2018 Handbook for Category & Organization Judges

Prince William - Manassas Regional Science Fair An International Science and Engineering Fair Affiliate

Sponsored by Prince William County Public Schools

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School Board

Mr. Ryan Sawyers Chairman

Mrs. Lillie G. Jessie Vice Chairman

Occoquan District

Mr. William J. Deutsch Mr. Gil Trenum Coles District Brentsville District Ms. Diane L. Raulston Mr. Justin David Wilk Neabsco District Potomac District Mrs. Alyson A. Satterwhite Ms. Loree Y. Williams Gainesville District Woodbridge District

Superintendent of Schools

Dr. Steven L. Walts

Superintendent’s Staff

Mr. Keith A. Imon Deputy Superintendent

Mr. William G. Bixby Associate Superintendent for Middle Schools

Mr. David S. Cline Associate Superintendent for Finance and Support Services

Mr. R. Todd Erickson Associate Superintendent for Central Elementary Schools

Mrs. Rita Everett Goss Associate Superintendent for Student Learning and Accountability

Mrs. Jarcelynn M. Hart Associate Superintendent for Western Elementary Schools

Mrs. Denise M. Huebner Associate Superintendent for Eastern Elementary Schools

Mr. Keith J. Johnson Associate Superintendent for Human Resources

Mr. Philip B. Kavits Associate Superintendent for Communications and Technology Services

Mr. Michael A. Mulgrew Associate Superintendent for High Schools

P.O. BOX 389 MANASSAS, VA 20108 703.791.7200 WWW.PWCS.EDU

Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) does not discriminate in employment or in its educational programs and activities against qualified individuals on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, childbirth or related

medical conditions, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability, or any other basis prohibited by law. Associate Superintendent for Human Resources

Prince William County Public Schools, P.O. Box 389, Manassas, VA 20108

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Table of Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 4

Schedule of Events .......................................................................................................................... 6

Directions to Prince William Cunty Public Schools Kelly Leadership Center .............................. 7

Categories and Topic Descriptions ................................................................................................. 8

Judging Guidelines, Hints, and Suggested Questions ................................................................... 10

Appendix A - Evaluation Rubrics ................................................................................................. 12

Appendix B - Consensus Worksheets ........................................................................................... 16

Appendix C - Awards Reports ...................................................................................................... 18

Notes ............................................................................................................................................. 21

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February 13, 2018

Dear Regional Science Fair Judge,

Welcome to the 2018 Prince William-Manassas Regional Science Fair! On behalf of

Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS), I would like to thank you for contributing your

time and professional expertise to evaluating this year’s regional science fair projects and to

providing our students with quality feedback on their research efforts.

This handbook provides a complete schedule of events, detailed project evaluation criteria, and

samples of judging rubrics and other applicable documents. It also offers a few helpful judging

hints and a list of suggested questions for student interviews.

Please contact me if you have questions or require further information at 703.791.7240 or

renbergj@pwcs.edu.

Sincerely,

Julia Renberg

Director of Prince William-Manassas Regional Science Fair

Supervisor of Science and Family Life Education, PWCS

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Middle Division (Grades 7 – 8)

Senior Division (Grades 9 – 12)

Schedule of Events

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Kelly Leadership Center

7:30 – 8 a.m. Check in and breakfast

8 a.m. Orientation

8:30 a.m. Judging begins

1 p.m. All judging should be completed

Lunch

(Served beginning at noon)

Judges are invited to lunch

upon completing of judging

12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m. Grand Prize judges check in and lunch

1 p.m. Grand Prize judging begins

2:30 p.m. Grand Prize judging concludes

4 – 5 p.m.

(Grades 7 – 8)

Awards Ceremony

(All judges are invited to attend)

5:15 – 6 p.m.

