OHS Science Fair Project 2015

STUDENTNAME: ______

HOUR: ______

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

ASSIGNMENT / DUE DATE / POINTS POSSIBLE
Handbook / Received
October 19 / 25 bonus points if returned with (2) parent signatures by Friday 10.23.15
Topic Form / October 27 / 50 points
Experimental Design & Approval Sheet / November 3 / 100 points
Abstract / November 10 / 50 points
Final Draft Research Paper/ Lab Report / November 13 / 100 points
Display Board or Power Point File / November 17 / 100 points
Total Project Points Possible: / 400 points

1 of 2Parent’s Signature ______Date______

SCIENTIFICINVESTIGATIONSTEPS

ChooseaProjectIdea

Chooseatopicyou'reinterestedin.Youcan usebooks,onlineresourcesor theobjectsaround youto comeup with atopic. You are required to choose a topic that relates to the Physical Science we have or are currently covering in class.

This includes the following standards:

• Structure and Properties of Matter

  1. Atoms
  2. Elements
  3. Characteristic properties unique for pure substances and can be used to separate (melting point, etc.)
  4. Compounds: Chemical reactions & characteristics

• Conservation of Matter

  1. ID chemical changes
  2. Chemical equations
  3. Classify chemical reactions

ValidateTopic

After selecting yourtopic, thinkaboutyourprojectintermsof:

Time: / will the investigationorbuildingthedesigntakemorethanthetimeallottedbetweennowand thesciencefair project due date?
Materials: / canyouobtainthe materialsthatwillberequired?Willthecostbetoomuch?
Safety: / arethetoolsandother materialssafeforyou touse?Willanadultbeavailable to help withanythingthatmightnotbesafeforyou to doalone?Areanyofthematerialsonesthatsomeonecouldbeallergicto?
Appropriateness: / isthetopicsomethingthatyoucanunderstand?Willtheresearchrequire you toreadthingsthataretoo hard?

Investigation

While scientistsstudya wholeareaofscience,eachexperimentisfocusedonlearning justonethingatatime.Thisisessentialiftheresultsareto betrustedbytheentiresciencecommunity.

In aninvestigation,you:

  • Askatestablequestion
  • Researchthetopic
  • Make a hypothesisabout theoutcomebasedontheresearchor their ownknowledge
  • Designthe investigation
  • Conduct theinvestigation
  • CollectData
  • Makesenseof the dataanddrawa conclusion
  • Presentyourfindingsforpeer review

Whatisa Testable Question?

Thekeytoagoodandmanageableinvestigationistochooseatopicofinterest,thenaskwhatis calleda “testablequestion.”Testablequestionsarethosethatcanbe answeredthroughhands-oninvestigationbythestudent.Thekeydifference between a generalinterestsciencequestionand atestablequestionisthattestablequestionsarealwaysaboutchangingonething toseewhat the effectisonanother thing.

Herearesomeexamplesofbroaderscience questionsandtestable questions:

BroadQuestions(leadto sciencereports) / Testablequestions(lead toinvestigations)
Howdoplantsgrow? / Whatamountofwater is best togrowtomatoes?orWhat typeofsoilisbesttogrowpetunias?orwhatamountofsunlightis best togrowdaffodils?
Whatmakessomethingsinkorfloat? / Howwelldodifferentmaterialssinkorfloatinwater?
Howdorocketswork? / Howdoeschanging theshapeofarocket’sfinschangeitsflight?
Howdoesthe sunheatupwater? / Doesthesunheatsaltwater andfreshwateratthesamerate?
Whathappenswhensomethingfreezes? / Dodifferentliquidsfreezeat thesamerate?
Whatmakescarsmove? / Howdoesthe surfaceon whicha car movesaffecthowfastitgoes?

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

ConductBackgroundResearch

Onceyouhave atestablequestion,itisimportant to dosomebackgroundresearch.What doscientiststhinkthey already knowabout thetopic?Whatarethe processesinvolvedandhowdotheywork?Backgroundresearchcanbegatheredfirsthandfrom primary sourcessuchasinterviewswith ateacher,scientistat a localuniversity,orother personwithspecializedknowledge.Oryoucanusesecondarysourcessuchasbooks,magazines,journals,newspapers,onlinedocuments,orliteraturefromnon-profitorganizations.Don’tforget tomakearecord ofanyresourceusedsothatcreditcanbegivenin a bibliography.

