SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT
2012
Maya Angelou Elementary School
Ms. Adrena Y. Williams, Principal
Ms. Maria Garcia, Assistant Principal
Maya Elementary School is proud to announce that our annual Science Fair will begin October 9,
2012. Over a seven week period, from October 9 – November 28, 2012, students in grades 2 - 5 will
receive weekly assignments to assist in the completion of their project. These assignments will be
reviewed by the students’ Science Teacher and will account for a minimum of five science grades.
All projects are due Monday, November 26, 2012. As each student will have seven weeks to
complete his or her project, no extensions will be granted past this due date. Every child in 2nd through
5th grade is expected to complete and turn in a science fair project. Students in grades K and 1 will
complete classroom projects.
This newsletter should be used as a guide to assist students and parents in the completion of the
project. The information listed has been discussed with the students in the classroom; however, it is
important that the parents take an active role in assisting the students. If there are questions and/or
concerns on how the project should be completed, please contact your child’s science
teacher.
On SALE Now!!! Students can purchase them in
Mrs. Paez’s Room 101
DISPLAY BOARDS: $4.00 each
(Quantities are limited)
Title
Problem
Statement
Please note: Liquids in glass jars, live animals, dangerous chemicals, corrosives, or any
other dangerous/harmful objects should not be used and may NOT be displayed.
Choosing a Topic
A good topic has a problem that can be answered only by experimenting. If a topic is too
broad or general, too many factors (variables) will exist that cannot be controlled, and you will
find it difficult to produce reliable results.
A project needs a title. Your child should use his/her creative abilities to come up with a catchy
title that describes the project or topic.
********NEW GUIDELINES -­‐ PLEASE READ CAREFULLY******** (4th & 5th grade students only)
The Science Fair project has two parts: a freestanding display board and a project report. The report should be placed in a report cover and must include the following information and be placed
in the following order: Title of the Project, Problem Statement, Hypothesis, Abstract and
Bibliography, Procedures, Materials, Observations, Variables, Data, Results, and Conclusion
The Scientific Process
Problem Statement
The problem statement is always written in the form of a question. The question tells
people what you are trying to find out. “Does…affect…?”
Background Information
Provide at least three paragraphs written in your own words which must include detailed
background information on what makes your experiment react the way it does. Students will
need to research their chosen topic. Books, encyclopedias, Internet sites, newspapers,
magazines, interviews and information from organizations and institutions are resources that
students can use to obtain the needed information. These resources must be identified in the
bibliography.
Hypothesis
After getting information on your topic, you have to guess what your experiment's results will be.
This is your hypothesis. A hypothesis is no ordinary guess it is an educated guess. You should
use your background research to help you predict what will happen in your experiment. Write
your hypothesis as an "If/Then" statement. “If … is done, then… should happen”. Example:
If I plant marigold seeds in different store bought potting soils, then Miracle Growth potting soil
will produce a plant with larger flowers. Be sure you Hypothesis can be tested and is
measurable.
Experiment
Perform an experiment that will test your Hypothesis. Record your observations in you science
log/journal. REPEAT THE EXPERIMENT AT LEAST THREE TIMES. Be sure to use variables
during the experiments, they are required for every project.
Materials
Make a list identifying all the items used. Tell how many or how much.
Procedures
What did you do? List and number (1, 2, 3…) each step in the order that you did them. Your
procedure should be like a recipe – another person should be able to perform your experiment
following your procedure. Remember to include steps performed during the variable portion of
the experimental trials.
Variables
Scientists use an experiment to search for cause and effect relationships in nature. In other
words, they design an experiment so that changes to one item cause something else to vary in a
predictable way.
These changing quantities are called variables. A variable is any factor, trait, or condition that
can exist in differing amounts or types. An experiment usually has three kinds of variables:
independent, dependent, and controlled.
