Penn Elementary SchoolScience Fair Information

2015

Penn Family STEM NightMarch 4, 2015 6-7:30pm

Showcasing our elementary science fair projects, our inaugural Fair will also include:– hands-on technology, engineering, and math

activities– chats with professionals in STEM fields – Penn Robotics Team demonstrations

March 4, 20156-7:30pm Penn Elementary School*To volunteer your time or talent during the afternoon or evening, please email LoriAnn Pawlik, pawlikla@pwcs.edu

Penn Elementary SchoolScience Fair

OPEN TO ALL PENN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS (GRADES K - 5) Projects Due: Morning, Wednesday, March 4, 2015

4th-5th Grade Judging: Afternoon, Wednesday, March 4, 2015 Family Viewing: Evening, Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Classroom Viewing: Morning, Thursday, March 5, 2015

Registration Deadline: • To participate in the Penn Elementary School Science Fair, students must

complete and submit a PROJECT REGISTRATION FORM by February 20. Registrations submitted after February 20 will be accepted at the discretion of the Science Fair Coordinator. A copy of the registration form for each grade level is on the Penn STEM website.

Important Info• Projects which involve experimentation with vertebrate animals or

humans will not be allowed in the science fair unless a project protocol has been completed and approved.

• Projects may not display any live or preserved animals. Project displays may not contain combustible, flammable, or other fire causing materials. Project displays may not contain any potentially hazardous chemicals (all other liquids or chemicals must be in SEALED, NON-GLASS containers). Project displays may not include food (human or animal), bacteria cultures, yeast cultures, mold, fungi, or other microbial cultures (living or dead).

• Project displays may not contain sharp, pointed, or other possible hazardous objects.

• The Penn Elementary School Science Fair Committee reserves the right to remove any objects, materials, and other items which they determine to be unsuitable for display in a science fair exhibit.

Kindergarten-1st grade

• Each participating student and his/her parents investigate a science topic together.

• A simple experiment may be done as part of the investigation.

• Together, each participating student and his/her parents make an 11”x17” drawing to display what they learned.

• Projects are not graded, but participation awards will be given.

• Goal: to have fun exploring a topic!

Grades 2-3

• Each participating student investigates a science topic with parental assistance.

• This means parental involvement is appropriate; however, students should do as much of the work as is both possible and practical.

• It is preferred that an experiment be done as part of the investigation, though an experiment is not required.

• Students may use the guidance material from this PowerPoint and should create a visual display board (with parental assistance) showing what he/she did and learned.

• These projects are not judged but receive participation awards. Teachers may give credit.

• Goal: to learn the beginning steps of a science project

Grades 4-5 • Each participating student investigates a science topic. An experiment must be done

as part of the investigation. Each participating student must follow directions for completing his/her investigation as described in the Penn Science Fair packet written for grades 4-5. Each participating student makes a display showing what he/she did and leaned. Each participating student MUST complete an abstract that describes his/her investigation in 250 words or less. In addition to the abstract, each participating student MAY submit a written research paper (this is REQUIRED for the PWCS Regional Science Fair) that summarizes the research done for the project or on a topic related to his/her investigation. A bibliography of two or more resources that tells from where each participating student found information that helped him/her design the experiment and make a hypothesis MUST be included as part of the abstract or display board. These students have a PACKET online to help.

• Parental involvement for fourth and fifth grade investigations should be minimal. Fourth and fifth grade students must plan and complete their own investigations, displays, and reports. A parent may only supervise and critique his/her child's work for safety; age appropriateness; validity and accuracy of process, results, and conclusions; and timely completion.)

• Student Assistance Sessions – including signature days and help are listed in the student packet for after school. A permission slip must be filled out. Students may also drop off their project folders for signature review on the due dates to room 119, Mrs. Pawlik.

• GOAL: to further develop and understand the steps of the scientific process

Suggested Science Fair TimelineDATE DUE TASK1/21 __Choose a topic QUESTION/PROBLEM to investigate. Submit any human/animal

protocol forms prior to research.__*If your teacher requires the project, submit it to your teacher for approval.__Do RESEARCH –read books for your topic, interview experts, check (safely) on the Internet. Record resources (Bibliography).__Develop a HYPOTHESIS (your best guess) based on your preliminary research.

1/28 __Decide on the PROCEDURE that you will use to test your hypothesis. __Make a list of your MATERIALS. Gather your materials.

