4-H Science and Engineering Fair1

Editor and Contributor

Chris Caveny-Cox

Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development

North Carolina State University

Cooperative Extension Service

1303 Dallas Cherryville Hwy

Dallas, NC 28034

About the 4-H West Central District Science and Engineering Fair

The 4-H West Central District Science and Engineering Fair is a district wide pinnacle event for 9 to 19 year old youth that have shown an interested in science and engineering. The Fair encourages students to investigate their own questions and interests through scientific inquiry and research. The student becomes the scientist and when completed, their project combines reading, writing, mathematics, critical thinking, and scientific methodology. Participation in scientific research assists students in understanding how scientists and engineers work and encourages them to consider a career in these fields. Workshops for interested groups are available from the fair coordinating committee to assist educators in implementing scientific research into their programs.

Students involved in science fair projects learn the nature of science and skills to help meet the challenges of the future. By participating in the fair, students learn how to isolate, attack and solve important problems, all within the framework of organized, logical thought and study. Participants have an opportunity to progress on to other regional, state, and international fair opportunities.

Our program is aligned with and supports the North Carolina State Standard Course of Study in Science. The NC Standard Course of Study in Science for grades K-12 states that “Learning science is something students do, not something that is done to them.” All grades have the same strands for content teaching of the goals and objectives that include the “Nature of Science” and “Science as Inquiry”. Students taking Honors courses are expected to “complete more independent and in-depth scientific investigations”. Students should be “involved in exploratory, experimental, and open-ended learning experiences.”[1]

To learn more contact your county’s 4-H agent.

Table of Contents

Event Calendar...... 1

Required Project Elements...... 2

Required Forms...... 2

Event Leadership Team...... 3

Project Display and Safety Checklist...... 4

Types of Projects...... 6

Student Checklist of Judging Criteria...... 8

Sample Science Fair Interview Questions...... 11

Forms (Key)...... 14

1 – Checklist for Adult Sponsor...... 18

1A – Student Checklist / Research Plan...... 19

1B – Approval Form...... 20

1C – Regulated Research Institution...... 21

2 – Qualified Scientist...... 22

3 – Risk Assessment...... 23

4 – Human Subjects...... 24

5 – Vertebrate Animals...... 25

6A – Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents Risk Assessment...... 26

6B – Human and Vertebrate Animal Tissue...... 27

7 – Continuation Projects...... 28

Elementary and Middle School Entry Form...... 29

4-H Science and Engineering Fair1

Event Calendar

4-H Science and Engineering Fair Clinic

LincolnCounty

June 21st

Science Discovery Week

Ages: 9-13

Schiele Museum of Natural History

August 9th – 13th

4-H Science and Engineering Fair Clinic

Catawba Science Center

August 17th

Competitive Application:

Postmarked by September 15th

NC 4-H Science and Engineering Fair

CatawbaScienceCenter

November 6th

Required Project Elements

1)Display

2)Log Book

3)Report w/ Bibliography

Required Forms(See Appendix for Related Forms)

9-13 year old youth

1)Elementary and Middle School Science and Engineering Research Plan & Scientific Review Committee (SRC) Approval Form

2)4-H Membership Form

3)Medical Release Form (Notarized)

4)Media Release Form

14-19 year old youth

1)Project Form 1

2)Project Form 1A

3)Project Form 1B

4)4-H Membership Form

5)Medical Release Form (Notarized)

6)Media Release Form

Send completed forms and $5 event entry fee postmarked by September 15th to:

GastonCounty Cooperative Extension

Attn: 4HSEF

1303 Dallas Cherryville Hwy

Dallas, NC28034

Event Leadership Team

Need us to come more your way? Have your County Cooperative Extension Agent contact the event’s leadership team.

April Dillon, LincolnCounty

Ashley Lee, ClevelandCounty

Chris Caveny-Cox, GastonCounty

Donna Mull, CatawbaCounty

Cynthia Robbins, RutherfordCounty

Judy West, WilkesCounty

Display and Safety

Note: Maximum project sizes include all project materials and supports. If a table is used, it becomes part of the project and may not itself exceed the allowed dimensions nor may the table plus any part of the project exceed the allowed dimensions.

  • 108 in. (274 cm) height

  • 48 in. (122 cm) in width

  • 30 in. (76 cm) in depth

  • Project positioned at the back of and parallel to the booth

  • NO living organisms or plants

  • NO Taxidermy specimens or parts

  • NO human or animal food

  • NO human / animal parts or body fluids (ex. Blood, Urine, etc.)

