McAuliffe STEAM Fair Friday May 20, 2016

STEAM FAIR DETAILS 1.Open to all 6 th, 7 th, and 8 th graders 2.May enter a: 1.Science Fair Project 2.Demonstration including the science behind it 3.Experimental Design 4.Science Hobby

3.You may work alone or with a partner 4.All work is to be done outside of class 5.By entering and presenting, you will receive an all you-can-eat pizza and ice cream party and a certificate of participation. 6.Check with your science teacher for extra credit points.

How To Put Together A Science Fair Project – Your project should include: – Topic – Question – Research – Hypothesis – Materials – Procedure – Variables – Results – Conclusion – Display

TOPIC – Base your project on your interest rather than choosing from a list. – What interests you the most? – What would you like to know more about? – What have you always wondered about?

QUESTION – The question should be one that can lead to an experiment, which will provide either quantitative or qualitative data.

RESEARCH – After choosing a topic – Read a variety of books/articles about the topic. – Use a minimum of 3 sources to write the report. – This information should help you make an informed hypothesis.

Hypothesis – The hypothesis attempts to predict the outcome of the experiment and suggests a possible reason(s) for this outcome. – A hypothesis is neither right or wrong, but provides guidance to the development of the investigation.

Materials – Materials used in the experiment need to be listed in specific amounts and sizes.

Procedure – In determining the procedure you need to identify the factors that will affect the outcome of the experiment. These are called variables. – Independent Variable (Manipulated Variable) – Dependent Variable (Responding Variable) – Controlled Variables

Understanding Variables – Variable: any factor in an experiment that can affect what happens in the experiment.

Variables – Independent Variable (manipulated variable): the factor that will be intentionally changed during the experimental procedure in order to find out what effect it has on something else. – Dependent Variable (responding variable): the factor that is observed and measured to see if it is affected by the change in the independent variable. – Variables that are Controlled: the factors in the experiment that must be kept exactly the same to make sure that they are not having any effect on the dependent variable.

Results – The results of the experiment include the measurements taken and observations made as well as a written explanation of the outcome. – When quantitative data are available, the results will include a graph.

Conclusion A conclusion has four parts: 1.It should reflect back on the original hypothesis and state whether it was supported or not. 2.It should answer the original question that started the investigation and include results used as a basis for that conclusion. 3.It should include inferences that can be made from the results of the experiment. 4.It should include any additional questions that could be investigated or information that could be researched in the future. In addition, any problems that were experienced during the experiment can be discussed.

Display – The display includes: – Backboard – Research Report – Logbook

Role of the Parent – Parents are encouraged to: – Be supportive – Approve the topic chosen – Acquire a logbook – Supply necessary materials – Supervise to ensure safety – Provide transportation – Proofread the research report – Monitor progress and schedule Leave the rest to the student!

Websites – stem-guide-for-kids-239-cool-sites-about-science- technology-engineering-and-math/ (There are 239 cool sites to look through) stem-guide-for-kids-239-cool-sites-about-science- technology-engineering-and-math/ – – projects/science_project_ideas.php projects/science_project_ideas.php – asp asp