Odenton Elementary School

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Odenton Elementary School

• Science Fair Information Session

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Definitions
Odenton Elementary School

• Websters Dictionary
• Trying to solve a problem using methods of
  observation and experimentation
• Thought 1
• An opportunity for a child to investigate a
  question of their choosing while learning to
  apply the scientific method
• Thought 2
• Another project that I am going to have to do

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Getting Started
Odenton Elementary School

• Understanding
• what a project is and how to do it
• A science project is exercising the processes of
  hypothesizing, observing, testing, and analyzing
  results to reach a conclusion about a topic of
  interest
• your childs role in the project
• He or she is the INVESTIGATOR
• your role as the parent
• You are the GUIDANCE

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Choosing a Topic
Odenton Elementary School

• Ask your child to think of some topics that
  interest him/her
• Take your child to the library or have them
  research their area of interest on the web
• Let your child develop an idea for the project
  he/she would like to do
• Ask your child to think about this project in
  terms of what he/she would need to do it and the
  amount of time that they will have to complete it
  
• Be sure that your child is planning an experiment
  AND NOT a demonstration.
• MAKE IT SIMPLE!

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Approval to Begin Research Form
Odenton Elementary School

• What is your research problem or question?
• What is your hypothesis?
• What materials will you need for your experiment?
• How will you perform your experiment?
• Where will you conduct your experiment?
• What kind of data will you collect?
• Do you need other approval forms?

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Discuss the Timeline
Odenton Elementary School

• CHECK OFF WEEKS WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING
• 1 Identify your
  topic and establish a purpose.
• 2 Use the library
  to research your topic.
• March
• 3 Plan
  experiment and collect supplies.
• 4 Conduct your
  experiment and collect data and results.
• 5 Analyze
  results and establish conclusion.
• April
• 6 Write the
  research paper.
• 7-8 Build your display and practice
  presentation for judging.

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Your Role as a Parent
Odenton Elementary School

• Your role should be supervisory and guidance
  ONLY.
• Let your child talk through their thought process
  with you.
• Only help when they need it.
• If the experiment requires you to construct or
  perform most of the tasks, your child needs to
  choose a different project.
• If the data collected is not understandable to
  your child and requires your interpretation or
  compilation, your child has chosen a project that
  is too difficult for them to do.
• Remind your child, if necessary, that this is
  their project and their responsibility.
• Help your child to stay on schedule

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The Project Presentation or Board
Odenton Elementary School

• Title (in the form of a question)
• Background Information or Purpose
• Hypothesis
• Variables (independent, dependent, and constants)
• Materials
• Procedure
• Data (in the form of tables, graphs, and/or
  charts)
• Results (in the form of a discussion)
• Conclusions (related back to the hypothesis)
• Pictures (to support data and if possible)
• References
• Acknowledgements
• Research Paper (containing all of the above plus
  the approval forms)

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Controlled Experiment
Odenton Elementary School

• A controlled experiment is one in which only one
  variable is changed or manipulated at a time.
• This change is compared to the results that were
  originally obtained before any variables were
  changed (called the standard).
• The standard may be developed using either a
  positive, negative, or both controls (depending
  on the experiment being conducted).

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Variables
Odenton Elementary School

• Independent
• the variable that is manipulated/changed or
  selected by the experimenter to determine its
  relationship to an observed phenomenon (the
  dependent variable).
• Dependent
• a factor whose values in different treatment
  conditions are compared.
• Constants
• Those things that are not changed in the
  experiment they stay the same.
• Controls
• Positive A known subject that will give a
  positive response in the experiment.
• Negative A known subject that will give a
  negative or no response in the experiment.

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Data Presentation
Odenton Elementary School

• Graphs
• Tables
• Charts
• These can be created in PowerPoint or Excel
  programs. (This may require more supervision for
  the lower grades).
• OR
• These can be created using graph paper and
  crayons or colored pencils.

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Guides and Resources
Odenton Elementary School

• Websites
• http//www.ipl.org/div/projectguide/
• http//www.cool-science-projects.com/index.html
• http//school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/sci
  fairstudio/handbook/
• http//www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/SciProjInt
  ro.html
• http//users.rcn.com/tedrowan/primer.html
• http//www.ag.ncat.edu/extension/programs/dte/scie
  nce.pdf
• http//www.cpet.ufl.edu/sciproj/sci004.htm
• http//www.cpet.ufl.edu/sciproj/sci004.htm
• www.scifair.org/
• school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/
• Bookstores
• Public Library

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Important Dates for 2009 OES Science Fair

• Friday, February 27th Registration slips are due
  to the science teacher
• Friday, March 13th Project and Safety Approval
  Forms are due to the science teacher
• Thursday, April 23rd Science Fair Day
• All projects due at the school 830 900am
• Copies of this presentation and extra copies of
  the announcement flyer and registration
  slip, originally sent home on 2/11, are available
  from you childs science teacher.