That You Executed the Experiment; you must show pictures

December 30, 2013

Data Table, Graph, Results & Conclusion (METRIC UNITS!!!)

January 15, 2014

Rough Draft of 1-2 pg. Research Paper (Handwritten; Remember IIM)

January 15, 2014

Final Draft of Report and Bibliography (Typed)

January 22, 2014

Complete the Backboard

January 24, 2014

Practice giving verbal presentation for judges during Thanksgiving break. Turn in COMPLETED Project 1. presentation board (with ALL sections) 2. journal showing daily project activity and describing progress 3. 1-2 pg. research report 4. optional model Judging Day!!!During Students’ Specialty Time Showcase Night ! ! ! (bring your parents!)

January 24-27, 2014

January 28, 2014

January 30, 2014

January 30, 2014

The project board should be the last thing left and should be put together AFTER everything else is done! You can very likely complete your Problem Statement, Hypothesis, Variables, Materials List and Procedures very quickly. What will take you much longer is conducting the experiment, keeping track of what happened in chart or graph form, then writing up all the information for your board. Don’t wait until the last weekend before it’s due!! Maybe do a little every Sunday afternoon, for example. *Remember: Any time you are completing any part of this timeline, make entries in your journal/log book. It should read like a diary of your project. What you did on what day, what happened, etc. It will be judged also!

Science Fair Project Guidelines 2013-14

1. Projects must be the work of the student. Parent help is allowed and encouraged but ultimately the students have to be able to demonstrate that they performed the experiment! It must be established that written notes are theirs, research done is their own, and reports are written in “their own words”.

2. Students’/teachers’ names cannot be written on reports or papers or the front of

the display board. Do not display Harvard’s name anywhere on/in your project. 3. Use of professional/commercial kits/models is prohibited. Make models yourself

from household materials such as modeling clay, aluminum foil, cardboard, etc. If it’s a robotics-based project, Legos (or something similar) are allowable. If in doubt…ask! If electrical, it must be battery run. No electrical outlets will be provided.

4. Live or preserved animals, molds, food, soil, or liquids (including water) MAY NOT be

exhibited onsite at the fair. Take photos (NO FACES, not even backs of heads!) or draw pictures instead to display on the presentation board. Extra pictures go in the journal or report.

5. Projects must have bibliography displayed ON project board with a minimum of 3

sources. Internet URL’s, encyclopedia, & cd-roms can’t count as one of the required 3, but you can list them as extras. Valid sources include magazines, textbooks, professional journals, library books on topic and electronic journals (found on the Internet but different than just putting down web sites). You MUST have a DATA TABLE and a GRAPH. (Not just one or the other.) Purpose/problem must be stated in question format. Hypothesis absolutely must be in a CLEAR “If…then…because” statement.

Categories for HISD Elementary Science Fair Projects

Physical Science

Chemistry - (mixtures, solutions, reactions, chemical changes using only safe liquids and powders at the elementary level) Physics - (laws of physics, heat, electricity, magnets, friction, force & motion, simple machines) Properties of Matter – (solids, liquids, gases, heat & cold)

Earth/Space Science Geology - (soil changes, erosion, compositions of soil, rock changes with wind and water) Geography – ( formations and changes to landforms, lakes & rivers, mountains)

Life Science

Plants - (plant growth, development or behavior; factors affecting these, plants used in medicine, plants used in industry, forestry, etc.) Animals - (investigations of animal behaviors or interactions, including those of insects, etc.)

Helpful Websites

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

The above Web site has Janice Van Cleave handbook excerpts and is a very helpful Web site to walk someone through the process of a Science Fair Project from beginning to end. Many of her books show excellent demonstrations that can be turned into eligible experiments by implementing a variable and making small changes that will result in comparative investigations. There are also project ideas and other links to tips.

http://www.crystal-clear-science-fair-projects.com/index.html

This site offers ideas and help on projects from elementary on up.

www.eskimo.com/~billb/scifair/bio.html#simp

This site offers project ideas of various levels and science topics.

www.theteachersguide.com/QuickScienceActivities.html

A variety of science activities…you might get a good project idea.

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/

Free Science Fair Project Ideas and Advice

http://www.scifair.org/studentideaexchange.html

Science Fair Exchange by students…

http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/

This web site is a good one for finding projects listed by searching for specific topics and levels, but it does lead to other links, so requires skill to use.

