Spanish lake elementary school

SPANISH LAKE

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

October 3~ November 14

SCIENCE FAIR PACKET

2016-2017
Student Name:
___________________________
Teacher:
________________________

Spanish Lake Elementary

SCIENCE FAIR

Dear Parents:

Spanish Lake Elementary School’s Science Fair is to be held this year on December 1, 2016. Every child is required to participate in this worthwhile, fun-filled, interesting activity. A Science Fair project can be an excellent learning experience and a memorable highlight of your child’s elementary school years.
The information enclosed will provide you with a time line and suggested ideas. We encourage our students to choose projects that are original and challenging. Please refer to this time line during the next several weeks as you encourage your child to think scientifically.
We urge parents to help guide and support our students in the completion of projects. However, in order for all projects to be judged fairly, each child should ultimately be responsible for doing the work.

ALL ACTIVITIES ARE DUE ON November 14, 2016

NO PROJECTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Spanish Lake Elementary Science Fair Committee

Please detach and return to your child’s teacher by October 7, 2016.

SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT

Student’s Name: ________________________________ Teacher’s Name:____________________________

Project Approved: Yes________ No_________
If project is not approved by the classroom teacher, the student MUST turn in another problem statement to be approved.
Problem Statement:


(Remember, the problem statement should be stated as a question.)

_____________________________________ ______________________________________

Student’s Signature Parent’s Signature

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SCIENCE FAIR

SUGGESTED TIME~LINE

Week	Steps	Check-Off
Week 1 Oct. 3-Oct. 17	1. Choose topic
	2. Develop purpose
	3. Locate appropriate research material
	SCIENCE FAIR PARENT WORKSHOP WILL BE HELD Tuesday, October 4, 2016 @ 6:00 P.M.-7:00 P.M.
Week 2 Oct. 3-Oct. 17	Gather background information on topic
	Develop a problem statement
	State your control and variable(s)
	Form a hypothesis
Week 3-4 Oct. 17-Oct. 24	Gather materials
	Begin experimenting
	Photograph work in progress (if applicable)
	Begin recording observations
Week 5-6 Oct. 24-Nov. 3	Continue experimenting & photographing
	Gather data
	Record observations
	Begin working on charts and graphs
	Begin construction of exhibit Organize results Begin writing report
Week 7- 8 Nov. 4-Nov. 14	1.. Begin finalizing results of experiment
	Make conclusions
	*Fourth & fifth grade will complete project in the form of a PowerPoint unless otherwise approved with the teacher.
	3. Selected top three PPT’s from 4^th & 5^th will have until November 29^th to turn in a completed board and report.
	SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT VIEWING FOR PARENTS WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016 @ 6:00 P.M.-7:00 P.M.

SCIENCE FAIR PROJECTS ARE DUE ON Monday, November 14, 2016
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SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT RULES

All Science Fair projects are due on Monday, November 14, 2016.

1. 
   All projects must be in the form of an experiment. All others will be disqualified. THE USE OF VERTEBRATE ANIMALS IN THE EXPERIMENT IS LIMITED TO OBSERVATIONAL PROJECTS ONLY!
   

2. 
   All students are expected to take part in the Science Fair. Entries must follow all Science
   

Fair rules.

2. 
   Each individual student in Grades 4~5 must enter a science project. Projects must be in the form of a Power Point. Students in Kindergarten through Third grade will participate in one class project that will be turned in as an exhibit board.
   

2. 
   No more than two students per classroom may perform the same experiment.
   

2. 
   Work on the project will be done at home. (except class projects)
   

2. 
   An entry label must be affixed to each project. The teacher is responsible for
   

securing labels.

2. 
   Dangerous chemicals, drugs, open flames, and electrical equipment may not be displayed. The school reserves the right to reject projects which are unsafe or unsuitable for display.
   

2. 
   All Fourth and Fifth Grade Teachers: Please select the top three Power Point Presentations from each homeroom class by Friday, November 18th. The selected students will create their final exhibit board by Nov.29, 2016. Final boards will be picked up by a science fair committee member on November 30^th, 2016. Judging will take place on Thursday, December 1, 2016.
   

