Science Final Project

Kordela - June 2010

NAME______

Instead of taking a Science Final Exam this year, you will be completing a Science Final Project. Your project will consist of developing, completing and analyzingan experiment or lab of your choice. You will then create a PowerPoint presentation to describe it to the class. All science class periods from June 1 to June 11 will be devoted to work on the Science Final Project. It is expected that some work will need to be done out of class to complete this project in an thorough and timely manner.

Included in this packet are a, timeline for completion of the project, a step-by-step guide, criteria that will be used for grading your project, a resource-recording sheet and a signature page. Please be sure to also use the links on our Team website to help you through this process.

TIMELINE FOR COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT

MONDAY / TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY / FRIDAY
NO SCHOOL / June 1
  • Intro to project
  • Choose topic
/ June 2
  • Clarify topic, develop purpose
  • Submit purpose to Mrs. K for approval
/ June 3
  • Signature page due for 4 points
  • Begin answering pre-Lab questions
/ June 4
  • All day field trip

June 7
  • Finish answering pre-Lab questions
  • Begin the Lab
/ June 8
  • Complete the Lab
  • Analyze results and draw conclusions
/ June 9
  • Work on PowerPoint presentation
/ June 10
  • Work on PowerPoint presentation
/ June 11
  • Complete PowerPoint presentation

June 14
  • Make presentation
/ June 15
  • Make presentation
/ June 16
  • Complete self evaluation for 8 points

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Throughout this year, you have been given a scientific problem to solve for each of our labs. In your final project, you will be designing your own experiment. You must come up with your own scientific problem. You will need to do some thinking before beginning. A scientific problem is something you don’t understand but you can do an experiment to help you understand. This problem will become the PURPOSE of your lab. Scientific problems are usually based on observation of scientific phenomena. Here is some advice to help you identify a scientific problem you can address by designing your own experiment.

1) Choose a topic of interest to you:

A topic is a relatively specific area of knowledge, or subject, you will be working in, endangered animals and their habitats, gravity, Newton's Laws of Motion, properties of water, etc. Once you choose a topic, you may need to narrow it, to identify a more specific topic within the broader one. This can make it easier to work with.

Begin by doing some brainstorming about things you have learned about in your science course that was particularly interesting for you or something you’d like to know more about. Write down some possible topics and choose the one that seems most interesting to you.

2) Identify a problem within the topic:

The problem or PURPOSE is something you’d like to know more about, a question you’d like to answer. Questions can come from many different sources: from lectures or textbooks, from an experiment you have done that raised other questions, from articles you’ve read in scientific journals or even newspapers and magazines. Once you identify a scientific problem, then, you can find sources that relate to your topic and look to see what problems are raised in your search. Write down the problems that you find. Choose one that would be interesting to solve and that is feasible for you to solve. Now you are ready to answer the following PreLab questions:

3)Answer some questions before beginning the lab:

  1. What is the problem? Describe the problem in your own words. Be sure that your description includes known factors (information about the problem given to you in the lab in a problem statement, for example) and unknowns (what you need to find out in order to solve the problem). Then restate the problem in the form of a question or questions that will guide your research. This will become the first step, or PURPOSE of your lab.
  1. What is your HYPOTHESIS for the answer to your purpose? Using what you know about the problem and the scientific concept of the lab, state a hypothesis, your best estimation of the answer to your research question. Then describe the reasoning that led you to your hypothesis, using what you know about the scientific concept as a basis for your reasoning.
  1. What experiment(s) could you use to test your hypothesis? Brainstorm some experiments you could do that would allow you to make the measurements or observations necessary for testing the hypothesis. Laptop computers will be available in class, along with print resources from the library to look for examples of experiments you could use. Choose the experiment most likely to yield the results you need to test your hypothesis. List the MATERIALS and outline the methods (PROCEDURE) you will use for your experiment. (Remember that you have to work with the materials and lab instruments available to you.)
  1. How will you RECORD your DATA? Design a table in which you can easily quantify (put in number form) the results of your observations.