  • NO laboratory / household chemicals (including water)

  • NO poisons, drugs, controlled substances, hazardous substances or devices

  • NO dry ice or other sublimating solids

  • NO sharp items (ex. syringes, needles, pipettes, knives, etc.)

  • NO flames or highly flammable materials

  • NO batteries with open-top cells

  • NO awards, medals, business cards, flags, endorsements and/or acknowledgements

  • NO photographs or other visual presentations depicting vertebrate animals in surgical techniques, dissections, necropsies, or other lab procedures

  • NO active internet or e-mail connections as part of displaying or operating the project

  • NO glass or glass objects

  • NO lasers (class II, III or IV)

  • NO apparatus producing temperatures that will cause physical burns

  • NO project involving starvation or dehydration of plants and animals

  • NO apparatus deemed unsafe by the Display and Safety Committee, or Fair Director (ex. large vacuum tubes, pressurized tanks, etc.)

The following are allowed within a project display or booth with compliance to the restrictions indicated

  • Soil or waste samples (if permanently sealed in acrylic)

  • Photographs and / or Visual Depictions if…

  • NO offensive or inappropriate depictions

  • Credit reference present for all unique sources

  • Any photographs of human subjects other than the student participant must be accompanied by appropriately signed consent form(s)

  • NOT OPERATIONAL: any apparatus with unshielded belts, pulleys, chains, or moving parts or pinch points.

  • UL-listed 3-wire extension cord with appropriate capacity for any electrical loads used by the display (120 or 220 Volt A.C. only)

  • For operational displays using electricity there MUST be an accessible, clearly visible on / off switch or other means of disconnect

Types of Projects

Experimental Projects
Experimental Projects are based on a testable question and includes a hypothesis; materials; procedure; independent, dependent, and control variables; data displayed in the form of a chart or graph; explanation of the results; and a conclusion that answers the question.
Project Approval
Students choosing to complete an ExperimentalProject should follow the guidelines below. Projects will be accepted based on approval of the project research plan.
Acceptable examples of Experimental Projects: Include any question that is answered by doing an experiment or investigation and includes the control of independent, dependent, and controlled variables; must be testable, gather some form of data, and include graphs and/or charts in the analysis of that data. / Observational Projects
Observational Projects are based on a question formed from prior observations and includes a hypothesis; data collected by scientists, observation, or surveys of people, animals, or the environment displayed in the form of a chart or graph; an explanation of the data identifying patterns and trends; and a conclusion that answers the question.
Project Approval
Students choosing to complete an Observational Project should follow the guidelines below. Projects will be accepted based on approval of the project research plan.
Acceptable examples of Observational Projects: Include any question / hypothesis that created from prior observations for which data can be gathered and analyzed to demonstrate a pattern or trend. This data analysis is displayed for recognition of identified patterns and/or trends which support a hypothesis and answer the original question. These projects include a question; a hypothetical statement; procedures, including the steps of data manipulation; data collected displayed graphically; an explanatory paragraph interpreting the data, and a conclusion based on the data.
Engineering Projects
Engineering Projects are based on a defined need and includes background research, design criteria, preliminary designs, construction and testing of a prototype, iterative redesign and retesting, and graphic and descriptive presentation of the results.
Project Approval
Students choosing to complete an Engineering Project should follow the guidelines below. Projects will be accepted based on approval of the project research plan.

Acceptable examples of Engineering Projects: Include any defined need that supports the creation of a problem statement, hypothesized solution to the defined need, method for design of solution, creation of engineering concept, testing and evaluation of engineered concept, gathering of relevant testing data, analysis of testing data and resulting conclusions with further proposed action.

4-H Science and Engineering Fair1

Student Checklist of Judging Criteria

Students: When your ScienceFair Project is finished, use this checklist to make sure your project is complete and you have everything you need on your backboard.

Read each bullet in the bold categories below. Check YES or NO for each bullet, based on your project. Then, go back and fix the areas on your project where you checked NO.

