Science Fair!
As part of the rigorous course work at STEMM, all students are required to participate in
science fair. Students have benchmark deadlines through the end of September before they can
begin the actual experimentation. The benchmark deadlines are firm deadlines and will count
for a grade in their science class. All late work penalties that the classroom teacher has in place
will apply. The purpose of the fair is to learn about the process of science by doing science!
The rules and regulations for Middle school science fair projects are very specific and set forth
by the state of Florida, not the STEMM Academy. 6th Grade will devote class time in their
research class to compiling the required information, but the actual experiment will be done
at home. 7th and 8th grade students will not have class time devoted to the project. It will take a
lot of effort on your part. Make sure you pick a topic that you will be able to accomplish.
As part of the course requirements at STEMM, students will be required to choose a topic that
is of a higher intellectual level. There are topics that are forbidden for middle school students to
complete, those are topics dealing with any microorganisms such as bacteria, mold, and fungus.
This includes topics that could potentially grow bacteria, mold, and fungus. Students are also
forbidden to do any project that involves vertebrate animals. 6 th and 7th grade students are
forbidden to complete any topic with human participants, including themselves. 8 th grade
students will be given special permission for human projects, with prior approval. Any 8th grade
student wanting to complete a human project is required to have a research plan proposal
completed and submitted by Monday, August 15th. Any student who does not have a research
plan proposal submitted by August 15th will not be allowed to do a human project. There is no
guarantee that submitting a proposal will result in the student being allowed to complete a
human project.
Friday, August 12, 2016
Monday, August 15, 2016
Friday, September 9, 2016
Friday, September 23, 2016
Friday, November 18, 2016
Monday, November 28, 2016
Important Due Dates
Topic Selections Due
Human Proposals due for 8th Grade
Science Fair Paperwork Due
Final Paperwork Corrections Due
Science Fair Display Boards Due
Abstract & Formal Report Due
Science Fair Project Idea Information Sheet
All STEMM students are REQUIRED to complete a science fair project. It is imperative that you begin working on
your project early! DO NOT wait until the last minute to begin working on your project. It is also important that
you pick a topic that interests you and is appropriate for your level. By Friday, August 12th you need to have a
project topic submitted. You CANNOT turn in the same project from a previous year or a project that a sibling has
already done.
The website below has science fair registration, science fair forms, due dates, and other useful science fair
information:
https://eprsef.stemwizard.com/
Consider the following when choosing a topic.
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Avoid answer scientific questions that are already common knowledge. (i.e. Why is the sky blue?)
We aren’t expecting groundbreaking research! We just want you to be creative!
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Your project idea must be testable
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Your project idea needs to answer a question/solve a problem
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Try to pick a topic that is current and relevant.
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Make sure your topic is at a HIGH level.
“Why don’t oil and water mix?” is not an acceptable project idea because the answer is common knowledge and this
topic is not sophisticated enough for middle school. Instead you could extend this idea by investigation the most
effective methods for removing oil from water.
“Stages of Tomato Plant Growth” is not an acceptable project idea because you aren’t testing anything, it isn’t a
question, and not at the appropriate grade level. Instead you could test the effects of different soil components
on tomato plant height.
“How much vitamin C does an orange have?” This topic needs to be stepped up to a higher level. Instead you could
test the effects of different cooking methods on depletion of vitamins in various food items.
**www.homesciencetools.com – has an EXCELLENT guide on how to do science fair projects as well as potential
project ideas appropriate for a higher level student.
Guiding questions to ask yourself when picking a topic:
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Is it interesting?
Do I have enough time?
Can it be done safely?
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Can I control the variables?
Can I measure the results?
Important things to keep in mind when choosing a topic:

You can’t do any type of project that could potentially harm or cause undue stress to vertebrate
animals or humans.
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Only 8th grade students will be considered for human projects – with a submission turned in by
Monday, August 15th.
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If it involves bacteria or any other microorganisms, you cannot do it.
The school has limited resources so try to pick a topic that you can easily acquire the materials
for.
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Projects involving chemicals are difficult to get approval for and require more paperwork.
(Depends on the chemical used and the manner in which it is used.)
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Avoid projects that depend on variables that can’t be controlled. (i.e. the weather)
Research Sources
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You need to have at least 5 research sources.
Avoid having ALL .com sources. Sources such as .gov, .edu, and .org are acceptable.
Try to find journal articles or try to pull information from encyclopedias.
Avoid Wikipedia

Sciencebuddies.com is not permitted or acceptable for STEMM use.
Helpful websites
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www.juliantrubin.com/branchesofsciencefair.html
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www.sparkicl.com
http://cms.math.ca/Education/mpsf/ (Math Focused Projects)
http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral
http://sln.fi.edu/qanda/spotlight1/spotlight1.html
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/fair.html
Student Name : _________________________________ DUE DATE: August 12, 2016
TOPIC APPROVAL: ___________ Topic # ____ Date_________ Signature__________________ (this line for
teacher)
Summer Science Fair Packet
Over the summer you will need to come up with 3 good ideas about what you will be doing
for your science fair project. You will need to do research on the internet & from science
literature on your topics. This will help you with your Hypothesis. When you return to
school your teacher will review your submission and discuss the best options with you.
These projects should exemplify 7th and 8th grade quality work. The following types of
projects are considered too elementary and will not be allowed:
 How will aspirin, Gatorade, orange juice, etc. affect plant growth?
 Do plants grow faster when music is played?
 Do students test better when music is played?
Product comparison are not allowed in 7th and 8th grade. This means you cannot compare
two different brands of a product. “Which type of _____________ works best?”
It is your responsibility to review all information provided in this packet to you and select
a topic that is allowed and acceptable for 7th and 8th grade.
Research Question: This is the statement that explains the purpose of your experiment. We
phrase it in the form of a question.
Topic #1 Question: _____________________________________________________________
Research: You will need to do research on your topic not only for your research paper but
also to form a hypothesis. You can’t form an opinion until you have some facts. Below please
write a brief description of your project.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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Hypothesis: A hypothesis is a statement about the expected outcome of your experiment.
After you have completed your research, there are a couple of ways to state your hypothesis.
However, you must state your hypothesis using the If…Then…Because format.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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Variable(s): In every good experiment one thing should be changed (Independent variable)
so that the results can be compared. Below, list your variables for your experiment.
Independent: _____________________________
______________________________
Dependent: ______________________________
______________________________
Constant: ________________________________
______________________________
Control(s): _______________________________
______________________________
Research Question:
Topic #2 Question: _____________________________________________________________
Research:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Hypothesis: You must state your hypothesis using the If…Then…Because format.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Variable(s): In every good experiment one thing should be changed (Independent variable)
so that the results can be compared. Below, list your variables for your experiment.
Independent: _____________________________
______________________________
Dependent: ______________________________
______________________________
Constant: ________________________________
______________________________
Control(s): _______________________________
______________________________
Research Question:
Topic #3 Question: _____________________________________________________________
Research:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Hypothesis: You must state your hypothesis using the If…Then…Because format.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Variable(s): In every good experiment one thing should be changed (Independent variable)
so that the results can be compared. Below, list your variables for your experiment.
Independent: _____________________________
______________________________
Dependent: ______________________________
______________________________
Constant: ________________________________
______________________________
Control(s): _______________________________
______________________________