4)Complete the lab

You will be responsible for bringing all the materials you will need to complete your lab. You may bring them from home or get them from Mrs. Kordela. You may complete your lab at school, in the time that has been allocated, or you may complete it at home. Be sure to plan wisely so that you will be able to complete it in time to analyze the results, draw conclusions and complete your presentation by June 14.

5)Analyze your results and draw conclusions

Use the data you collect from your experiment to complete a graph or visual representation. You may draw something that we can scan into your final presentation, or you may use software or a website (see team website for ideas) to create an on-line visual that can be included in your final presentation.

6)Create your PowerPoint or other on-line presentation.

Be creative and thorough! At a minimum your presentation should include the following 9 slides:

  1. Title Page: the name of your project and your name.
  2. Purpose: what is the problem or question your project sought to answer, why did you choose this problem, how did you decide on this project?
  3. Hypothesis: what did you think the results of your experiment were going to be before you started? Did you do any research prior to making your hypothesis? What led you to believe this would be the result (prior experience)?
  4. Materials: describe the materials you used for your experiment. Be specific, include the number of each item used and the size of each item, example: length, diameter, weight, etc.
  5. Procedures: a step by step list of how you “did” your experiment.
  6. Record Data: a data collection table that should display all data collected and how many trials you conducted. In most cases you should conduct a minimum of 3 trials, then calculate and record the average for each trial. Measurements should be in metric units.
  7. Analyze Data: a visual representation that aids in analyzing the data, in most cases a graph.
  8. Conclusions: should restate your hypothesis, tell if you were right or wrong, give the results and refer to your data to back up your conclusion.
  9. Acknowledgements: list any resources (books, magazines, websites, or people) that were helpful in completing this project.

Each slide is worth 8 points. Additional slides can be included that would enhance your presentation (pictures, or additional background information) and give it that “WOW factor”. Your presentation will also be graded on punctuation, spelling, neatness, layout, and delivery (voice and posture).

PLEASE NOTE: All presentations need to be saved to the I:drive on your computer under “General Collaboration” in the “Kordela” folder by June 14th. Any presentations not there by the due date will receive a 10-point late penalty. Presentations will not be accepted after June 16. Presentations need to be saved to a file titled by your last name.

Student Name:

GRADING CRITERIA

/ Points available / Points
Earned
Signature page / 4
Title slide / 8
Purpose slide / 8
Hypothesis slide / 8
Materials slide / 8
Procedures slide / 8
Record Data slide / 8
Analyze Data slide / 8
Conclusion slide / 8
Acknowledgements slide / 8
Presentation / 8
“Wow factor” / 8

Self evaluation

/ 8

TOTAL

/ 100

Comments:

Resource Recording Sheet

When you get information from a resource that you include in your final project, record the name of that resource here so that you remember to include it on your acknowledgements slide.

BOOKS OR MAGAZINES

TITLE

/

AUTHOR

/ DATE OF PUBLICATION

WEBSITE (URL) OR PEOPLE

SIGNATURE SHEET

I acknowledge that I have read the timeline for completion of the SCIENCE FINAL PROJECT, a step-by-step guide to the project, and the criteria that will be used for grading my project. I understand that it is my responsibility to complete the project by June 14 or suffer a 10-point penalty. Projects will not be accepted after June 16. When I need help I will let Mrs. Kordela know.

Student Signature______

I acknowledge that I have read the timeline for completion of the SCIENCE FINAL PROJECT, a step-by-step guide to the project, and the criteria that will be used for grading my child’s project.

Parent Signature______

If you have any questions please let me know as soon as possible. Please do not wait until June 11 to let me know you are having problems! 

TURN IN THIS SIGNED SHEET BY JUNE 3RD FOR 4 POINTS ON YOUR FINAL PROJECT! 