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Constructing a Winning Science Project

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Title: Constructing a Winning Science Project


1
Constructing a Winning Science Project
  • A Workshop
  • Presented By
  • Daniel Morse, Colton JUSD

2
Why do we do Science Fair Projects?
3
How does it benefit the student?

4
  • Advancement along Blooms taxonomy
  • Development of Higher Order Thinking Skills --
    H.O.T.S.
  • Opportunity for the use of multimedia
    technologies, written and oral presentations,
    exploration of various subject matter in science
  • Opportunity for scholarship and recognition

5
Blooms Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives
  • Knowledge Recall of information from
    research, collection of facts
  • Comprehension Learner understands and can make
    use of the information
  • Application The ability to apply the abstractions
    presented such as applying a formula to calculate
    the area of a triangle.

6
  • Analysis Ability to categorize information into
    elements such as analyzing why a balloon
    shrinks in cold or expands in hot environments.
  • Synthesis Putting the elements together to
    present a whole picture such as collecting data,
    analyzing the data, interpreting the results, and
    presenting the findings.
  • Evaluation Ability to make judgments based on
    data and information, such as determining the
    best statistical test method based on a series of
    tests.

7
How does it serve the teacher?

8
  • Multiple tie-ins to the California State
    Standards in Language Arts, Math, and Science.
  • A multi-purpose assessment tool.
  • Recognition for teachers whose students produce
    winning projects.

9
California State Science Standards
  • 7th grade example
  • Investigation and Experimentation 7. Scientific
    progress is made by asking meaningful questions
    and conducting careful investigations. As a basis
    for understanding this concept and addressing the
    content in the other three strands, students
    should develop their own questions and perform
    investigations. Students will
  • a. Select and use appropriate tools and
    technology (including calculators, computers,
    balances, spring scales, microscopes, and
    binoculars) to perform tests, collect data, and
    display data.
  • b. Use a variety of print and electronic
    resources (including the World Wide Web) to
    collect information and evidence as part of a
    research project.
  • c. Communicate the logical connection among
    hypotheses, science concepts, tests conducted,
    data collected, and conclusions drawn from the
    scientific evidence.
  • d. Construct scale models, maps, and
    appropriately labeled diagrams to communicate
    scientific knowledge (e. g., motion of Earth's
    plates and cell structure).
  • e. Communicate the steps and results from an
    investigation in written reports and oral
    presentations.

10
California State Language Arts Oral
Communication Standards
  • 6th grade example
  • Listening and Speaking1.0 Listening and
    Speaking Strategies Students deliver focused,
    coherent presentations that convey ideas clearly
    and relate to the background and interests of the
    audience. They evaluate the content of oral
    communication.
  • Organization and Delivery of Oral
    Communication1.4 Select a focus, an
    organizational structure, and a point of view,
    matching the purpose, message, occasion, and
    vocal modulation to the audience.1.5 Emphasize
    salient points to assist the listener in
    following the main ideas and concepts.1.6
    Support opinions with detailed evidence and with
    visual or media displays that use appropriate
    technology.1.7 Use effective rate, volume,
    pitch, and tone and align nonverbal elements to
    sustain audience interest and attention.

11
California State Language ArtsWriting Standards
  • 6th grade example
  • 2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their
    Characteristics)
  • Students write narrative, expository, persuasive,
    and descriptive texts of at least 500 to 700
    words in each genre. Student writing demonstrates
    a command of standard American English and the
    research, organizational, and drafting strategies
    outlined in Writing Standard 1.0.
  • 2.2 Write expository compositions (e.g.,
    description, explanation, comparison and
    contrast, problem and solution)a. State the
    thesis or purpose.b. Explain the situation.c.
    Follow an organizational pattern appropriate to
    the type of composition.d. Offer persuasive
    evidence to validate arguments and conclusions as
    needed.
  • 2.3 Write research reportsa. Pose relevant
    questions with a scope narrow enough to be
    thoroughly covered.b. Support the main idea or
    ideas with facts, details, examples, and
    explanations from multiple authoritative sources
    (e.g., speakers, periodicals, online information
    searches).c. Include a bibliography.
  • 2.5 Write persuasive compositionsa. State a
    clear position on a proposition or proposal.b.
    Support the position with organized and relevant
    evidence.c. Anticipate and address reader
    concerns and counterarguments.

12
California State Mathematics Standards
  • 5th grade example
  • Statistics, Data Analysis, and Probability1.0
    Students display, analyze, compare, and interpret
    different data sets, including data sets of
    different sizes
  • 1.1 Know the concepts of mean, median, and mode
    compute and compare simple examples to show that
    they may differ. 1.2 Organize and display
    single-variable data in appropriate graphs and
    representations (e.g., histogram, circle graphs)
    and explain which types of graphs are appropriate
    for various data sets.1.3 Use fractions and
    percentages to compare data sets of different
    sizes.1.4 Identify ordered pairs of data from a
    graph and interpret the meaning of the data in
    terms of the situation depicted by the graph.
    1.5 Know how to write ordered pairs correctly
    for example, (x, y).

