Avalon Science and Engineering Fair 2015

Let’s Get Started Science and Engineering Fair packets will go home this week. All 2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th and 5 th grade students are required to complete a science and engineering fair project. Important Note for 2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th and 5 th Graders: The project MUST be an EXPERIMENT or an Engineering Project, not a model, collection, demonstration, research report, or comparison report!! The science project is due no later than February 2nd. Check your child’s science packet for specific due dates.

First things first o Your child needs to think about something that is of interest to him or her or a problem that needs to be solved. o After they have something in mind they need to research the subject. Look in books, magazines, the internet, even talk to an expert. o Time to come up with a question, problem, or purpose for your project. (All of this should be written in their journal) o The problem or purpose should be about something that would benefit society in some way.

Steps for a Science Project Once you have decided the purpose of the project, or the question you will try to answer, your child needs to make their hypothesis. Hypothesis is an educated guess about the outcome of your project’s question or purpose. Tell why you believe this to be true based on your research! During this entire time your child should be writing in a journal each day. Discussing what they are doing, discovering and are going to do next. Complete the experiment. A good scientist conducts the experiment several times to see if they get the same results. Keep notes in journal and take pictures.

The Three Steps to Your Child’s Science Fair Project Step 1: The Journal From the beginning to the end your child needs to keep a journal. Some projects, ones that require daily observations, will require that your child writes in it every day and others may only require writing when your child is working on the project, a few entries. This journal is a very important part of the project.

Journal Entry Example Example: January 12, 2010 Today my teacher talked with us about the science fair. We got our packets and talked about the different things we could do our project on. I think I want to do mine on if using antibacterial hand sanitizer is a good way to wash your hands. Example: January 13, 2010 I talked with my teacher today and she said I could a project on how effective antibacterial hand sanitizer is at removing germs. I will begin researching on my computer after school. Example: January 13, 2010 I am going to look up many different things on the internet. I want to look up different kinds of bacteria that could get on your hands, what are the ingredients in hand sanitizer that kill germs and how not using water helps kill germs. I will list all my research I find below… Then list everything you find online.

The Journal Your child’s journal (the scientist) is where they keep all of their notes, ideas, facts they have found, everything. The journal needs to be hand written. It doesn’t need to be perfect, it is where a scientist brainstorms their ideas, writes down their daily accounts, it is the place where the proof can be found. Never rip out a page in your journal, just put a X over the page and leave it. A scientist never throws any notes away. Some of our greatest inventions have been discovered through mistakes.

Step 2: The Notebook This is the final copy of your project. It needs to be typed or neatly written. Put your first & last name, grade & teacher on the back of notebook. Out of sight of judges. Page 1. Title and Problem Question- This is the front cover, it should have the title of the project on it. (i.e. Who would you rather kiss? A human or a dog?) Page 2. Table of Contents- List the things that would be found in the notebook and on what page. (i.e. Research Report ……………………..page 2) 1.Title and Problem Question- This is the front cover, it should have the title of the project on it. (i.e. Which Battery is Better?) 2.Table of Contents- List the things that would be found in the notebook and on what page. (i.e. Research Report ……………………..page 2) 3.Research Report- Tell what you learned about your topic before you did the experiment. Use books, magazines, science book or internet. This report must be written in student’s own words and not just copied from the source. 4.Hypothesis- An educated guess about the outcome or results of the experiment and must be based on facts found in research. (i.e. “I believe that bread mold does not need light for reproduction on white bread. I base my hypothesis on the fact that organisms with chlorophyll need light to survive. Molds do not have chlorophyll.”) 5.List of Materials- List all materials used for your experiment 6.Experiment- Step by step detailed explanation of how to do the experiment. If drawings will make it clearer, draw each step and write an explanation of what is happening. 7.Data (Results of Experiment) – What you observed. Show your data. This could be in the form of a graph, chart or table. 8.Conclusion – Look over your journal, charts, notes and any information you have. This should be minimum 1 paragraph. This refers back to the original problem or question. Remember, your final conclusion might not agree with your original hypothesis. Your experiment might not have turned out the way you thought it would! Don’t be afraid to say that you made a mistake or were wrong! Great discoveries come from what we learn from mistakes. Future Research, If your hypothesis was incorrect, what might you do differently if you performed the experiment again? If it was correct what other research might you like to do on this same topic? 9.Bibliography – A list of all the resources you used throughout the project. List all books, articles, magazines, people you talked to, and websites.

