1. Sept 2010

2.  Purpose  Requirements and Scientific Method  Important Dates  Common concerns  Research Paper  Questions

3.  Expand students critical thinking and problem solving skills  Maintain high academic standards  Science is all around us and found in all parts of life  Science helps to make the world a better place to live

4. A question A hypothesis A control group At least 3 experimental groups One dependent variable One independent variable Experimental design which includes repeated testing Data measured in metric units Accurate analysis of data Conclusion

6.  Can be the most difficult part of the process  Start by looking for questions or problems in students lives  Neighborhood, state, region etc…  Newspapers, magazines, or science fair websites can be used as a starting point.

7. Focus on the impact of an independent variable affecting a dependent variable. Ex: How does a the color of light affect the growth of tomato plants ? Independent variable is the factor students will change in their experiment. Dependent variable is the factor students will measure in their experiment. Must be testable

8.  Educated guess or possible answer to the question  Hypothesis must be supported by facts, observations and research  Ideally, students should not know the answer to their question before they begin

9.  Three experimental groups with varying levels of independent variable  One control group  Dependent variable that can be measured in all groups  Control for all other variables

10.  Experimental Groups – red, green and violet lights.  Control Group – white light  Measuring the dependent variable – plant height or plant mass  Other variables – water, soil, nutrients temperature,

11. All plants In same size pot Same type of soil Watered on the same day, with the same volume of water At the same temperature Data recorded on the same day

12. 1 2 3 4

13.  Data – measurable information collected during the test  Examples – height, mass, voltage, speed, count, survey (dislike, like)  Think outside the box – how can your student create an objective framework for measuring ?  Aim for at least 20 pieces of data  Data is used to show a trend or pattern

14.  Record data in charts  Use graphs to analyze and compare data  Bar graph, line graph, pie chart, scatter plot  Axes should compare independent and dependent variables.  Use data to prove or disprove hypothesis.

15.  Did the data prove or disprove the hypothesis?  Explain why this project matters, how is this work relevant to other people ?

16. Fri Oct 1 st – Proposal due to Science Teachers Fri Oct 14 th – Proposals returned to students Fri Nov 12 th – Rough Drafts due to Language Arts Teachers Mid Nov – Data collection at the discretion of science teacher Week of Dec 6 th – Science Projects due Sat. Dec 11 th – Science Fair at UMD College Park

17.  Research vs. controlled experiment  Research paper is part of the project, but does not stand alone.  Materials can be borrowed from or used at CSP ex: microscopes, volt meters, motion detector, scales etc…  Hard to find materials – Ask a science teacher

18.  Control groups and variables  Human subjects require a consent form, ask science teacher once proposal is approved.  Testing on human subjects requires adult supervision. ◦ Safety ◦ Allergies  Data must be adjusted to maintain privacy.

19.  Control group and variable groups  Must have enough animals to test on ◦ or word question to focus on one particular animal  Animal safety  Must be feed, watered and housed safely

20.  What if the hypothesis is wrong ? - Scientists are often wrong. - Think about and explain what can be learned from this experiment.  What is the test is inaccurate or a failure ? - Why ? What can be done to correct testing ? - If time, retest. Remember the larger goal of the science fair is to promote critical thinking

21.  Title Page  Abstract  Introduction  Statement of Purpose  Materials and Experimental Methods  Data Table, Results, and Graph  Discussion and Analysis  Conclusion  References

22.  Title Page  Statement of Purpose  Materials and Experimental Methods  Data Table, Results, and Graph  References

23.  Explain why you chose your topic.  What makes it an important experiment to conduct?  Are there any long-term implications of the information you conduct?

24.  Materials: A list of materials needed to conduct your experiment. o Experimental Methods: Explain step by step how you conducted your research and experiment.

25.  Include any data you have  Show how you will collect and organize data.  Explain or show the graph you will use. Plant Height Test ATest BTest C Day 110 cm Day 712 cm10 cm13 cm Day 14 Day 21

26.  This is the last page in your paper.  Tells where you got your information that is in your introduction.  Number of sources: 6 th – a minimum of one source 7 th – a minimum of two sources 8 th – a minimum of three sources 9 th – a minimum of four sources

27.  Talk to them about the Science Fair  Add Science Fair dates to a wall calendar at home  Plan a trip to the library to research information  Work with them to collect materials and plan experiment  Safety  Proofread  Remind them to ask for help

28. OTHER QUESTIONS ?