WRMS
Science Fair
Handbook
2016-2017
WRMS Science Fair Handbook Contact: Tony Floyd ()
Table of Contents
Item # Task
1. Parent/Student Letter
2. Due Dates for Science Fair Project
3. Helpful Websites for Topic Selection
4. Summary of Science Fair Requirements
5. Research Plan Rubric
6. Sample of Research Plan
7. Science Fair Forms Instructions
8. Log Book Instructions
9. Specific Guidelines and Examples for Log Book
10. Outline Sample and Template
11. Research Paper Rubric
12. Experimental Paper Rubric
13. Backboard Rubric
14. Science Project Presentation Rubric
August 2016
Dear parents and students,
We have enthusiastically commenced talking about the 2014-2015 Houston Regional Science Fair which will be held at the Museum of Aviation January 2015. The Georgia Science and Engineering Fair (GSEF) Rules Handbook will be our guide, and we will use the guidelines of this organization for our endeavor. You can review the rules, regulations, dates, and forms at the following website: www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/oasp
The purpose of participating in this project is to allow students to learn how to isolate important inquiries and how to attack and hopefully solve problems all within the framework of organized, logical thought and study. We have prepared this booklet for each student to help them along the way. We will also provide other information as needed. Forms will need to be signed to adhere to the rules of GSEF. Each part of this project will have a due date. (All of it will not be due on the same day.) Some individual dates may have to be set based on the nature of individualized projects. We will take one step at a time. If you have any questions about the project at any time, feel free to give me a call at 929-7832, or email me at .
We would like to thank you in advance for support of this project.
Thank you,
Tony Floyd
7th and 8th Grade DUE DATES FOR SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT
(Due to the nature of this project dates are subject to change at the teacher’s discretion.)
August 26 Topic Proposal due (follow format given)
September 5-November 30 Experimentation window (Begin project as soon as project is approved by teacher/SRC)
August 31 Research Plan (follow format given)
September 7 Forms 1,1A, and 1B (www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/oasp)
**For all projects. Some projects require additional forms for approval)
September 16 Research #1 and #2 *goes in log book
September 123 Research #3 and #4 *goes in log book
September 30 Research #5 * goes in log book
October 7 Outline of research paper
October 14 Research paper rough draft
October 31 Research paper final copy
3 log book checks Experimental entries
(must have a minimum of 5, the more the better. You should be showing that you have completed multiple trials of your experiment.)
November 4, November 10, November 18, December 2 (final log book check, all experimentation must be done by November 30)
December 9 Binder and log book check ( we will set up the binder class, a list of the items needed to go in the binder will come home and will need to be printed at home and brought to class
December 5-9 Work on abstract, due the 11th
December 10 “Science Fair Saturday”
December 15-16 School Science Fair
December 12 backboard due
January Regional Science and Engineering Fair
Here are some helpful websites to help you choose your science fair topic:
http://www.greatscopes.com/activity.htm
http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/scifairstudio/ideas/htm
http://www.scifair.org/1
http://members.aol.com/ScienzFair/ideas.htm
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/experi.html
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids/fair/ideasframe.html
http://www.scienceproject.com
http://www.sciencehunt.com/HuntHow.nsf/homepage?openpage
Summary of Science Fair Requirements
1. Research Plan: 1-2 page typed paper including:
A. Problem (question form)
B. Hypothesis
C. Projected Procedure (the steps of the experiment)
D. Five possible sources to be used for research
2. Research Recorded in log book with appropriate bibliographic data and a research paper
3. Experimentation Design and perform an experiment. Most
experiments are done at home or away from school, but some are done in the school lab,
according to the nature of the experiment.
4. Log book A speckled composition notebook which will include
specific data prior, during, and after experimentation. An instruction page will be included in your science fair handbook. Please read before you start your log book.
5. Notebook This will include a title page, table of contents, required forms and research plan, research paper for 8th grade, experimental paper, graphs, and photographs of the actual experiment.
6. Design a Specific directions are given for this task. Many
Backboard backboards are done at school to ensure
correct placement of all parts, but some
students prefer to do their boards at home.