1/28-2/11 __Conduct your EXPERIMENT. Record data. 2/11 __Organize your DATA and ANALYZE RESULTS. 2/20 **ALL GRADES: Turn in project registration to enter the Penn ES Science Fair2/25 __ Write your CONCLUSION based on your results. Write a “real world” application of what you

learned. __ Write a draft of your science fair report, proofread it, and type (or write neatly) your final copy.**PARENTS- Turn in form (in packet) if student can participate at Regional Fair

2/25-3/3 Assemble your science fair DISPLAY BOARD and display items. 3/4 __Turn in your science fair project (report, display board and display items) in the morning.

**Penn ES STEM Fair (including Science Fair)- 6-7:30__Take your science fair project home – afternoon

3/20 __Online registration deadline by student category winners WITH teacher for PWCS Regional Science Fair

4/11 PWCS Regional Science Fair, full day, student with project

Project CategoriesBehavioral & Social Sciences: Human and animal behavior; psychology; sociology; anthropology; archaeology;

ethnology; linguistics, learning, perception, and reading problems; urban problems; public opinion surveys; and educational testing.

Botany: Agriculture; agronomy; horticulture; forestry; plant taxonomy; plant physiology; plant pathology; plant genetics; hydroponics; structure, functioning, and response of plants; algae; fungi; yeast studies that do NOT focus on health issues.

Chemistry: Physical chemistry, including the test of shampoos, dyes, detergents, diapers, markers, nail polish, etc.; inorganic chemistry; plastics; fuels; pesticides; metallurgy; soil chemistry.

Computer Science: Internet networking and communications; graphics; simulations; virtual reality. Earth & Space Sciences: Geology; mineralogy; physiography; oceanography; climatology; astronomy;

speleology; seismology. Engineering & Mathematics: Effectiveness of insulation materials; technology applications; civil, mechanical,

aeronautical, chemical, electrical, photographic, sound, automotive, marine, heating, refrigeration, transportation, and environmental engineering; statistics; number theory; probability; mathematical analysis of data (such as for popping popcorn); projects that focus on the application of scientific information.

Environmental Sciences: Dynamic relationships between living/non-living components of the earth such as ecology; air, land, and water pollution.

Medicine & Health: Dentistry; pharmacology; pathology; ophthalmology; nutrition; sanitation; pediatrics; dermatology; allergies; speech; hearing; bacterial studies; yeast studies that focus on health issues.

Physics: Optics; acoustics; particle, atomic, plasma, superconductivity, fluid, and gas dynamics; semiconductors; magnetism; quantum mechanics; biophysics; studies of scientific phenomenon; projects that focus on scientific principles.

Zoology: Animal genetics; birds; fish; reptiles; circadian rhythms; animal husbandry; cytology; histology; animal physiology; studies of invertebrates (with the exception of behavioral studies).

ExamplesGrades K-1 A science fair project at the K-1 level is meant to be a fun learning activity for your kindergarten

or first-grade child and you, his/her parents. Together, you and your child investigate a science topic. The investigation may be done on the Internet, using a book, or by simply exploring some part of the world around you. An experiment may or may not be done as part of the investigation. The investigation may be as simple or as elaborate as you would like to make it. All K-1 projects will receive a participation ribbon. K-1 projects are not judged.

Two Sample Projects for Grades K-1 Example 1: You and your child study the night sky together and find the North Star, the Big and

Little Dippers, and some other constellations. Your child makes a drawing or display of the different parts of the sky that you observed together. (You may assist your child in making a display.) The drawing or display is placed in the science fair. Again, K-1 projects are not judged.

Example 2: You and your child decide to investigate what is needed for a fire to burn. You place a candle on your table and light it. Next, you light a second candle and put a jar over it. You observe that the candle in the jar buns out quickly while the candle on the table burns for a long time. You explain to your child that the oxygen in the jar was used up by the burning candle. Your child makes a drawing or display of what (s)he learned. (You may assist your child in making a display.) The drawing or display is placed in the science fair. Again, K-1 projects are not judged.

ExamplesGrades 2-3 A science fair project at the 2-3 level is meant to be a fun learning activity for a second or third-grade child and

his/her parents. The child chooses a topic to investigate and the parent acts as a facilitator for the child. This may mean helping the child find books and other materials related to his/her topic of interest, looking for and suggesting possible experiments the child can do, helping the child set up an experiment, supervising the child to make sure the experiment is done correctly and safely, and helping the child think of ways to display what he/she did and learned. Though experiments are not mandatory, they can make the study of some topics more thorough, interesting, and exciting. An appropriate alternative to an experiment would be the construction of a model that demonstrates what the child learned. All grade 2-3 projects will receive a participation ribbon. Grade 2-3 projects are not judged.

