November 1, 2013
Dear Fifth Grade Students and Parents,
It’s that time again and we are so excited to announce it! Our Science Fair this year will be on January 16, 2014. The purpose of the Science Fair is to encourage students to develop greater interest and awareness of science. It also promotes the use of critical thinking, research, and problem solving skills thru the scientific method, in a fun&creative way.
All fifth grade students are required to participate in the science fair and complete an individual or partner project. Your child will need to fill out the yellow science fair project entry form, have it signed by a parent, and turned in no later than the dates on the attached form. Each part of the project needs to be written out on the form and turned in on time. We will go over each part with the students to make sure they have written it correctly. We may also give them suggestions to improve—the approval is only a “rough draft” J If your child would like to work ahead and turn the form in early, no problem! Students: Just make sure you get approval for each part before you start the final project. You may work on the project over the winter break if you turn in materials and procedure early!!
The completed projects will be due on January 16, 2014, and students will be able to display their projects in the cafeteria for all Wilmeth students to enjoy on the evening of Jan 16th. Family members will be able to ‘tour’ the exhibits that same evening.
This year’s focus will be Physical Science. Below are some possible topics to consider for your science experiment or just simply come up with one on your own:
· Matter
· Gravity
· Force and Motion
· Magnetism
· Rocketry
· Inertia
· Air resistance
Attached please find information on the following:
q The rubric that may be used as a guide
q A checklist detailing due dates
q The Regional Safety Rules and Display Rules
q A detailed description of the Scientific Method
q Grading information
q Helpful Websites
Timeline: When to turn something in to teacher:
Ideas for a project Due Thursday, November 14, 2013
PART 1: Testable Question form Due Thursday, November 21, 2013
PART 2: Hypothesis and Variables Due Thursday, December 5, 2013
PART 3: Materials List and Procedure Due Thursday, January 9, 2013
Final Project-- School Science Fair Due Thursday, January 16, 2014
Thank you,
5th Grade Team
Science Fair Project Checklist
Scientist’s Name______
Name of Project______
Date / Scientist’s Requirements / Teacher NotesThursday
Nov 14th
Thursday
Nov 21st / Project Ideas due
Testable Question for experiment / Idea chosen:
Question is testable Question is not testable and needs . to be rewritten
Thursday
Dec 5th / Hypothesis for experiment / Hypothesis is written as an if, then statement
Hypothesis has the explanation
Hypothesis needs to be rewritten
Thursday
Dec 5th
/ Description of Variables tested / Has IV-Has DV-
Has at least 5 CV’s-
Thursday
Jan 9th
/ List of materials and procedures / Materials list is complete Materials list is not completeProcedure list is complete Missing steps in procedure
Thursday
Jan 16th
/ Experiment Data Table / Has data table Does not have data tableData table is incomplete
Thursday
Jan 16th
/ Graph / Has accurate graph Does not have a graphGraph is missing parts
missing x-axis label missing y-axis label
scale is incorrect missing title
Thursday
Jan 16th
/ Complex Conclusion model / Complete complex conclusionConclusion is missing parts
Thursday
Jan 16th
/ Project Display / Eye catching organized neat crowded messyCATEGORY / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Question / Question clearly identifies what is going to be tested. / Question identifies what is going to be tested. / Question is somewhat unclear on what is going to be tested. / Question is unclear on what is going to be tested.
Hypothesis / A clear statement of what you believe with detailed evidence of why / A clear statement of what you believe and some evidence why. / A statement of what you believe without evidence. Part of the hypothesis may be missing. / An unclear statement of what you believe with little evidence.
Variables / Independent, dependent variables were clearly identified. At least 5 constants were also identified. / Variables were identified. Had independent, dependent and some constants. / Variables were partially identified. Some were missing. / Variables were not identified.
Procedures / Procedures were outlined in a step-by-step fashion that could be followed by anyone without additional explanations. / Procedures were outlined in a step-by-step fashion that could be followed with some additional explanation. / Procedures were somewhat outlined in a step-by-step fashion, but additional explanation was needed. / Procedures that were outlined were seriously incomplete or not sequential.
Materials / Materials were listed with details or additional pictures. / Materials were listed. / Some materials were listed. / No materials were listed.
Data / Data was collected several times. It was summarized in a way that clearly describes what was covered. / Data was collected more than once and was summarized in a way that clearly describes what was covered. / Data was only collected once—did not have multiple trials. Analysis was unclear / Data was collected in an unorganized fashion that was difficult to understand.
Diagrams/
Pictures / Provided an accurate and easy to follow diagram with labels to illustrate the procedure or process being studied. / Provided an accurate diagram but did not have labels.
Has some pictures of the process. / Provided an easy to follow diagram but key parts were left out.
No pictures of the experiment process are evident. / Did not provide a diagram or the diagram was incomplete. Has no pictures of the experiment.
Charts/Graphs / Has all components of a quality chart and graph / Has most components of a quality chart or graph. Missing labels on chart or x, y axis / Has some components of a quality chart or graph.
Missing data table or
Missing Graph / Has little components of a quality chart or graph.
Display Background Info
Sources / Each element in the display clearly illustrated every aspect of the experiment.
Detailed background research explaining science concepts.
Correctly listed sources / Each element in the display clearly illustrated some aspects of the experiment
Has some background research.