(Grades 9 – 12)

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Schedule of Events

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Kelly Leadership Center

7:30 – 8 a.m. Check in and breakfast

8 a.m. Orientation

8:30 a.m. Judging begins

1 p.m. All judging should be completed

Lunch

(Served beginning at noon)

Judges are invited to lunch

upon completing of judging

12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m. Grand Prize judges check in and lunch

1 p.m. Grand Prize judging begins

2 p.m. Grand Prize judging concludes

3 – 4 p.m. Awards Ceremony

(All judges are invited to attend)

Junior Division (Grades 5 – 6)

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Kelly Leadership Center

14715 Bristow Road

Manassas, VA 20112

PWCS Science Office 703.791.7240

From I-95/Rt. 1:

Take Va-234 N/Dumfries Rd N. (Travel 7.9 miles)

Turn Left onto Bristow Rd/Va-619. (Travel 0.4 miles)

The Kelly Leadership Center is on the right

14715 Bristow Rd., Manassas, VA 20112-3945

From I-66:

Take Va-234 S via Exit 44 toward Manassas/Dumfries.

(Travel 14.5 miles)

Turn Right onto Independent Hill Rd. (Travel 0.4 miles)

Turn left onto Bristow Rd/Va-619. (Travel 0.6 miles)

The Kelly Leadership Center is on the left

14715 Bristow Rd., Manassas, VA 20112-3945

Directions to

Prince William County Public Schools

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MIDDLE/SENIOR DIVISION (Grades 7–8 and 9–12)

Category Project Focus

Animal Sciences AS genetics, physiology, pathology, and systematics

Behavioral and Social

Sciences

BE human clinical and developmental psychology, cognitive

physiological psychology, and sociology

Biochemistry BI chemical processes within and relating to living organisms

Chemistry CH analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry,

and physical chemistry

Computer Science CS algorithms/data bases, artificial intelligence, networking and

communications, graphics, simulations/virtual reality,

operating systems, and software engineering

Earth and Planetary

Sciences

EP climatology, weather, geochemistry, mineralogy, tectonics,

paleontology, and geophysics

Engineering EN civil, constructional, chemical, industrial, electrical,

computer, and mechanical engineering, materials sciences,

bioengineering, and robotics

Environmental Sciences EV air, soil, and water pollution/quality, bioremediation,

environmental engineering, land resource management,

recycling and waste management

Mathematics MA probability and statistics, and applied mathematics

Medicine & Health

Sciences

MH disease diagnosis and treatment, epidemiology, human

genetics, and pathophysiology

Microbiology MI bacteriology, virology, and microbial studies

Physics PH Newtonian physics, instrumentation and electronics, nuclear

and particle physics, optics/laser, and theoretical physics

Plant Sciences PS agriculture, agronomy, horticulture, forestry, plant taxonomy

and evolution, plant physiology, plant pathology, and plant

genetics

Categories and Topic Descriptions

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JUNIOR DIVISION (Grades 5-6)

Category Project Focus

Animal Sciences AS Projects that study animals; typically, animals that live

alongside humans. This category includes studies that

might involve vertebrates (non-humans) and/or

invertebrates.

Behavioral and Social

Sciences

BE Projects that study interactions among living things and

their environment. This category might include studies on

learning, perception, public opinion, and learning.

Biochemistry BI Projects on substances and chemical processes of living

things. This category might include a study on

photosynthesis or chemical digestion.

Chemistry CH Projects that study physical matter and how it changes

through interactions with other matter. This category

might include studies of chemical reactions, as well as

product testing (comparison of shampoos, dyes, etc.).

Computer Science and

Mathematics

CS-M Projects that deal with computer software and

mathematical reasoning. This category might include a

study on programming or computational thinking.

Earth and Planetary

Sciences

ES Projects that study Earth systems and anything beyond our

planet. This category might include a study of fossil

formations, earthquakes, or celestial objects.

Engineering EN Projects that design and study complicated machines,

systems, or structures. This category might include a

study that involves robotics or simple tools.

Environmental

Sciences

EV Projects that study the environment and its relationships

with living things. This category might include a study on

recycling and waste management.

Medicine and Health

Sciences

MH Projects that study human health or diseases and their

prevention and treatment. This category includes studies

on teeth, skin, nutrition, allergies, hearing, and related

areas.

Microbiology MI Projects that study living things that could be seen under a

microscope. This category includes studies with bacteria

or mold.