Step 2: The Notebook Continued Page 3. Research Report- Tell what you learned about your topic before you did the experiment. Use books, magazines, science book or internet. This report must be written in student’s own words and not just copied from the source. Check with your child’s teacher about the length of the research report. Page 4. Hypothesis- An educated guess about the outcome or results of the experiment and must be based on facts found in research. (i.e. “I believe that bread mold does not need light for reproduction on white bread. I base my hypothesis on the fact that organisms with chlorophyll need light to survive. Molds do not have chlorophyll.”) 1.Title and Problem Question- This is the front cover, it should have the title of the project on it. (i.e. Which Battery is Better?) 2.Table of Contents- List the things that would be found in the notebook and on what page. (i.e. Research Report ……………………..page 2) 3.Research Report- Tell what you learned about your topic before you did the experiment. Use books, magazines, science book or internet. This report must be written in student’s own words and not just copied from the source. 4.Hypothesis- An educated guess about the outcome or results of the experiment and must be based on facts found in research. (i.e. “I believe that bread mold does not need light for reproduction on white bread. I base my hypothesis on the fact that organisms with chlorophyll need light to survive. Molds do not have chlorophyll.”) 5.List of Materials- List all materials used for your experiment 6.Experiment- Step by step detailed explanation of how to do the experiment. If drawings will make it clearer, draw each step and write an explanation of what is happening. 7.Data (Results of Experiment) – What you observed. Show your data. This could be in the form of a graph, chart or table. 8.Conclusion – Look over your journal, charts, notes and any information you have. This should be minimum 1 paragraph. This refers back to the original problem or question. Remember, your final conclusion might not agree with your original hypothesis. Your experiment might not have turned out the way you thought it would! Don’t be afraid to say that you made a mistake or were wrong! Great discoveries come from what we learn from mistakes. Future Research, If your hypothesis was incorrect, what might you do differently if you performed the experiment again? If it was correct what other research might you like to do on this same topic? 9.Bibliography – A list of all the resources you used throughout the project. List all books, articles, magazines, people you talked to, and websites.

Step 2: The Notebook Continued Page 5. List of Materials- List all materials used for your experiment Page 6. Experiment- Step by step detailed explanation of how to do the experiment. If drawings will make it clearer, draw each step and write an explanation of what is happening. A good scientist will repeat the experiment several times to see if they get the same results Page 7. Data (Results of Experiment) – What you observed. Show your data. This could be in the form of a graph, chart or table. 1.Title and Problem Question- This is the front cover, it should have the title of the project on it. (i.e. Which Battery is Better?) 2.Table of Contents- List the things that would be found in the notebook and on what page. (i.e. Research Report ……………………..page 2) 3.Research Report- Tell what you learned about your topic before you did the experiment. Use books, magazines, science book or internet. This report must be written in student’s own words and not just copied from the source. 4.Hypothesis- An educated guess about the outcome or results of the experiment and must be based on facts found in research. (i.e. “I believe that bread mold does not need light for reproduction on white bread. I base my hypothesis on the fact that organisms with chlorophyll need light to survive. Molds do not have chlorophyll.”) 5.List of Materials- List all materials used for your experiment 6.Experiment- Step by step detailed explanation of how to do the experiment. If drawings will make it clearer, draw each step and write an explanation of what is happening. 7.Data (Results of Experiment) – What you observed. Show your data. This could be in the form of a graph, chart or table. 8.Conclusion – Look over your journal, charts, notes and any information you have. This should be minimum 1 paragraph. This refers back to the original problem or question. Remember, your final conclusion might not agree with your original hypothesis. Your experiment might not have turned out the way you thought it would! Don’t be afraid to say that you made a mistake or were wrong! Great discoveries come from what we learn from mistakes. Future Research, If your hypothesis was incorrect, what might you do differently if you performed the experiment again? If it was correct what other research might you like to do on this same topic? 9.Bibliography – A list of all the resources you used throughout the project. List all books, articles, magazines, people you talked to, and websites.

Step 2: The Notebook Continued Page 8. Conclusion – Look over your journal, charts, notes and any information you have. This should be minimum 1 page. This refers back to the original problem or question. Remember, your final conclusion might not agree with your original hypothesis. Your experiment might not have turned out the way you thought it would! Don’t be afraid to say that you made a mistake or were wrong! Great discoveries come from what we learn from mistakes. Future Research, If your hypothesis was incorrect, what might you do differently if you performed the experiment again? If it was correct what other research might you like to do on this same topic? 1.Title and Problem Question- This is the front cover, it should have the title of the project on it. (i.e. Which Battery is Better?) 2.Table of Contents- List the things that would be found in the notebook and on what page. (i.e. Research Report ……………………..page 2) 3.Research Report- Tell what you learned about your topic before you did the experiment. Use books, magazines, science book or internet. This report must be written in student’s own words and not just copied from the source. 4.Hypothesis- An educated guess about the outcome or results of the experiment and must be based on facts found in research. (i.e. “I believe that bread mold does not need light for reproduction on white bread. I base my hypothesis on the fact that organisms with chlorophyll need light to survive. Molds do not have chlorophyll.”) 5.List of Materials- List all materials used for your experiment 6.Experiment- Step by step detailed explanation of how to do the experiment. If drawings will make it clearer, draw each step and write an explanation of what is happening. 7.Data (Results of Experiment) – What you observed. Show your data. This could be in the form of a graph, chart or table. 8.Conclusion – Look over your journal, charts, notes and any information you have. This should be minimum 1 paragraph. This refers back to the original problem or question. Remember, your final conclusion might not agree with your original hypothesis. Your experiment might not have turned out the way you thought it would! Don’t be afraid to say that you made a mistake or were wrong! Great discoveries come from what we learn from mistakes. Future Research, If your hypothesis was incorrect, what might you do differently if you performed the experiment again? If it was correct what other research might you like to do on this same topic? 9.Bibliography – A list of all the resources you used throughout the project. List all books, articles, magazines, people you talked to, and websites.