GatheringBackgroundResearch

  • Helpsyougainindepthknowledgeaboutthetopicandprocessesyouwillbeobservingduring theinvestigation.
  • Sparksideasaboutdifferentvariablestotestwhensettinguptheinvestigation.
  • Providesthe basisforpredictingwhatwillhappenin theinvestigationwhenmaking ahypothesis.
  • Providesthe understandingneededto interpretandexplain the resultstoothers–especiallyyour teacher!

ComposeHypothesis

Aftergatheringbackgroundresearch,you willbebetter preparedtoformulatea hypothesis.Morethan arandom guess, ahypothesisisatestablestatementbasedonbackgroundknowledge,research,orscientificreason. A hypothesisstatesthe anticipatedcauseandeffectthatmaybeobservedduringthe investigation. Consider the followinghypothesis:

Ificeisplacedin a Styrofoamcontainer,itwilltakelonger tomeltthan ifplacedin a plasticor glasscontainer. Ithinkthisistruebecausemyresearch showsthat a lotofpeoplepurchaseStyrofoamcoolerstokeepdrinks cool.

Thetimeittakesfor icetomelt(dependentvariable) dependsonthetypeofcontainer used(independentvariable.).A hypothesis showstherelationshipamongvariablesin theinvestigationandoften(butnotalways)usesthe wordsifand then.

Takea lookatthese additionalexamples:

  • Ifamixtureofvinegarandbakingsodaareused,thenmorestainsmaybe removed.Ithinkthisbecausevinegar andbakingsodaareusedinmanydifferentcleaningproducts.
  • Whenanobjecthasa volume greater than30 cubiccentimeters,thenitwillsinkinwater. Inthepast, I haveseenbigobjectssink.

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

DesignExperiment

Onceyouformulatea hypothesisfor theirinvestigation,theymustdesign aproceduretotestit. Awell-designedinvestigationcontainsproceduresthat take intoaccountallofthefactorsthatcouldimpact theresultsof the investigation.Thesefactorsarecalledvariables.

Therearethreetypesofvariablesto consider whendesigning theinvestigationprocedure.

  • Theindependentvariableistheonevariabletheinvestigatorchoosestochange.
  • Controlledvariablesarevariablesthatarekept the sameeach time.
  • Thedependent variableisthe variablethatchangesasaresultof /or inresponsetotheindependentvariable.

Talkingthroughtheinvestigation with a parent or a friend willhelpyou toclarifythe differentvariablesinvolvedinthe experimentaldesign.What factors willchange?What factors willstaythesame?

StepA–Clarifythevariablesinvolvedin the investigationbydeveloping atablesuchasthe onebelow.

TestableQuestion / What ischanged?(independentvariable) / What staysthesame?(controlledvariables) / DataCollected (dependentvariable)
Whatdetergentremovesstainsthe best? / Typeofdetergent,typeofstain / Typeofcloth,physicalprocessofstainremoval / Stainfadingover timeforcombinationsofdetergentsand stains

Step B –Make alistof materialsthatwillbeusedin theinvestigation.

Step C –List thestepsneededto carry out the investigation.

Step D –Estimatethetimeitwill taketo complete the investigation.Willthedatabegatheredinonesittingoroverthecourse ofseveralweeks?

Step E–Checkthework.Asksomeoneelsetoreadtheproceduretomakesurethestepsareclear.Arethereanystepsmissing?Doublecheckthematerialslist tobesurealltothe necessarymaterialsareincluded.

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

SetUpandCollectData

After designingthe procedureandgathering thematerials,itistimetosetupandtocarryouttheinvestigation.Whensettingupthe investigation,students willneed to consider…

Thelocation / Choosea lowtrafficarea toreducethe riskofsomeoneaccidentally tamperingwith theinvestigationresults—especiallyifthe investigationlastsforseveralweeks.
Safety / Avoidharmfulaccidentsbyusingsafepractices.
  • Theuseofconstruction toolsorpotentiallyharmfulchemicalswillrequireadultsupervision.
  • Locatethe nearestsink or fireextinguisherasasafetyprecaution.
  • Determinehowto disposeofmaterials.For example,somechemicalsshouldnotbe mixedtogether or putdown a sinkdrain.
  • Wear protectiveclothingsuchasgogglesandgloves.Tie backloosehairsothatitdoesnotgetcaughtonany oftheequipment.

Documentation / Makingaroughsketchorrecordingnotes oftheinvestigationsetupishelpfulif the experimentistoberepeatedinthefuture.(Labnotebook)

Carryingout the investigationinvolvesdatacollection.Therearetwotypesofdatathatmaybecollected—quantitativedataandqualitativedata.