13
California State Mathematics Standards
  • 6th grade example
  • Algebra and Functions
  • 2.0 Students analyze and use tables, graphs, and
    rules to solve problems involving rates and
    proportions
  • 2.1 Convert one unit of measurement to another
    (e.g., from feet to miles, from centimeters to
    inches).
  • 2.2 Demonstrate an understanding that rate is a
    measure of one quantity per unit value of another
    quantity.
  • 2.3 Solve problems involving rates, average
    speed, distance, and time.

14
Authentic Assessment
  • Is the student actually able to perform and apply
    the standard tasks to a problem or simply recite
    facts?

15
Scholarship
16
Teacher Recognition
17
Opportunities for Interaction with Working
Scientists
18
What are the components of a winning science
fair project?

19
Types of Science Projects
  • There are two types of science projects students
    may do
  • Experimental Procedures
  • Engineering Goals

20
Experimental Procedures
  • Experiments test and compare things
  • Test a hypothesis that answers a specific
    question
  • Collect and analyze data that supports a
    conclusion

21
Engineering Goals
  • Engineering goals construct things that perform
    tasks.
  • Develop a specific need to accomplish a
    performance task.
  • Set parameters by which the goal is to be
    accomplished.

22
Student Science Fair Project Methodology

23
Journals
  • The student should begin a detailed journal of
    everything done. A diary format is fine.
  • All entries should be substantial. If a procedure
    was tried, the journal should include or refer to
    the exact steps and methods used.
  • Data should be recorded accurately with dates and
    times, and any special notes of problems or
    successes.

24
  • Journals may be computer entries or hand
    written.
  • Any information, resources, graphs, tables,
    problems, and analysis should be included.
  • An abstract will be written from this document
    later.

25
Developing an Idea
26
Look at the lists of science fair categories.
27
Science Project Categoriesgrades 4 and 5
  • Earth Sciences
  • Chemistry
  • Biology / Animals
  • Biology / other Kingdoms
  • Physics
  • Consumer Science
  • Behavioral Science
  • Environmental Education

28
Science Project Categoriesgrades 6-12
  • 1. Aerodynamics/ Hydrodynamics
  • 2. Applied Mechanics/ Structures Mechanisms/
    Manufacturing
  • 3. Behavioral Sciences
  • 4. Biochemistry/ Molecular Biology
  • 5. Chemistry
  • 6. Earth Sciences/ Planetary Sciences/ Physical
    Environments
  • 7. Electricity Electronics
  • 8. Environmental Engineering
  • 9. Environmental Science (Junior Division Only)
  • 10. Mammalian Biology
  • 11. Materials Science (Junior Division Only)
  • 12. Mathematics Software
  • 13. Microbiology
  • 14. Pharmacology/ Toxicology
  • 15. Physics Astronomy
  • 16. Plant Biology
  • 17. Social Sciences (Junior Division Only
  • 18. Structural Capability and Strength of
    Materials (Junior Division Only)
  • 19. Zoology

29
  • Pick one that you are interested in, then narrow
    that down to a project. (example, say you pick
    behavioral science, then narrow it to the
    differences between boys and girls, then to a
    topic like "Do boys remember male oriented
    pictures (such as football) better than female
    oriented pictures (such as flowers)?"

30
Use your experiences
  • Remember a time you noticed something
    and thought "I wonder how that works?" or "I
    wonder what would happen if..." then turn that
    into a project.

31
Library References
  • Check the science section of the school
    library. Browse and look at book titles, then
    look inside the ones that look interesting to
    you. Also thumb through encyclopedias and
    magazines. Good magazines for ideas are National
    Geographic, Discover, Omni, Popular Science,
    Popular Mechanics, High Technology, and
    Prevention.
  • Go to the downtown or University
    library.

32
Current Events
  • Look in the newspaper.
  • People are hungry in Africa because of droughts -
    a project on growing plants without much rain,
    which types grow with little water?
  • Or oil spills- how can we clean them up? - a
    project on how to clean oil out of water.
  • Price of electricity is going up - a project on
    alternative energy sources.

33
  • Add to Other Ideas
  • Look at sample projects on-line, look at projects
    in books or projects from last years science
    fair - then add your own question, your own idea
    to them.

34
  • Originality and content is everything.
  • Plagiarism is recognized as such.