Physics PH Projects that study how matter and energy interact.

This category might include a study on motion, light,

sound, electricity, and magnetism.

Plant Science PS Projects that study plants. This category might include a

study on plants’ growth or reproduction.

Categories and Topic Descriptions

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➢ Each entry should be judged in the domains of 1) the scientific research process,

and 2) the intellectual creativity and uniqueness of the product.

➢ The evaluation rubrics encompass 6 criteria categories and allow for 100 possible points

(Appendix A).

➢ Every student should have an opportunity to present his or her project and to be actively

interviewed for about 5-10 minutes by at least two or more judges.

Judges should not complete scoring evaluations in the presence of students.

➢ Each judge should rank evaluated projects based on the number of total points earned.

➢ Judges meet and share their project rankings on the Consensus Worksheet (Appendix

B). Note: discussion and possible reevaluation of projects may occur.

➢ Judges should arrive at a group consensus and record the place winners on the Report of

Awards (Appendix C).

➢ Examine the quality of the student’s work and how well the student understands the

project and the area of study. The physical display is important, but secondary to the

student’s knowledge of the research.

➢ Look for evidence of laboratory or field work, not just library research.

➢ Keep in mind the age of the student. Sometimes judges give students either far more

credit than deserved or not enough because it is not in the Nobel Prize category.

➢ Compare displays and presentations only in the same category and not with projects seen

elsewhere or under other circumstances.

➢ If the student(s) is/are present:

• Keep in mind that the fair is not only a competition, but also an educational and

inspirational experience for students. The high point of the fair for most students is

their face-to-face interview with the judges. For this reason, please use encouraging

tone when asking questions, offering suggestions, or giving constructive criticism.

• Remember that students have a prospect of revising and/or expanding on their

projects in the future. Engage students in self-reflection as an opportunity to let you

know if they are aware of any shortcomings in the research or procedure.

Judging Guidelines

Judging Hints

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Background Knowledge Why did you decide on this research?

What was the purpose of your project?

What resource did you find that was helpful? Why?

Experimental Design What was your hypothesis?

What variable did you intentionally change?

What response did you observe or measure?

What did you intentionally keep the same?

What group did you compare against the others? Why?

How many times did you repeat the experiment?

Materials and Methods What materials did you use?

What steps did you follow in conducting the experiment?

If you had a mentor, in what ways did the mentor assist you?

Results/Conclusion What were the results of your experiment?

How did the results relate to your original hypothesis?

What conclusions did you make?

If you conducted the experiment again, what would you do differently?

What additional experiments would you suggest?

Which groups in the community would be interested in your research?

What recommendations would you make to these groups?

What was the most important thing you learned from the experiment?

Source: Cothron, Giese, & Rezba. Students and Research, Kendall/Hunt, 1989.

Suggested Questions for Student Interviews

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Appendix A

Evaluation Rubrics

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Judging Criteria

Junior Division (Grades 5-6)

Project Name & Number

Title (0–5 pts)

• A statement that relates the independent and dependent

variables is included

Experimental Design (0–50 pts)

• Question is identified (10 pts)

• Hypothesis is stated and relates to the question (10 pts)

• Independent variable is identified (10 pts)

• Dependent variable is identified (10 pts)

• Constants are identified (10 pts)

Materials & Procedures (0–10 pts)

• Materials and equipment list is provided (5 pts)

• Steps of the procedures followed are enumerated (5 pts)

Results (0–15 pts)

• Data table with titles, labels, units (5pts)

• Graph with correct scale, titles, labels, units (5pts)

• Interpretation of data; explanation of results (5 pts)

Conclusion (0–10 pts)

• Includes a summary of the investigation (2 pts)

• Explains the purpose of the investigation (2 pts)

• States the results, including whether hypothesis was

supported or not supported by the data (2 pts)

• Identifies potential errors (2 pts)

• Includes two new discoveries/new learnings (2 pts)

Creativity (0–10 pts)

• Demonstrates innovative ideas (5 pts)

• Visual presentation is organized, complete, neat (5 pts)

GRAND TOTAL (100 points possible)

