McPherson/CPS Science Fair Report

Due 2nd week of November. Mrs. Hollister 7th & 8th

Ms. Dosch 5th & 6th AHHOLLISTER@CPS.EDU

JTDOSCH@CPS.EDU

Use this power point as a planning guide.

• The report MUST be in the Report format shown in class and NOT in the Power Point/slideshow format.

• The Science Fair report must be printed in the order shown on the Table of Contents and stapled together in the top corner.

• Page Titles:– Each Section of your science fair report MUST have a title and page #.

• Font & Size – All font throughout your packet should be either

• FONT (Times New Roman, Ariel, or Georia)• SIZE 11 or 12

– The titles can be either size 13 or 14.

BEFORE I BEGIN! Observations

• Making Observations is the key to science.– Observations are for noticing the world.– Observations are looking at something for detail.– Observations are interesting to you

• I notice that …• Other people say that …• Some things I wonder about are ….• Does…..cause……to happen?• I can’t believe that……• Why is it that ……

O) Report’s Cover Page• Your cover page MUST have:

– See the sample “Science Fair Report” for the correct format. • Project Title

– (same as title on poster board)» only 1-3 words/NOT the question!

• Category or Field of Science– Example: Chemistry, Biology, Earth Science…

– Include all information:• Your first & last name• Your school year and your grade• The schools address (as seen here)

TitleCategory

Student Name

Student Grade and YearJames B. McPherson

Elementary School4728 N. Wolcott

Chicago, IL 60640

P)Table of Contents• The Table of Contents page of your packet shows the order that your Science

fair report MUST be in when you turn it in. – This is an example of the expected order but also how your Table of Contents should appear in the report. This order is

not optional Table of Contents• Question 1 • Hypothesis 1• Manipulated (X) & Responding (Y) Variables 2• Review of Literature 3-5• Materials List 6• Procedures 7• Data Table 8• Graph 9• Conclusion: 10• IB MYP; Areas of Interaction: 11• Acknowledgement: 12• Bibliography 13

• Safety Sheet and Abstract do NOT get listed in the Table of Contents but will be stapled in front of your reports cover page.

Table of Contents

A*) Question:• The question is the purpose of your experiment.

– Your question must be a yes or no question. (What you want to find out.)

• Example: Do plants need sunlight to survive?• Non-example: Do plants grow better in the sunlight or darkness?

• There are other ways to ask questions but it is usually possible to turn your question into a yes or no question as seen above.

– RECORD YOUR APPROVED QUESTION BELOW! • ONCE APPROVED THIS IS YOUR SF QUESTION! You will be able to do this on MOST slides

– A) ____________________________________

Question

HypothesisMy hypothesis is that

plants do need sunlight to grow.

Do plants need sunlight to grow?

B*)Manipulated Variable (x): • The manipulated (or independent) variable is what YOU the scientist will change or

what your be your focus during the experiment or investigation. – Example: (X) My manipulated variable is that the plants will

receive different amounts of light.

• Reasoning: If each plant receives a different amount of light I will know that the light matters to the growth of the plant.

» Plant with lot of light placed in windowsill » Plant in the dark placed in a dark closet» Some sunlight in a room with some indirect sunlight

– Remember your experiment must have METRIC results that can be measured; some examples include length, mass, volume, and Newton’s.

B) My manipulated variable is _________________________________________________________

C*)Responding Variable (y): • The responding (or dependant) variable is what will

happen when YOU change things in the experiment. – Example: (Y) My responding variable is the height of the plant.

• Expected results: » Plant with lot of light will grow tall (maybe 10 cm)» Plant in the dark will shrivel up & die (no growth)» Some sunlight will grow a little (maybe 5 cm)

– Remember your experiment must have METRIC results that can be measured; some examples include length, mass, volume, and Newton’s.

• I can measure the height of the plants in cm using a ruler.C) My responding variable is_______________________________________________

D*)Hypothesis: • The hypothesis is based on your expected results or

predictions about what will happen when you manipulate one of the variables. – Which of these hypotheses' makes sense to you?