I prefer students use a colored backboard if possible.
Research Plan (sample on next page) due August 28
Rubric POINTS
A. Problem or question being addressed. 20
(This will be an interrogative sentence.)
B. Hypothesis 20
(Use an “If, then” statement)
C. Description in detail of the materials and 40
method/ procedure you plan to use.
D. Bibliography 20
(List at least five major references.
Only one resource may be an
encyclopedia. You have
not completed you research yet, so
these will be five possible sources you
may use for your research.)
Sample of Research Plan
provided by former student winning first place winner at region and state competition.
What Would Happen to the Peanut Growth Rate If Parts of the Cotyledon Were Taken Out of the Peanut Embryos?
Research Plan by: Justin Saetia
A. Problem
How does the removal of the cotyledon affect the peanut embryo?
B. Hypothesis
If a portion or the one cotyledon is taken out of the peanut, then the growth rate of the peanuts will decrease, or some peanuts will not germinate.
C. Procedure
Materials:
One hundred viable peanuts, a scalpel, a magnifying glass, five Ziploc bags, ten paper towels, one cup of water and one cardboard box
Procedure:
1. Buy enough viable peanuts to make sure that one hundred individual undamaged raw peanuts can be used in this experiment.
2. Take the shells from the one hundred peanuts and the brown paper- like covering from each of them.
3. Separate the peanuts into groups of twenty peanuts.
4. Put group one as the control group, group two as twenty-five percent removal, group three as fifty percent removal, group four as seventy-five percent removal, and group five as one hundred percent.
5. Observe the peanuts; the pointed end has the embryo and must be handled carefully. The two halves of peanuts are known as cotyledon. When the peanut is spit in half, only one cotyledon will have the embryo.
6. Use a scalpel or razor blade and leave the embryos intact in step 6 when taking out a portion of the cotyledons out of the peanuts. Take out twenty-five percent of the cotyledons out of every peanut in group two on the side that does not have the embryos. In-group three, take out fifty percent of every peanut by removing the whole cotyledon, which does not have embryos out of the peanuts. In-group four, take out seventy-five percent of the two cotyledons, which does not have the embryos and half of the cotyledons with the embryos out of the peanuts. Use the part of the peanuts with embryos. In-group five take out the embryos of the peanuts and throw away the rest of the peanuts (Remember do not throw away the peanut embryos from the peanuts in group 5.). Keep the peanuts in-group one the same as it was before step four.
7. Put each group of peanuts between two pieces of wet paper towels.
8. Put the peanuts from each group into each sealable plastic bag as its own group and seal them. Label these plastic bags by groups like group one, group two, and etc.
9. Put the sealable plastic bags in a cold, dark piece. A box in the corner away from the sun or heat is fine, or put it in an air- conditioned room if the experiment is in the summer heat.
10. Look at the peanuts for seven to ten days for observing germination of the peanuts. Measure the peanut embryo (including the root on the peanut embryo) throughout from the peanut seed. When paper towels dry out, wet them again. Write down the number of seeds germinated in each group on the Data Table for each day during the seven through ten days period.
11. Closely look at the growth of the embryos for each day out of the seven to ten days period by using a magnifying glass and a metric ruler. Record measurements from the days on the seven to ten days period measurements on the data table.
D. Works Cited
Armstrong, Joseph. "Cotyledon." World Book Encyclopedia. 2006. 4. Chicago: World Book, 2006. Print.
"Introduction to the Flowering Plant Body." Introduction to the Flowering Plant Body. 30 Sep. 2009. Bellevue College, Web. 30 Sep. 2009.
http://scidiv.bellevuecollege.edu/rkr/Biology213/labs/pdfs/PlantBody.pdf
"Introduction to the Plantae." Introduction to the Plantae. 5 Oct 2009. Berkeley
University, Web. 5 Oct. 2009.
<http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/plants/plantae.html >.
"Lower Plants, Gymnosperm, Angiosperm." Chapter 27- Angiosperm, Gymnosperm, and Lower Plants. 25/11/2009. Iowa State University, Web. 25 Nov 2009.
