Science Fair Project
Deadlines
Select a topic - TBA
Project due - TBA
Presentations begin - TBA
Select a topic - TBA
Project due - TBA
Presentations begin - TBA
The purpose of the science fair is for you to demonstrate your understanding of the scientific method and to be able
communicate your scientific findings... and hopefully contribute to our understanding of the world. The final product will be a poster (trifold poster board will be supplied by the school), Google presentation, Prezi or website that contains the essentials of the scientific method: purpose/questions, background, hypothesis, procedure (containing a materials list), data (include a list of variables), conclusion.
Choosing a Topic
The project is due on TBA (Note: Presentations will start on TBA.) Choose a topic that you can do the research and conduct an experiment within the time frame allotted. Projects that are unsafe will not be approved. You may come up with an original idea or use an idea that has been done before - however, your data must show that you clearly did the project. Here are a list of some cites with ideas for projects. This is by no means and exhaustive list and of course, originally ideas are the best.
Submissions
Your topic needs to be unique from other students in 8th grade. You may electronically submit your topic for consideration starting TBA at 8 pm. The deadline for submissions is TBA at 8 pm. Your submission must include:
1. Your name & period
2. Your title
3. Purpose/question
4. Materials list - no potentially dangerous materials will be allowed = back to the drawing board
5. Procedure - your procedure can be a paragraph
6. Source of idea: original or cite the source (website) that you got the idea from
Acceptance of Proposals
Proposals will be accepted on a first come basis. Proposals will be marked into 4 categories:
1. Approved - this means you have the green light and may start to proceed
2. Denied - proposals will be denied on the following basis:
a. No potentially dangerous projects will be approved.
b. Your project idea has already been submitted. It happens. Don't worry you may come up with an original idea and there are literally thousands of ideas out there. You'll find something that inspires you that is not taken.
3. Hold - your project is very similar to another person's submitted idea. We will need to meet so that you can assure me that there are sufficient differences or you will need to modify it so that it is distinctly different ... or it's back to the drawing board.
4. Approved with contingencies
Check the status of your topic here.
Please do NOT do a topic that someone from another class.
General Information
You may present your project in one of the three forms:
2. Your presentation of data must adhere to conventions (ex. title, scales, labeled axis) and your written aspects should be free of grammar and spelling errors.
3. If you are presenting a poster, all content must be typed. (The other formats are obviously typed.)
Description of Content*
1. Title: The title must be specific enough for someone to know what your project is about.
2. Problem/Question
3. Background
Give some background about the science behind your topic.
4. Hypothesis – You need to use numbers or percentages to describe what you think will happen.
5. Materials – Include anything that was used to prove your hypothesis. Do not include things used to write up or display the project (i.e. display board, paint, computer).
6. Variables – List your manipulated variable, responding variable and controlled variables. Discuss which factors are being controlled (kept the same). Identify your control in the experiment (the situation that you are considering normal for comparison).
7. Method/Procedure – List in numerical form what you did. This is your step by step procedure that the teacher approved.
8. Data/Results – Here is where you list all the data collected in the experiment. Organize your data in a graphs or tables so it is easy to identify the information that you present.
9. Analysis – Make a graph of your data. Remember: bar and pie graphs are for comparing, line graphs are for showing change over time (average plant growth )
10. Conclusion – In your experiment you should be trying to prove or disprove your hypothesis. In your conclusion you will state whether your prediction came true or not. You need to support your statements with your data or explain how you could tell if the hypothesis was right or wrong by referring to your data and graphs. You also need to explain anything that may have affected your results (things that could have gone wrong). Tell how you would do things differently if you were to do this again.
Format of Poster
Left panel: materials, abstract (background), picture; dimensions 12"x29"
Center panel: title, problem, hypothesis, procedure (the procedure needs to be written in steps so that anyone else could easily follow your 1, 2, 3... and get similar results); 19" x 29"
Right panel: data (results), analysis/graphs, list of variables (controlled, manipulated and responding - remember you can only manipulate one variable to draw a reliable conclusion), conclusion; 12" x 29"
Props: Optional
Back: Name and period. Acknowledgments (optional) - thank anyone who helped you on the project, ex. parents who helped buy material or a professional you consulted. Appendix (Optional) - add sources of anything printed material from the Internet or other sources, such as books or magazines
Websites and Google Presentations
All requirements are the same for Google presentation or web page projects, however all materials and sections will be displayed on various slides or web pages instead of a display board.
Since electronic presentations offer greater flexibility in creative design, it is important that students remember that the content (text) is the most important aspect NOT the graphics, background and creative design. High contrast between the text and background should be considered at all times.
Rubric
Here is a link to the rubric.