PLEASE NOTE: All Class projects and only the top three projects from each Fourth and Fifth Grade homeroom class will be displayed for judging.

2. 
   No one but the judges may be in attendance during the judging process.
   

2. 
   Molds, preserved specimens, disease-causing organisms, live animals, dangerous and prohibited chemicals, explosives, corrosives, or dangerous objects, such as matches or demonstration volcanoes using ammonium chromate, may not be displayed.
   

2. 
   All decisions of the judges will be final.
   

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EXPLANATION OF PROJECT TOPICS

A Science Fair project has three parts: a report, a free standing display board, and a

sample of the work that you have done (if practical).
CHOOSING A TOPIC
A good topic has a problem that can be answered by experimenting. If a topic is

broad or general, too many factors (variables) will exist that cannot be controlled,

and you will find it difficult to produce reliable results.
A list of what each project should have is followed below by a list of where each part should be placed.
TITLE
A project needs a title. It lets people know what you have worked on. The title should be in the form of a statement, unless you use the problem statement as your title. Then, it should be in the form of a question.
Poor Title: Bleach (does not say enough)

Better General Title: Cleaning Power of Bleach

Problem Statement as Title: Which Bleach is the Best Cleaner of Catsup Stains?
PROBLEM STATEMENT
The problem statement is always written in the form of a question, even if it is used as the title. The question tells people what you are trying to find out.
Poor Problem Statement: How Does Bleach Work?

Better Problem Statement: Which Bleach Works Best in Removing Catsup Stains?
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Books, encyclopedias, magazines, or experts in a field can give you background information to help you understand the topic. That information will not answer your question. It will only give you ideas about your topic. For example, you may read about bleach and what it is made of, and include it in your project report, but you will still have to do the experiment to get the answer to your question. Begin collecting information for your bibliography.
HYPOTHESIS
After getting information about your topic, you should make a guess about what you think the answer to your question may be. For example, you may say that you think Bleach X will work best in removing catsup stains.

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ABSTRACT
This is a short summary of the entire project. It must include purpose, procedure, results, and conclusions in paragraph form. You should limit yourself to no more than 250 words. The abstract is usually the first item the judges look at after the title.
Explanation of how to write an ABSTRACT

Purpose of the project: The purpose of the project is………….

State the hypothesis: It is hypothesized that…………………

Procedure: Describe in paragraph form what materials were used and how the experiment was done. This should not be a list.

Results: Briefly summarize data from charts and graphs in narrative form.

Conclusions: Was the hypothesis confirmed or denied? Include improvements and suggestions for future study.

Example: The purpose of this project is to find out which bleach works best in removing catsup stains. It is hypothesized that Bleach X will work best in removing catsup stains. Catsup stains of the same size were placed on pieces of cotton. Bleach X and Bleach Y were used to wash the stained cotton several times. In each case, Bleach X cleaned the pieces of cotton twice as fast as Bleach Y. The hardness of the water may have affected the results. It would be interesting to find out if the results would be the same with different types of stains from other substances. The hypothesis was confirmed. In the future, other bleaches will be tested against Bleach X to see if Bleach X continues to work best in removing catsup stains.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
You must make a list of all the books, magazines, interviews, or other sources that you used. There should be at least two bibliographic references. There is a specific format for writing a bibliography. Directions for how to prepare a bibliography are located on page 8 of this packet.
EXPERIMENT
Now you are ready to do your experiment. You should write down this information:
Materials: What did you use? List all of the items that you used. Tell how many or how much.
Procedures: What did you do? List and number the steps in the order that you did them. Repeat your experiment several times (at least three trials) to be sure of the results.