35
Internet resources
  • California State Science Fair
  • http//www.usc.edu/CSSF/

36
  • Discovery Channel School Science Fair Central
    http//school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/
  • Mr. McLaren's Science Fair Survival Page
    http//www.ri.net/schools/East_Greenwich/Cole/scie
    ncefair.html
  • Ventura County Science Fair http//www.vcsf.us/

37
Developing your question.
  • Try putting different words in these blanks...
  • What is the effect of _________________ on
    _______________?
  • Detergent
    germination of seeds
  • temperature
    the volume of air
  • How/to what extent does the__________affect_______
    ________?
  • humidity growth of fungi
  • color of a material its absorption of
    heat
  • Which/what ___________________ (verb)
    __________________?
  • foods do gerbils prefer
    detergent makes the most bubbles

38
Purpose
  • State your purpose.
  • What are you trying to find out?
  • Focus the idea.

39
Research
  • Gather general information about your topic from
    books, magazines, the Internet, people and
    companies.
  • Keep notes about where you got your info and
    begin to develop your bibliography.

40
  • The research report must pertain directly to the
    question.
  • The history of flight with the Wright Bros. is a
    start but does not specifically address questions
    of Bernoulli effect surface lift ratios.

41
  • The research portion of the project is an
    important component of writing standards and is
    an independently developed item.
  • Allowing students to submit copied text is not
    acceptable.

42
Developing a hypothesis
  • The hypothesis is developed before an experiment
    begins and is not an afterthought.

43
  • A hypothesis is a statement that is tested and
    proved true or false through your experiment.
  • It does not matter if the statement ends up true
    or false.
  • You only need to find out what the truth is.

44
  • Your hypothesis can be what you believe the
    answer to your question might be.
  • It is more than a guess.
  • It is an educated guess based on your research.

45
  • The hypothesis should be an exact statement of
    fact---
  • 200 psi water pressure will cause 1 inch
    schedule 40 PVC piping to burst.
  • Not---
  • My guess is that high water pressure can
    cause some plastic pipe to break.

46
Engineering Projects
  • Engineering goals are written like standards with
    minimum specifications to be met, not can I
    build a rope bridge.
  • The rope bridge must span 5 meters.
  • The rope bridge must support 200 Kg in the middle
    span.
  • The rope bridge must not sway more than 0.2
    meters laterally and vertically.
  • The rope bridge components must not exceed 10 Kg
    total weight disassembled.

47
Developing a Procedure
  • Procedures are developed before the project
    begins.
  • Procedures must be detailed and accurate enough
    so that any other party can exactly duplicate the
    experiment and get the same results.

48
  • Decide on and describe how you will change the
    thing you selected.
  • Decide on and describe how you will measure your
    results.

49
Variables
  • Select a variable (something you will
    change/vary) that will help you find your answer.

  • The variable should one item, not multiple
    conditions being applied all at once. This
    confuses results.
  • Everything else should remain constant.

50
Controls
  • Unlike the variable, a control never changes. It
    is a constant factor.
  • The results of the control are what you compare
    the results of the variables with.

51
Subjective vs. Objective Data
  • Data should be measurable and reproducible, not
    based upon opinions which can change under peer
    pressure or popular trends.

52
Measurement
  • Rules and good science require metric
    measurement.
  • Human factors such as reaction time must be
    minimized and accounted for.
  • Appropriate instruments should be used whenever
    possible. Example stopwatch versus wristwatch.

53
Recording Data and Observations
  • Data should be recorded immediately in neatly
    organized data tables.
  • Observations should also be recorded at the time
    data is being collected, not after the fact.

54
Run Controlled Experiment and Record Data
  • Do the experiment as described above.Keep
    notes in one place. Write down everything you can
    think of in your journal, you might need it
    later.

55
Results
  • Tables and Data
  • Your measurements must be neatly listed in
    organized groups and tables that are properly
    labeled.
  • Graphs and ChartsWhat happened? Answer that
    question, then put the results in graphs and
    charts.

56
Summary Conclusion
  • Your summary should answer the original question
    first.
  • Your summary should state whether the hypothesis
    was found true or false, supported or not
    supported.
  • Your conclusion must be supported with evidence
    from your data.

57
  • You may not say something is true unless you can
    prove it is true with evidence you have
    gathered.
  • If your hypothesis was not found exactly true or
    false what did your evidence show? Explain with
    the facts you found.

58
Writing Your Abstract
  • The abstract must be clear and concise.
  • The abstract may be included on your display
    presentation.
  • There are four components.

59
Objective or Goal
  • State the objective, goal, or hypothesis upon
    which the project is based.
  • Example My objective was to learn if the feeding
    habits of hummingbirds are affected by color.

60
Materials and Methods
  • Indicate the materials, methods, and experimental
    design used in your project. Briefly describe
    your experiment or engineering methods.

61
Results
  • Summarize the results of your experiment and
    indicate how they pertain to your objective.

62
Conclusion/Discussion
  • Indicate if your results supported your
    hypothesis or enabled you to attain your
    objective. Discuss briefly how information from
    this project expands our knowledge about the
    category subject.