QuantitativeData

  • Usesnumberstodescribe theamountofsomething.
  • Involvestoolssuchasrulers,timers,graduated cylinders,etc.
  • Usesstandardmetricunits(For instance,metersandcentimetersfor length,gramsformass,anddegrees Celsius forvolume.
  • Mayinvolve the useofascalesuchasinthe examplebelow.

QualitativeData

  • Useswordstodescribethedata
  • Describesphysicalpropertiessuchashowsomethinglooks,feels,smells,tastes,orsounds.

Asdataiscollecteditcanbeorganizedintolistsandtables.Organizingdatawillbehelpfulforidentifyingrelationshipslater whenmakingan analysis.

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

AnalyzeDataandDrawConclusions

Afteryou havecollected yourdatathe nextstepisto analyzeit. Thegoalofdataanalysisistodetermineifthereisa relationshipbetween theindependentand dependentvariables. Instudentterms,thisiscalled“lookingforpatternsinthedata.”Did thechangeImadehaveaneffectthatcanbemeasured?

Besidesanalyzingdata ontablesor charts,graphsshould beusedtomakeapicture of the data.Graphingthe datacanoftenhelpmakethoserelationshipsandtrendseasier tosee.Graphsarecalled“picturesofdata.” Theimportantthingisthatappropriategraphsareselectedfor thetypeofdata.For example,bargraphs,pictographs,orcirclegraphsshouldbeusedtorepresentcategoricaldata(sometimescalled“sidebyside”data).Lineplotsareusedtoshownumericaldata.Line graphsshouldbeusedtoshowhowdatachangesovertime.Graphscan bedrawnbyhandusinggraphpaperor generatedonthe computer from spreadsheetsfor students whoaretechnically able.

Youcanusethesequestionsto helpguidestudentsinanalyzingtheir data:

  • Whatcanbelearnedfromlookingat the data?
  • Howdoesthe datarelatetothestudent’soriginalhypothesis?
  • Didwhatyouchanged(independentvariable) causechangesin the results(dependentvariable)?

Afteranalyzingthe data,you willbeable to answerthesequestionsasyoudrawsomeconclusions. Youshouldnotchangeyourhypothesisifitdoesnotmatchyour findings.Theaccuracy ofa hypothesisisNOTwhatconstitutesa successfulsciencefairinvestigation.Other scientistswillwantto seethat the conclusionsstatedmatchthedatathatwascollected.

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

TheLaboratoryNotebook

A properlymaintainedlaboratorynotebookisone ofaresearcher'smostvaluabletools. It containsthepermanentwrittenrecord ofthescientist'sor engineer'smentalandphysicalactivitiesfrombothexperimentand observation,totheultimateunderstandingof the questionorsolutiontheyaregoing toobtainfrom their researchproject. The actofwritingin thenotebookforcestheresearcher to

stopandthinkaboutwhathe/sheisabout todoandwhatisactually done.Becauseofthis, the properwritingofa projectlaboratorynotebook isanessentialpartofdoing"good"science.Thefollowingguidelinesareconsistentwiththose ofmanymajor industriallaboratoriesanduniversities.

Guidelines:

1.Thefrontcoverof thenotebookshouldcontaina titlethatdescribestheresearch,andthetimeperiodcoveredforthedata recordedinthebook.Ifmorethanonenotebookisused,thenthisshouldalsobeindicatedby addingVolumeI, II,etc.Thefirsttwopages of the bookshouldbe reserved foratableofcontents.Allremainingpagesshouldbenumberedonthe top outsidecornerof the page.Thetableofcontententriesshouldbeaddedas the projectprogresses

2.Theright-handpagesshouldbeusedformakingformalentries. Theleft-handpagesshouldbeusedfor calculations,doodling,scratchpaper,etc.Allright-handpagesshouldbedated wheninformationisrecordedonthem.

3.Nopagesshouldbe removed fromthenotebook.Ifinformationon aparticularpagebecomes invalidforwhateverreason, asinglediagonallineshouldbedrawnthroughtheinformationand a briefsentenceor twoaddedexplainingwhy the materialisnolonger valid.Ifanerror ismadeinrecording

something,itshouldnotbeerasedor obliteratedinany way.Instead,drawonelinethroughtheincorrectentryandwritethe correctentryasnearto itaspossible.Neverwrite anumberorword

overanother number orword.

