Science Fair Project

Kick-Off

Agreement of Understanding

• You MUST complete a science fair project in order to pass Science in the third quarter.

• The research paper will be graded and part of your written communication grade.

• You must stick to the timeline set out by your teacher so you can finish on time.

• No late projects will be accepted into the fair!

TimelineTimeline for Science Fair Project

Date Due January 8 Brainstorming

Date Due January 15 _ Question

Date Due January 22 Prediction Date Du January 29 1st Draft of Research Paper Date Due __February 5___ Variables Date Due __February 10___ Materials Date Due __February __12_ Procedures Date Due __March 16_ Data Collection Tool  Date Due __March 20____ Results Date Due _March _23 Conclusion Date Due April 6 ______ STEM Fair Display ChecklistDate Due April 6 STEM Fair board is due in schoolDate Due April 7 ______ Putting up of STEM Fair Board

This year’s Science Fair will be on April 8, 

Getting StartedChoosing a Topic

• Interesting to you !• Something you have a

question about that is related to science

• Can answer question only through an experiment

Guidelines for choosing a topic

• Only THIRD graders can do consumer projects

• No Projects involving VERTEBRATES

• No Models

• No Bacteria Projects

• No Molds Project

CONSUMER SCIENCE IS FOR THIRD GRADE ONLY

• What paper towel soaks up the most water?

• What diaper absorbs the most liquid?

• Which ketchup is thicker?

Consumer science is testing a product or comparing it to another brand of the same product.

Vertebrates are FISH

Don’t experiment on me!

Vertebrates are REPTILES

Like……• Snakes• Lizards• Turtles

Don’t Experiment on

us!

Vertebrates are AMPHIBIANS

Like FROGS and SALAMANDERS

Don’t Experiment

on us!

Vertebrates are BIRDS Don’t

Experiment on us!

Vertebrates are MAMMALS

SUCH AS-• Rabbits• Dogs• Cats• Hamsters• Gerbils • AND …………..

NO EXPERIMENTS ON US!

PEOPLE ARE MAMMALS TOO!

• Do not do experiments on people like making them taste something, exercise and check heart rate or breathing or even asking survey questions Don’t

experiment on us!

Models do not allow you to collect data

Such as• Volcanoes

Or • The Solar System

I can do all kinds of things for my topic in

• Biology

• Physical Science

• Earth/Space Science

• Chemistry

Topics I can do- Invertebrates

WORMS INSECTS

MOLLUSKS

Where do I get ideas for my topic?

• School library

• Public library

• Internet

• Observing the world around me

You may check the following websites

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

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/

http://www.scifair.org/

Experiment Night

• Conduct an experiment from start to finish with your parents

• Get ideas for your own project

Things you must include in your project

• Display board with all parts of scientific method

• Journal

• Research Paper (4-6 grade)

Display of the Science Fair ProjectTitle

Hypothesis

Variables

MaterialsData Chart*

Graph*

Conclusion

Written Explanation*

Procedures

* All parts of the Results.

Question

Research Paper

• Title Page• Acknowledgements• Question• Background research

– Write down questions that you want to know about your topic that you can be answered by looking in a book.

• Sources/BibliographyTwo examples of research papers written by students are included in the journal.

Science Fair Projects are due in school by

April 6,2010

No LATE projects will be entered into the fair !

Student Journal

You must maintain this journal during the entire science fair project and turn it in with the display. There will be no available replacement should you loose your journal.

Take a look at the Table of Contents to see all of the information included in the student journal.

Science Fair is on April 08,2009

• Each student will be interviewed and scored by a judge

• Students at each grade level will be awarded first, second and third place

• Kids for Science county competition for grades 4-6 winners

County Stem Fair will be on May 14-15,2010

Any Questions

? ? ? ? ? ? ?

27

Scientific Experiments Scientific Experiments Follow RulesFollow Rules..

• An experimenter changes one factor and observes or measures what happens.

28

Scientific Method - Scientific Method - Controls and VariablesControls and Variables

29

The Control VariableThe Control Variable

•The experimenter makes a The experimenter makes a special effort to keep special effort to keep other factors constantother factors constant so so that they will not effect that they will not effect the outcome.the outcome.

• Those factors are called Those factors are called control variables.control variables.