The Science Fair Journal The Science Fair JOURNAL is the most important part of your science fair project. The handwritten JOURNAL is a logbook, a daily diary of ALL project activities from start to finish. The rule to a complete and valid JOURNAL is “ALWAYS WRITE EVERYTHING YOU DO IN YOUR JOURNAL ”. Please note you CANNOT use whiteout nor can you have pen/pencil scratch-outs in the logbook. If you are writing in your journal and you make a mistake or you need to make a correction, always just draw a line through the mistake, and rewrite what you intended to write above the mistake or correction.

The journal must be neatly done. NO EXCEPTIONS To help you prepare your JOURNAL correctly, use this checklist.

(Begin Journal portion in the very front of the book or on about pg 30…..whatever is your preference)

What should be in the Science Fair Journal? (these pg. #’s are suggestions)

Need to Complete

Completed

1. Project Title on the Front Cover (DO NOT write your name) 2. Project Title on the 1st sheet of the Journal 3. Table of Contents with page numbers (start on p. 2) 4. Short Introduction (What’s the project about? Why this? ) p. 3 5. Hand write your Problem Statement in the form of a Question (p. 4)

6. Hand write your Research Information ( pp. 5-8) 7. Hand write your Hypothesis (p. 9) 8. Hand write a list of all materials (p. 9) 9. Hand write a list of the Procedures of this investigation (p.10) 10. Hand write Variables – List the INDEPENDENT Variable ( what you plan to change to see what happens), the DEPENDENT Variable (what trait you are observing or measuring for), and tell what other Constants have to remain the same to keep your test fair.

11. DRAW your Data Charts and Graphs – On this page you must prove you tested for data at least three times. (METRIC UNITS ONLY!) Trial 1 , Trial 2, Trial 3, etc. (p. 12 -13)

12. Hand Written Results (p.14) 13. Hand write the Conclusion - Was your hypothesis supported by your results or not? How might you change this experiment if you decided to redo it? (p. 15)

14. Hand write your Bibliography, listing at least three items – NO ENCYCLOPEDIAS (p. 16) (use www.easybib.com)

15. A sketch of your science fair backboard layout (p. 17) 16. Pictures of your experiment neatly pasted in your Journal ( put stickers over ANY faces in your pictures) (pp. 18-21)

17. The main portion of your Journal, documenting your Day-by-Day activities, with dates, such as……… 10/3/13 - I turned in my student/parent signed science fair commitment form to my teacher. 10/28/13 – Brainstorming list of topic ideas... 11/2/13 – I narrowed down my topic to life science. It will be _____. 11/25/13 – I interviewed a geologist at the science museum about…

black EXAMPLE: blick (write correction over the corrected word) The horse is blck and white.

Step 1: Coming up with a Good Question… Now that you have picked out a topic that you like and that you are interested in, it’s time to write a question or identify a problem within that topic. To give you an idea of what we mean you can start off by filling in the question blanks with the following list of words:

The Effect Question: What is the effect of _____________ on _________________? sunlight decomposing rates eye color pupil dilation tenderizing methods a piece of meat temperature the size of a balloon oil the surface of a ramp size of wire an electromagnet

The “How Does It Affect” Question:

How does the _______________ affect ___________________? color of light the growth of plants humidity the growth of fungi color of a material its absorption of heat different light fading of construction paper seed planting position the sprouting of bean seeds

The “Which/What and Verb” Question Which/What _________________ (verb) ______________________? Lego robot is the strongest lever Shape of ice melts slowest Glass block is most energy efficient oil spill cleanup is fastest folding design flies paper airplanes farthest black marker contains the most ink dyes which surface causes less friction

Now it’s your turn: Create your Science Fair question using either the “Effect” Question, the “How Does It Affect” Question or the “Which/What and Verb” Question: ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ _

Step 2: Doing the Research on Your Topic and Writing the Bibliography

So you’ve picked your category and you’ve chosen a topic. You even wrote a question using our cool fill in the blank template. Now it is time to research your problem as much as possible. Becoming an expert at your topic is what real scientists do in real labs. So, how do you become an expert?

