2017Science Project Expectations

GAP Students and Parents:

I am providing the details for each step of the process that the students will be expected to use for their science projects. They will be working on this one day a week in science class and for homework every Tuesday and Thursday for the next two quarters.

If you have questions or concerns along the way, feel free to email me (). You can also call before school (8:10 – 8:40) or after school (3:40 – 3:55) if you prefer.

Students can work on their projects or get help during open classroom in my room on Fridays after 8:10. (They can also come to ask questionson Wednesdays during open classroom if I am in my room.)

The Southern Arizona Research Science and Engineering Fair and the Yuma County Science and Engineering Expo websites aregreat resources for help with specific project details and steps. Science Buddies is a fantastic reference, too. If you want to do an engineering project, the steps for the engineering design process are on the SARSEF and Science Buddies websites, too.

Fifteen projectsfrom our school will be chosen to go to compete at theYuma County Science and Engineering Expo in February and the Southern Arizona Research Science and Engineering Fair in Tucson in April. Each step of the project should be completed as outlined below by assigned due dates, and all steps must be completed by December15th in order to be considered for competition. (Look for the due dates in this packet and on your child’s weekly homework packet as we continue through the next two quarters.) We will also be having an RV Science Fair in January this year. Students should not put their work onto a science project board unless they are notified to do so by Mrs. Peterson.

Steps of the scientific method will be followed in this order.

Question / Problem(ideas due Sept. 1st)Students will be thinkingof / looking for ideas as of Aug. 15th. Ask your child these kinds of questions: What do you notice in the world around you that you are curious or have questions about? Do you wonder how specific things work? Do you wonder why certain things happen? Do you wonder, “What would happen if…?”

-The questions must be able to be tested with an experiment.

-The materials they would need to do the experiment must be accessible and affordable.

- Their questions should be about things that are of interest to the child, as well as things that are important to the real world (beyond the science experiment).

Students must come up with three question ideas, get them approved by their parent, andturn them in to me in Google Classroom for my approvalby Sept.1st. I will give them feedback there and / or in class.

The final question agreed upon by the student, parent, and teachermust be in the following formatusing Keynote. It will beturned in for a grade in Google Classroom by Sept. 8th.

What is the effect of ______(my independent variable)on ______(my dependent variable)? OR How does ______(my independent variable) affect ______(my dependent variable)?

independent variable - the one thing you are changing / comparing / testing in the experiment

dependent variable – the result you are measuring and recording as you conduct the experiment

controlled variables – the things you are keeping the same in the experiment each time (everything else except the independent variable)

Researchgathered by Sept. 22nd

Students must find at least two sources of information for 4th and 5th graders, and three sources for 6th graders. The information should be about their independent and dependent variable, and a possible connection between them. This will help the student to predict an answer to their question. They will take notes and write down where the information came from (web address, book name and author, etc.) This will help them to find it again later if needed, as well as to cite their sources in the bibliography of their report. (Use the bibliography form from the Science Buddies website to record information.) At least one of the sources must be something other than the Internet, such as books from our classroom, school or public library, a magazine or newspaper, or even an interview with an expert. (See me about this first.)

Prediction (due Sept. 29th)should be in the following formatin Keynote, turned in toGoogle Classroom:

If I ______(test this), then I predict ______(this result will happen)because______( of the evidence that I know / learned in my research).

Materials (due Oct. 6th):List materials, usingspecific measurements / amounts needed.Think of it like a list of ingredients in a recipe.(If you got your project idea from a book or website, you must put it in your own words and use my format. Do not just copy it as it is!)Make sure you include the materials for your independent variable, all of the controls including measurement tools, and the tool you will use to measure your dependent variable.

During fall break, ask your parents to help you to gather the materials needed for your experiment. Do not start the experiment yet, though.

Procedure (due Oct. 20th):Provide step-by-step directions of how you do the experiment. Think of it like the directions part of the recipe. The steps should be numbered, one under the other, and start with an action verb.Do not use pronouns. (If you got your project idea from a book or website, you must put it in your own words and use my format. Do not just copy it as it is!)Use the following format:

  1. Gather all materials needed to do the experiment.
  2. (Etc.)

3. (Etc.)