YES / NO
A. Appearance and Organization
  • Is my project arranged in a step-by-step order?
  • Are all the parts clearly labeled? (Problem, Hypothesis, etc.)
  • Do I have a title?
  • Is it neat and organized?
  • Is my name on my project?
/ _____ / _____
_____ / _____
_____ / _____
_____ / _____
_____ / _____
B. Question/Problem Formulation
  • Did I state the problem or question?
  • Is it a testable problem or question that supports the gathering of data?
/ _____ / _____
_____ / _____
C. Hypothesis
  • Does my hypothesis state a possible outcome of the experiment and tell why I think it will happen that way?
  • Did I base my prediction on research?
  • Is my hypothesis stated in the form of an “if… then” statement?
/ _____ / _____
_____ / _____
_____ / _____
D. Procedure: Written Procedure
  • Did I list the materials and equipment I used with specific amounts, including units (SI or Metirc)?
  • Did I list all steps of the procedure in detail, clearly and in sequential order?
  • Can someone repeat my experiment exactly as I have by just referencing my procedures?
/ _____ / _____
_____ / _____
_____ / _____
YES / NO
E. Materials and Procedure: Experimental Design
  • Did I test it three or more times (multiple trials) or use a large enough sample size (observational projects) to support the hypothesis?
  • Was I careful to control conditions so that something unexpected didn’t affect the results (dependent variables)?
  • Are the independent and dependent variables, observational factors, and/ordesign factors clearly identified?
/ _____ / _____
_____ / _____
_____ / _____
F. Data Collection and Representation
  • Does the data show that I did the experiment or observation carefully?
  • Is the data displayed in anappropriate way such as graphs, charts, drawings, photographs, etc?
/ _____ / _____
_____ / _____
G. Data: Written Explanation
  • Does my explanation summarize and analyze the data?
  • Does my explanation describe patterns and trends in the data?
  • Does my explanation interpret my charts, graphs, and other visual organization tools?
/ _____ / _____
_____ / _____
_____ / _____
H. Appropriate Conclusion
  • Does my conclusion reflect the data?
  • Does my conclusion talk about my Hypothesis?
  • Does my conclusion state whether or not my hypothesis was supported or not supported?
  • Does my conclusion address my original scientific question?
/ _____ / _____
_____ / _____
_____ / _____
_____ / _____
I. Research Paper & Log Book
  • Does my research paper address the validity of my original hypothesis?
  • Does my research paper summarize all of my project related research?
  • Does my Log Book include organized notes and details supporting all stages of research and project design?
  • Did I use 3 or more references to support my experiment?
  • Is my research paper evenly supported by a variety of references?
/ _____ / _____
_____ / _____
_____ / _____
_____ / _____
_____ / _____
YES / NO
J. Understanding of Experiment
  • Can I clearly explain the procedure and results of this experiment to someone who does not know about it?
  • Can I connect this experiment to real-world application?
  • Can I effectively explain the scientific and / or engineering concepts involved with my research?
/ _____ / _____
_____ / _____
_____ / _____
K. Application of Experiment
  • Can I suggest another experiment that I could do if I wanted to find out more about this topic?
/ _____ / _____
Sample Science Fair Interview Questions
Overall Appearance
  1. Who helped you with your project?
  2. What was your favorite part of the science project process?
  3. How did you decide how to organize your information on the display board?
  4. How long did it take for you to complete the project?

Question
  1. How did you decide on the question that you wanted to investigate?
  2. Is this topic something that you’ve always been interested in finding out more about?
  3. Did your question allow you to complete an investigation to gather data?

Hypothesis
  1. What did you predict the outcome of your investigation would be?
  2. What resources did you use to gather information about your project before you started your investigation?
  3. When you finished gathering information from your resources, did you have to adjust your hypothesis at all?

Materials/Procedures
Written Procedure
  1. Have you listed the exact amount of each material used so that someone else could complete your investigation? Did you use metric or customary units?
  2. Have you listed the procedure in an organized, step-by-step order?
  3. Why do you think it’s important to have the procedure listed in a step-by-step order?

Materials/Procedures
Experimental Design
1.How many times did you repeat your investigation?
2.Why do you think it’s important to repeat an investigation more than once?
3.What was the independent variable in your investigation? What was the dependent variable?
4.How were you able to control all the variables except the one you were changing?
5.If you were to complete this investigation 3 more times, what would you think would be the outcome of the investigation?
Results and Graphic Representation
  1. How did you decide which kind of graph to use to display your data?
  2. Could you have used a different type of graph to show the results of your investigation?
  3. Have you included and labeled all of the necessary parts of your graph?
  4. Does the information on your graph accurately show the information you collected?