<http://project.bio.iastate.edu/Articulation/ISU/Freshman/Biol_201/ /chp27.html>.
"Monocots versus Dicots." Monocots vs. Dicots. 30 Sep. 2009. Berkeley University, Web. 30 Sep. 2009.
<http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss8/monocotdicot.html>.
SCIENCE FAIR FORMS due September 4, 2015
Go to http://www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/oasp
Scroll down and click: Georgia Science and Engineering Fair (It will be in red print on the left side of the page.)
Scroll down and on the right lower side, under Downloadable Content: click # 1 ALL GSEF FORMS
Under Forms for All GSEF Exhibitors: Click on:
1 Checklist for Adult Sponsor (this is Form 1) I am the students’ adult sponsor (Melanie Mann or Jamie Nash). For the date, the student can enter 09-13-13; my phone will be the school phone number (478) 929-7832, and my email will be or . When the student completes this form, print it and place it in a page protector.
Next, click 1A Student Checklist/Research Plan
1 a. The student’s name is listed at the Student/Team Leader and then his/her grade. The email can be yours or the student’s. If no email, leave it blank. The phone number should be who will be contacted if the student wins money or other prizes. Leave b. and c. team member blank.
2. The title of the project may be something catchy or the question (problem) of the project.
3. The school name should be typed out as Warner Robins Middle School. The school phone number is (478) 929-7832. The school address should be typed as follows:
425 Mary Lane
Warner Robins, GA 31088
4. For adult sponsor: Melanie Mann or Tony Floyd phone/email: or
5. 7th graders, click No. 8th graders, click No unless you are continuing with last year’s project.
6. Leave this one blank: you will fill it in ink when you start and end your project.
7. Click appropriate box.
8. If you are not doing your experimentation at school, please list the address(es) of where you will be conducting your experiment. Most projects are done at home. If so, just write in your name and address.
When this form is complete, print the current page and place in a page protector.
Next, click 1B Approval Form
Type in your name as the student and the name of the parent who will sign the form. Print it out. Then you and your parent sign and date it. Then print this page and place in a page protector.
Research Plan
You should have completed this plan already. See all three of the pages that are before the science fair forms page in your handbook to see a rubric and a sample of how to complete this part. It is usually one to two pages typed. Double space and use Times New Roman 12 Font. Pay close attention to the format of the bibliography. (Use the MLA format). I realize that you have not done your research yet, but this should be five sources that you believe you will be able to use for your research. Try to use only one encyclopedia. You may use experts, journals, reliable websites, and nonfiction books as well. Do not use Wikipedia as one of your sources. Once you have completed this plan, print and place in page protector(s).
The Abstract form is completed after experimentation.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Log Book Instructions (Use the speckled-type composition book)
PLEASE READ PRIOR TO BEGINNING YOUR LOG BOOK:
1. Neatly write your first and last name on the front of your log book.
2. Write in black ink. If you make a mistake, write one line through it. Do not use white-out or scribble words out.
3. Starting with page six, document the entry number and the date on the same line, then skip a line and document the source, then skip a line and write the description of the entry and then skip a line and record your research. (See # 6 on the next page for an example).
4. Mark each section with a labeled tab. (See examples in the classroom). This is done at the end of the project.
Specific Guidelines for the Log Book
1. Page One: Save the first page for a title page. Your problem (question) or title of your project, your name, and your school will be written on this page.
2. Page Two: Table of contents (see examples in the classroom). This is usually completed at the end of your data keeping, so leave the second page in your logbook blank until then.
3. Page Three: Purpose
Example:
I chose this project because I wanted to see if I could create a more fuel efficient hot-air balloon envelope. This would allow for hot-air balloonist to travel greater distances with less fuel tanks. It would allow the pilot to carry more people because there would be more room in the basket. This concept would not be beneficial in tethered flights, as you are only floating a few minutes. However, it would be beneficial in flights that are one hour or longer. It would also benefit hot-air balloons using liquid propane, in setting world records.
4. Page Four: Hypothesis (Make sure you use an if . .then . .because . . statement)