Two Sample Projects for Grades 2-3: Example 1: Your child decides that (s)he wants to know why some people add plant food to their houseplants.

You suggest that your child do an experiment to find out how plant food helps a plant grow. You ask your child how an experiment may be set up. With your guidance, your child plans an experiment to grow two house plants -- one with plant food and one without. Your child keeps track of how the plants grow by taking pictures, measuring their heights with a ruler, and making notes about how green each plant looks. After keeping a record for several weeks, your child makes a display board for the science fair that describes what (s)he did and shows pictures of her/his plants. Again, Grade 2-3 projects are not judged.

Example 2: Your child decides that (s)he wants to study volcanoes. You help your child find books about volcanoes. After reading the books, (s)he tells you what (s)he learned. (S)he then asks to make a model of a volcano to show how it works. You help her/him choose materials to make a volcano model. After making the model, your child also makes a display board that shows other information (s)he learned about volcanoes. Both the display board and a “non working” model of the volcano can be displayed in the science fair. Again, Grade 2-3 projects are not judged.

Extra Bibliography samples…A BIBLIOGRAPHY, a list of resources that tell where you found your background information that helped you

design your experiment and make your hypothesis. The Bibliography MUST be included as part of the project abstract. Examples of Bibliography entries are given below for several types of popular reference materials.

Non-Fiction Book: Last Name, First Name. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Copyright Date. Sample: Fleischman, Paul. Bull Run. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1993. Reference Book: "Title of Article." Title of Reference Book. Copyright Date. Volume Number. Sample: "Dinosaur." The World Book Encyclopedia. New York: World Book, Inc., 1995. Computer / CD-ROM Programs: "Title of Article." Title of CD Source. Copyright Date. Type of Source. Sample: "Diving Underwater." The 1998 World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia. 1998. CD-ROM. Computer On-Line Source: "Title of Article." URL Address. Date Article (Month, Day, Year) Accessed and/or Downloaded. Sample: "A Worker Classifies Bananas for Export." http://www.elibrary.comis/k6/getdoc.cg10 02 0203&dtype. October 26, 2000. Magazines /Newspapers: Last Name, First Name: "Title of Article." Title of Magazine/Newspaper. Date. Article (Month, Day, Year) Published. Sample: Jones, Paul. "Ferns Are Great." Plants in the Home. October 15, 1998.

Experimental Design Diagram*This is similar to the packet that 4th-5th graders are doing and is here to give guidance to any 2nd or 3rd graders who desire the further information.

Topic:What is your question? ___________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ List two (2) or more resources you used or will use to learn about your topic. (See the Bibliography Resource so you know what information you need.) ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ What is your hypothesis? (Use an "If.......... then........... because .......... " statement.) ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

Experimental Design Diagram p.2List the procedures you will be using. (This should be a step-by-step list of instructions that tells how you will do the experiment.) ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ (Use notebook paper if you need more room for your procedures.) Did you remember to use the metric scale when measuring?

Experimental Design Diagram p.3What are your variables? Independent Variable: Ask, "What am I testing?" There should only be one independent variable. Dependent Variables: Ask, "What are the results that I will use to answer my question?" There can be more than one dependent variable. Controlled Variables: ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ Ask, "What things will I do the same way for everything I test so the experiment will be fair?" There are many controlled

variables, or constants, in an experiment. Experimental Controls: Ask, "What am I doing so that I know that I am really learning what I want to know?" Also ask, "What am I doing so I

know my results are accurate?" Describe what you are doing to see if your independent variable really has an effect. Tell how many times you will repeat the experiment to make sure your results are accurate (at least 3).

Next…• Do your experiment and keep neat notes on your observations and data.

Think… what did I see, what did I measure?

• Put your data into tables, charts, or graphs. Make it neat!

• Analyze your results and make a conclusion. Did your results support your hypothesis?

• Make your design board and put your name, teacher’s name, & grade on the back.

• Finally, write a short report that explains your results. Use the RERUN acronym:R=Recall: Describe what you did.E=Explain: Explain the purpose of your experiment.R=Results: State the results. Was the hypothesis supported by the data?U=Uncertainty: Describe any errors.N=New: Write 2 new things that you learned. Write 2 questions for further investigation.

*Enter the Science Fair!!

HAVE FUN!LEARN SOMETHING NEW!

Questions??-Ask your Teacher or Science Fair Coordinator:Mrs. LoriAnn Pawlik, room 119pawlikla@pwcs.edu