Student Planning Guide
Things That Interest Me:
1.
Science Area I Like Best:
• Life Science
• Earth Science
• Space Science
• Physical Science
2.
3.
4.
What type of project w ould interest me the most:
• Experim ental
• Dem onstration
• Working Mod el
• Static Mod el
• Inventions (m y ow n or Rube Gold berg Invention )
• Regional – see your teacher or "British Colum bia Science Fairs" booklet
Possible Topics:
1.
Materials I alread y have:
Materials I w ould have to buy
H elp I w ill need w ith this topic:
N one
Som e
A lot
H ow difficult w ill this be for m e?
Very
Som ew hat
Easy
2.
Materials I alread y have:
Materials I w ould have to buy:
H elp I w ill need w ith this topic:
N one
Som e
A lot
H ow difficult w ill this be for m e?
Very
Som ew hat
Easy
Questions/Problems to Explore
Som e questions about my topic I w ant to find answ ers to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Stud ent Planning Guid e
Conducting Research
Printed , aud iovisual and electronic m aterials I should find and read:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Places I could visit:
1.
2.
3.
People I could talk to:
1.
2.
3.
(cont’d )
Surrey School D istrict Science Fair
PREPARIN G
(W eek 1)
1. READ THE RULES
a. You m ay w ork by yourself or w ith one friend . If you w ork w ith a friend, you are both expected to d o
your fair share and both of you should have good know led ge about the project. Your parents and
teachers may help but you m ust d o m ost of the w ork.
b. Your project includ ing the charts or d isplay can be no larger than:
HEIGHT
1.2 m
WID TH
1m
D EPTH
60 cm
c. All charts m ust be self-supporting. See page 36 for som e id eas. There w ill not be w alls available to
put your posters or charts on.
d . The total cost of your project m ust be no m ore than $25.00 (display board is exem pt from the cost). You
w ill be required to d isplay a list of costs. You d o not have to includ e item s w hich are d iscard s and are
freely available to all pupils e.g. w ood scraps, paper, paint, etc. You are not allow ed to use borrow ed
item s except those listed in Rule 6. You should d iscuss w ith your teacher any id eas you have about
obtaining your supplies before you start to make your d isplay.
e. The follow ing school item s m ay be used as part of the display w here necessary: m icroscopes,
aquarium s, cages, and cassette record ers. (These must not be the topic of the project. i.e. a
microscope may not be borrow ed if the project is about "microscopes")
f.
Store bought kits are not allow ed .
g. If you are using electricity it m ust be pow ered by a m axim um of 9 volts D.C.
h. If you are going to need an open flam e you m ay only use a can of Sterno.
i.
If you plan to use anim als in the project you m ust refer to Rule #6 & 11 on page 5.
j.
Your project can com e from som ething you have d one in school or at home.
k. Rem em ber to keep your project COMPLETELY SAFE.
l.
If you w ish to also participate in the South Fraser Regional Science Fair, ask your teacher for
inform ation about their rules. The District Science Fair has a Regional-Experim ents category that is
m ore in line w ith their regulations.
Surrey School D istrict Science Fair
PREPARIN G
(W eek 1 Cont 'd.)
2.
TO PICS
Think abou t w hat you m ight like to d o for this year's p roject. H ave any id eas com e ou t of last year's Fair? Talk it over
w ith a friend , w ith som eone at hom e, or w ith you r teacher.
PREVIOUS PROJECTS
H ere are som e qu estions that m ay lead to p rojects that w e haven't seen recently at Science Fair.
What is a Wind Tunnel?
H ow are Fibre Optics Used in
Comm unication?
H ow is Infrared Light Measured ?
H ow do Air Plants Live?
H ow do Com m on Materials Reflect Light?
Does Washing your Hand s w ith Soap
Prevent Cold s?
Why are Mirrors Such Good Reflectors of
Light?
Where Does the Motion in Motion
Pictures Com e From ?
What Causes Mold to Grow on Bread ?
Can a Child 's Vision be Better Than
20/ 20?
What are Plate Tectonics?
What are the Solar Wind s?
H ow can We Measure the Am ount of
Moisture in the Air?
Und er Which Color of Light d o Pea Plants
Grow Best?
H ow Fast Do Different Fabrics Burn?
Which Paper Tow el is Really Most
Absorbent?
H ow d id Abraham Gesner Invent
Kerosene?