– My hypothesis is that…..» … if a plant has a lot of light then it will grow taller than plants

with little or no light.» …if a plant has no light then it will not grow taller than the plant

with little or a lot of light. – They can both be tested exactly the same way but what matters is what

you hypothesize is true before you design & do your experiment.

D) My hypothesis is _________________________________________________

E1) Controls & Constants

• Control: A limitation of what happens when you test. – Example:

• Manipulated…• We placed the plants in 3 different places . – This proves to us that one is better like if in a race.

• Multiple trials• I will need 9 plants.– This proves that if all three plants in the darkness die the pattern may

help prove that darkness is not good for plant growth.

E) My controls are • __________________________________________• __________________________________________• __________________________________________

E2) Controls & Constants– Constants: What I always keep the same or constant.

– Example: We ONLY placed the plants in 3 different places .

• All 9 plants have the same type of soil• All 9 plants get the same amount of water• All 9 plants have the same color and type of pot• All 9 plants are the same type of plant• All 9 plants …………………………• List them all until you can think of no more (add later if relevant)

– E) My constants are • __________________________________________• __________________________________________• __________________________________________

How to Write the Review of Literature(Paragraph 1: Introduction )

• INTRODUCTION:– This section introduces the topic you are researching. • Create a strong lead sentence that explains what you hope to prove

by doing this experiment. • State your question.• Include the branch of science (category) that this topic would be studied under.

• Research the history of the branch of science and add at least one scientist and his or her contribution to this branch of science.

• It should be related to your topic in some way.• Example (Biology and Plants)

• Find out who discovered chloroplasts? • Is there a famous agriculturalist?

• Non-Example• Biologist who discovered how the human brain works.

• If the topic you have chosen is part of a current event or story, or has been the basis of a previous scientist’s research project, you can mention that instead or as well.

How to Write the Review of Literature(Paragraph 2: The body )

• THE BODY: • Use this section to state your purpose.

– State your manipulated (X) variable, • How did you change it, and why.

– State your responding (Y) variable. • State which measuring tools you are needed to gather

data the units and what you measured. • Explain how these measurements help your answer

question.

How to Write the Review of Literature(Paragraph 3: The body )

• THE BODY: • Does your experiment need any specialized equipment not used for

the responding variable? • How is it used? What does it help you to understand?

• Example: • You look through the lens to view a small object at a larger size.• A microscope can be used to understand plants on a cellular level.

• Explain any of the processes, forces, and/or energies that will be involved in your experiment.

• Be sure to use any key terms and include definitions of these terms. • Examples

• Photosynthesis is the process of the transformation of light energy into mass. This occurs only in organisms that have chloroplasts like plants and algae.

• Chloroplasts are the organelle inside of the plant cell that perform photosynthesis.

How to Write the Review of Literature(Paragraph 4: Conclusion )

• Closing Paragraph(s) – State your hypothesis.

– Was your hypothesis correct or incorrect? – If incorrect explain why you ‘thought’ it was correct.

– (It is okay to have had an incorrect hypothesis)– If correct explain your evidence.

– Explain the patterns you observed in your data– Explain your QUANTITATIVE data table– Explain your QUALITATIVE data.

– Gives your opinion as to why this topic is important for others to know about. (refer to your Global Contexts)

– If you could do this project again what would you do differently or what would you add?

– Think about your manipulated variables, responding variables, controls, constants, materials, & procedures.

F1)Review of LiteratureCompletion checklist

• You will describe the following parts within the Review of Literature A,B,C,D,E,I,J, & K. – Begin writing once you have parts A,B, C, D, E

• You will need to do research on your topic including– What you will need to research:

• Scientist: who, what, when.• Special tools: who invented it, when was it invented, what is it for.• Key words: plants, photosynthesis, chloroplasts• Find out what others think the answer to your question is.

• You will need to cite your resources– 3 or more resources: At least 2 books, reliable internet resources– Create a bibliography (see part Q)

F2)Review of LiteratureReliable Resources

– While looking for information about your key words & what other people hypothesized and researched you will have to determine what is a good resource and what is not.