4.Photographs,computerprintouts,recordedprintouts,etc.shouldbeproperly labeledandtapedorgluedontoone of theright-handpages.Allnumbersshouldberecordedin thenotebookusingthecorrectnumberofdigitsandlabeledwith theproperunits.Studentsarerequired to usetheInternationalSystem ofUnits(SI) in the final presentation of the data.Alwaysenter datadirectlyinthenotebook,inink,at thetimeitisobtained(unless thedataisbeingrecordedautomaticallybyaninstrument).

5.Ifa detailedexperimentalprocedureisbeing followedthatis available in areadily availablereferencesource(suchasatextbook), theprocedureshouldonlybesummarizedinthe notebookandthereferencelistedforthe exactprocedure.Anychangesfromthe referencedprocedureshouldberecordedandexplainedin thenotebook.

6.Mathematicaltypeformulasusedin theprojectshouldberecordedontherighthandpageswith adefinitionofeachterm intheformulaalongwithatleastonesamplecalculation.Again, theproperphysicalunitsshouldalwaysberecordednext to therespectivenumericalvalues.

7.When chemicalsareused, the name,formula,purity,andmanufacturerofthe chemicalshouldberecorded.

8.When instrumentsareused, thename andoperationalsettingsfor theinstrumentshouldbe recordedinthe notebook.

9.Thepurpose ofeachexperimentinthe projectshouldbeclearlystatedin the notebookasitisperformed,alongwith thecorrespondingprocedures,data,assumptions,conclusions,etc. In summary,a projectnotebookisnotsupposed tobeanattractivedocument;itisa workingdocument.Yes,itmayevenhave afewchemicalstainsonitand atornpageor two.However,theentriesshouldbe legible,complete,reasonablyneat,andlogically presented.In summary,aprojectnotebookisnotsupposed tobeanattractivedocument;itisa workingdocument.Yesitmay evenhaveafewchemicalstainsonitand atornpageor two.However,the entries shouldbelegible,complete,reasonablyneat,and logicallypresented.

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

ResearchPaper/ Lab Report

(basedon

Yourfinalresearchpaper mustbetyped allinblackfont witheither ArialorTimeNewRomanat12pts.Itmayalsoincludecoloredimages or graphs.Theresearchpaper/lab report mustfollowtheoutlineasfollows.

On aseparatesheetof paperincludethe TitlePageasfollows;

Title ofyour ScienceFair ProjectYour Name

ScienceSectionDate

Your second pageshould includeyour titlecenteredatthetop.

Title ofyour ScienceFair Project

Problem/Question

Writeyour problem foryour experiment,the importanceofdoing your experiment.Whyareyoudoing thisexperiment?

Background

Writeatleastthreesentencesexplaining whytheprojectwasdone.This canincludeinformation aboutwhenthingswerediscoveredandwhythereis aneedtodo yourexperiment.

Hypothesis

Whatisyour opinion aboutwhatwillhappen? Proposed explanation forthe problem.

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

Variables

IndependentVariable:What willyoubechanging?

DependentVariables:What willyoube measuring or observing?Controlledvariables:What willremainthesame?

Materials

Listallthe materialthatwill beneeded for thisexperiment.

Procedure

1.Listthestepsneeded for your experiment.Writeit as aninformative;donotusetheword“I”. DONOTsay“I put water in acup” instead write“putwater into acup”.

Observations

Includeanypicturesyouhaveofyour experimenthere.

ResultsandConclusions

Includeasummaryofyour results andan explanation ofhowitsatisfiesthepurpose.Thisalsoincludesgraphsanddata tables.

Includeifyour hypothesiswassupportedor notwithyour results.Writeifyou hadanyproblemswiththe experiment. Alsoinclude agood futureexperimentofyour experiment.Howwouldyouimproveyour experiment?After doing your experimentwhatwouldbesomething elsethatwouldbeinteresting tolearn.

Acknowledgements

Recognizeallwhoprovidedsignificantassistanceinthe formofmaterials and guidance.

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

Bibliography

Listallsources.Sourceswithoutauthorsshouldbearrangedalphabeticallybytitlewithintheauthors.

1.Biggs, A., Daniel,L.,Feather,R.M.,Snyder,S. L.,Zike,D. (2002).ScienceinAction.

TexasScienceGrade6.NewYork:McGraw-HillCompanies,Inc.,12-29.

Author’softextbookalphabeticallylastname,firstnameinitiallastname,firstnameinitial.(Year).Title ofSection.Titleoftextbook.(Edition).Placeofpublication :Publisher,page number.

2.Brown, S. (2000,Dec). Bestflowersevery. RealSimpleMagazine. (32),4-5.

