SCIENCE FAIR

EMAIL ME to receive the sheet of due dates. Technological difficulties. SorryL2walker@scsk12orgEntire project is due on Feb. 4th!  NO EXCEPTIONS!! **Dear Parents,We are at that time of year again when science fair projects begin. I know some of my students have already begun. Kudos to you! As for the rest of us, we have to get busy. In order to maximize our potential at the sixth grade level, I have set due dates and guidelines that need to be met by each student. I will be working with your child to ensure that they are on the right track and understand what is expected at each deadline. However, I know that science fair can be a challenge and overwhelming to some and that is why I am asking for parental support and assistance. If you could reinforce the following at home, this project will go smoother than others. I will take four grades from this project. One is on having all components turned in on the due dates. This will count as a classwork grade. The other 3 grades will be on the display board (lab grade), the written report (classwork grade), and the oral presentation (test grade).1. All students at Germantown Middle School are required to do a Science Fair Project! No exceptions!2. Students may not do the same project as previous years.3. Parents may assist, but not do the project for them.4. All experiments need to be done with adult supervision.5. All students and parents must practice the safety rules discussed in the Safety Contract.6. Students were told it is risky to work with another. I highly recommend to work alone. I will not listen to the problems that arise.7. Remind your child that they can do this!I would like for every parent to read through this packet and discuss each component with your child. Everything you need to know is in this packet. We have already gone over this in class and we will continue to visit it throughout the project schedule.The actual GMS science fair is February 11. The top 5 or more projects from each class period will be entered into the GMS science fair. Students may also compete in the County Fair if they want to, but I do not require it. Students interested must see me by January 25 to get all the forms filled out.All students need to have a science fair folder by Monday, November 12, 2007: A folder with pockets and brads and a small letter envelope. A binder and display board will be needed for the final product.All students can succeed in this area. Thank you all for your support! Please email me with any questions and sign and return the bottom portion of this letter.Thank you,Mrs. Walker___________________ CUT HERE_______________________________I have read the science fair packet and gone over all the information with my child. I understand the packet and will support my child in succeeding in the project.____________________________ ____________________________Parent Signature Student NameChoose to succeed and you will! We are all scientists waiting for the opportunity to share our thoughts. Ask your question and find the answer by doing the science fair project.** Everything that says (TYPED) must be typed on your board. The due dates require that you have this portion at least in rough draft form not necessarily typed. I will give each student time in class to type and research later on.TOPIC:What area of science interests you? Research this area until you form a question of your own to inquire about.QUESTION:What do you want to find out about your topic? Research can help you gain background information to lead you to a good scientific question. (TYPED)TIPS: DO NOT choose questions that test different products or brands.DO NOT test batteries, bread molds, or plantsDO NOT just make a model for your project. If you have a model, it needs to bepart of our actual experiment.RESEARCH:Gain insight on your topic and question in order to become knowledgeable about the topic. Research should help you compose your experiment, support your thoughts, ideas, and findings. Use reliable resources. Some internt sites are not factual and can be misleading. Periodicals and encyclopedias state the facts for the most part and are more reliaable. Make sure to document every resource you use!!HYPOTHESIS:This is your answer to the question. Make sure you back it up with scienitific information related to your topic. You did research so explain yourself. Make sure you are not left asking “WHY?” This is what the judges are looking for. (TYPED)PROCEDURE:Tell me exactly what you will do find the answer to your question. How will you test your problem? Tell me step-by-step your process for your experiment. Remember you need to make sure someone else can duplicate your experiment. In this portion make sure you highlight your variables(the substances you are testing) and the control (the substance that is not being tested and is in its original form).(TYPED)ANALYSIS: Due Jan. 11What are your results? MAke a chart, graph, or table to show your results. You may keep a journal of yoru daily findings, but make sure you organize this information into an easy to read table or graph. IT should be organized and show all the data you collected from your experiment. Rember to do your experiment at least 3 times to ensure its validity. (TYPED)CONCLUSION: Due Jan. 18 Did your results support your hypothesis? Why or why not? Do not forget to explain yourself. Back everything up with scientific thought. Judges love this! State it as: “According to my hypothesis, I was …. because …..” BACK IT UP!!!!(TYPED)NEXT TIME: (TYPED) Due Jan. 25What will you do differently next time? Why?Will you test different substances? Why?Tell me 2 pending questions you still have about your project.DISPLAY**: Due Feb. 4All components should be typed and neatly placed on the display board. Make the title catchy and the board easy to read. This is science not art. But, remember it is an advertisement for your project. Draw your audience in!Some tips:- Use a “catchy” title to grab attention.- Use graphs, charts, photos, and illustrations to display results.- Trifold displays MUST be used.- Lettering should be large, colorful and bold.- Provide a model of your experiment.- Every component on the display board is typed.PRESENTATION**: Due Feb. 4 You will share your results with the rest of the scientists in your class. We learn from each other and we rely on each other to discover amazing things! Be prepared to explain your project in your own words. NO ONE IS TO READ FROM THEIR BOARD!**Look at the attached rubric for an explanation on how you will be graded for your presentation and display board.