YOU READ!!!! YOU READ!!!! YOU READ!!!! YOU READ!!!! YOU READ!!!! READ about your topic. READ encyclopedias. READ magazine articles and books from the library. READ articles from the Internet. Take notes of any new science words you learn and use them. Keep track of all the books and articles you read. You’ll need to make a list of every book, article and website that was used for research. If you have used the IIM method before, for researching and citing sources, use it again now. It will help you put things in your own words.

YOU DISCUSS!! YOU DISCUSS!! YOU DISCUSS!! YOU DISCUSS!! Talk about it with your parents. Talk about it with your teachers. Talk about it with experts like veterinarians, doctors, weathermen or others who work with the things you are studying. Sometimes websites will give you e-mail addresses to experts who can answer questions…. But again, do not write to anyone on the internet without letting an adult supervise it. (*hint: take pictures of yourself interviewing people)

Research: My problem statement is about this topic: _________________ (sample topics could be magnetism, electricity, buoyancy, absorbency, taste, plant growth, simple machine) If you are having problems deciding what the topic actually is, ask your teacher or an adult to help you on this one….) Write down 5-10 important points that you learned about your topic (IIM): • _______________________________________________________ • _______________________________________________________ • _______________________________________________________ • _______________________________________________________ • _______________________________________________________ • _______________________________________________________ • _______________________________________________________

Document your references by writing a Bibliography A bibliography is a record of the references that you use to research your project. Use the following information to write down your source in the correct format. Remember to write down the bibliography information in alphabetical order. Example of a BOOK in Bibliography Format: Black, Susan. The Life of George Gaylord Simpson, New York: Broadway Press, 1999. Books I used to research my topic are: ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________

Example of a WEBSITE in Bibliography Format: Andrew, Jim. Paleontologist. (Online) Available http://www.altavista.com , September 30, 2012. Internet sites that I used to research on my topic are: _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________

Example of a PERSONAL INTERVIEW in Bibliography Format: Thomas, Lewis. Personal interview. October 10, 2012. People I talked to about my topic are: ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________

Step 3: Writing the Hypothesis Whew…..when you think that you can’t possibly learn anymore and the information just keeps repeating itself. You are ready to...

Write a Hypothesis Now it’s time to PREDICT what you think will happen if you TEST your problem. This type of “SMART GUESS” or PREDICTION is what real scientists call a HYPOTHESIS. The hypothesis is based upon your research. A formalized hypothesis contains the two variables. One is the "independent" variable, which is what you, the "scientist," are going to change and work with to see what will happen. The other is the “dependent” variable, which is the type of results you are going to observe and/or measure when you make your changes. The formalized hypothesis is written in the IF and THEN, BECAUSE format. Suppose your PROBLEM STATEMENT was: This is how you write the formalized hypothesis: Hypothesis: This hypothesis not only predicts what will happen in the experiment, but also tells why the scientist thinks it will occur, showing that the scientist used research to back up the prediction.

How does the color of crayons affect the how fast they melt in the sun?

IF black and white crayons are placed in the sun, THEN the black crayons will melt faster than the white ones BECAUSE dark colors absorb more heat than light colors do.

Now it’s your turn: Rewrite your problem statement and create a Hypothesis based on what you have researched. Problem:__________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Hypothesis: IF____________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ THEN (will happen)________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ BECAUSE (based on your opinion from your research on the topic…) _________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Testing your Hypothesis Now we’ve come to the good part. The part that all scientists can’t wait to get their hands on… you guessed it… The EXPERIMENT! Designing an experiment is really cool because you get to use your imagination to come up with a test for your problem, and most of all, you get to prove (or disprove) your Hypothesis. Now Science Fair Rules state that you cannot perform your experiment live on campus, so you’ll have to take plenty of pictures as you test your experiment. (REMINDER- DO NOT TAKE PICTURES THAT SHOW YOUR FACE)

Step 4: Gather your Materials What will you need to perform your experiment? My Materials are ______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ __________________ _______________ _______________ _______________ __________________ _______________ _______________ _______________ __________________