What is the Best Shape for a Propeller?
What is the Best Shape for a Kite?
H ow Do Som e Insects Change as They
"Grow Up"?
What Can Be Done to Slow Rusting?
In What Shape Will Paper Support the
Most Weight?
H ow Does Overcrow d ing Affect Life in a
Terrarium ?
H ow Do They Find Planets in Distant
Solar System s?
Are Girls Stronger Than Boys?
What Happens at the Juan d e Fuca Plate?
H ow Do Anim als Becom e Extinct?
What Will Follow After the Space Shuttle?
H ow Can Hom es Becom e More Energy
Efficient
What is Electrotyping?
H ow are Caisson Brid ge Footings Mad e?
H ow do you Whistle?
H ow Does an Electric Arc H eater Work?
What is Mononucleosis?
H ow are Rainbow s Created?
H ow is Sound Obtained from a
Phonograph Record ?
H ow Can You Make a Superconductor?
What is the Bernoulli effect?
H ow do Gases and Liquid s Mix?
H ow can Water Boil at Room
Tem perature?
H ow can Electricity Create Magnetism ?
H ow are We Affected by Dust and Sm oke
in the Air?
What causes a satellite to stay in orbit?
Why are Multistage Rockets used to
Launch Satellites?
Will Eating Protein Make you Feel More
Alert?
H ow Does Oil Com e from Canada's Tar
Sand s?
Which Chew ing Gum Hold s its Flavor
Longest?
H ow Do Therm om eters Work?
H ow Do Coffee Pots Work?
N utra Sw eet: What is It? What is it In?
What are Ways to Correct Poor Vision?
H ow d id Wilfred Bigelow Invent the
Pacemaker?
Which Fertilizer is Better?
H ow do Animals use Cam ouflage?
H ow Can a Tom ato Plant be Grafted to a
Potato Plant?
H ow Can We Measure the Altitude of
Stars and Planets?
What Makes Hovercrafts Hover?
Which Paper Tow el is Really the
Strongest?
Does the Moon Rise at the Sam e Tim e
Every N ight?
Where Do You Find the Fibonacci
Sequence in Nature?
Can Fish See Colour?
H ow can Christm as Trees be Salvaged ?
What is the Gold en Ratio?
H ow can Cars be Mad e to Cause Less Air
Pollution?
What is the Effect of Detergent on the
Germ ination of Bean Seed s?
H ow Did Early Civilizations use Sim ple
Machines?
What is the Ballard Shale?
H ow Are We Affected by the Jet Stream ?
What is the Ballard Fuel Cell?
What are the Ad vantages of H yd ro
Electricity?
What makes a N iCad battery Different
Than a Regular Battery?
What is Meant by Right Brain, Left Brain?
H ow are School Supplies Mad e?
Which Detergent Breaks Up Cooking Oil
Best?
H ow Does a Bicycle Test in a Wind
Tunnel?
What are Antibiotics from the Seashore?
Were Does Rainwater Go?
What Living Things May be Found in
Gard en Soil?
H ow Does a Pulley Work?
H ow Does Baking Sod a Affect the Grow th
of Plants?
H ow Does Sound Travel Through
Different Materials?
Why Should We be Concerned About the
Ozone Layer?
H ow are Plastics Recycled ?
H ow d id they Fix the H ubble Telescope?
Is There a Planet Beyond Pluto?
What Alternate Fuels are Being Used for
Vehicles?
Can People Id entify Different Kind s of
Kool-Aid by Taste Alone?
Surrey School D istrict Science Fair
PREPARIN G
(W eek 2)
Making Electricity From Wind Pow er,
From Tid al Pow er
H ow Do Biod egradable Item s
Disintegrate?
What is Inertia?
H ow Hard are Your Teeth?
Why Are Coastal Cities Warm er in Winter
and Cooler in Sum m er Than Inland
Cities at the Sam e Latitud e and
Elevation?
H ow Is Our Water Purified ?
Why are Som e Anim als End angered ?
H ow Are Water Lilies Used in Sew age
Treatm ent?
H ow Are Levers and Pulley Used ?
What Is a Tsunam i?
H ow is the Strength of a Magnet Affected
by its Acting Through Card board ,
Glass, or Plastic?
What is the Effect of Coke on H eartbeat?
What is Surface Tension?
What is Centrifugal Force?
H ow Can the Developing of Film s and the
Printing of Pictures be Done at H om e?
