Judging     Timeline    Selecting a topic   registration

Perrine Elementary

2010 SCIENCE FAIR STUDENT HANDBOOK

This Science Fair Student Handbook contains information about rules, project guidelines, and other helpful items to assist in the science fair experience. A registration form is included with the Handbook. Additional forms and Handbooks are available in the office or at the school website: www.tfsd.k12.id.us/pe/. At the website you’ll also find the following helpful information: 1) Tips for Selecting a Topic, 2) Sample Timeline, and 3) Draft Judges’ Form.

Please try to stick to the deadlines below. If you anticipate a problem with the dates and times specified in this Handbook, please let us know. See you at the fair!

Science Fair Goals

bulletTo promote science education at all grades by hands-on exploration of scientific principles through the preparation and presentation of science projects.
bulletTo promote understanding of, and creativity in, a scientific method of investigation.
bulletTo promote the self-discipline necessary to accomplish the experiment, prepare a display, and write a summary within the given time frame.
bulletTo give the students a sense of pride and accomplishment derived from participation in the science fair.
bulletTo stimulate and nourish a fond interest in science.
bulletTo promote educational links among parents, community, and school.
bulletTo foster a lifelong appreciation of scientific processes in preparation for life in an increasingly technological society.

SCIENCE FAIR DATES TO REMEMBER

**Feb. 24 – Project registration

form is due to office

**Set up project March 9 at 8:00 p.m.

or March 10 at 7:30 a.m. in gym

**March 10 – Science Fair

RULES: ENTRY AND EXHIBITS

  1. Students will not be given classroom time to work on their projects. All project work must be done at home under parental supervision.
  2. Students wishing to enter a project should fill out the attached registration form and return it to the office by Feb. 24.
  3. Students must do their own projects. Each child will be judged on his or her knowledge of the subject.

    Parent Participation: Although one of the judging criteria is independent work, parents are encouraged to discuss the project with the student and provide assistance with research or preparation of the exhibit. Students should be encouraged to do as much as possible on their own. Students should do the manipulations and measurements in the experiments and should make their own drawings and charts. For younger students, dictation of the project summary is appropriate. Parents should advise their children about potential safety hazards.

  4. Two students may work together as a team to complete a single project. If they are in different grades, they will be judged at the grade level of the older student. Each student in the team must fill out a registration form and prepare his/her own daily log.
  5. Animal Experiments: All science fair experiments involving animals must be in keeping with criteria established by the Animal Welfare Institute. Students planning to use animals in their experiment should first receive approval from the science fair committee.
  6. Experiments with bodily fluids are prohibited.
  7. All projects must include:
  1. Project display
  2. Oral presentation
  3. Project summary/report – typed or neatly written.
  4. Daily log
  1. The exhibit showing the results of the experiment may consist of the project itself, the equipment used, and/or pictures, drawings, charts, and diagrams. All exhibits must be durable and safe. Movable parts must be firmly attached. The actual display must be no larger than 30" deep (front to back) by 36" wide (side to side) and no higher than 5’.
  2. No flames or dangerous materials will be allowed at the fair.
  3. Electricity will not be available at the fair.
  4. Please make arrangements to pick up your science project immediately after the Science Fair.
  5. Ribbons will be awarded at the Awards Ceremony held the night of the Science Fair.
  6. The decision of the judges is final. The criteria given on the Science Fair Judging Sheet are used for all projects.

 

The reward of a thing well done

is to have done it.

--Emerson

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

You will use the scientific method to complete your science fair project. Here are the six steps used by the science departments in the Twin Falls School District:

  1. OBSERVE AND STATE THE PROBLEM

    The "problem" is the question you will try to answer through your experiment. Use the library or Internet for ideas and information. You will find commonly done experiments, but you may also get some ideas about new topics and how to set up your own experiment.

    Be Careful! Many library books suggest science fair questions that are really demonstrations. See "Selecting a Topic" on the school website for suggestions on how to select an experiment question, not a demonstration question.

  2. FORM A HYPOTHESIS

    This is a prediction about what will happen as a result of your experiment. Forming a hypothesis will help you design your procedure, and the experiment will prove or disprove your hypothesis. This step can be easier if you have done some research and found other experiments that are similar to the one that you want to do.

  3. TEST HYPOTHESIS

Design an experiment to test your hypothesis.

All experiments must have two key parts: VARIABLES and MEASUREMENTS

There are three different types of VARIABLES:

  1. Manipulated Variable: This is the one thing you will change in your experiment. For example, if you wanted to know how temperature affects the life of batteries, the temperature of the batteries being tested is the only variable that you would change.