4. (Etc.: Each student’s experiment is different. Tell exactly what you did, with whatever number of steps it takes.)

5. Measure and record results and observations. (Be specific about what you are measuring and observing.)

6. Repeat steps ___ through ___ four more times. (This might be more, depending on how many times you test your experiment. You must document at least five trials. If you have the time and materials to do more trials, more is better!)

7. Compare and analyze results.(Be specific about what you are comparing and analyzing.)

Experiment (starting Oct. 24thor after, once previous steps are completed and feedback has been given by Mrs. Peterson;the following is due on Nov. 21st)

IMPORTANT: You must do a minimum of five trials for each of the variables you are testing. You must change only the one thing (independent variable), doing everything the same way each time, measuring the same result (dependent variable), and keeping everything else in your experiment the same (controlled variables).

VERY IMPORTANT:Decide how you will collect your data. Discuss your choice with your partner. Then create the table you will use to record your data beforeyou begin.During your experiment, write down measurements (including a label) andobservationsabout what happened in each of your five trials(your dependent variable). Be as specific as possible. If you change anything, cross out instead of erasing your observations. Take or draw picturesof your experiment set-up and what happened when you did the experiment.(The more ways you have to show results, the better for your grade, validity of your results, and your chances of getting chosen for competition!)

Observations/Results (due Dec. 1st)

Afterwards, turn in your table and agraph to show your results (themeasurements, including a label) of what happened for each trial.You can use your iPad to make the graph very quickly and easily using Numbers. You may also use the following website to make your graph. (You can make it yourself if you prefer.)

Also, write a paragraph to summarize your results.Tell the overall resultsas well as the details of what happened. (Did the same thing happen each time? If not, how many times did each result happen? Ex.: “In four out of five trials, the seeds in the ______soil grew the tallest.”)State the highest result for each group as well. Include the label. (Ex.: “The tallest plant in the ______soil was _____ inches. In the _____ soil, the tallest plant was _____ inches.”) Calculate and include an average / mean for the results for each group you tested. Make sure that you state the results in the same order (ex.: potting soil, sand, then yard dirt) each time. (In some cases, the range of the data for each group may be used instead. You may also include a mode if there is one for your results. See me if you are not sure about whether to include these or not.)

If you completed a log / journal (your observations) or drew or took pictures, turn those in as well.

Conclusion (due Dec. 8th)

Paragraph 1 -

Analyze your results by answering these questions (in paragraph form):

  • Was your prediction supported or not supported by your results? If it was, explain how the data supported your prediction. (Do not state anything as “proof”. Ex.: “My prediction was supported by my results, because the plant in the ______soil grew the tallest in four out of five trials.”) If your data did not support your prediction, explain why it did not.
  • What did you learn/ discover in this investigation? This is not the answer to your question, since that was already stated above. Instead, tell something else that you learned / discovered.
  • How did the independent variable (the thing you changed) affect the dependent variable (the thing you measured)? This should not be the same answer as the previous bullets.
  • What key facts / information from your research help to explainwhy you got theresults you recorded inyour experiment? (Tell about the connection you make between what you learned in your research or knew from background knowledge and what happened when you did your experiment.This analysis of why you think your results happened is very important!)

Paragraph 2 -

  • What (if any) problems did you have with your experiment? What (if anything) did you have to change? What do youwish you could have done differently in this experiment? What would you change if you did this again?
  • If there were any big changes in your data for a particular group, explain why. (Ex.: All of the results for one group were fairly close, except one result that was much higher or lower in that group. “All of the plants in the ______soil grew to about _____ inches, except one plant, which was _____ inches tall. I think that happened because…”)
  • How could you apply what you learned / did in this experiment to something in real life (beyond the science experiment)? How could this information be used in the world by you or others?This application of what you learned is very important!
  • Also important:What would you like to investigate further next time with this experiment or a similar experiment?(Or what did this experiment make you wonder about?)