Listed sources. / Some elements in the display illustrated aspects of the experiment Project is missing back ground information, missing sources or sources were listed incorrectly. / The display was missing parts of the science experiment process
Conclusion / Student provided a detailed conclusion clearly based on the data findings and hypothesis statement / Student provided a somewhat detailed conclusion clearly based on the data and related to the hypothesis statement. / Student provided a simple conclusion with some reference to the data and the hypothesis statement / No conclusion was apparent or important details were overlooked
Overall Project
Grammar / Project was turned in on time, complete, neat and organized. Sentences are fluent and grammatically correct. / Project was turned in on time. Project is complete. Presentation could be sharper, board is a little messy.
A few grammar/punctuation errors were present. / Project was turned in one day late.
Project is missing more than one component.
Presentation needs work. Many grammar and/or punctuation errors. Needs to be much neater. / Project was turned in more than one day late.
Project is missing more than 2 parts.
Presentation is very unorganized. Many grammar and /or punctuation errors. Project needs to be neater.
Why do we do science?
For two reasons:
1. To understand the world around us. For example: What causes the tides? When will it rain? Where is the best place to drill for oil? How do ants find their way back to their nest?
2. To make our lives better. For example: Which fuel causes the least pollution? Which sweetener do most people like? Do students study better listening to classical or rock music?
How do we do science?
The way science works is to recognize a problem or lack of knowledge then ask a question that helps to solve the problem or increase how much we understand about something. For example:
One of the most important things to understand about how scientists work is that they always try to conduct an experiment that can be repeated by someone else.
How do they do this?
1. They write down everything they think and do.
2. They tell all about how what they found answers their question.
3. They know that a good experiment can:
a. Be completely understood just by reading the report.
b. Be repeated by someone else exactly how they did it.
c. Give the same results to someone else who tries it.
In other terms, scientists follow a standard procedure called The Scientific Method that everyone who does science understands. There are generally six steps in doing and reporting a scientific experiment. Further step explanation from what is provided in this packet can be viewed on http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/scifairstudio/handbook/scientificmethod.html
What Makes a Good Science Fair Project Question? / For a Good Science Fair Project Question, You Should Answer "Yes" to Every QuestionIs the topic interesting enough to read about and then work on for the next couple weeks? / Yes / No
Can you find at least 3 sources of written information on the subject? / Yes / No
Can you measure changes to the important factors (variables) using a number that represents a quantity such as a count, percentage, length, width, weight, voltage, velocity, energy, time, etc.?
Or, just as good, are you measuring a factor (variable) that is simply present or not present? For example,
· Lights ON in one trial, then lights OFF in another trial,
· USE fertilizer in one trial, then DON'T USE fertilizer in another trial. / Yes / No
Can you design a "fair test" to answer your question? In other words, can you change only one factor (variable) at a time, and control other factors that might influence your experiment, so that they do not interfere? / Yes / No
Is your experiment safe to perform? / Yes / No
Do you have all the materials and equipment you need for your science fair project, or will you be able to obtain them quickly and at a very low cost? / Yes / No
Does your science fair project meet all the rules and requirements for your science fair? / Yes / No
Have you checked to see if your science fair project will require SRC (Scientific Review Committee) approval? / Yes / No
Science Fair Dos and Don’ts
Do
· For any drawings or written text, start with pencil, not pen.
· Sketch a rough layout on a piece of paper before pasting up your display.
· Leave yourself plenty of time.
· Gather all of your material and organize it into categories.
· If you forgot to photograph each step of your procedure, consider re-staging it now for documentation
· Study examples of winning displays in science fair books for ideas. However….Be original!
· Come up with a catchy title and display it prominently.
· Include all required categories and content on your display.
· Tell the story of your science project in a logical, easy-to-read manner.
· Arrange items from left to right, from top to bottom.
· Space elements evenly across your layout, to achieve a balanced, consistent look.
· Draw attention to the most interesting parts of your project with color and graphics. Visitors and judges will zero in on this first thing.
· Use black or dark colors for type.
· Mount black-and-white text blocks on colored construction paper for contrast.
· Make type large enough to read from four feet away: (use 24 pt type for headings, 16 pt type for text blocks)
· Choose a simple font that is easy to read. Easy to read fonts include: Arial, Comic Sans, Tahoma, Verdana)
· Use subheads and bullet points rather than long paragraphs of dense text.
· Label all graphs, charts, and tables. On graphs, make sure you label the X and Y axes.
· Write descriptive captions for photos.
· Proofread and double- and triple-check all text before sticking it on your display board.
· Avoid clutter.
· Print on thick paper, like card stock, if possible.
Don’t
· Leave your display until the last minute.
· Forget to spell-check and proofread!
· Write or draw directly on the board.
· Use too many fonts, or fancy fonts that are hard to read.
· Display photos without captions.
· Go crazy with colors. A few bright colors are good to accentuate key elements and add pizzazz. Cover every inch of your display; remember to leave some breathing room (what graphic designers call “white space”) between blocks of text and graphics.
· Use white school glue to stick thin paper to your board, or it may ripple.
· Be afraid to get creative. Science is not dull; it’s dynamic!
· Glue any 3-D objects to the display board at home. Wait until you transport the board to the fair, and do it there.
· Forget to pack a box of supplies to keep handy for last-minute repairs at the fair.
Scientific Method:
1. Make an observation
2. Think of a question from that observation
3. Research the topic
4. Make a hypothesis
5. Plan the experiment—identify variables
6. Conduct the experiment
7. Record the data
8. Analyze the data
9. Make a conclusion