Live Oak Academy Science Fair

Classroom Judges Orientation

Welcome to the 2015 Live Oak Academy Science Fair! Thank you for taking your valuable time to judge our students as they present their projects. This orientation is provided to help you know what to look for in a project and how to ask questions to

assess the student’s understanding. You may want to follow along on the Science Fair Project Judging Scorecard and the Judging Guidelines. Both of these may be found on the LOA website. Scorecards will differ depending on the grade level in which you are judging, so some areas of this presentation may not be relevant for your judging area. For example, the lower grade levels exclude certain requirements found in the upper

grade levels.

Project Topic

• Grade level appropriate

• Appropriately challenging academic content

• Good understanding of project topic

• Creativity in the question, approach, technique, or project

The first area on the Judging Scorecard is Project Topic. You will be considering four areas of the students’ work. In all of these areas, use your best judgment and common sense.

1. Topic is grade level appropriate for student. – Consider if the project topic and scope of investigation are appropriate for the student. Difficulty levels should match and reflect the maturity and grade level of the students. For example, a grammar student may be overreaching by studying the molecular structure of certain bivalves, and a rhetoric student may be underperforming by conducting an experiment on the effect of water on a plant.

2. Project has appropriately challenging academic content. – Determine whether the student has demonstrated appropriate and sufficient depth and amount of academic content to reflect their grade level. The design of experiments should reflect a reasonable experiment that challenges students to discover something new. Research and analysis should reflect appropriate depth for their grade level. Their hypothesis should be a statement the student is unable to answer prior to the experiment itself. If a student conducts an experiment in which the outcome is already known prior to the experimental design, the project is below grade level.

3. Student has good understanding of project topic. – Students should demonstrate sufficient knowledge to address questions such as “Why did you receive the results you did?” or “Why did you design your experiment to test these variables?”

4. Student displays creativity in the question, approach, technique, or project. – Reward students who think “outside the box” in designing an experiment, approach a problem with a new and interesting question, or use an unconventional, but effective way to investigate an idea.

Scientific Method & KnowledgeElements of a Science Project

• Question or Purpose

• Hypothesis

• Experimental Technique

• Research

• Materials & Procedure

• Data Charts & Graphs

• Results

• Analysis & Conclusion

There are eight main parts to a science project which are listed on screen. Depending on the grade level in which you will judge, you will examine some parts of the project more closely than others. While I will share in detail specifics about each part, please be sure to look closely at your Judging Scorecard to determine what you will evaluate.

Question or Purpose

• Question– What causes plants to grow?

– Why do stars “twinkle”?

– How does water purity affect surface tension?

• Purpose– To determine the best insulating material for

keeping hot chocolate warm

– To find the best wing location on a rocket for air flight

Students may begin their projects with either a Question or Purpose statement. In both cases, they are investigating areas in which to find answers. The question or purpose should give a clear indication of and directly relate to the Project Topic the student will be testing. Examples are listed above of possible question or purpose statements.

A Solid Hypothesis• Should be testable• Establishes the participants• Defines the variables

– One Independent Variable – what is changed?– One Dependent Variable – what is measured?

• Predicts an effect• Must not be subjective

– Emotive: feeling– Sensory: smell, touch, taste– Preferential

Example: If the amount of water is increasedfor a plant, then it will grow taller.

A Solid Hypothesis is the backbone of every experiment. It should clearly communicate what is being tested and what the predicted results will be. There are a number of important elements to a solid hypothesis, which are listed above.

1. A testable statement – The hypothesis should be a statement that is testable. For example, “I think it will fly” is not a testable statement because we do not know what will fly. Nor is the example, “The plant will grow taller” since we do not know what to test in order for the plant to grow taller.

2. Established the participants – The participant is the object being tested in the experiment. For the example above on the screen, the plant is the participant because it is what is being tested. You will notice that the same hypothesis could have been written without the participant, but we would not have known what was to be tested.

3. Defines the variables • Independent Variable – An Independent Variable is what is being

changed in order to determine an effect. Generally, only one independent variable is used, although some students in higher grades may use two. If two independent variables are used, it is imperative that the student communicates the reason for using two variables and the relationship of the two variables with their results. For the above hypothesis, the independent variable is the amount of water. (cont)

• Dependent Variable – A Dependent Variable is what is being measured in the experiment. Dependent variables should be clear, concise, non-subjective, and with articulate measureable differences. For the above hypothesis, the dependent variable is height, most likely measured in inches.

4. Predicts an effect – Hypotheses should state what students believe will happen in the experiment in concrete terms. Meaning, if the hypothesis above is changed to “If the amount of water is increased for a plant, then it will change”, the prediction does not provide enough information in which way the experiment will change. An articulate effect defines an outcome in quantifiable terms.5. Non-subjective terms – Independent and Dependent variables should not use emotive, sensory, or preferential variables. Measures relating to sense, such as smell or taste relate to preference and are much more difficult to produce concrete results, unless the field of psychology is introduced. While behavioral psychology and science are a valid and testable science, we are encouraging our students to study more quantifiable terms with concrete outcomes.

What is wrong with these hypotheses?

• Dogs prefer eating chicken.

• Plants will grow in light.

• The universe is expanding.

• If pesticides are used to treat aphid infected plants, then ladybugs will work best.

Dogs prefer eating chicken - Subjective, unclear predicting effect, no dependent variable

Plants will grow in light - Independent & Dependent variables are unclear and predicting effect is missing. Grow how? Tall? Fat? Green? Light –more light, less light? Different light? Plants – what kind of plant?