  2. Responding Variable: This is the thing that changes as a result of the changes in the manipulated variable. If you were testing the batteries in a flashlight, the responding variable would be the length of time the flashlight would work with batteries that had been kept at different temperatures.

  3. Controlled Variables: Sometimes called controls, these are all the things that you will keep the same in your experiment. Controls in the battery example would be the brand and size of battery, the date on the package indicating shelf-life, the kind of flashlight used, the length of time each battery had been kept at each temperature, and anything else that might affect the results.

MEASUREMENTS: By taking measurements of the responding variable, you know how much change has occurred. In conducting an experiment, it is better to measure changes that involve differences in time, distance, height, and so on – things you can measure in numbers. Sometimes, you may want to "measure" things by just looking at them and observing change. However, measurements in numbers are more specific.

As you plan the details of your experiment, select the manipulated and responding variables. Decide what things you must keep the same – these are your controls.

    1. Determine what you will be measuring and what instruments you will use.
    2. Select the materials to form the test equipment. Plan how the tests will be done:

      Which test will you do first?

      How many tests will you do?

      What will be recorded?

      How many times will each test be repeated?

    3. Assemble the equipment to be used in the experiment.

Prepare data sheets for recording measurements and for your comments. As you perform the tests, enter all measurements on your prepared data sheets. Take careful notice of what happens at all times and write down what you observe. It is important that you repeat each test several times. That way you can be sure of your results.

  1. RECORD AND ANALYZE DATA

Group and organize the measurements you have made. Make charts, graphs, and tables to show what happened. Wherever possible, use numbers to show your results. You may find that you will have to do more tests or perhaps make different measurements if you notice something happening that you cannot explain in one of your measurements. If one measurement is very different from all the others, check your comments in your logbook to be sure that nothing unusual happened to that test. For example, if you were testing the effect of temperature change on batteries and you dropped the flashlight, your results from that test might not be accurate. Try to understand the problem so that you can explain unusual results.

5. EVALUATE YOUR HYPOTHESIS/FORM CONCLUSIONS

It is a good idea to spend some time thinking about your results and talking to other people about them. Think about what the charts, tables, and your comments mean. Note patterns and amounts. Try to explain how or why the results came out as they did. What was the cause? Do the results agree with your hypothesis?

What can you say about your experiment in general? What can you count on happening again if someone else does a similar experiment? If possible, try to describe how your results might apply to everyday experiences. For example, in the battery experiment, you might decide that it is better to store extra batteries in the refrigerator or freezer. Or think about what might have happened to the results if you had made a really big change in the manipulated variable.

6. REPLICATE / PEER REVIEW

To determine if the results of an experiment are valid, you should replicate (repeat) the experiment. Scientists will repeat their work before submitting it for peer review. When scientists submit their work they are asking others to review the steps of their experiment (maybe even conduct the experiment themselves), and to determine if they drew the correct conclusions from the data they collected.

For this science project, try to run at least three trials of your experiment. If the features of your experiment make it difficult to repeat, please contact one of the Science Fair committee members for ideas on how to complete this step.

 

Using all of these steps will make for an orderly experiment with reliable measurements and results. Follow this scientific method and, like any good detective, you can trust your findings.

PRESENTATION

Your presentation will consist of the following four parts: log book, project summary, visual display, and oral presentation.

LOG BOOK

A log book is like a diary. It is the written record of all you do with your project. It also helps you keep organized and on task. You may use a spiral notebook or a three-ring binder. Appropriate entries include:

  1. A list of possible topics and questions
  2. A planning calendar
  3. Notes from resources
  4. How the scientific method is followed
  5. Photocopies and printed-out research materials
  6. Information about the experiment
  7. Lists of materials with details on where and when purchased or collected
  8. All observations and data gathered; when making an observation, note the date and the time
  9. A record of your failures and frustrations; the changes you made in your procedure, in order to get better results
  10. Student’s thinking about and reflection on work

It is better to have too much data than not enough, so take complete notes. Record your observations in detail. The scientific journal may be in pencil or pen or done on the computer. Since it is a rough draft, spelling and grammar errors are allowable. It’s okay if it ends up looking messy! You may rethink and reword ideas, so there may be changes in the text. However, no experimental data should ever be deleted or altered. NOTE: Each student working with a partner keeps his/her own daily log.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Scientists and engineers most often communicate with each other in writing about the details of their work. You will be introduced to this important form of science communication through the brief written summary/report you prepare about your project. As you prepare your project for the science fair, write the answers to these questions so that others can know what you did. The questions may be used as headings and then briefly answered to make up the summary sheet.

