Dear Students and Parents,
It’s that time again, to begin brainstorming about your science fair project! All students Physical science will be doing a science fair project. Students will do a research paper and an abstract (a 250 word summary of the entire project). The research paper, abstract, and project board will be on display in the gym during the Science Fair in February. Students should use their Science in Action book for reference.
Before beginning this project, all students must have their topic approved by me, along with the introductory paragraph. The topic must be in the form of a question, where the project can be conducted by the student and a result obtained. If the student cannot perform the test (experiment) he or she must choose a new project. Students may need their parents for supervision in certain projects, but remember the projects should be completed by the student. The students are encouraged to seek advice, but not “hands on” assistance. The students will have a greater understanding of the scientific method upon completion of the project.
Project topics can be found in books, internet, television, or original ideas are always welcome. If the student picks a project involving growth these projects take several weeks. I would recommend getting started early, just in case the experiment would need to be repeated. Students may not have anything “live” or any food products on display at the science fair – such as plants, molds, bacteria, water, etc. These are science fair regulations. If you choose to do a project involving these items pictures may be used on your project board to visually display your experiment. A detailed project board tells the story of your project, with the use of pictures, proper labeling, and documented results using graphs.
Students need to have their topics approved with their introductory paragraph completed by Friday, October 19th. The finished project will be due on December 5. This seems like a long time away, but when you factor in all the holidays and a busy school schedule, it will be here before we know it! Once the projects have been presented orally I will keep them until Science fair, unless some touchups need to be done before they are judged. There will be 6 ribbons awarded for High School the night of Science Fair. This includes a 1st, 2nd, 3rd place for Biological Science, and a 1st 2nd 3rd place for Physical Science. Each student’s project will be in one of these two categories. The winners will go on to compete at District Science Fair, and could possibly go to the State Science Fair. Every year we have had students to place and move on to the State Science Fair. I am sure this year will be no exception.
We will be going over in detail how to put this project together. The last step will be to set up your project board. Students will receive their project boards in November. If you have a topic idea for your science fair project, see me for approval and you may get started on your introductory paragraph. This will be on your introductory page and states what your topic is, why you chose it and what you believe the outcome will be (your hypothesis). Remember not to discuss your topic ideas with others, as they might get approval before you! Attached is a list of due dates for Science Fair Projects and attached is a guide to help set up your research paper and project board. Thank you in advance for your assistance with this project. I am confident that your child will be successful, and gain valuable knowledge of the scientific method. Please do not hesitate to see me if you have any questions.
In Christ
Mrs. Stinson
Below is a list of due dates for science fair project assignments
September 5
Introductory paragraph due
This will be on your introductory page and states what your topic is, why you chose it, and what you believe the outcome will be (your hypothesis).
September 19
Experiment Plan page due
Describe in detail the procedure and list all necessary materials in detail.
October 10
1 ) Bibliography cards
At least 5 Bibliography cards refer to p 13 Science in Action book
(A detailed list of the sources that will be used for the experimental research.)
Source requirements: Students may use online sources but must have at least 2 offline sources including one book and one encyclopedia.
2) At least 25 research note cards refer to p 15 of Science in Action book Review the literature for each of the Bibliography sources and give important information to be used later as background information for the research in the research paper.
October 17
Outline Due p 14 of Science in Action book. The outline is a tentative order the topics will appear in your paper.
*****Testing should be complete by this date ******
NOVEMEBER 14
Graphs and charts showing results due p 75-78 and 139-144 of Science in Action book
November 28
Completed first draft of written report due (see attached paper for detail) - Will write in class
December 5 – Will Write in class
Abstract due. A 250 word summary of your entire project (see attached paper for detail)
December 12 (see attached sheet for project board detail)-
PROJECT BOARDS AND FINAL Typed papers Due. Completed projects will be brought to school for oral presentation today. Display Boards, Corrected final draft of written report due. (Remember no food or anything living on display or on board and be sure no identifying information (name, school, teacher, etc.) or faces on board or in papers. Put your JH and your initials on the back of the board.
The research paper should include the following:
- Title Page - Center the project title, and your name, school, and grade at the bottom right.
- You will need a second cover page with only the project title centered on it (no name, school name or grade). Be creative on these covers.
- Table of Contents – Number each page when you finish typing.
- Introduction – This sets the scene for your report. It should explain why you chose this project, why you were interested in this, and what you hoped to achieve (your hypothesis)
- The Experiment – List all materials needed then describe in detail, STEP BY STEP, how you did your experiment. Include every detail so that someone else could repeat it. Use photographs or drawings of the equipment you used to describe your experiment further if needed.
- Research/Discussion – This is the main part of your paper. This should include the research you did along with your discussion of your experiment in written form. Everything should flow smoothly. Take readers through your train of thought letting them know exactly what you did.
- Results- Tell the readers in detail what happened in your experiment and what you found
- Conclusion – Give a written account of your findings. Compare your results with commonly held beliefs and/or expected results. A discussion of possible errors should also be included. What would you do differently if you repeated this project? What are other experiments that could be conducted on this topic?
- Charts and Graphs – Put your results in graph form. The website “how to make a graph.com” is a good website to use. Use at least 2 different kinds of graphs or charts.
- Credits – Give credit to those who helped you.
- References – This should include any material used (books, magazines, encyclopedias, etc.). You should have 5-8 sources with a least one book and one encyclopedia.
Students will also write an abstract, which is a 250 word summary of their entire project.
This is in addition to their typed report. The students may read their abstracts during their oral presentation in class. The abstract will also accompany their science project at the science fair.
The abstract is a summary of your project, which should include:
- A statement of purpose
- A statement of hypothesis
- A brief description of methods and procedure
- Observations, results, and conclusions
- A reference list at the bottom of your listing of all the references you used.