Step 5: Write a Procedure A procedure is a list of steps that you do to perform an experiment. Why do you need to write it down? Well it’s like giving someone a recipe to your favorite dish. If they want to try it, they can follow your steps to test if it’s true. Scientists do this so that people will believe that they did the experiment and also to let other people test what they found out. List the steps that you have to do in order to perform the experiment here: 1.___________________________________________________________________ 2.____________________________________________________________________ 3.____________________________________________________________________ 4.____________________________________________________________________ 5.____________________________________________________________________ 6.____________________________________________________________________ 7.____________________________________________________________________ 8.____________________________________________________________________ 9.____________________________________________________________________ 10.___________________________________________________________________

Step 6: Identify Your Variables (& Constants) Variables are factors that change in an experiment. There are changes that the scientist makes and there are changes that happen in the experiment that the scientist observes or measures. Take a simple example using plants. Say a scientist wants to test the effect that different amounts of water have on plant growth. The only thing the scientist would change from plant to plant would be the amount of water each plant received. This is called the Independent Variable. The independent variable is the factor the scientist is testing for. It’s what the scientist changes to see what will happen. But, to keep the experiment “fair,” everything else about all the plants tested should stay the same. Only the amount of water will change. All the other conditions will remain constant, or the same -- same type of dirt, same amount of dirt, same type of plant, same size pot, same type of location, same amount of sunlight, same amount of time, etc. These conditions are called Constants, and they help keep the experimental test “fair.” The Dependent Variable is the type of information the scientist is will be measuring or looking for at the end of the experiment when they have made their change. In the plant example, the scientist picked ONE thing to change - the amount of water. That was the independent variable. Now the scientist would pick only ONE thing to measure or look for at the end of the experiment, as the dependent variable. If the scientist wants to find out how tall the plants will grow with different amounts of water, then the height of the plant is the Dependent Variable. If the scientist instead wants to see how green the leaves stay with different amounts of water, then the color of the leaves would be the Dependent Variable.. Pick ONE thing to change and ONE thing to look for or measure. Knowing what your variables are is very important because if you don’t know what you are changing, and what kids of results you need to be looking for, you won’t be able to collect your data or understand your results. Independent Variable (what you will change to see what will happen ___________________________________________________________________ Dependent Variable (what you will be measuring or observing) Constants (things that have to stay the SAME to keep the test fair) ____________________________________________________________________

Step 7: Do Multiple Trials and Record Data TEST,TEST,TEST. Remember that the judges expect your results to be consistent in order to be a good experiment. This means that you need to do the experiment more than one time in order to test for accuracy and make sure your answer was not a mistake. For this project, you must have three or more trials. (5th graders should really have more like 4-5 trials!) Don’t forget to take pictures (NO FACES). Collect your DATA. This means write down or record the results of the experiment every time you test it. You also need to organize your data in a way that is easy to read the results. Most scientists use tables, graphs and other organizers to show their results. Organizing makes the results easy to read, and much easier to recognize patterns that might be occurring in your results. Suppose your Problem Statement was – Does a toy car roll farther on a tile floor, carpeted floor or a concrete sidewalk?

This is an example of data chart with repeated trials

Distance on Each Surface

Trial #

Tile Surface

Carpeted Surface

Sidewalk Surface

Trial 1

245 cm

102 cm

218 cm

Trial 2

249 cm

104 cm

215 cm

Trial 3

243 cm

97 cm

211 cm

Check List to Review Your Data Charts

________ Title for Chart ________ Labels for Rows and Columns ________ Repeated Trials Shown

Example of Graph (also, http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/ is a great website for making many types of bar and line graphs )

Check List to Review Your Graph ________ Title for graph ________ Label on the X - axis ________ Label on the Y- axis ________ Increments correctly spaced and placed on grid ________ Use LINE Graph if showing a change in Time or Temperature

Step 8: Results - What happened in the experiment?

Some students get the Results confused with the Conclusion. They are NOT the same. The result is a summary of your experiment. It just tells what happened. Analyze your data and simply state what occurred. How did things start out, and how did they end up? Which sample “won or lost?” What changed and what did not? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Step 9: Claims - Evidence – Reasoning (CER) Statement Write a CER statement to conclude your experiment and tell what you learned. The Claim part is a sentence or so that tells what you now believe is true from your experiment. The Evidence sentence identifies what evidence or proof you have for thinking that way (such as results you measured or observations you made), The Reasoning sentence explains how your evidence supports your claim, how you think your results helped you decide what you learned. ( example using the previously mentioned light and dark crayon project idea: Claim-The black crayons melted faster because they were darker. Evidence – The results charts showed that all the black crayons had faster melting times than the white crayons in all three trials. Reasoning – Since the black crayons had faster melting times, I think that shows that dark colors of things including crayons absorb more heat and get warmer faster.) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Research Report–due with the Project, January 28, 2014