• Examples of RELIABLE RESOURCES for Science research– Non-fiction books, encyclopedias, ____________– Video documentaries that you can rewind and review. – Newspaper & magazine articles– Websites made by museums, TV stations, publishers– Interviews of people in related fields of science.

• Examples of UNRELIABLE RESOURCES for MOST research– Wiki………anything– Random searches with no main page: Google whatever….

G1*)Materials:Before you begin

Materials & Procedures should be written at the same time! As we have practiced in class.– The materials list should show every piece of equipment or

material you will use to perform your experiment. – Do NOT list materials used for your poster board layout

• (Ex: glue and scissors).– Do state how much of each material was needed in metrics!

• (Example: 25 ml of water).– Do be specific when listing specific materials.

• (Example: 9 sunflower plants is more specific than 9 plants).

G2*)Materials:

Your materials list can be done in bullet points or letters but NOT in numbers; it’s confusing.? Example: 1.9 plants

Make a list of materials used to perform this experiment.– 9 sunflower plants– 9 equal sized planters– 15 ml of water each day for a week– ….– ORA. 9 sunflower plantsB. 9 equal sized plantersC. 15 ml of water each day for a weekD. etc….

H1*) Procedure:Materials & Procedures should be written at the same time! As we have practiced in class.• Procedures are step by step directions on how to conduct or perform your experiment.

• Someone else should be able to use the procedure and conduct the same experiment

and get similar results. (Like a recipe)– Step one: Set up on of the materials on the clean kitchen table.– Step two: Place a label each of the 9 plants

• (P.S. highlighted instructions are also materials; can you see why we plan these at the same time)

• Going to the store & buying materials is not a part of the procedures.

H2*) Procedure:• Your procedures must be written in a special way.

– Use action verbs to start each sentence. – Set up ….– Label ….– Mix …..

– Do not use I, you, my, or your. – Non-Examples:

• Step one: I put all the materials on the clean kitchen table.• Step two: We will Stick a label on each of the 9 plants. 3A, 3B, & 3C.

• Remember PROCEDURES are like recipes• Anyone should be able to follow your experiment, (recipe) and get the EXACT or

similar results.– Step three: Place all 3 plants labeled A on the sunny windowsill.– Step four: etc…..don’t forget all the plants and recording data! –

I*)Data Table• The data table should match your manipulated and responding data. You should be able to

create one as soon as you complete Parts B & C.– While reading this slide check back to slides B & C for understanding. THIS is a Data Table

Windowsill (sun)

TV Room(mid sun)

Closet(No sun)

Qualitative observations

Date WS1

WS2

WS3

TV1

TV2

TV3

C1

C2

C3

Starting all the same height.

Oct 3 3cm

3 cm

3cm

3cm

3 cm

3cm

3cm

3 cm

3cm

Day one no growth, all in position!

Oct 10 3cm

4 cm

3cm

3cm

3 cm

3Cm

0cm

0 cm

0cm

Second week; all the closet plants (c) are dead. Some growth with full sun plants (A)

Oct 17 5cm

6cm

5cm

4cm

4cm

4cm

0cm

0 cm

0cm

Third week; B plants are a little taller than last week. I forgot to water them though.

Oct 24 7cm

9 cm

6cm

5cm

4cm

5cm

0cm

0 cm

0cm

Plant A2 is really tall. It’s in the middle, I wonder if it gets more sun than the other two because there are less shadows.

Oct 31 9cm

10cm

8cm

6cm

5 cm

6cm

0cm

0 cm

0cm

A2 is still bigger. All of the B plants grew but the A plants grew a lot taller. And even a lot faster.

J*)Graph

• The graph should match the data table in every way possible.

Your technology teachers will help you make these graphs.

K*)Conclusion:

• A conclusion – Formatting:

• The conclusion should be 3 paragraphs in length: • Each bullet point below represents the sentences• It will be similar to your Review of Literature Conclusion but not identical

– Paragraph 1: • Sentence 1: Restate the hypothesis.