Example:

1. 
   Five pieces of cotton from a white shirt were placed on a table.
   
2. 
   One drop of catsup was placed on each piece of cotton.
   

Page 5 of 12

Controls: There should always be a control with which results can be compared. A control is the part of the experiment that is kept the same (variable held constant).
Variables: These are factors that affect your investigation. A manipulated variable is what you change on purpose to see its effect (what you are testing). A responding variable is what changed or did not change in response to what you have manipulated. This is what you are observing and/or measuring in order to get your results.
Data: This is a part of the procedure. It explains in a way other than in writing, exactly how the experiment was set up and completed.
What did you see? Record all your observations in a log. For example, if you were doing the bleach experiment, you should tell how long it took for different bleaches to work, or which bleach worked best at removing that stain. If you used quantitative data, be exact with your numbers of counts (use metric units). If you used qualitative data, describe what you observed in words like hot and cold, bright and dim, or fast and slow. Use the same words when you talk about the same conditions. Make graphs, tables, charts, or a survey to display your data, or take pictures.
RESULTS
Interpret the data. Think about what you are learning from the data. State the finding of the experiment based upon the data you observed and analyzed. Do not form a conclusion. Do not answer the problem statement.
Example: Bleach X worked in 20 minutes while it took Bleach Y 40 minutes.
CONCLUSION
Your conclusion should begin with a statement on whether or not the results supported the hypothesis. You should have added a description of how specific experimental data supported the hypothesis. Include a description of problems that might have affected the results and why. Also include any new discoveries you have made in addition to the results of your experiment. Add any new questions that may lead to new experiments.
Example: Bleach X worked in 20 minutes while Bleach Y took 40 minutes. Bleach X works best in removing catsup stains because it worked twice as fast as Bleach Y. The hardness of the water may have affected the results because………..
APPLICATION
Tell why this experiment is important or how your findings may be useful to others.

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HOW TO WRITE A BIBLIOGRAPHY CORRECTLY

1. 
   BOOKS
   

Author. Title.City of Publication.Publisher.Copyright Date.

Example:
Madison, Arnold. Drugs and You. New York. Messner, 1990.

2. 
   ENCYCLOPEDIA ARTICLES
   

“Article.” Encyclopedia name. Last copyright, volume number, page(s).

Example:

“Drug Abuse.: World Encyclopedia. 1989, Vol. 5, pp.84-89

3. 
   MAGAZINE AND NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
   

Author (if known). “Article.” Magazine: Volume number (date, pages).

Example:
Wisenberg, Sandi. “The Chemical Society.” Miami Herald: October 1991, sec. D. p. 1.

4. 
   INTERVIEW
   

Last name, first name. Occupation. Address: Date contacted.

Example:
Smith, Bob. Meteorologist. 2801 North 4^th Street, Miami, Florida 33156: March 20, 2000.

5. 
   INTERNET SITE
   

Web documents share many of the same elements found in a print document (e.g., authors, titles, dates). Therefore, the citation for a Web document often follows a format similar to that for print.

Author or Organization (Date). “Title of Article.” Retrieval date and Internet address.
Example:
Everglades National Park. (1999). “Habitats: Everglades National Park.” Retrieved from the Internet on March 20, 2000. http://www.nps.gov/ever/deco/habitats.htm
Page 7 of 12

PROJECT FORMAT
A project consists of the PPT (for 4^th-5^th grade), and a display board (for K-3^rd and the chosen top three 4^th-5^th graders. If chosen, all 4^th-5^th graders will also need to submit a report. The following areas should be addressed in each of the sections:
HOW TO SET UP YOUR WRITTEN REPORT

REPORT (for top three finalist ONLY!)

Title Page

Abstract

Table of Contents

Problem Statement

Hypothesis

Background Information

Experiment

Materials

Procedures

Controls

Variables

Data (graphs, charts, pictures, etc.)

Results

Conclusions

Applications

Bibliography
DISPLAY BOARD (For top three Finalists ONLY!)

Title

Problem Statement

Hypothesis

Abstract

Bibliography

Experiment: Materials

Procedures

Controls

Variables

Data (graphs, charts, pictures, etc.)

Results

Conclusions

Applications

EXAMPLE OF THE EXPERIMENT

A free-standing part of the experiment showing what you did should be placed in front of your display board (optional for grades, K-3 only). Only the science board will be displayed, not the experiment. (upper grades 4-5)

Note: Molds, preserved specimens, disease-causing organisms, live animals, dangerous and prohibited chemicals, explosives, corrosives, or dangerous objects, such as matches or demonstration volcanoes using ammonium chromate, may not be displayed.