The universe is expanding - Not testable

If pesticides are used to treat aphid infected plants, then ladybugs will work best - Dependent variable is unclear as far as what is being measured. What measure of best will be used?

Experimental Technique

• Independent Variable

• Dependent Variable

• Control Group

• Constants – what was kept the same

• Reasonable and logical levels

• Repeated experiment - usually 3 times

To verify the validity and integrity of an experiment, look for these components in an experiment:

Independent Variable: Again, there generally should only be one component that is changed in the experiment.Dependent Variable: The component that is being measured in the experiment in quantifiable terms.Control Group: The control is the experimental group that is separated from the rest of the experiment so that the independent variable being tested cannot influence the results and all data is compared to.Constants: These are variables that could affect the experiment, therefore they should be kept the same.Levels: Levels refer to the graduation or types of increments of the independent variable. If the levels are related, they are generally a sequence of something: distance, capacity, weight, time. If levels are not related, then generally, they are a variety of a specified type. In addition to a control group, it is worthwhile to have at least three different levels.Frequency: Generally, the experiment should be run at least three times to reduce any possible change of erroneous data and to ensure validity of results.

For example, for the hypothesis “If the amount of water is increased for a plant, then it will grow taller.” (cont)

(cont)Independent Variable: The amount of water will be changed in logical amounts. Dependent Variable: The height of the plant, perhaps in cm or inches will be measured.Control Group: One plant sample should have 0 oz. of water given daily. It is the data point in which all other heights are measured.Constants: Possible constants could include: type of plant, soil type and brand, size and material of container, location of plants, exposure to light, etc…Levels: Levels could be 2 oz, 4, oz, 6 oz, and 8 oz daily for a related independent variable. For a non-related level, the type of material (dirt, sand, gravel, moss) could be used.Frequency: A total of 3 plants per experimental group should be run.

Research

• Demonstrated clear knowledge of material –Ask!

• Used age appropriate resources

• Should have been completed prior to experimentation

– How did your research improve or change your experiment?

Each student should have researched the topic of their experiment using age appropriate resources. The depth of their knowledge should match the grade level and complexity of the project. Students should understand general knowledge regarding their topic and, if asked the question, be able to answer how their research helped improve or change their experiment. There are occasionally instances where research does not warrant a change in the experiment, but confirms the experimental design of the experiment.

Materials, Safety, & Procedure

• Materials • Description, quantity, brand

• Distilled water, 1 liter, Safeway brand

• Safety

• Procedure• Itemized list of steps

Each student should have on display the Materials, Safety, & Procedure list. All materials used in the experiment should be itemized in list form. The Safety list includes relevant safety precautions relevant to the experiment. The Procedure should list all the necessary steps in order for another individual to complete the experiment.

Data Charts, Graphs, & Results

• Organized and summarized data

• Clear graphs

• Results statement or paragraph

• Extras:

– Pictures/sketches

– Lab notebook

– Props, samples, equipment

Students should have clear, readable, and grade appropriate data charts and graphs. These results should reflect grade level appropriate data and understanding. During student presentations, this is when students will explain what happened during their experiment. Additional pictures, sketches, props, samples, and equipment may be used to show their results. A clear summary of their results should be communicated.

For example: “Plants that had increasing amounts of water all increased in height. However, the plants that had 8 oz of water daily eventually died after two weeks.”

Analysis & Conclusion

• Explains the science behind the results

• Relates results to hypothesis

– Accepted? Rejected? Partially accepted?

• Suggests future improvements

Finally, students should wrap up their experiment by explaining the science behind the results in the analysis and conclusion. Students may choose to connect the analysis of their experiment to the research they discovered prior to their experiment. Grade appropriate explanations of the question “why?” they received the results they did in their experiment should be answered. Sometimes, experiments do not produce expected scientific results. In these cases, the student should explain possible reasons why results occurred as they did. Future improvements, additional areas of investigation, or relevancy to the industry may be explored during this time. Last, the analysis should relate back to the original hypothesis, and students should conclude whether to accept or reject their hypothesis based on their findings.

Oral Presentation

• Student communicates with energy, vocal clarity, and eye contact.

• Speech is well prepared and organized.

• Delivery is a cohesive body of thought.

• Student is knowledgeable and credible during judge questioning.

An important component to the Science Fair is the rhetorical aspect of student presentations. Depending on the grade level, maturity, and experience of each student, the quality of each oral presentation may differ. Make judgments of the oral presentation using common sense and knowledge that this is an area that produces growth. Students who communicate their presentations in exceptional ways should be commended for their efforts.

Display Board• Is neat and well organized.

• Is visually appealing – colorful, readable, and illustrated.

• Includes all key components.

• Shows independent student effort.

• Provides Lab Notebook and Research Paper, if applicable.

One area that should receive special note is the line item: Show apparent independent student effort – While parental involvement is expected, particularly in the grammar stage, student involvement should be evident throughout the project. This may be evident through crooked or uneven lines, colored diagrams and pictures, and the absence of excel charts. Again, use your best judgment and common sense in reviewing this.

Details• Each student is allotted 10 minutes total.

– Approx. 5 – 6 minute presentation

– Question/Answer period

– 3 minutes for project board review & rubrics

• Each panel of judges will have one timer.

Judging Scorecards

• Write your name!

• Select score.

4 = Superior, 0 = Below Average

• Complete Judging Rubrics in its entirety.

• Do not collaborate.

Thank you for judging our studentsfor the 2015 LOA Science Fair!