• Sentence 2: Explain whether or not your data supports your hypothesis.

• Sentence 3: Infer and explain based on your research why the data turned out the way it did.– Paragraph 2:

• Sentence 4: Explain any issues, problems or concerns you had while carrying out the experiment. (related to materials or procedures ONLY)

• Sentence 5: Any ideas for improving the experiment or process if you were to do it again.– Paragraph 3:

• Sentence 6: State what you learned from this experiment. • Sentence 7: Include any important observations you made, or any new information you learned. • Sentence 8: Explain how the data you collected and the information you learned could be used in real life.

• (Connect to areas of interaction)

L1*)Global Contexts• Global Contexts: Your science fair project is seen through five interactive areas that provide global

contexts for your learning. • To create your science fair project, you have used Approaches to Learning which represents the learning

skills that you developed and applied to your project. • There are 5 global contexts for you to apply to your project. • Answer one of the questions below related to your question & your conclusion.

Orientation in Space and time Did you discover a way that life on this planet has been affected by the interactions of life & the environment?

Globalization & sustainability Did you discover a way that humans use their natural resources that could be changed?

Identities & Relationships Did you identify a relationship among how people from different cultures interact in a special or surprising way?

Fairness & development Did you observe something that could improve the way people interact with their environment?

Scientific & technical innovation Did you design or engineer something new or created a new tool ?

L2*)Global Contexts

• Format:• Here is an example of an IB Global Context• The Global Context that best relates to my project was Globalization & Sustainability.

Placing plants in the correct location in an indoor and outdoor garden is necessary for the successful growth of the plant. This knowledge would be helpful for nursery owners and people who enjoy living and working with plants. Now I know that if I want to grow a plant I will make sure it has the amount of sunlight that is right for that plant because not all plants are the same but all require sunlight to survive. The amount of light exposure affects plant growth and strength, agriculture, and harvest quantities. It is important to ensure that the appropriate amount of sunlight is provided to the required plants so that they may flourish. I also understand that geography might play a big part in how much sunlight is available for agriculture . Antarctica is dark 50% of the year. This is not a good place for plant growth people eat fish and other sea animals. Parts of South America are very sunny all year round. America gets a lot of fruit from South America.

M*)Acknowledgements: • Acknowledgements are when you thank those who have

helped you and explain how in a short paragraph.– You should start off by saying

• I would like to thank……– You can thank a teacher or two.

• I would like to thank Mr. Laske for helping me make my graph after school.

– You can thank a parent or guardian• I would like to thank my mom, Mrs. Hollister, for

helping me buy all of the materials.• One paragraph with about 2-4 acknowledgements is usually very

good.

N1*)Safety Sheet: • The safety sheet is a special sheet that MUST be

printed from the official CPS website.– Download, complete, and print two copies to turn in.– Includes a list of the possible dangers that a student might encounter when

performing the experiment for a science fair project. – Dangers might include:

» Unlabeled containers in a refrigerator (because your little brother might

drink it)» Hot liquids

(because they could burn your skin)• This is important and should be discussed with teacher and parent

before performing the experiment for approval. – Adult supervisor and student must sign this document.– It must be typed and printed not handwritten.

• Go To www.cpsscifair.org/Docs/safesheet8.pdf to access the file.

N2*)Abstract:

• The abstract is a special sheet that MUST be printed from the official CPS website.– Download, complete, and print two copies

to turn in. – One is for the Science fair report – The other is for the Poster board

– This is a summary of your Science fair project and includes information about the purpose of your experiment, what you focused on and the conclusion.

• www.cpsscifair.org/Docs/ijasAbtract8.pdf

Q*) Bibliography

• A bibliography is a form of academic integrity. – All sources used to find key words, names,

descriptions, answers must be cited. – You may use websites like Easybib.com to help

you cite your resources accurately.– A citation has a special format

• "Six Kingdoms of Life." Fact Monster: Online Almanac, Dictionary, Encyclopedia, and Homework Help. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Sept. 2014

All resources used MUST be cited