The Science Report is a TYPED written document, 1-2 pages, of background research on a topic related somehow to your project. For example, if your experiment is testing which Lego Lever Robot is strongest at a specific task, then your research paper could be on “Types of Levers” or Lego Robotics. The research paper should be typed in 12 pt font. It can be double spaced. The entire length should be no more than 2 pages typed (not counting the title page.). You should have a title page that includes the title of your paper and grade level. (DO NOT include your name or school on the title page.) The final copy of the Research Report is due with the project. Don’t forget to include:

• At least 3 sources in your bibliography! If one is a website or an encyclopedia, you must have at least three other types of sources!

BIBLIOGRAPHY

It is important to properly cite the sources used to find information during your project. This includes library books, articles, textbooks, websites, etc. that you used for researching the project. They need to be typewritten in the following format and displayed on your project board. There is also a free website that will format the sources for the bibliography called EasyBib. The URL is: |http://www.easybib.com/

The Model Not all projects need to have a model. If you DO choose to display a model, you CANNOT use the following in your model at school: liquids, glass, live animals, unsafe chemicals or things needing power outlets. Use plastic containers, construction paper, synthetic plants etc. to make your 3-D model. If you are not sure what to do, ask your teacher. **Also, projects are displayed in the hallways where many people pass by for 3 days. Do not display valuable items that might be misplaced or damaged by accident. **

Putting the Project Board Together

Although the main focus of science fair is completion of a scientific experiment, there are other components that are essential, as well. One of the components is a proper display of your science fair investigation. You will receive ONE tri-fold board from Harvard Elementary. Take care of it because the school will not give out extras!!!!

1. Type all information. Place all typed materials on colored backing such as construction paper. Matching colors usually look tidier than multiple colors. Leave a colored border around the edges, like a frame.

2. Make your board eye-catching but keep it SIMPLE and EASY to read! 3. Display photos - Focus pictures on the items in your experiments such

as organisms used or equipment, rather than people. You are not allowed to show your face in the photos!

4. Use LARGE letters for titles and headings. 5. Make sure the project does not have any misspelled words. 6. Your display board should be organized in a way that tells the “story”

of your investigation in a logical order.

Tri-fold Board Display Sample

Model, Journal and Research Report go in front of board

• This is one way of displaying your information. Another way is to place the question on the left side above the hypothesis, place the procedures in the middle, and leave more room for your results and CER statement on the right side of the tri-fold. Both are correct, as long as you have all project parts specified displayed.

• You need to S-P-A-C-E out your typed information and decide which layout is best

for your project BEFORE you glue ANYTHING down. Lay out all the pieces to see how they will look and fit. Use rubber cement glue or glue sticks. Liquid white glue ripples too much.

• Each project requires a tri-fold display board. WE WILL PROVIDE THEM!

• HEADINGS should have computerized lettering that is LARGE and attractive; USE

CORRECT SPELLING

• Be creative. Use attractive colors, large print and high contrast. This is the big pictorial advertisement of your project. People should look at your board and want to see more!

• Journals for EACH student must be displayed. Models should not be larger than the space in front of the project board and should not protrude further than the front. No electrical outlets can be provided.

Title

Question

Procedures

1. 2. 3.

Hypothesis

Materials List

Data Chart/ Graph of Results

Claims, Evidence Reasonings

Bibliography

Pictures

Photographs

Variables

(& constants)

ADDITIONAL SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT NOTES All projects need to be conducted under adult supervision and follow

elementary safety guidelines. No student should begin their project until they receive approval of their idea from their homeroom teacher or science lab teacher. IF IN DOUBT -- ASK! You may not conduct any project that the school rules consider unsafe.

Your procedure must be clearly presented on your display board. It should

read like a recipe so that anyone reading it will be able to follow it and repeat the experiment themselves.

