1. Objective: Introduction to Science Fair
Focused Instruction: Topics of Discussion for “Getting Started” section of packet Due date Tuesday, January 9th
Guided Instruction: Go over the Science Fair Project Information in the Packet; Answer any questions students may have about the Science Fair
Activity: Students will go to our Website to the Science Fair tab under Science and will view different possible projects for the Science Fair; Students will choose the project they are interested in and sign up on the page board; Students who have already decided on a project will begin writing a Purpose/Testable Question; Hypothesis; Procedures to Follow; Begin Research
Closing Activity: Stick it board for questions about Science Fair

2. Sue Crouch Science Fair
Please use the enclosed information to help guide you through the rules of the fair!

3. Important Dates
November 15th: Students receive the Science Fair packet.
November 15th—December 7th: Students should work with their parents to decide the topic of their Science experiment.
December 8th: Students must have their Science experiments approved by their Science teacher.
December 8th—January 8th: Students will conduct their experiments and create a Science Fair tri-Fold board.
January 9th: There will be a school-wide Science Fair for both 5th and 6th grade. Projects will be judged and awards will be given.
Winners of the 6th grade Science Fair will compete at the Fort Worth Regional Science and Engineering Fair. This year's fair will be held onFebruary (Friday and Saturday), 2018,theCollege Park Center at the University of Texas at Arlington.

4. COMPETITION CATEGORIES
Animal Science
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Biochemistry
Chemistry
Computer science
Earth and Planetary Science
Electrical and Mechanical Engineering
Energy and Transportation
Environmental Science
Materials and Bioengineering
Mathematical Sciences
Medicine and Health Sciences
Microbiology
Physics and Astronomy
Plant Sciences

5. Science Fair Guidelines include:
Individual projects only
Parent involvement is encouraged
Projects should investigate a problem
Awards for first, second, and third place at each grade level will be given.
All projects must follow the Scientific Process
Each project will receive a participation ribbon
Safety First
The following are NOT ACCEPTABLE as projects for display:
Tobacco products
Alcohol
Live Bacteria
Drugs
Blood
Dissected animal parts
Explosives
Corrosives
Flammables

6. Getting started
Getting started can be one of the most difficult points of creating a Science experiment. Parents can help their child with this decision by having a discussion with them. A student’s project will be better if they are passionate about what they have researched.
Topics of discussion:
List three of your favorite hobbies or things that you enjoy doing?
If you had magic powers, list three things that you would do to change the world?
If you were an inventor, list three things you would create or make better?
What is the most fun thing you have ever done?

7. Steps of the Scientific Method
1. Formulate Question/Hypothesis
* Define the Research Question
* Review the Literature
* Create a Hypothesis
2. Collect Data
* Preparation: Make the Hypothesis
Testable (Operationalization)
* Preparation: Design the Experiment
* List the procedure of the experiment. .
3. Test Hypothesis
* Conduct the Experiment Observation
* Organize the Data
* Analyze the Results
* Check if the Results Support or disprove
the Hypothesis
4. Conclusion
* Look for Other Possible Explanations
* Generalize the Real World
* Suggestions to Further Research

8. Project Content A Science Fair Project has three parts:
* A free standing tri-fold board
* A sample of the work that you have done
* A report
Project Title
A project needs a title. It lets people know what you have worked on. The title should in the form of a statement, unless you use the problem statement as your title. The it should be in the form of a question.

9. Title Examples:
Poor title: Soap Powder (does not say enough)
Better title: Cleaning Power of Soap Powder
Problem statement title: Which Soap Powder Works Best in
Removing Ketchup Stains?
Problem Statement
The problem statement is always written in the form of a question, even if it is used as the title. The question tells people what you are trying to find out.
Poor Problem Statement: How does soap work?
Better Problem Statement: Which Soap Powder Works Best in Removing Ketchup Stains?
Background Information
Books, encyclopedias, Internet, Magazines, or experts in a field can give you background information to help you understand your topic. That information will not answer your question. It will only give you ideas about your topic. For example, you may read about soap and what it is made of, and include it in your project report, but you will still have to do an experiment to get the answer to your question. Begin collecting information for your bibliography. It will help you later on in the writing of your research paper if you will annotate the bibliography.

10. Hypothesis
After getting information about your topic, you should make a guess about what you think the answer to your question may be. For example, you may say that you think soap X will work best in removing ketchup stains.
Experiment
Now you are ready to do your experiment. You should write down the following information. You need a plan.
Materials:
What do you need to test your hypothesis? List all of the items that you need explaining
How many or how much.
Procedures:
What will you do? List and number the steps in the order that you will do them. Be sure to repeat you experiment at least three times to be sure of your results.
Example of procedure:
Five pieces of cotton from a white shirt were placed on a table. One drop of ketchup was placed on each piece of cotton.

11.  Controls
There should always be a control with which results can be compared. A constant is the part of the experiment that is kept the same.
 Identify your variables
These are factors that affect your investigation. An independent variable is exactly what it sounds like. It is a variable that stands alone and isn't changed by the other variables you are trying to measure.
A dependent variable is something that depends on other factors. For example, a test score could be a dependent variable because it could change depending on several factors such as how much you studied, how much sleep you got the night before you took the test, or even how hungry you were when you took it. Usually when you are looking for a relationship between two things you are trying to find out what makes the dependent variable change the way it does.

12. · Data—Recording your results
What did you see? Record all of your observations. For example, if you were doing the soap experiment you should tell how long it took for the different soaps to work, or which soap worked best at removing the stain. If you used quantitative data, be exact with your numbers or counts. If you use Qualitative data, describe what you observed in words like hot, cold, fast or slow. Use the same words when you talk about the same conditions. Make graphs or tables to display your data or take pictures.
· Conclusion
Your conclusions should begin with a statement on whether or not the results supported the hypothesis. It is acceptable to have an incorrect hypothesis. You should added a description of the problem of the specific experimental data supported or did not support the hypothesis. Include a description of problem that might have affected the results and why. Also, include any new discoveries you have made in addition to the results of the experiment. Add any new questions that may lead to new experiments.
Example:
Soap X worked in 20 minutes while soap Y took 40 minutes. Soap X works best in removing ketchup stains because it was twice as fast as soap Y. The hardness of the water may have affected the results because…...

13. · Applications
You will want to explain why this experiment was important or how your findings may be useful to others.
· Abstract
This is a short summary of the entire project. It must include purpose, procedures, and the results in paragraph form. You should limit yourself to no more than 250 words. The abstract is usually the first item the judges look at after the title.
Example:
The purpose of the experiment is to find out which soap works best in removing ketchup stains. Ketchup stains of the same size were placed on pieces of cotton. Soap X and Soap Y were used to wash the stained cotton several times. In each case, Soap X cleaned the pieces of cotton twice as fast as Soap Y. The hardness of the water may have affected the results. It would be interesting to find out if the results would be the same with different types of stains from other substances.

14. Author’s Last name, First Initial
· Bibliography
You MUST make a list of all the books, magazines, interviews, or other sources that you used.
Example:
Author’s Last name, First Initial
Title of the book, publisher, year published
Where published, pages used.
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