Author ofarticlelastname,first name initial.(Year,MonthDay).Titleofarticle.NameoftheMagazineitalicized,Volume number (issuenumber ),Pagenumber.

3.Owen,M.(1996). HowtoPreserveFreshCutFlowers-Naturally. PlanTea,Inc.

RetrievedonSeptember 1, 2011 from

Author ofsiteLastname,first name initial.(Year).Title.Retrieved date,fromwebsite.

4.Smith,S.,Thomas,G. (1990).EncyclopediaBritannica. (4thed.,1-10). NewYork:NewYorkPress.

Editorsofencyclopediaalphabeticallylastname,firstname initiallastname,firstnameinitial.(Year).Titleofencyclopedia-italicized.(Edition,volumes).Placeofpublication:Publisher.

5.Star,F.(2005). Plant.NewYork:NewYork,GlencoeMcGraw-Hill.4-5.

“Author’sLastname,firstnameinitial”.(Year).Titleofbookitalicized,pagenumbers.

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

Power PointPresentation

What is PPT?

PPTisa presentationsoftwareprogram.It allowscreatingslidesinanoutlinetypeformatthatiseasytoreadandworksasagreataid fororalpresentation.

What ifIdon’t haveaccess toa computer at home?

If you donothaveaccess to PPToracomputerathome,specialarrangementscanbe madeatschoolforthe assignment to becompleted. Youwillneed to letmeknowimmediatelythat youneed to haveaccess toacomputer before orafter schoolsothatproperarrangementscanbemadeandample timefor theassignmentscompletioncanbe provided.

WhatdoIneedtoinclude inmyPPTpresentation?

TitleSlide(name,section,andprojecttitle)Question(orpurpose) slide

HypothesisandVariables/Controlslide(statedina causeandeffectstatement)Materialsslide(allquantitiesmustbelisted)

SafetyandMethodsslide(methodsmustbelistedinnumericalorder-noparagraphformat,please.)(allsafetyprecautionsmustbenoted)

DataTablesslide(data tableswillnotnecessarilybefilledinwithdata,butshouldbesetupto acceptyourdata)

PreliminaryResultsand Conclusions

Bibliography(APAformatmustbeused) (atleast 3 reliable,scientificresourcesmustbenoted)See the PowerPointRubricfor moreinformationlocatedat the end of thehandbook.

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

DisplayBoard

Yourdisplaycanreflectyourpersonality:

Iseveryinchof mylockeror bedroom coveredwithmagazineclippings,posters,stickers,andstickynotes?OramI more ofaminimalist?What’smyideaofagoodtime:scrapbookingor skateboarding?Isthe presentationthe partofthesciencefair I’vebeenwaitingfor,oristhat the part I dread?

StandOut from theCrowd

Whetheryouarethekindofperson wholovestodesignanddecorateanddabblewithcomputergraphics,or theonewhoalwaysoptsforthestandardblack-and-whitereportcover,thisisatimeforstudentstogetcreative. Thestakesarehighhereandyouwillwantyourpersonalityto shinethrough.

Youcanlearnhowto edityourtextdown totheessentials,pickandchoose thebestphotosandgraphics,anddisplaythemallinthemostclear andcompellingway possible.Throughcreativeuse ofcolor,typeandgraphicelements,youcanmake yourideaspopand bringyourprojectstolife.

Everythingassociatedwithyourdisplaymustfitintothe spaceallocatedfromyourproject,whichis76cmdeep x122 cmwide x274cmhighiffloor mounted.Onlyusefloor mountedprojectsforextratallorextraheavy displayboardsand/or equipmentiftablemounted, theheightlimitisstill274cm,includingthetablewhichisabout76cmhigh. If you would like for me to purchase a display board for you, please let me know ASAP. I will require the money to be due fairly quickly so that I am able to purchase the boards in plenty of time. I hope to keep the cost at or less than $5 per board.

Therearemanysearchableposter board examplesonlineandinreferencebooks.

Thisisanexample:

ProjectTitle
Procedure

ObservationsandData

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

The following MUSTbeonthe board.

  • Titlelimitedto 6 wordsor less,and amaximum of50letters/characters.
  • Abstract(Ifapplicable)
  • Question/Purpose
  • Hypothesis
  • Variables
  • Backgroundresearch
  • Materialslist
  • Experimentalprocedure
  • Dataanalysisanddiscussionincludingdatachart(s)andgraph(s)
  • Conclusions(includingideas for futureresearch)
  • Acknowledgements
  • Bibliography

Oralpresentationforyourclassmates

You may be randomly selected topresentyourproject totherestof the class. Thepresentationshouldbe3-5minuteslong,brieflycoveringmostoftheparts oftheproject.This could earn you bonus points!