3. W EBBING IDEAS
Webbing is a useful w ay of assisting your pupils to get started by identifying and selecting a science fair
topic.
Begin w ith an exam ple as a board exercise. Ask for a typical science fair project topic that everyone is familiar
w ith so that all m ay assist. When the class has selected a topic, ask w hat areas should be covered in ord er for
this to be a com plete project. For exam ple, if you w ere to com e to see this project, w hat areas w ould you expect
the person to be able to discuss. Brainstorm for ideas, group and categorize.
H ere's how som eone m ight w eb a subject about the Water System s.
A. Think of a general topic and put it in the mid d le of a large piece of paper.
Water
Systems
Surrey School D istrict Science Fair
PREPARIN G
(W eek 2 Cont 'd .)
B. N ow think of a few (4 - 5) questions about your topic. These questions could be ones that you w ould like
to find the answ ers to or you m ay alread y know the answ ers.
I. What are the different parts of a w ater system ?
II. Where d oes m y w ater com e from ?
III. H ow d o people in other parts of the World get
their w ater?
IV. H ow can dirty w ater be cleaned ?
C. Put your questions on the paper around your general topic like this:
What are the
d ifferent
parts of a
w ater
system ?
Where does
my water
come from?
WATER
SYSTEMS
H ow d o people
in other parts of
the World get
their w ater?
H ow can dirty
w ater be
cleaned ?
Surrey School D istrict Science Fair
PREPARIN G
(W eek 2 Cont 'd.)
D. Look at each of the questions and answ er them or m ake up new questions. Don't w orry about your
answ ers or id eas being correct or good ones. You w ant to think of as m any d ifferent id eas as you can.
E. When you have gone as far as you can, stop and read the w eb over again. Som ew here on the page is
an interesting id ea that you can d evelop into a project. LOOK CAREFULLY.
Water System s . . . H ow can dirty w ater be cleaned ? . . . An experiment to determine the most
efficient w ay to clean w ater. That’s it!
Som ew here w ithin the w eb, there w ill be a suggestion for an interesting topic question. H ow about,
"Why d o hum m ingbird s m igrate?" This w ill result in a title and the focus for the project. Do practice
w ebbings for a few other suggested topics, and share on the blackboard .
For seatw ork have the class w ork on their ow n w ebbing of their ow n project, or if they have not yet
d ecid ed , w eb a project that they have seen and thought w as w ell d one. H ave them s hare their w ebbings
w ith others in their class for assistance and to help provid e new id eas. H ave the w ebs turned in for
teacher assistance and input, and review and d ecid e upon the project titles. These titles w ill provide a
focus for the project questions.
Finish the record sheet w ith nam es and partners, and project title questions. Record the w ebbing as
com pleted . Use the record sheet at regular intervals to review the progress that has been m ad e on each
project, and to brainstorm for suggestions as to w here to go for ad d itional help and direction.
Surrey School D istrict Science Fair
PREPARIN G
(W eek 2 Cont 'd.)
4. SELECT CATEGO RY (reminder: CHECK JUD GIN G CRITERIA)
Webbing Ideas (finalize)
Select Category:
There are several w ays to approach any one topic. Before the pupils have m ad e up their
m ind s as to w hat their finished prod uct m ight look like they should think about w hat
the best, m ost interesting or m ost appropriate presentation might be. The project w ill
rem ain the same, w ith the sam e kin d of inform ation gathered , but the presentation can
be m ad e to be m ore effective.
Experiment al
You m ust d o an experiment of your ow n in ord er to answ er a question.
e.g. Does a plant grow better on the w ind ow sill or in the closet?
N ote: There is a step -by-step Scientific Method plan in the append ix.
Demonst rat ions
Proving and d isplaying scientific theories, law s, principles, etc.
W orking Models
Active, operating m od els of m achines, system s, inventions, etc.
St at ic Models
N on-operating m od els of m achines, system s, inventions, anim als, etc.
Regional – Experiment s
Experim ental research projects that are aim ed at entering the South Fraser Regional Science Fair as w ell.
Please refer to the rules as w ell.
Inv ent ions
Inventions that d o a task “better” OR Rube Gold berg invention, ones that d o sim ple tasks in very com plex
w ays.