Step 2: The Notebook Continued Page 9. Bibliography – A list of all the resources you used throughout the project. List all books, articles, magazines, people you talked to, and websites. Check with your child’s teacher about how many resources they are expected to use for their research. (See Page 10. Acknowledgements – Please thank anyone and everyone who helped you on this project!! Include how each person helped you. 1.Title and Problem Question- This is the front cover, it should have the title of the project on it. (i.e. Which Battery is Better?) 2.Table of Contents- List the things that would be found in the notebook and on what page. (i.e. Research Report ……………………..page 2) 3.Research Report- Tell what you learned about your topic before you did the experiment. Use books, magazines, science book or internet. This report must be written in student’s own words and not just copied from the source. 4.Hypothesis- An educated guess about the outcome or results of the experiment and must be based on facts found in research. (i.e. “I believe that bread mold does not need light for reproduction on white bread. I base my hypothesis on the fact that organisms with chlorophyll need light to survive. Molds do not have chlorophyll.”) 5.List of Materials- List all materials used for your experiment 6.Experiment- Step by step detailed explanation of how to do the experiment. If drawings will make it clearer, draw each step and write an explanation of what is happening. 7.Data (Results of Experiment) – What you observed. Show your data. This could be in the form of a graph, chart or table. 8.Conclusion – Look over your journal, charts, notes and any information you have. This should be minimum 1 paragraph. This refers back to the original problem or question. Remember, your final conclusion might not agree with your original hypothesis. Your experiment might not have turned out the way you thought it would! Don’t be afraid to say that you made a mistake or were wrong! Great discoveries come from what we learn from mistakes. Future Research, If your hypothesis was incorrect, what might you do differently if you performed the experiment again? If it was correct what other research might you like to do on this same topic? 9.Bibliography – A list of all the resources you used throughout the project. List all books, articles, magazines, people you talked to, and websites.

Step 3: The Display Board The visual part of your science project. This is the part of the project that should be done last. You are to present your topic including: Title, Problem or question or purpose, Hypothesis, Procedure, Results (Data), and Conclusions. The purpose of the science board is to make a visual replica of your notebook (Step 2). No pictures of people’s faces can be on your board. Put name, grade & teacher’s name on back of display board. It needs to be neat and visually pleasing. It is the first impression of your project.

Display Board

Steps for an Engineering Project The Engineering Project does not follow the Scientific Method. Instead, it follows the Engineering Design Process. If your child selects to do an Engineering Project, please make sure that he or she receives a copy of the Engineering Project packet from his or her teacher and follows the directions in that packet. The engineering design process is a series of steps that engineers follow to come up with a solution to a problem.

For the Engineering Design Project:  Define the Problem  Do Background Research  Specify Requirements  Brainstorm Solutions  Choose the Best Solution  Do Development Work  Build a Prototype  Test and Redesign

Six Steps to the Engineering Design Process Step 1: Ask  What is the problem?  What do you already know about the problem?  What are the limits or controls of the task?

Step 2: Imagine  What are some solutions to the problem?  Do research to find out current possible solutions to the problem.  Brainstorm new solutions to the problem.  Choose a way to solve the problem.

Step 3: Plan  Draw a diagram of your design product.  List the supplies you will need to create or build it.  Who will help you with this design product?  List the steps you will take to create or build your design product. (Be specific and give details!)

Step 4: Create  Follow your plan.  Collaborate with the people who are helping you.  Work steadily and manage your time.  Test your design product. (You may want to have a group of people be your testers!)

Step 5: Improve  Learn form your mistakes.  Make your design even better.  Test it again.  Re-design again!

Step 6: Present  Share your design with your family, friends, teacher, and classmates.  Be sure to discuss how your errors led to a better design and what successes you had.  Let others ask you questions about your design product.

For the Engineering Project You will need to complete: A journal A notebook with a research report A display board A Prototype of your design product Please follow the directions in the Engineering Project packet for these requirements!!!

Some Good Resources Remember you can help your child, but it is their project. They need to do the work. For access to all things concerning the Avalon Science and Engineering Fair, go to the VVUSD site, Schools, Elementary Schools, Avalon, then go to “Useful Links” T This website has great step- by- step procedures for completing your child’s science fair project. Mrs. Smissen highly recommends it.