Imagine Schools’ Science Fair

2015-2016

Imagine Schools’ Science Fair Guidelines

OPolicies and rules used nationally by all Imagine Schools

OGuidelines create an age appropriate version of the scientific method so students of all levels and abilities (4-8th) can participate!

Please follow along in your packet and take down any notes needed.

Competition v. Class only

OAll Preasto and Honors Academy students MUST do a competitive level project

OClass only participation information will come from your student’s teacher

OTeachers may offer incentives for creating competition level projects

Progression Plan pg.7 O Due dates for each portion will come

from your students teacherO Class fairs will take place before

Winter breakO School fair for eligible competition

level projects Saturday, January 9th

Step One: Choosing a topicPg. 3-6

Step two: Creating a Question see report guidelines (pg. 10-13) for specifics in each portion

O Problem for the project must be in question formO Cannot be a simple yes or no problemO Cannot be creating a model; must be solving a problemO Must be testable or able to be investigatedO Once selected choose the best category to enter

(pgs.5-6)O If using animals, they may not be your personal petsO If testing on people, the student may not test on

themselves

O ScienceBuddies.orgO Education.com/science-fairO More on page 19

Step three: Define the Purpose

O What interested the student in this topic?

O Why does the student think this is an important topic to study?

O Can be a personal story

Step four: Research the topicbib. info pg. 14

O All grades need to do some level of research in order to create a hypothesis

O Should know vocabulary and content well enough to discuss it with a judge

O MUST BE IN THE STUDENT’S OWN WORDSO 4th: research must be shown in oral presentation, ex.

“My hypothesis was ……because from my research I learned……”

O 5th: research summary and bibliography is required on the board in the correct place

O Middle school: formal research paper and bibliography is required in the correct place in the written report binder

O Will be in conjunction with language arts classesO Teachers will give the required minimum pages

Step five: HypothesisO Must be based on researchO Is a guess based on their current

knowledge about what will happen during the experiment

O Should be written as a cause and effect statement, if possible

O “If plants are exposed to different levels of light, then the plants given the most light will grow the quickest”

Step six: Define the Experiment pg. 12

O Subject: (middle school written report only) What living or non-living this does the project focus on?

O Constants: the things that are kept the same in each portion of the experiment

O Variables: MUST LISTED SEPERATLY the independent (manipulated or testing) variable and the dependent (responding or measured) variable

O Materials: bulleted list of all supplies necessary to test the experiment

O Procedures: the detailed step by step process involved in the experiment

O Should use the metric systemO NO PRONOUNS (I, ME,MY, HE, SHE, YOUR, YOU)

Step seven: ExperimentO Data notebook: (pg. 8) a composition

notebook is suggested O Take notes on everything done during the

testing O Take down observations based on the 5

sensesO Take down and collect measurements

during experimentO Must have qualitative (descriptive) data and

quantitative (measured or numbered) data

Step eight: Wrap it up! Pg. 13

O Data: a minimum of one graph or table is required for all levels

O Results: the data from experiment put into paragraph form; JUST THE FACTS NO INTERPERTATION

O Conclusion: interpretation of the results that answers if the hypothesis was valid and supported by the results or not

O Application: describes how the projects results can be used in the real world

O Recommendations: explains changes that would improve the experiment or gives extensions and follow up idea for future testing/research

O Acknowledgments: gives credit to anyone that helped during the project

Written Report (middle school only)

O Guidelines and proper order of components begin on pg. 10

O Order of components counts during judgingO Many components also appear on the boardO MUST BE TYPED AND PRINTED O 12-14 SIZE FONT O DOUBLE SPACEDO PROPER PARAGRAPH FORMATO will be given additional editing and writing help

in language arts classesO Teachers will give length requirements

The Board pg.15-16O All competitive students create a

boardO MUST BE STANDARD SIZE TRI-

FOLD

4th – not needed5th- research summaryMiddle- abstract

O Must be organized exactly like the template with each section given a title

O Must include pictures (NO PICTURES CONTAINING FACES) with captions

O Should have borders around each component

O Data must be in upper right hand side (only overflow can be under pictures)

O Any props or models must fit within the space of the tri-fold board

O Should be well practicedO Must include all components listed on

judging sheetO Students MUST know the information

well and demonstrate a working knowledge of the experiment and necessary research to understand the topic at an age appropriate level

O Students will be asked a few questions about their topic and project

Presentation. 17

JudgingO Students must meet minimum point

requirements to move on to regional and state competitions

O Copies of judging sheets for each level O 4th: pg.23O 5th: pg. 24O Middle: pg. 25

If interested in volunteering as a judge please see Ms. Chase

or Mrs. Bolam or sign the sign-up sheet Thank you

Good Luck see you on the 8th for the school fair!