Specific Learning Objective

Unit Goals

This unit will prepare students and staff for the responsibilities and steps involved in creating a fantastic science fair project, and teach student to use the scientific method. Learning will be promoted beginning in the third month of school, and culminate with Science Fair events in the sixth month of school.

Specific Learning Objective

Students will conduct a self-designed scientific experiment that follows the 7-step scientific method, and meets the guidelines for the virtual science fair. To accomplish this objective, students will participate in the following lessons:

Welcome to the Virtual Science Fair

1. Students will differentiate between a traditional science fair and one with a virtual component.
2. Students will view examples of well-known virtual science fairs.
3. Students will review the guidelines for this event.

Choosing a Topic, and Writing a Question and Hypothesis

1. Students will narrow down their options to two topics.
2. Students will write a rough draft of a guiding question for each.

Writing the Procedure

1. Students will correctly identify 5 key details in a well-written procedure.
2. Students will identify at least 4 possible areas to add details to a poorly written procedure.
3. Students will write their own procedure with adequate details as measured by the Procedures column of the Science Fair Rubric.

Conducting the Experiment

1. Students will document detailed notes of observations and data.

Organizing Data

1. Students will identify the purpose of the 4 key components of a graph.
2. Students will identify a clear method of displaying data in at least one graph.

Writing the Conclusion and Abstract

1. Students will write a conclusion and abstract for their science fair project.

Creating a Winning Display

1. Students will create a design for a science fair display board that includes color, and all required elements for a science fair project as determined by the science fair guidelines.
2. Students will identify complimentary colors.
3. Students will distinguish between the different roles red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple each have through participating in a color WebQuest.

How to Present at the Science Fair

1. Students will identify the five key principles of presenting.
2. Students will practice talking through their project.
3. Students will identify questions judges may ask at the event.

California State Science Standards

6th Grade Investigation and Experimentation:

6.7.a. Develop a hypothesis.

6.7.b. Select and use appropriate tools and technology (including calculators, computers, balances, spring scales, microscopes, and binoculars) to perform tests, collect and display data.

6.7.c. Construct appropriate graphs from data and develop qualitative statements about the relationships between variables.

6.7.d. Communicate the steps and results from an investigation in written reports and oral presentations.

7th Grade Investigation and Experimentation:

7.7.a.Select and use appropriate tools and technology (including calculators, computers, balances, spring scales, microscopes, and binoculars) to perform tests, collect, display data.

7.7.c. Communicate the logical connection among hypotheses, science concepts, tests conducted, data collected, and conclusions drawn from the scientific evidence.

7.7.e.Communicate the steps and results from an investigation in written reports and oral presentations.

8th Grade Investigation and Experimentation:

8.9.a. Plan and conduct a scientific investigation to test a hypothesis.

8.9.c.Distinguish between variable and controlled parameters in a test.

8.9.e. Construct appropriate graphs from data and develop quantitative statements about the relationships between variables.

Learner Characteristics

This unit is designed for middle school students enrolled in an independent study virtual charter school. These students work from home with their parents as their primary learning coach. Completing a science project is a requirement for middle school students to receive a grade of “A” in their science course. Although synchronous online sessions are offered to discuss the scientific method, many students are unable to attend these sessions and need resources specific to the school’s science fair requirements to support them throughout the process. This unit is intended to provide that support. .

Student’s Present Level of Performance and Knowledge

The curriculum used incorporates many small experiments throughout each unit leading up to the experimentation unit, so students are familiar with following the steps in the scientific method. Students also have experience keeping a science notebook to document observations during experiments, graphing, and hypothesizing.

Prerequisite Skills Required:

• Basic computer use: locate a webpage; conduct an internet search; use word processing program; print documents and images; use a digital camera
• Understand key scientific vocabulary: hypothesis, question, procedure
• Read and design a simple graph
• Follow steps in a procedure
• Conduct a scientific investigation when clear steps are provided

Classroom Layout and Grouping of Students

This unit is intended to be self-directed for individual learners working from home because it will support students in an independent study program throughout the state of California. These students very rarely meet in person, but they do have opportunities to meet in online classrooms to collaborate on occasion.

Introductory Procedures

The unit will begin by getting students familiar with the website menus and design using images. Students will view the image, read the description of the content, and practice navigating the menus. Students will then learn the benefits of participating and the rules and guidelines for the event.

Materials and Media

All learners will need a computer with Internet access. Materials will be posted and available on the website for students to download.

1. Scientific process documents – one document for each lesson will be provided for download to support students in each step of the process. These will be provided with the unit.
2. List of topic ideas – teacher-created webpage with accompanying downloadable document for student use in gathering project ideas.
3. Links to external science fair web pages for additional support and ideas:

The websites below will be provided as additional resources to students to provide inspiration, examples and ideas, and to encourage students to participate in a wider scientific community:

• Sacramento Regional Science & Engineering Fair

• Discovery/3M Young Scientist Challenge

• Topic ideas and examples of how to write a procedure:

The websites below provide insight into the procedures involved in participating:

• Advice for presenting projects for judges:

• Example of a virtual science fair:

• Creating and presenting a project:

1. Images of past science fair winners, projects from other schools, and projects from national level science fairs to provide students with positive project examples and inspiration.

Visuals

Assessment and evaluation of learner understanding

Because this unit is intended to be student directed, each page will include a “Checking In” section for students to self-evaluate their progress and project. Ultimately, students will create a finished project, and both in-person and virtual judges at the science fair events will judge student projects, providing a summative assessment. Examples of the types of questions that will be included in each section follow the description of the product expected below:

• Welcome to the Virtual Science Fair
• Questions: What do you need to do to be prepared for a virtual science fair? What should you NOT include on your display board?
• Objective: Addresses unit goals
• Choosing a Topic, and Writing a Question and Hypothesis – Student will write a hypothesis that answers their question.
• Questions: What is a synonym for hypothesis? Where might you look for a topic?
• California State Standards: 6.7.a, 8.9.a
• Writing the Procedure – Students will write a detailed procedure that helps to answer the identified question, and includes materials, specific steps required to complete the experiment, and method of data collection.
• Questions: Ask an adult to read through your procedure. Are there any parts missing? Can you add any details? Did you include measurements and identify your variable?
• California State Standard: 8.9.a
• Conducting the Experiment – Students will follow the steps in their procedure and keep detailed notes of observations.
• Questions: Do you have a notebook ready for your experiment? How do you plan to record your data? Will you take pictures or draw what you see? What types of things should you record?
• California State Standards: 6.7.b, 7.7.a
• Organizing Data – Students will identify a clear method of displaying data in at least one graph.
• Questions: What type of graph is best for displaying measurements? What type of graph can you use to display percentages? What are the important components of a graph?
• California State Standards: 6.7.c, 7.7.a, 8.9.e
• Writing the Conclusion and Abstract – Students will write a conclusion and abstract for their science fair project.
• Questions: What is the difference between a conclusion and an analysis? What should you include in an abstract?
• California State Standards: 6.7.c, 7.7.a, 8.9.e
• Creating a Winning Display – Students will identify required display components and create a visually pleasing display.
• Questions: What features should you include on the display board? How can you design your display to catch the judge’s eye?
• California State Standards: 6.7.d and 7.7.e
• How to Present at the Science Fair – Students will practice talking through their project and identify questions judges may ask at the event.
• Questions: When presenting, what content should you discuss? Instead of reading the display, what should you do when presenting? What types of questions should you be ready for judges to ask?
• California State Standards: 6.7.d and 7.7.e

* Adapted from Unit Plan at