63
Project Abstract Examples
  • Your abstract is important. Your judges will
    receive this abstract in advance of the Fair so
    that they can preview your work. Your judges will
    be able to better understand your work and
    prepare for your interview if you follow these
    samples or use similar formats.

64
The Effect of Surface Finish on Rocket Drag
  • Objective My project was to determine if surface
    finish has an effect on the drag of a model
    rocket. I believe that a model with a smooth
    surface will have lower drag and will reach
    higher altitudes.
  • Materials and Methods Five model rockets with
    identical size and shape, but different surface
    preparations, were constructed. One rocket was
    left with an unfinished surface, three had
    surfaces finished to various degrees of
    smoothness, and the fifth rocket had its surface
    sealed, primed, sanded to 600 grit, painted, and
    covered with clear gloss. The rockets were
    ballasted to weigh the same and flown 10 times
    each with B5-4 motors.
  • Results The rocket with the clear gloss finish
    consistently reached the highest altitudes of all
    5 rockets, while the unfinished rocket
    consistently reached the lowest altitude.
  • Conclusions My conclusion is that surface finish
    has an important role in model rocket drag and
    rockets with carefully prepared surfaces will
    reach higher altitudes.

65
A sample engineering abstract by Ray Ramirez, a
Colton JUSD 7th grade student
  • From left to right are Carroylin Threlkel
    (presenter), Ray Ramirez (First Place), team of
    Joanne F. Arguello and Nicole T. D'Arcy (Second
    Place), Jonathan R. Cook (Third Place), Delara
    Bastani (Honorable Mention), and David Rohy
    (presenter).
  • California State Science Fair Category
    WinnersElectricity Electronics Junior Division

66
3-D Semiconductor Rainbow Transmission Holography
  • The project had four objectives. First, to
    establish the parameters of Slavich PFG-01
    emulsion. Secondly, to establish linear data
    storage within the silver halide emulsions. The
    third objective was to establish volumetric data
    storage, thereby increasing the density of the
    data stored within that area. The fourth
    objective was to retrieve the stored data via a
    laser diode, and transfer such data, via a
    charge-coupled device (CCD) into a digital
    environment.
  • To establish emulsion parameters, a series of six
    holograms were exposed. In each exposure, the
    of TEA (Triethanolomine) was varied. To
    accomplish linear data storage, an
    opto-mechanical setup was designed which was
    based upon a 36"x12" breadboard. The setup
    utilized a Fourier Transform to reduce the
    imagery (35mm slides) to 1mm². The holographic
    plate was mounted on an XYZ translator. Five
    exposures were made into a 2.5in.² PFG-01 plate.
    After each exposure, translator was rotated one
    mm on the X-axis. To establish volumetric data
    storage, the translator was rotated on it's
    center axis in six, 16º increments (from 40º to
    140º). To reconstruct the data in a digital
    environment, a laser diode was directed into the
    hologram at the reference angle used to store the
    image. The data was projected onto a diffusing
    screen, where a CCD forwarded the image to a
    computer.

67
  • It was observed, plates, which were not
    presensitized with TEA, yielded the highest
    diffraction efficiency. Linear data storage was
    successfully established by storing six, 35mm,
    images in an area 6mm x 1mm. Six images were
    successfully stored in a 1mm² area, successfully
    establishing volumetric data storage. A limiting
    phenomenon was observed during volumetric storage
    experiments. In creating a data retrieval system,
    a laser diode proved powerful enough to retrieve
    and project the stored images. Stored data
    (linear and volumetric) that was successfully
    retrieved was forwarded to a computer system
    utilizing a CCD.
  • The incorporation of the CCD, allowed for the
    demonstration of a working holographic hard
    drive. The phenomena of cross talk, observed
    while retrieving the volumetrically stored data
    is a physical limitation of holography. This
    occurs when images overlap, during
    reconstruction, causing the integrity of the data
    to be compromised. Further development points in
    the direction of holographic optical elements
    (H.O.E), which would replace optical components,
    yielding a much smaller setup. By incorporating
    H.O.Es, a holographic data storage unit could
    theoretically fit well within the confines of the
    personal computer.
  • The project goal was to design and construct a
    holographic data storage system utilizing
    silver-halide media and retrieve data there from.
  • High-Density Holographic Data Storage Utilizing
    High-Resolution Silver-Halide Media
  • Used lab at PCC Prof. Unterseher provided
    procedural consultation

68
Displaying the Project
69
Size and Complexity
70
Stability
71
Congestion and Simplicity
72
Consider Contrast
73
Consider Readability
74
Content is Everything
75
The Rewards
76
Imagination is more important than knowledge
Albert Einstein
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