Each experiment MUST have at least 3 TRIALS! Measurements must be

in metric units, i.e., centimeters, grams, milliliters, etc. The bibliography should have a minimum of three sources. These must

include books and cannot all be Internet sources. They may also include journals, magazines, interviews with experts, Internet sites, and CD-ROMS. (Encyclopedias, Internet sites, and CD-roms are not considered major sources and can only be used as source # 4 or 5. The correct form for a bibliography is included in this packet. The bibliography must be typed and included on the project board and hand written in the student’s JOURNAL.)

No live animals, preserved animals, chemicals, equipment requiring

electrical outlets, molds, microorganisms, soil, liquids (including water) or solvents may be exhibited onsite at the fair. However, if approved to use in the experiment, pictures may be used on the display board. No project will be approved where the intent is to kill, harm or deprive a living organism!

Survey projects (for example: taste tests or opinion polls) do not readily

fit into an experimental design and ARE NOT accepted! Materials and equipment used in the project should be common elementary

resources. If in doubt, ask.

Science Fair Judging Considerations Students should have: 1. Problem/Purpose: This should be a goal or a scientific question they

would like to answer. 2. Hypothesis: They should make a prediction regarding the outcome of the

experiment. (If…then…because…statement) 3. Variables: They must have the Independent and Dependent variables

identified. Listing Constants is also helpful. 4. Procedure: Instructions that are detailed enough for another person to

do the experiment the same way. 5. Materials: A detailed list of exact materials, measures and equipment

should be included on the project board. 6. Observations/Data/Results: They should have a DETAILED PROJECT

JOURNAL. They should have at least one chart, graph or table of results in it where they first recorded the results of the experiment, then turned that information into a final graphic for the project board.

7. Claims-Evidence-Reasoning (CER): Statement section identifying what

was determined or learned from the project outcome; evidence or proof to back it up, such as data; and reasoning to show how or why the data supports and explains the student’s ideas.

Harvard Elementary Science Fair Score Sheet

Project # ______ Grade ______

Possible Earned Points Points

Title (introduces the project) 3 _____

Problem (states what the student wants to 7 _____ find out from the investigation in a “?”)

Hypothesis (“If…then…because…” format) 10 _____

Variables (independent, dependent) 10 _____

Materials List 5 _____

Procedures in sequential order 8 _____

Photos/Drawings of Product/Models 5 _____

Data (table & graph) METRIC UNITS 10 _____

Results (What happened during the experiment; 10 _____

Claims-Evidence-Reasoning (supported by logical interpretation of the data) 10 _____

Journal (part of the project that is the “diary” 12 _____ account of the work, including draft notes, trials, etc., proof that the student “did this work”) Research Report (1-2 pages on the topic-knowledge 10 _____ including a bibliography with a minimum of 3 entries; ( report info-5/appropriate citations-5))

**TOTAL: 100 / _____ **Optional Extra Interview Points for particularly knowledgeable student up to 5 _____

Judge’s Initials: _____________

Possible Science Fair Interview Questions

Please have answers prepared for each of these types of questions that might be asked at the Science Fair Competition. 1. Introduce yourself and tell me about your project. 2. What inspired you to choose this topic for your project? How did you decide what to

investigate? 3. What did you enjoy most about your investigation? 4. Explain the procedure from your project and your results. 5. What did you learn from your investigation? How can you prove or support this 6. If you had to repeat your project, what would you do differently next time?

HARVARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROJECT PLAN PROPOSAL AND SAFETY FORM

This form would ONLY need to be used if you are asking for permission to use animals, people, microorganisms, special equipment or unusual materials in your experiment.

Grade Level: __________ Teacher’s Name: _______________________________ Student’s Name: _________________________________________ Title of Project: _______________________________________________________________________ (5 words, 50 characters, maximum) PROBLEM/QUESTION: _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ HYPOTHESIS (If…Then…Because): _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ GENERAL IDEA FOR PROCEDURES; (Include, if applicable, safety measures, animal care measures, etc.) _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ If experimentation is conducted off campus provide the name and address of adult supervisor: Name of Adult Supervisor: _________________________Address: _________________________________ I certify that I have reviewed the project plan prior to the beginning of the experiment and it does comply with the rules and regulations of the Harvard Science Fair. Classroom Teacher _______________________________________________ Please Print Classroom Teacher Signature: ______________________________Date: ___________________________