The independent variable is the one that you change on purpose to test your hypothesis. This
variable can be the temperature of water, amount of sunlight or the distance of an object. The
dependent variable explains what you observed; it describes the changes caused by the
independent variable. The constant or controlled variable is the one that is kept the same, the things
that are not changed at all during the experiment.
Data
Data is the name given to the information obtained during the experiment. What did you see?
Record all of your observations in your log. If you used quantitative data, be exact with
your numbers or counts (make sure you use metric units). If you used qualitative data,
describe what you observed in words like hot and cold, bright and dim. Use the same words
when you talk about the same conditions. Make graphs or tables to display your data, or take
pictures. Include a paragraph summarizing the displayed data.
Conclusions
After all of the information and data has been analyzed, a conclusion can be written. This
should be written in paragraph form. The conclusion should summarize what your experiment
proved and tells if the data supported your Hypothesis or not. If the experiment was to be
repeated should anything be done differently? Could there have been any errors that occurred
while performing the experiment? Explain how you could have improved your project.
Applications
Explain how the information or knowledge gained in completing your experiment relates or can
be used in real world situations. What scientific principles can be used for more research.
Abstract and Bibliography (4th & 5th Grade only)
This is a short summary of the entire project. You should limit yourself to no more than 250
words. Paragraph 1--Describe your purpose and hypothesis. Paragraph 2--Briefly describes
your procedure. Paragraph 3--Describe and explain the results and also state if your
hypothesis was supported or not supported by the data and results. Suggest a reason why it
was or was not supported. Paragraph 4--Explain your conclusion and application(s). Place
you bibliography of at least 3 different sources on the same page.
SAMPLE SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT BOARD
DISPLAY BOARD SIZE REQUIREMENTS: (Height 122 cm
Width 122 cm
Depth 76 cm)
Title
Problem
Statement
Variables
Results
Procedures
Hypothesis
Materials
Variables
Constants
Data
Conclusions
Bibliography
Abstract
Charts, graphs, and/or
Photographs
Applications
ATTENTION 4th and 5th Grade Students Only!
A LOG BOOK SHOULD BE KEPT IN THE BACK OF YOUR SCIENCE
JOURNALS, NOT ON LOOSE LEAF PAPER.
A Log Book is a day to day record of all activities you did on your project. Write
about your ideas. Write about the problems that you had and tell how you solved
them, or if not, what did you do. Record all of your observations. Basically,
anything to do with your project should be recorded in your log book.
SCIENCE FAIR 2012
STUDENT TIME-LINE
Due Date
WHAT TO WORK ON AT HOME
October 22 October 29 November 5 November 13 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
2.
Begin a Log Book (4th and 5th grade only) Choose topic Develop Purpose Develop and write a Problem Statement Write a complete Hypothesis Gather materials Put together a step by step plan to complete the actual experiment 3. State your controls and variable(s) 4. Continue logging information in log book 5. Locate appropriate research materials on the topic 1. Begin/Complete the actual experiment 2. Begin/Complete recording observations and gathering data 3. Photograph work in progress 4. Record the results of the three experimental trials. 5. Using background information gathered on the topic, from books, reference materials and the internet, write a complete Conclusion of your experiment. 1. Complete the Abstract (use reference books on the topic to write an informed abstract, list the books in the bibliography) 2. Write a complete bibliography of all resources used: books, reference materials, web page(s) the experiment and its Applications to the real world.
November 19 1. 4th & 5th Grade Students Only: Use all of the information gathered and complete a report. 2. Finalize all parts of the experiment November 26 1. Complete the exhibit. Make a neat, colorful and organized display. Remember to give it a title 2. Proof read each part of the display, checking for spelling and grammatical errors. The display can be written neatly in ink or it may be typed. 3. Finalize all parts of the project Items Due
ü Title ü Problem Statement ü Hypothesis
ü Materials ü Procedures ü Variables ü Observations ü Data ü Results ü Conclusion ü Abstract ü Application ü Bibliography ü Project Report (4 th &5 th Grade
Only)
ü Completed Science Fair Project Display