At the top of the page, place your name and leave a space for the number of your exhibit. Questions to answer:

  1. What is the question I wanted to answer?
  2. What materials did I use?
  3. What did I do to answer my question?
    1. What did I change?
    2. What changed as a result of what I did?
    3. What things did I keep the same?
  1. What is the answer to my question? (Include any ideas that may have influenced the outcome.)
  2. What books or other information did I use to help me?

Your summary will be read by the judges. Please make it neat and readable. It can be as long or short as you like (about one page is fine). You may use pictures, drawings, or graphs. These questions are another way of describing the scientific method for doing an experiment. They are meant to guide you so that your summary explains all of the parts of your experiment.

 

ORAL PRESENTATION

Every student will give a short oral presentation to the judges. The talk should be a few minutes long (five minutes maximum). Include the following information in your presentation:

  1. What is the title of your experiment?
  2. What is the question you wanted to answer? (Problem)
  3. Before you did the experiment, what did you think would happen? (Hypothesis)
  4. Mention any books or articles you may have read.
  5. What materials and equipment did you use?
  6. What did you do to answer your question? (Procedure)

    Be sure to tell the judges what thing you changed (manipulated variable), and what thing changed as a result (responding variable). Also mention those things you kept the same throughout the experiment (controls).

  7. What happened, and what is the answer to your question? (Results and Conclusion)
  8. Be prepared to answer questions from the judges.

Here is a list of the type of questions the judges may ask you:

  1. Please describe your project. (Give your oral presentation.)
  2. Did you get the results you expected?
  3. What caused the results that you found?
  4. Would you expect me to get the same results if I built this experiment and performed it at my house?
  5. Why did you build the equipment this way?
  6. Did anything change besides the manipulated variable?
  7. What might happen if you changed ________?
  8. If you did this project over, what would you do differently?
  9. Did you do the project yourself? If someone helped you, what did he or she do?
  10. Could you do other things with this project next year?

 

VISUAL DISPLAY

A visual display will accompany your project. Begin by making a small sketch of what you want your display to look like. Here are some things to remember about your display:

  1. Your display board should be a self-supporting two- or three-sided display. (See the RULES section for size.) It may be constructed of posterboard, tagboard, corrugated cardboard, plywood, paneling, or pegboard, reinforced to stand securely on its own. (See Resources page for list of where to buy display boards.)
  2. Lettering should be clear and legible. Stencils, precut letters, or large computer lettering are good choices.
  3. The display should include the title of your project.
  4. Graphs, charts, photos, and drawings add to the attractiveness of a display.
  5. Use attractive attention-getting colors. Be neat and orderly, following the steps of the scientific method in your display.
  6. Do not clutter your display with unnecessary information. Tell a story. Start with the question, followed by the hypothesis, and equipment and procedure used, and end with results and conclusions.

 

 

 

 

 

RESOURCES

Display Boards

"Project Display Boards" ranging from basic to fancy are available locally at Michaels and OfficeMax.

Local Scientists, Teachers and Science Fair Committee Members Available to Answer Questions:

Dr. Jim Tarter: jimtarter@yahoo.com

Bill Ebener: 734-8487, bebener@juno.com

or 732-6808, bebener@csi.com

Anne Ko: 736-4691, twinfallsko@msn.com

Jill Dixon: 944-0281, jillpilldixon@gmail.com

Libraries

Don’t forget to check the Perrine Library and the Twin Falls Public Library (especially call number J507) for general science books as well as books about experiments and science project ideas.

Web Resources

The Perrine Elementary website (www.tfsd.k12.id.us/pe/) now has science fair information. The Internet also offers a wealth of sites on project ideas, tips on doing experiments, and general science information. Here are some to get you started:

Science Fair Project Ideas

bullet http://www.scifair.org/ Calls itself the Ultimate Science Fair Resource with tips for the entire process of doing a science project. The idea bank lists general project ideas, and the Idea Board is a place where students post descriptions of projects they have done.
bullethttp://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/browse/mas6000 This is the kids’ section of the internet public library site; it has project ideas and links to resources.
bullethttp://www.all-science-fair-projects.com This site has project ideas and instructions and steps for science fair projects.
bullet http://www.cdli.ca/sciencefairs

 

Research

bullethttp://www.askforkids.com The Ask Jeeves for Kids Web site invites students to pose questions and provides kid-friendly Web sites through which they can obtain answers.
bullet http://www.askanexpert.com This kid-friendly site connects students with hundreds of experts who have volunteered to answer student questions for free.