Results: Written Explanation
  1. How does your chart/graph show the results of your investigation trials?
  2. Have you included information from all of the trials or did you graph the mean of the sets of data?
  3. Does the information in your written explanation reflect the results of your investigation trials?

Conclusion
  1. Did your investigation have the results that you predicted?
  2. Does your conclusion state if your hypothesis was supported or not supported?
  3. What did you learn as a result of completing the investigations for this SET fair project?

Interview: Understanding
  1. If you had to do this SET fair project again, what would you have done differently?
  2. What suggestions would you give to someone who was interested in completing your investigation?

Interview: Application
  1. How would what you learned in this investigation be useful in solving a real problem?
  2. Can you think of an occupation that would benefit from the information that you gained as a result of this investigation?
  3. As you were completing your investigation, did you think of other questions that you would like to find answers to in future investigations?

Forms

Forms Key

(1)---Checklist for Adult Sponsor

(1A)-Student Checklist / Research Plan

(1B)-Approval Form

(1C)-Regulated Research Institution

(2)---Qualified Scientist

(3)---Risk Assessment

(4)---Human Subjects

(5)---Vertebrate Animals

(6A)-Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents Risk Assessment

(6B)-Human and Vertebrate Animal Tissue

(7)---Continuation Projects

Elementary and Middle School Science and EngineeringResearch Plan & Scientific Review Committee (SRC) Approval Form

4-H Membership Form

Medical Release Form

Media Release Form

Forms Key

The entry forms constitute written documentation of what will occur, or in some cases, has already occurred, in a research project. They are designed to provide the information that is needed to review the project to ensure compliance with the international pre-college research rules and with laws and regulations that apply to the project. The forms should be filled out and signed before any research takes place. (Only Forms 1C, 7, and the abstract are done after the research.) The dates of the signatures reflect when the approval or consent is given.

Checklist for Adult Sponsor (1)
The checklist is provided so that the adult sponsor can review what information (and therefore which forms) must be provided. The date signed is the date that the sponsor first reviews the project plan before the experiment begins.

Student Checklist (1A)
On this page, the student outlines what the project is about. Items that especially need to be clear are the following:

#5 Any project conducted in a similar area of research as previous projects should be considered a continuation. If the project is a continuation, explain on Form 7 as completely as possible how the project will differ from previous experimentation because ONLY a new and different research project is allowed. The current year project must demonstrate significant progress.

#6 Explain when the actual experimental procedure (not the background literature review) will begin and end because ONLY a 12-month project that occurred within the last 18 months before this Intel ISEF is allowed.

#7 Explain where the experimental research will be done: research institution, school, field, home. Universities, research facilities, and industrial settings will require additional documentation on Form 1C to explain what was done at each facility. (Note: Pathogens may NOT be cultured at home.)

#9 Attach a research plan, as outlined on the next form, which describes the project in detail and answers all applicable questions.

Student Checklist (1A)
Explain clearly and in detail what will be done in the research project.

Approval Form (1B)
These statements attest that each of these people (or committees) approves or consents to this project. The dates should be signed as described below and are before experimentation unless otherwise indicated:

a) Student / Date they attest that they understand the possible risks, that they will read and follow the rules, and that they will abide by the ethics statement.
b) Parent/Guardian / Date they consent to their child doing this project.
c) SRC Approval BEFORE / Date that the committee reviews this project BEFORE the experimentation. Projects that must be preapproved are research in these areas: human subjects, vertebrate animals, and PHBA's (potentially hazardous pathogenic agents) including microorganisms, recombinant DNA, and human or animal tissue.
d) SRC Approval AFTER / This applies only to projects that needed preapproval by the SRC but were done at a research institution and were preapproved by that institution instead of the affiliated fair SRC. The date signed indicates when the SRC approved this project after it was completed. All documentation from the research institution showing approval of the project must be attached.
e) Final SRC Approval / All projects must be reviewed by the SRC after the experimentation is complete and shortly BEFORE competition in the affiliated fair. The date signed shows the date that SRC gives final approval to this project.

Regulated Research Institution (1C)
This form is completed by the supervising adult, explains what the student researcher actually did and is signed after the project is completed. This form is only needed if the research was done at a research institution (university lab, for example) or in an industrial setting, but is not completed for work done at a high school.