HFHS Spring 2015 Science Fair Guidelines

Who: All Students at HFHS

When: February 23 – March 20, 2014 (See Detailed Schedule)

DIVISION/CLASS / SUBMITTAL DEADLINE / DISPLAYED UNTIL
BIOLOGY Honors / 2/23 / 2/27
CHEMISTRY / 3/2 / 3/6
AP CLASSES / 3/16 / 3/20
SHCA, MASC, ALL OTHER STUDENTS / 3/16 / 3/20

Goals & Objectives
1. To motivate and encourage students who are interested in and who are studying science and/or who have a future interest in scientific or healthcare related fields.

2. To foster the independent application of creative and critical thought processes to the solution and study of scientific problems and experiments.
3. To encourage the exchange of knowledge, and ideas.
4. To recognize student achievement and to foster a scientific and community enriched learning environment beyond the barriers of the classroom.

Ethics Statement

Scientific fraud and misconduct are not condoned at any level of research or competition. This includes plagiarism, forgery, use or presentation of other researcher’s work as one’s own and fabrication of data. Fraudulent projects will fail to qualify for competition in affiliated fairs and the Intel ISEF. Society for Science & the Public reserves the right to revoke recognition of a project subsequently found to have been fraudulent.

  1. Team projects must have no more than three members.
  2. Team members must submit their project idea and the name of their team members to their instructor for approval by 1/29/15.
  3. Team projects must be in the area of science assigned by their instructor.
  4. Biology
  5. Chemistry
  6. AP Biology or Chemistry
  7. Engineering Science, Criminology, Fire Science, Social Science, and Physical Science available for SHCA and MASC member submissions and other students not currently enrolled in a science course.
  8. Team membership cannot be changed unless there are extenuating circumstances and approval is obtained by the science instructor.
  9. Team membership cannot change and the project cannot be converted from an individual project to a team project or vice versa.
  10. The student researcher is responsible for all aspects of the research project including enlisting the aid of any required supervisory adults (Adult Sponsor, Qualified Scientist, etc.), obtaining necessary approvals (SRC, IRB, etc.), following the Rules & Guidelines of the Intel ISEF, and performing the experimentation, engineering, data analysis, etc

Areas of Research Prohibited

  • The use of non-animal research methods and the use of alternatives to animal research are strongly encouraged and must be explored before conducting a vertebrate animal project.
  • Introduction or disposal of non-native and/or invasive species (e.g. insects, plants, invertebrates, vertebrates), pathogens, toxic chemicals or foreign substances into the environment is prohibited. It is recommended that students reference their local, state or national regulations and quarantine lists.
  • Any area of study not approved by an instructor or not conforming to Catholic Education Guidelines.

Human Participants Rules

Rules involving human participants

Student researchers must follow federal guidelines (Code of Federal Regulations 45 CFR 46) to protect the human research participant and the student researcher. When students conduct research with humans, the rights and welfare of the participants must be protected. Most human participant studies require preapproval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Human

Subjects Participant Program (HSPP) and informed consent/assent from the research participant.

Exempt Studies (Do Not Require IRB Preapproval or

Human Participants Paperwork)

Some studies involving humans are exempt from IRB pre-approval or additional human participant forms. Exempt projects for the Intel ISEF and affiliated fairs are:

  1. Testing of a student-designed invention, program, concept, etc. is done only by the student researcher and where the testing does not pose a health or safety hazard. It is recommended that a Risk Assessment Form (3) be completed. (The use of other human participants for this testing is not exempt from IRB review and approval.)

2. Data/record review studies (e.g., baseball statistics, crime statistics) in which the data are taken from preexisting data sets that are publicly available and/or published and do not involve any interaction with humans or the collection of any data from a human participant for the purpose of the student’s research project.

3. Behavioral observations of unrestricted, public settings (e.g., shopping mall, public park) in which all of the following apply: a. the researcher has no interaction with the individuals being observed b. the researcher does not manipulate the environment in any way and c. the researcher does not record any personally identifiable data

Items to be submitted

Students who are required to participate will submit the following for inclusion in the HFHS Science Fair:

  1. One (1) tri-fold poster board detailing the subject of their project, photos of research undertaken and an explanation of the conclusion reached by their data.
  1. One (1) collectively authored research paper in MLA format. The research paper must utilize a minimum of five (5) reputable scientific sources. Websites alone are not acceptable. Please submit your source material for approval from your instructor. You must cite all your sources, including but not limited to: books, magazines, articles, websites, photos, videos and any other forms of data used in your project and poster. AP students will be required to write a 5 page paper. Non – AP students will be required to write a 3 page paper. All papers must be typed. The report must include the following sections:

 Project Title

 Applicant Name

 Project Introduction

 Hypothesis

 Process

 Results

 Conclusion

 Optional: Additional drawings, photographs, charts, or illustrations. [Not considered as part of your 5 or 3 required pages]

  1. All submitted materials must have the names, grades, category and subcategory of project, and class/advisor instructor of all participants.
  1. Students will be also be allowed to demonstrate their work – if their project requires the performance of an experiment. (This is optional)
  1. Students will be allowed to make a 3 dimensional model of their work if required. (This is optional)
  1. Students not required by their instructor to submit a project will be allowed to submit a project for extra credit (20 pts). In lieu of a 3 page paper; a 1 page paper describing their project and methods will be required. All papers must be typed and all sources should be provided. (See above format)

ENTRY CATEGORIES

Scientific Experiment

Scientific Observation

Scientific Invention

Entry Sub-category

Behavioral and Social Sciences

Biochemistry

Biological or Behavioral Science

Botany

Chemistry

Earth and Space Science

Electricity and Electronics

Engineering

Environmental Science / Ecology

Earth & Space Science

Mathematics and Computer Science

Mechanics and Mechanisms

Medicine and Health

Microbiology

Physics/Astronomy

Scientific Inventions

Zoology

Prizes

First, Second and Third place medals will be awarded in each division.

All entries will receive a participating certificate.

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