* Adapted from totallycoolscience.com
communicate your scientific findings... and hopefully contribute to our understanding of the world. The final product will be a poster (trifold poster board will be supplied by the school), Google presentation, Prezi or website that contains the essentials of the scientific method: purpose/questions, background, hypothesis, procedure (containing a materials list), data (include a list of variables), conclusion.
Choosing a Topic
The project is due on TBA (Note: Presentations will start on TBA.) Choose a topic that you can do the research and conduct an experiment within the time frame allotted. Projects that are unsafe will not be approved. You may come up with an original idea or use an idea that has been done before - however, your data must show that you clearly did the project. Here are a list of some cites with ideas for projects. This is by no means and exhaustive list and of course, originally ideas are the best.
- http://chemistry.about.com/od/sciencefairprojects/a/scipromiddle.htm
- http://www.education.com/science-fair/middle-school/
- http://www.buzzle.com/articles/topic-ideas-for-middle-school-science-fair-projects.html
- http://www.polymer-search.com/top-science-project-ideas.html
- http://www.sciencefair-projects.org/
Submissions
Your topic needs to be unique from other students in 8th grade. You may electronically submit your topic for consideration starting TBA at 8 pm. The deadline for submissions is TBA at 8 pm. Your submission must include:
1. Your name & period
2. Your title
3. Purpose/question
4. Materials list - no potentially dangerous materials will be allowed = back to the drawing board
5. Procedure - your procedure can be a paragraph
6. Source of idea: original or cite the source (website) that you got the idea from
Acceptance of Proposals
Proposals will be accepted on a first come basis. Proposals will be marked into 4 categories:
1. Approved - this means you have the green light and may start to proceed
2. Denied - proposals will be denied on the following basis:
a. No potentially dangerous projects will be approved.
b. Your project idea has already been submitted. It happens. Don't worry you may come up with an original idea and there are literally thousands of ideas out there. You'll find something that inspires you that is not taken.
3. Hold - your project is very similar to another person's submitted idea. We will need to meet so that you can assure me that there are sufficient differences or you will need to modify it so that it is distinctly different ... or it's back to the drawing board.
4. Approved with contingencies
Check the status of your topic here.
Please do NOT do a topic that someone from another class.
General Information
You may present your project in one of the three forms:
- Poster board - a trifold poster board will be provided
- Google presentation
- Website
2. Your presentation of data must adhere to conventions (ex. title, scales, labeled axis) and your written aspects should be free of grammar and spelling errors.
3. If you are presenting a poster, all content must be typed. (The other formats are obviously typed.)
Description of Content*
1. Title: The title must be specific enough for someone to know what your project is about.
2. Problem/Question
3. Background
Give some background about the science behind your topic.
4. Hypothesis – You need to use numbers or percentages to describe what you think will happen.
5. Materials – Include anything that was used to prove your hypothesis. Do not include things used to write up or display the project (i.e. display board, paint, computer).
6. Variables – List your manipulated variable, responding variable and controlled variables. Discuss which factors are being controlled (kept the same). Identify your control in the experiment (the situation that you are considering normal for comparison).
7. Method/Procedure – List in numerical form what you did. This is your step by step procedure that the teacher approved.
8. Data/Results – Here is where you list all the data collected in the experiment. Organize your data in a graphs or tables so it is easy to identify the information that you present.
9. Analysis – Make a graph of your data. Remember: bar and pie graphs are for comparing, line graphs are for showing change over time (average plant growth )
10. Conclusion – In your experiment you should be trying to prove or disprove your hypothesis. In your conclusion you will state whether your prediction came true or not. You need to support your statements with your data or explain how you could tell if the hypothesis was right or wrong by referring to your data and graphs. You also need to explain anything that may have affected your results (things that could have gone wrong). Tell how you would do things differently if you were to do this again.
Format of Poster
Left panel: materials, abstract (background), picture; dimensions 12"x29"
Center panel: title, problem, hypothesis, procedure (the procedure needs to be written in steps so that anyone else could easily follow your 1, 2, 3... and get similar results); 19" x 29"
Right panel: data (results), analysis/graphs, list of variables (controlled, manipulated and responding - remember you can only manipulate one variable to draw a reliable conclusion), conclusion; 12" x 29"
Props: Optional
Back: Name and period. Acknowledgments (optional) - thank anyone who helped you on the project, ex. parents who helped buy material or a professional you consulted. Appendix (Optional) - add sources of anything printed material from the Internet or other sources, such as books or magazines
Websites and Google Presentations
All requirements are the same for Google presentation or web page projects, however all materials and sections will be displayed on various slides or web pages instead of a display board.
Since electronic presentations offer greater flexibility in creative design, it is important that students remember that the content (text) is the most important aspect NOT the graphics, background and creative design. High contrast between the text and background should be considered at all times.
Rubric
Here is a link to the rubric.
* Adapted from totallycoolscience.com