ProjectAbstract

Theabstract must contain atitlepagewith yourtitle,name,classsection,anddate. Itshouldalsobedoneneatly usingpropergrammarandpunctuation.It shouldnotcontainmorethan250words. A sampleabstractisshownbelow.

SOLUTIONTOPOLLUTION:ENERGYFROMWASTE MATERIALS

Sewagesludgeandsolidwastesareanunavoidablebyproductofmodernsociety.Highdisposalcostsfor thesewastematerials,coupledwith aprojectedincreasein wasteproductionoverthe nextdecade,formaseriousproblem.Thisexperimentwasaimedatcontributing to apartialsolutionof thewastedisposalandenergyshortageenigma.

For thisexperiment,sewagesludge,woodandsludge/woodmixturewerepyrolizedin a batchreactorto produceoil.The productionrates ofoilwerecomparedforthethreematerials. Theaverageproductionratesofoilfromallmaterialswereexcellent. The boilingrangeofthe wood-derivedoilproved to beslightlybetter thanthatofthesludge-derivedoil,with the sludge/wood-derivedoilbeingintermediate.

Sludge,wastewoodandsludge/solidwastepyrolysisshouldbeeconomicallyattractive,asthefeedstocksareboth renewableandinexpensive.Plantattractivenessisincreasedwhen thecosts ofalternatemethods ofwastedisposalaretaken intoaccount.

Ingeneral,anabstractshouldinclude the following:

(a)purposeof theexperiment

•Anintroductorystatementof thereasonforinvestigating thetopicof theproject.

•A statementofthe problemand/orhypothesis beingstudied.

(b)proceduresused

•A summarizationofthekeypointsandanoverviewofhowtheinvestigationwasconducted.

•Anabstractdoes notgivedetailsabout the materialsusedunless itgreatlyinfluenced theprocedureorhadtobedevelopedtodothe investigation.

•Anabstractshouldonlyincludeproceduresdonebythestudent.Workdonebya mentor (suchassurgicalprocedures)orworkdoneprior to studentinvolvementshouldnotbe included.

(c)data

Thissectionshouldprovide keyresultsthatleaddirectlytothe conclusionsyouhavedrawn.It shouldnotgive toomanydetailsabout theresultsnorincludetablesor graphs.

(d)conclusions

•Conclusionsfromtheinvestigationshouldbedescribedbriefly.

•Thesummary paragraphshouldreflectonthe processandpossiblystatesomeapplicationsandextensionsofthe investigation.

Theabstractshouldnot include:

b)acknowledgements (includingnaming the researchinstitutionand/or mentor withwhichyouwereworking),or

c)workor procedures donebya mentor orasupervisor.

WorkscitedforthisHandbook:

Thisdocumentwascreatedwith thehelpofresourcesfrom:

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

ScienceFairFinalResearchPaperRubric
TitlePage(4pts) / PointValue / PointsEarned
Reporthasnotitlepage / 0
Title,name,sectionor datemissing / 2
Titleappropriate, name,sectionanddatepresent / 4
Score
Fontof Paper (4pts)
Wrongcolor,fontANDsize / 0
Color,font OR sizeincorrect / 2
Blackfont,ArialorTimeNewRoman,AND12ptfont / 4
Score
Order of Information(8pts)
Informationisalloutoforder / 0
Somethingsareinorder,butothersarenot / 4
Order followedcompletely / 8
Score
BackgroundResearch(8pts)
Properinformationnotprovided / 0
Lessthanthreesentence,incompleteinformation,orsentencesareincomplete / 4
3 or morecompletesentencesfully explainingwhythe projectwasdone / 8
Score
Problem (4pts)
Nonestated / 0
Incompletesentences,orimportanceandreasonsforexperimentnotexplained / 2
Completesentences withimportanceandreasonsofexperimentexplained / 4
Score
Hypothesis(8pts)
Nohypothesisstated / 0
Notatestablehypothesis / 2
Hypothesisnotacompletesentence / 4
Proper testablehypothesisstatedin acompletesentence / 8
Score