Surrey School D istrict Science Fair
CLASSIFYIN G PROJECTS
IN STRUCTION S:
Refer to the project und er consid eration and answ er the follow ing questions. Your answ ers w ill d eterm ine the
project's category. This chart is m eant only to provid e som e guid elines and should not be consid ered as "the
final say". Please refer to the m ore d etailed d escriptions found earlier in this booklet. There w ill alw ays be a
few projects w hich d on't seem to clearly fit into the categories as outlined therefore you w ill have to use your
best jud gm ent to classify them .
3. Does this project perform an experim ent in ord er to answ er a question? (See Scientific Method
hand out in append ix)
Yes
No
Experimental
4. Does this project illustrate, explain, prove, d efine, etc. a basic scientific fact, law , principle, etc.?
Yes
No
D emonstrations
5. Does the m od el really w ork? (or could it really w ork if given the proper cond itions e.g. sunlight?)
Yes
No
Working Models
Static Models
6. Is this project experim ental and d o you d esire to go to the South Fraser Regional Science Fair?
Yes
Regional – Experiments
7. Did you "invent" all or part of this project?
Yes
Inventions
Surrey School D istrict Science Fair
RESEARCHIN G
Weeks 3 and 4 (3 - 6 periods)
5. RESEARCH
Depend ing on your situation, the research for Science Fair m ight be d one com pletely at school, partly at
school and som e at home, or all at hom e. H ow the project w ill be evaluated w ill often d etermine w here
m uch of the research w ill be com pleted .
Discuss w ith your teacher-librarian w ell in ad vance any plans you have and any assistance you w ill be
looking for. Science Fair tim e is often one w ith heavy d em ands m ad e on the library, so it is necessary to
w ork w ith your teacher-librarian and spread out the tim eline.
Many schools use Science Fair as an opportunity to visit the com m unity library . They have science fair
m aterials and are alw ays read y to help.
Use your w eb and begin to gather the facts for each area. Use a variety of sources such as print, people, and
electronic. Em phasize the need for taking notes in point form , concentrating on the main id eas. When there
is enough m aterial the inform ation w ill be sorted and sequenced . Try to use all the references that are
available w ithin the school and at the com m unity library and begin searching for other resources available.
Perhaps there is an organization or a specialist fam iliar w ith the topic w ho has inform ation to share. It is
likely that some parts of your w eb w ill have m ore facts easily available than another part of your w eb. The
objective is to m ake the gathering of inform ation as com plete as possible. One area should not be
em phasized and another neglected sim ply because it is sim pler to d o so. This step is on -going in that the
storehouse of inform ation is never com pletely exhausted therefore the research step w ill continue
throughout the tim e available.
6. INVESTIGATE O THER RESO URCES
It is alw ays helpful to use the identification of other resources as a separate step. During a regular review
tim e brainstorm a list of organizations and individ uals that m ight provid e ad d itio nal assistance.
Professionals m ay be found at universities, m useum s, nature centres, ind ustries, local businesses, airports,
zoos, governm ent agencies, environm ental organizations, hospitals, pharmacies, utility com panies, and all
sorts of other places! Pupils should set som e timelines to avoid w aiting until the last minute to make
contact. A w ritten list of questions should be prepared beforehand to insure the pupil has a clear idea of
w hat is w anted from the contact.
7. O UTLINE
Refer again to your w eb of the project. H ave any other aspects of your w eb em erged ? H as there been
enough inform ation gathered for all parts of your w eb? With the inform ation now available, how can it be
organized for the m ost effective presentation?
Think about organizing the presentation into betw een four and six m ain parts. What are the im portant
points that are to be brought out in each of these parts? What d o you w ant the person looking at the project
to und erstand w hen they see it? What d o you w ant the person listening to the presentation to und erstand
w hen they listen to it? H as your m ain question been answ ered?
Surrey School D istrict Science Fair
D ISPLAYIN G
(W eek 5 and W eek 6)
8. BEGIN MO DEL/BEGIN DISPLAY
This is a very im portant step in d oing a Science Fair Project. First, look over the categories again and
d ecid e w hich method of d isplaying your project is the best. You m ay choose from a w orking m odel, a
non-w orking m od el, a real object, a collection of objects or charts and diagram s. Alm ost all projects
includ e som e charts and d iagram s.
Begin Model:
Depend ing on the topic of the project and the category d ecid ed upon, a mod el of som e
kind m ay be appropriate for part of the d isplay. What is the best w ay in w hich to present this inform ation?