31

What is the Purpose of What is the Purpose of a Control?a Control?

•Controls are NOT being tested

•Controls are used for COMPARISON

32

Other Variables

•The factor that is changed is known as the independent variable.

• The factor that is measured or observed is called the dependent variable.

33

Example of Controls Example of Controls & Variables& Variables

• For example, suppose you want to figure out the fastest route to walk home from school. You will try several different routes and time how long it takes you to get home by each one.

• Since you are only interested in finding a route that is fastest for you, you will do the walking yourself.

34

What are the Variables What are the Variables in Your Experiment?in Your Experiment?

• Varying the route is the Varying the route is the independent variableindependent variable

• The time it takes is the The time it takes is the dependent variabledependent variable

• Keeping the same walker Keeping the same walker throughout makes the walker a throughout makes the walker a control variable.control variable.

35

One more thing… it is best to make several

trials with each independent variable.

Activity on Variables

Control - A part of the experiment that is not being tested and is used for comparison.Variable - Any part of an experiment that can vary.Independent Variable - The part of the experiment that is manipulated or changed by the scientists or personperforming the experiment.Dependent Variable - The part of the experiment that is affected by the independent variable.

Krusty Krab Breath Mints1. Which people are in the control group? The people who received the mint without the secret ingredient(Group B) would be the control group.2. What is the independent variable? Secret ingredient in the breath mint3. What is the dependent variable? Amount of breath odor (or bad breath)4. What should Mr. Krabs’ conclusion be? The breath mint with the secret ingredient appears to reduce theamount of breath odor more than half the time, but it is not 100% effective.5. What is another name for the fake breath mint that the people in Group B received?Regular breath mint6. Why do you think 10 people in group B reported fresher breath? This may be due to the placebo effect.

A placebo, as used in research, is an inactive substance or procedure used as a control in an experiment. The placebo effect is the measurable, observable, or felt improvement in health not attributable to an actual treatment.

Sponge Bob Clean Pants6. What was the problem? SpongeBob’s pants were not clean.7. What is the independent variable? Laundry soap8. What is the dependent variable? Amount of dirt left on the pants (or how clean the pants were)9. What should Sponge Bob’s conclusion be? Clean-O laundry soap does not appear to be effective in cleaning

Squidward’s Symphony10. What is the independent variabl? Instrument11. What is the dependent variable? Number of jellyfish12. What should Squidward’s conclusion be? The clarinet did seem to attract a large number of jellyfish, but the average number for the three trials also matched the average for the guitar. The flute attracted the leastnumber of jellyfish, but the average for this category is still larger than the control. Music seems to attract jellyfish in greater numbers than when no music is played. Squidward’s hypothesis that the clarinet attracts larger numbers of jellyfish than other instruments is not proven by this experiment alone.

e

13. Are the results reliable? Based on the limited amount of information provided, it is difficult to tell if Squidward’s results are reliable. The description did not tell how long each break was between trials. Did heleave enough time for the jellyfish to “clear out” of the area? (NOTE: Accept other potential flaws thatstudents can support.)

Super Bubbles14. What did the Super Bubble ads claim? The ads claimed that the Super Bubble solution would producebubbles that were twice as large as those made with regular bubble soap.15. What is the independent variable? Type of bubble solution16. What is the dependent variable? Size (diameter) of the bubble

17. a. Calculate the average diameter for each. Super Bubble = 15.1 cm Regular Soap = 11.5 cmb. What should their conclusion be? The Super Bubble solution did not seem to produce bubbles that were twice as large as those made with the regular soap. Although the average for the Super Bubble solution was larger than that for the regular soap, it was not “twice as large” as the ads claimed. In fact, only two of the ten trials had results that would fit the ads claims.

18. Are the results reliable? Why or why not? The description does not say who blew the bubbles for each solution. There may be differences in bubble sizes due to the person blowing the bubble rather than the bubble solution. They might have considered having each person blow 5 bubbles with each solution. (NOTE: Accept other potential flaws that students can support.)

Reminders:Make sure that the students are answering the Science Problem of the Week,we need the result in the 2nd Quarter’s PMAPP

Sample Answers are in Appendix of CFPG also the STEM Fair information.

This is the end of the show.Thank you for watching!