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

ScienceFairFinalResearchPaperRubric
Variables(8pts) / PointValue / PointsEarned
Novariablesincluded / 0
Onlyonevariablementioned / 2
Independent orDependentVariable,or Constantnotmentioned / 6
Independentor DependentVariable,or Constantincluded / 8
Score
Materials(4pts)
Nomaterialslisted / 0
Somematerialsnotlisted / 2
Allmaterialslisted / 4
Score
Procedures(8pts)
Proceduresnotincluded / 0
ProperPronounsused(I,You,Me) / 2
SomeProceduresleftout / 4-6
AllProceduresincludedandnoproper pronounsareused / 8
Score
ResultsandConclusions(12pts)
Noresultsandconclusionsincluded / 0
Incompleteconclusion givenor graphsanddata tablenotincluded / 4
Conclusiongiveninincompletesentencesorgraphsandtablesnotincluded / 8
GraphsandTablesincludedandexplained.Summary ofresultsincluded,andstatementofwhetherornot thehypothesiswassupported / 12
Score
Acknowledgements(4pts)
Noneincluded / 0
Namesspelledincorrectly / 2
Allpeoplethatassistedincluded,withnames spelledcorrectly / 4
Score
Bibliography(8pts)
Notincluded / 0
Proper formatnotfollowed / 4
Format followedandallsourcesincluded / 8
Score
Effort (4pts)
Noeffortshown / 0
Only showssomeeffort / 2
Papershowseffortby student / 4
Score
ResearchPaper Worksheets(4pts)
Mostworksheets missing / 0
Someworksheetsmissing / 2
Allworksheets included / 4
Score

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

ScienceFairFinalResearchPaperRubric
Format,spelling,punctuationandoveralleditingof paper (12pts) / PointValue / PointsEarned
Formattingnotfollowed,many spellingandpunctuationmistakes / 0
Formattingnotfollowed,butonlysome spellingandpunctuationmistakes / 2
Formattingfollowed,butmany spellingandpunctuationmistakes / 4-6
Formattingfollowed,andverylittleediting tobedone / 8
Formattingfollowed,noediting to bedone / 12
Score
Final Grade / (100pts)

Comments:

ScienceFairPowerPoint or Display BoardRubric
Title(4pts) / PointValue / PointsEarned
Title missing / 0
Title withname,sectionor datemissing / 2
Titleappropriate, name,sectionanddatepresent / 4
Score
Problem (4pts)
Nonestated / 0
Incompletesentences,orimportanceandreasonsforexperimentnotexplained / 2
Completesentences withimportanceandreasonsofexperimentexplained / 4-6
Score
Hypothesis(8pts)
Nohypothesisstated / 0
Notatestablehypothesis / 2-4
Hypothesisnotacompletesentence / 5-6
Proper,testablehypothesisstatedin acompletesentence / 8
Score
Variables(8pts)
Novariablesincluded / 0
Onlyonevariablementioned / 2-4
Independentor DependentVariable,or Constant not mentioned / 5-6
Independentor DependentVariable,or Constantincluded / 8
score
Materials(4pts)
Nomaterialslisted / 0
Somematerialsnotlisted / 2
Allmaterialslisted / 4
score
Safety(4pts)
NoSafetyproceduresmentionedorfollowed / 0
Onlysomesafetyproceduresmentionedorfollowed / 2
All safetymentionedandfollowed / 4
score

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

ScienceFairPower Point or Display BoardRubric
Procedures(8pts) / PointValue / PointsEarned
Proceduresnotincluded / 0
SomeProceduresleftout / 4
AllProceduresincludedandnoproper pronounsareused / 8
Score
DataTables(8pts)
Nodatatablesincluded / 0
Somedataincludedorinformationnotpresentedin atable / 4-6
Alldatapresentedin a proper table / 8
Score
Conclusionsconsistentwiththedataobtainedandwiththerelevantprinciplesof science orengineering(if not, isthereanadequateexplanationof the inconsistency)(8pts.)
Nocorrelationwithconclusionanddataobtained. / 0
Littlecorrelationwithconclusionanddataobtained / 2
Somecorrelation withconclusion anddataobtained / 4-6
Conclusionsconsistentwith thedataobtained andwith the relevantprinciplesofscienceorengineering / 8
Score
Bibliography(4pts)
Notincluded / 0
Proper formatnotfollowed / 2
Formatfollowedandallsourcesincluded / 4
Score
Thoroughnessof experimentationordevelopment usedto reachobjectives;proper recordingofdatainlaboratory notebook(20pts)
Noorderforexperiment / 0
Someorderforexperimentationtoreach objectives but no lab notebook / 5
Experimentationwasdeveloped to reach objectives with incomplete lab notebook / 10-12
Experimentationwasdeveloped to reachobjectivesandproper labnotebook / 20
Score