A collection, an exam ple, a d em onstration, a w orking m od el or a static m od el should be an integral part of
the project, neither second ary to nor of m ore im portance than the d isplay.
Rem em ber that the use of com m on, ord inary household m aterials is encouraged , and so displays mad e of
card board , paper, string, paper rolls and plastic tubs w ill show m ore resourcefulness than one w here
pieces of specialized equipm ent have been obtained .
Begin D isplay: It is often helpful to return to your w eb once again and d ecid e upon w hich is the m ost
essential part of the topic and w hich parts are less im portant. Use this inform ation to rough out on scrap
paper w hat the display w ill look like. With careful planning each section of the w eb can becom e one
section of the d isplay m ad e separately. These parts can be brought together in the final presentation. In
this w ay changes can easily be m ade.
Ask questions such as: "H ow m uch room is needed for the title?" "Will these parts fit conveniently on the
w ings of the display?" Keep in mind that the display should 'tell the tale' of the project, so organize it in
such a w ay as to m ake it clear w hat the focus is. For m axim um visual effect keep the am ount of text
m aterial to the bare essentials and w ord process or print, not w rite, all w o rk. The d isplay should be m ostly
charts, pupil d iagram s, graphs, m aps, pupil pictures, etc.
H ere are som e things to think about:
• Organize your d isplay. It should tell "the tale" of your project and someone should be able to
und erstand your project just by looking at the d isplay.
•
Make your project as neat as you can.
•
Display should not look cluttered.
•
Make sure all w ord s are spelled correctly.
•
Make your d isplay colorful.
•
Don’t use photocopied pages. Jud ges w ant to see your ow n w ord s.
Surrey School D istrict Science Fair
D ISPLAYIN G
(cont’d)
(W eek 5 and W eek 6)
•
Make your d isplay sturdy so that it can be m oved easily w ithout falling apart.
•
Use household throw -aw ays w henever possible. Reuse and Recycle!
•
READ THE RULES AGAIN ! Look at the judging criteria. Rem em ber how im portant both the rules
and the criteria are in d eterm ining your aw ard .
•
Give yourself lots of time -- tw o w eeks or even more to build your d isplay. You can't m ake a w inning
d isplay overnight.
•
Look below for som e id eas about how to m ake your charts self-supporting.
9. CHARTS AN D D IAGRAMS
Below are a few id eas and tips on how to m ake your Science Fair project d isplay self-supporting. These are
not the only w ays of m aking your charts stand up, but they are easily m ad e. H ere are a few tips:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Use heavy corrugated card board or plastic for the back of the display. Ask for old packing boxes at
appliance or d epartm ent stores. Old real estate "for sale" signs w ork.
The d isplay should be sturdy. You w ill be putting up and taking d ow n the d isplay plus m oving it
m any times so it m ust be able to stay together.
Your w hole project, includ ing the charts, m ust be w ithin a space of 1 metre w ide, 1.2 metres high and
60 centimetres d eep.
You should be able to "bum p into" your d isplay w ithout having it fall d ow n. Accid ental bum pings d o
occur and your project should be able to w ithstand them .
The cost of anything used in m aking your d isplay m ust be ad d ed to the project cost.
a) One Chart
b) Tw o or More Charts
3) A Self-contained Project
1.2 m
1.2 m
School Science Fairs
PRESEN TIN G
(W eek 7, W eek 8 and W eek 9)
10. TITLES AN D LETTERIN G
Bold , clear titles help people und erstand w hat your project is about and w hat id eas are the m ost important.
Your titles and your lettering should be neat and colorful. Use und erlining and bord ers to m ake
inform ation stand out. Cut construction paper or use thick felt pens to m ake large letters w ith.
11. PRACTICE YOUR TALK
At the Science Fair you w ill be asked to explain your project to the jud ges and to the public. Your
presentation to the jud ges should be clear, to the point and about 2 to 3 m inutes long. Ask yourself, "What
m ust the jud ge und erstand about m y project?" Think of only the m ost important things to tell the jud ges.
Practice your presentation to your parents, relatives and friend s so that you feel confident w hen talking at
the Science Fair. The judges w ill also be asking questions about the d isplay so have your friend s ask you
som e questions for practice.
The jud ges put as m uch if not m ore em phasis on your oral presentation as your visual d isplay so your
ability to answ er their questions is very im portant.