Download Middle School Science Fair

Middle School
Science Fair
2015-2016
What is Science Fair?
Complete a project on something you are
interested in
Compete at ADS on January 22, 2016
Possibly go on to Austin Energy Regional
Science Festival in February 2016
Possibly go on to the Texas Science and
Engineering Fair in April 2016 in San Antonio
Elementary vs. Junior/High Division
6th graders may compete in the Elementary
Division Regionals on Saturday 2/20/16
10 6th graders will be invited to compete at the
Junior/High Division
7th/8th graders may compete in the Junior/High
Division Regionals on February 18, 2016
(TBD BEFORE WE START PROJECTS)
Who will go to Regionals?
Anyone who works hard and wows the judges!
Some 6th graders will compete in the
Elementary Division on Saturday 2/20/16
Some 6th/7th/8th graders will compete in the
Junior/High Division Thursday 2/18/16
Let’s get started!
Complete the survey sheet--due at next science class
talk to your parents
talk to your teachers
talk to your friends
read a science book
look at webpages:
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/sciencefaircentral/
http://www.sciencebuddies.org/
How can 6th graders apply to be in the
Junior/High Division?
Complete and return the survey form on time
NO LATE FORMS WILL BE ACCEPTED
Fill out the form thoroughly with lots of detail.
Design an amazing project!
Commit to spending several hours a week on your project
Show Natalie & Elizabeth you are ready for this challenge
by having a clean Engrade record.
go over survey form
Before you start your project...
Create an account at www.sciencefest.org
when Natalie/Elizabeth give the go ahead
Each part of the project will be documented
online using this account
Maintain the online paperwork! Each page
will be an assignment in Engrade
(Look at the paperwork in Austin Energy book)
What can you do?
Experiment/Engineering Project: An experiment
follows the steps of the scientific method. It clearly asks
a question to which you do not already know the answer
without testing. YES!!
Exhibit (model or demonstration): An exhibit is an
explanation of how or why something works. It reveals
details about the topic. An exhibit is an explanation, not
a question. NO!!
Take a look at categories in your packet
What you CAN’T do...
grow bacteria or mold
cause pain, suffering, sickness or death of a vertebrate
animal (invertebrates are ok)
no firearms, explosives, discharge air pressure canister
devices (rockets are ok for Junior/High division)
no activity or substance that presents a danger to the
student or environment, including hazardous chemicals
or radioactive materials--except with prior approval from
the Scientific Review Committee in Junior/High division
The Scientific Method
The scientific method is a way to ask and answer scientific questions by making observations and doing
experiments.
The steps of the scientific method are to:
Ask a Question
Do Background Research
Construct a Hypothesis
Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment
Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion
Communicate Your Results
It is important for your experiment to be a fair test. A "fair test" occurs when you change only one factor (variable)
and keep all other conditions the same.
While scientists study how nature works, engineers create new things, such as products, websites, environments,
and experiences.
www.sciencebuddies.org
The Engineering Design Process
The engineering design process is a series of steps that engineers follow to come up with a solution to a problem. Many times the solution
involves designing a product (like a machine or computer code) that meets certain criteria and/or accomplishes a certain task.
If your project involves making observations and doing experiments, you should probably follow the Scientific Method. If your project
involves designing, building, and testing something, you should probably follow the Engineering Design Process.
The steps of the engineering design process are to:
Define the Problem
Do Background Research
Specify Requirements
Brainstorm Solutions
Choose the Best Solution
Do Development Work
Build a Prototype
Test and Redesign
Engineers do not always follow the engineering design process steps in order, one after another. It is very common to design something,
test it, find a problem, and then go back to an earlier step to make a modification or change to your design. This way of working is called
iteration, and it is likely that your process will do the same!
from www.sciencebuddies.org
What does a question look like?
A scientific question usually starts with:
How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where.
How much gas does your favorite beverage produce?
Why do coffee and tea stain your teeth?
Which battery last the longest?
Which fruit has the most vitamin C and is it diminished by exposure to the
sun/heat/cold?
How does temperature affect the stretch of rubber bands?
What happens to a current-carrying wire in a magnetic field and is it affected
by closeness/distance to the field?
What is a hypothesis?
A hypothesis is an educated guess about how things work.
It usually looks like this:
If _____________ (I do this), then ____________ (this) ________ will happen.
Your hypothesis should be something you can test, what we call a “testable”
hypothesis. You need to be able to measure:
what you do
what will happen
Categories
Look at handout, these are the approved
categories.
Some will be off limits to ADS because we do
not have a lab.
Checklist
EVERY Junior/High division project will complete:
Student Checklist (1A)
a Research Plan
Approval Form (1B)
project review with Adult Sponsor (Natalie or Elizabeth)
a 250-word max, one-page Abstract which summarizes the work
a project data book and maybe a research paper
Some projects will require:
Initial IRB/SRC approval before experimentation
Helpful tips
Buy a folder this weekend, this is the ONLY
packet you will receive
Stay on top of work!
Team projects work best with only 2 people
Don’t do a project with vertebrates
Interested in a biology project?
Dr. Rhykka Connelly is interested in helping with equipment and has some ideas:
If any students are interested in working with photosynthetic organisms, Grofizz can loan equipment (free of charge) for the student's to use for their
projects throughout the semester. Here's a link to the products listed on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/GroFizz-Complete-Photobioreactor-Growth-System/dp/B00O2LCG00/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1442853916&sr=85&keywords=grofizz
These equipment are typically used to grow algae for some kind of product (biofuel, omega-3, antioxidants, proteins, etc) or analyze growth curves, but
the LED system can also be used to grow traditional land plants, too. Students could design experiments to examine lots of different outcomes, like
1) how different wavelengths of light, or different light intensities, affect the growth and production of specific products like oils, proteins, pigments,
fruits/veg, etc. Grofizz can provide the supplies necessary to test for these things, too. There's currently a push in the areas of agricultural and human
health to produce reliable sources of proteins and other nutrients and algae may be a good answer for both livestock and human health. Or
2) how nutrients from waste (food scraps, compost, digested sludge, etc.) can be recycled and used to grow plants or algae with specific nutrients. This
is an open question that NASA is currently trying to answer for their long-term space flight program. Another idea would be to
3) test whether certain kinds of algae can be an effective antibiotic against certain bacteria. The students could culture bacteria from the air on agar
plates, identify them by shape and gram stain, then test whether adding certain algae to the bacteria culture can stop their growth. This is another area
of intense interest as many traditional antibiotics are starting to fail, and we need to find replacements that are effective. There are many other projects
that could be conducted using the Grofizz equipment, too, if any students are interested in learning more.
Questions?