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

ScienceFairPower Point or Display BoardRubric
Knowledgeandunderstandingbystudent ofthe scientificorengineeringprinciplesrelevanttotheproject (10pts.) / PointValue / PointsEarned
Studenthasno understandingof thescientificprinciplesrelevanttoproject / 0
Studenthaslittleunderstandingof thescientificprinciplesrelevantto project / 2
Studenthassomeunderstandingof the scientificprinciplesrelevantto project / 4-6
Studentclearlyunderstandsthescientificprinciplesrelevant to project / 10
Score
PROJECTDESIGN
Creativityandoriginality(10pts.)
Noeffortshowntowardproject / 0
Only showssomeefforttowardproject / 2
Projectshowseffortbystudent / 4-6
Thedesign of the project showsstudent to have gone beyondrequirements. / 10
Score
Final Grade / (100pts) / Final Grade

Comments:

Science Fair Topic Form

Agoodsciencefair projecttopic hasa problemthatcan be answeredonlybyexperimenting. Ifatopicistoobroad or general,too manyfactors(variables)mightexist that cannotbecontrolled.Ifthatisthe case, youwill find itdifficultto producereliableresults.

Pick 3topics thatinterestyou.Youwill bespending quite abitoftime planning and completingyour sciencefair project so chooseyour topicswithcare.You willpick one topicfromyour listtouse for your sciencefair project.Researchyour topicandrecordyourfindings.Ifyoucannotfind muchinformation onyour topic,youshouldprobablyfindanewtopic.

Topic 1--Thetestable and engaging questionI will beinvestigatingis:

Myresearchaboutthistopic:

Canyou find3goodsourcesfor thistopic(withaleastonebeing a book)?

Topic 2--Thetestable and engaging questionI will beinvestigatingis:

Myresearchaboutthistopic:

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

Canyou find3goodsourcesfor thistopic(withaleastonebeing a book)?

Topic 3--Thetestable and engaging questionI will beinvestigatingis:

Myresearchaboutthistopic:

Canyou find3goodsourcesfor thistopic(withaleastonebeing a book)?

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

ExperimentalDesignandApprovalSheet

ProjectTitle:

StudentName:Date:

1.Identifya testablequestion:

Problem:

2.Researchthetopic:

Whathavepeoplelearnedabout?

Compose1-2pagesBackground researchstatingwhatothershave foundandhowthismightleadto yourhypothesis.(Addpaperonthe backofthispageifextraspaceis neededasyoudo yourresearch.)

Mysources:

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OHS Science Fair Project 2015

ExperimentalDesignandApprovalSheet

3.Write a hypothesis:

What Iwilldo: (If…)

What I thinkwill happen:(then…)

4.DesignaProcedure:

What Iwillchange(independentvariable):

What Iwillkeepthesame(controlledvariables):

What Iwillmeasure(dependentvariable(s) :

Steps inmyprocedure:

ExperimentalDesignandApprovalSheet

Materials:

5.Validation:

□My projectissafe

□I canget the materials

□I haveenoughtimeto build,test,andreporttheproject

□My projectwillnotharmorganisms

□My projectwillnotharmorbother otherpeople

Howwill youknowif thechangeyoumadehadaneffect?

(Whatdatawillyoucollectand whatwillyoulookfor?)

FinalApprovalto BeginProject:

ProjectApproved:

(StudentSignature)(Date)

ProjectApproved:

(ParentSignature)(Date)

Notesfrom teacher(s):

Assignment / Student’sInitials / Science Teacher / Points Rcvd / Parent’sInitials
ReceiveHandbook
Monday Oct. 19
TopicForm
Points Possible: 50pts
Deadline:Tuesday Oct. 27
Returned: Friday Oct. 30
Experimental Design & Approval Sheet
Points Possible: 100pts
Deadline:Tues Nov. 3
Returned: Friday Nov. 6
Abstract
Points Possible: 50pts
Deadline:Tuesday Nov. 10
Research Paper/Lab Report
Points Possible: 100pts
Deadline: Friday Nov. 13
DisplayBoard or Power Point File
Points Possible: 100pts
Deadline: Tuesday Nov. 17

With each deadline, bonus points are possible. After points received has been recorded, if you present your handbook with your parent’s initials for points received, 10 bonus points will be added to the following assignment.

Student Name: ______

2 of 2 Parent Signature: ______(worth 25 bonus points)

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