Page 8 of 12

ELEMENTARY SCIENCE FAIR

ENTRY LABEL

Student’s Name:________________________________________________________________ Student’s School:_______________________________________________________________ Teacher:______________________________ Grade ______________________________

FERIA DE LAS CIENCIAS ESCUELA PRIMARIA
ETIQUETA DEL PARTICIPANTE

ESTUDIANTES, POR FAVOR PEGUEN ESTA ETIQUETA EN LA PARTE DE ATRÁS DE LA LAMINA DE EXHIBICION (ARRIBA, EN LA ESQUINA DE LA DERECHA

Nombre del Estudiante:___________________________________________________________ Escuela del Estudiante:____________________________________________________________ Maestra(o):________________________________ Grado ____________________________

Page 9 of 12

SPANISH LAKE ELEMENTARY

SCIENCE FAIR FINALIST BOARD CRITERIA CHECKLIST

Each student and teacher should refer to the following checklist and use it as a guideline to ensure the completion of a quality-made project.

PART 1: PROJECT QUALITY AND CONTENT
______ 1. Title

______ 2. Problem Statement (Level of Investigation)

______ 3. Abstract and Bibliography

______ 4. Hypothesis

______ 5. List of Materials

______ 6. List of Procedures

______ 7. Description of Variables/Controls

______ 8. Data from Investigation

______ 9. Statement of Results

______10. Statement of Conclusions with Applications

PART 2 SCIENTIFIC PROCESSES
______ 1. Problem statement is specific and facilitates investigation.

______ 2. Number of trials is adequate to support results and conclusions.

______ 3. Data are well organized and clearly presented (graphs, charts, etc.)

______ 4. Sufficient amount of data was collected.

______ 5. Accurate interpretations of data are stated in results.

______ 6. Conclusions are supported by data.

______ 7. Conclusions confirm or negate the hypothesis.

______ 8. Applications are practical.

______ 9. Number and type of references are appropriate.
PART 3 DISPLAY PRESENTATION
______ 1. Backboard is present and self-supporting.

______ 2. Report is present, neatly written, and proofread for errors.

______ 3. Display is well organized and easy to follow.

______ 4. Display appearance is of acceptable quality.

______ 5. Display is unique.
PART 4 CREATIVITY
______ 1. The idea is creative.

______ 2. The method selected is creative (level of investigation).

______ 3. The construction and use of materials and equipment are creative.

______ 4. The applications are unique.

______ 5. The information generated is new and the insights are unique.
Page 10 of 12

SPANISH LAKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SCIENCE FAIR FINALIST JUDGING CRITERIA

PART I ~ PROJECT CONTENT (1 point for each item present)
	1	Title
	2	Problem Statement
	3	Hypothesis
	4	Acknowledgments
	5	Abstract
	6	Bibliography
	7	Materials
	8	Variables/Control or Constants
	9	Procedure
	10	Data (i.e., graphs, charts, surveys, logs, observations, pictures)
	11	Results
	12	Conclusions
	13	Applications
PART II ~ SCIENTIFIC PROCESS (0-3 points each)
	1	Problem Statement is in the form of a question.
	2	Experimental Design is well planned to validate the hypothesis.
	3	Variables are identified and controlled.
	4	Data are well organized and clearly stated.
	5	Results clearly state finding of data observed and analyzed.
	6	Conclusions are supported by data.
	7	Conclusions confirm or negate hypothesis.
PART III ~ DISPLAY PRESENTATION (0-5 points each)
	1	Report is present.
	2	Display appearance is well organized and easy to follow.
PART IV ~ CREATIVITY (0-2 points each)
	1	The idea is creative.
	2	The method of presentation selected is creative.
	3	The information generated is new or unique.

TOTAL POINTS EARNED

Total Point Possible 50
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SCIENCE FAIR FINALIST DISPLAY BOARD SAMPLE

All photos must show the science project only.

(Children/adults must not appear in the photos.)