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Judging Criteria

Middle Division (Grades 7-8)

Project Name & Number

Title (0–5 pts)

• A statement that relates the independent and dependent variables is

included

Experimental Design (0–42 pts)

• Question is identified (7 pts)

• Literature Review is provided (7 pts)

• Hypothesis is stated and relates to the question (7 pts)

• Independent variable is identified (7 pts)

• Dependent variable is identified (7 pts)

• Constants are identified (7 pts)

Materials & Procedures (0–10 pts)

• Materials and equipment list is provided (5 pts)

• Steps of the procedures followed are enumerated (5 pts)

Results (0–15 pts)

• Data table with titles, labels, units (5pts)

• Graph with correct scale, titles, labels, units (5pts)

• Interpretation of data; explanation of results (5 pts)

Conclusion (0–10 pts)

• Includes a summary of the investigation (2 pts)

• Explains the purpose of the investigation (2 pts)

• States the results, including whether hypothesis was supported or not

supported by the data (2 pts)

• Identifies potential errors (2 pts)

• Includes two new discoveries/new learnings (2 pts)

Creativity (0–10 pts)

• Demonstrates innovative ideas (5 pts)

• Visual presentation is organized, complete, neat (5 pts)

Interview (0–8 pts)

• Understanding of relevant science, interpretation, limitation of results

• Clear and thoughtful responses to questions

GRAND TOTAL (100 points possible)

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Judging Criteria

Senior Division (Grades 9-12)

Project Name & Number

Research Question (10 pts)

• Clear and focused purpose

• Identifies contribution(s) to the field

• Testable using science methods

Design and Methodology (15 pts)

• Well-designed plan and data collection methods

• Variables and controls defined, appropriate, and complete

Execution: Data Collection, Analysis, and Interpretation (20 pts)

• Systematic data collection and analysis

• Reproducibility of results

• Appropriate application of mathematical and statistics methods

• Sufficient data collected to support interpretation and conclusions

Creativity (20 pts)

• Project demonstrates significant creativity in one or more of the

above categories

Presentation: Display (10 pts)

• Logical organization of material

• Clarity of graphics and legends

Presentation: Interview (25 pts)

• Clear, concise, thoughtful responses to questions

• Understanding of basic science relevant to project

• Understanding interpretation and limitations of results and conclusion

• Degree of independence in conducting project

• Recognition of potential impact in science, society, and/or economics

• Quality of ideas for further research

• For team projects, contributions to and understanding of project by all

members

GRAND TOTAL (100 points possible)

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Appendix B

Consensus Worksheets

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Category: _________________________________________________

Project

Number

Judge

1

Judge

2

Judge

3

Judge

4

Judge

5

Judge

6

Total

Relative

Ranking

PLACE

1. List in numerical sequence all projects considered for an award.

2. Each judge should record the relative rankings of his or her own evaluation: project with highest points earned receives a

ranking of 10; next highest receives nine, etc.

3. Total the relative rankings for each project.

4. Determine places by the total relative rankings.

5. No more than three Honorable Mentions should be awarded.

6. Record the order in the place column.

7. Transfer the information to the Category Awards Report For

Consensus Worksheet for Category Judges

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Appendix C

Awards Reports

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Category: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Division (circle one): Junior (Grades 5–6) Middle (Grades 7–8) Senior (Grades 9–12)

Award Project

Number

Project Title

First Place

Second Place

Third Place

Honorable Mention

Honorable Mention

Honorable Mention

Judges Initials: __________ __________ __________ __________

Submit this Category Awards Report, along with the Consensus Worksheet for Category Judges, to Science Fair Personnel

Prince William-Manassas Regional Science Fair

Division Category Awards Report

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Organization: _______________________________________________________________________________

Names of Judges:

Award Project

Number

Project Title

First Place

Second Place

Third Place

Honorable Mention

Honorable Mention

Honorable Mention

Description of Organization Award:__________________________________________________________________

Submit this Organization Awards Report to Science Fair Personnel

Prince William-Manassas Regional Science Fair

Organization Awards Report Grades 7–12

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NOTES