The Athol-Royalston Middle School Science Expo 2003 is meant to be positive learning experience for students. It is an assignment that is difficult in nature, yet rewarding in outcome. Students will be expected to work diligently on this project, whether solo or with a partner.
The student is responsible for the successful completion of the project. While the teacher is available for assistance, it is the student who is responsible for seeing that all deadlines and other demands of the project are met. Students who procrastinate will be at a disadvantage as the Science Expo draws to a close.
Completed inventors/experiment journal
Final typed fully proof-read project report in proper format (DISCUSSED IN A SEPARATE SECTION)
Backboard and display presenting project
Oral presentation
Projects will be one of two choices. Students will do either an experiment of their own design using the process of the scientific method, or they will produce an invention and be able to explain all scientific, technical, and social aspects of their invention.
Examples:
Experiment - A student designs an experiment to test different kinds of soil to see which type of soil grows plants the tallest in the shortest amount of time.
Invention - A student wants to create a mechanical grasping device that can retrieve items accidentally dropped to the bottom of a storm drain, such as a set of car keys.
Both of these projects require an extensive amount of design, preparation and materials. Planning, getting all required materials, and beginning the experiment or construction should begin within the first week in order to have the project totally completed by the due date. That includes the display as well as the final copy of the typed report.
NOTE: ANY PROJECT INVOLVING LIVING ORGANISMS, CHEMICALS, FLAMMABLE SUBSTANCES, OR OTHER DANGEROUS ITEMS MUST BE APPROVED BY THE TEACHER
It is HIGHLY recommended that students work alone, and not with a partner! Conflicts within the pair almost always arise because one partner does not complete his/her share of the work. If you choose to work with a partner you are obligated to work with that person for the duration of the project. Once a partner is chosen, I will not listen to any complaints about that partner. You will be graded on the entire project whether or not your partner has completed his/her share of the project.
A project time line will be provided for you, so you may finish the project, paper, and display without having to rush during the last week. A checklist will be provided and the items on the checklist must be checked off by the teacher in order to receive credit. Timeliness is important in completing a successful project. If the deadlines on the checklist are not met the overall grade may decrease (consult grading rubric).
This event is one where students can be proud of their hard work and show off their talents. It is an important occasion and for that reason students will dress appropriately for the Expo.
GENTLEMEN -Collared dress shirt and tie with nice pants (khakis, Dockers, etc.), shoes (loafers, etc.). A sport jacket may be worn as well but is not required. Shirts must be tucked in, ties properly tied. No sneakers. No jeans. If any student has a problem tying a tie, any male staff member will help you out.
LADIES - Nice blouse and skirt, or dress, pant suit, and shoes. All clothing must be school appropriate. No sneakers.
Students who arrive inappropriately dressed will not be permitted in the Expo.
Due to the nature of this type of project, unexpected things can and will happen. Although a student may start out with a good idea, he/she may soon find out that in order to accomplish the project the student needs materials he/she can't find, photos that have to be developed, or time they don't have. Because of this, it is important to get to work on the Science Expo project right away and work out all of the kinks. It is much better to finish the whole project with a couple of weeks to spare rather than try to get it finished the night before the presentation.
1. Select a project that you will be able to do. This sounds obvious, but with material and time restrictions you really need to approach this project with a realistic attitude. It is great to try to do something huge and fantastic, but you have a deadline to keep; if you try to do a project that is too obscure, big, or expensive, you may find yourself coming up short as the Science Expo approaches.
2. Select a project that is interesting to you. This also seems obvious, but many students pick a project in which they have no real interest, and as a result, they do a poor job in the end. Take time to really think about what interests you. Also, your teacher may have some ideas for you.
3. Select a project for which you can collect a large amount of data. If you are doing an experiment you need a good amount of data that you will eventually use to plot on a graph. If you only have a few points your conclusions will not stand up to scientific scrutiny and your grade will reflect those weaknesses.
4. Take plenty of photographs from the beginning of the project to the end. When used on the display, this can make the difference between a project that people talk about and one that people pass by.
5. Note all failures that occur during the project. Something that goes wrong is just as important (and sometimes more important) than something that goes correctly. Remember, this is a learning process, and you should be able to explain what you learned from your mistakes, as well as from your successes.
6. Record all your data. This is so important. I can not emphasize this enough. The key to a successful experiment or invention is to record any and all data that you accumulate. If some data is missing, it alters the final outcome of the project, and large gaps of information appear.
7. Learn how to use spread sheets to make accurate and professional- looking graphs. A sloppy or inaccurate graph can mean the difference between taking home a trophy or not. Mrs. Harris will be glad to help you establish your graphs, but first you must know which variables you will be plotting; and, you must have enough data. If you have forgotten what independent and dependent variables are or if you are just unsure of the best way to plot your graph, please see your teacher for assistance.
8. Start planning early how your backboard and display will look. This should be planned out in your inventor/experiment journal. Play with different designs. Most importantly, remember that lots of bright colors and creative extras really make your project stand out above the rest. If you are unsure of what you may do to accomplish this, see your teacher or Ms. Litchfield for some suggestions.
9. Obtain or purchase all of your materials early. Keep in mind that not everything you need will be easy to obtain. Also, there may be other students out there doing something similar to what you are doing and you need to get the materials before they are gone.
10. Stay after school for extra help, materials, and time to perfect your project. Note that your teacher may not be able to stay after when you need to. Some of the best projects are those that the teacher is able to critique and give the most input well before the project is due. Don't bank on the instructor having time to help you out a week or two before the project is due. Get yourself in for assistance early, even if it is for something small. Better safe than sorry.
All students will keep a journal of their progress. Each time the student works on his/her project, the events of what the student accomplished, data collected, or any ideas that the student came up with should be recorded in the journal.
An example of how a journal page should be set up should look similar to this:
Date: 1/10/99
Experiment: Growth of bread mold in humid and
dry environments
Include any graphs or drawings
Include any data collected (measurements, blue prints, etc)
Problems: Bread in humid environment is turning stale and mold growth seems reduced today. Humidity in that area may not be constant.
What needs to be done next:
I have placed the bread I am experiencing problems with in a location that has constant humidity
Predictions:
I think mold growth will resume in the new location.
The journal will be collected and its thoroughness, clarity, and attention to detail will be incorporated into the final grade.
The display must be able to stand on its own without you being present. This means that a person looking at the display must be able to understand, with minimal effort, what you have discovered. If this is not the case, the judges may not be able to judge your project properly.
All students must approach their choice of experiment or invention with the scientific method.
Observe (in this case, think of) a problem
Research that problem - In other words get all useful information about your topic AND RECORD ALL OF THE BIBLIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION (Author, Title, Publisher, Date, Web Address, etc.)
Form a hypothesis - " I think that if I plant flower seeds in potting soil they will grow taller than flower seeds planted in sand."
Perform the experiment - Observe rules of safety carefully. Use tools and substances that may be considered dangerous in the presence of adult supervision. Make sure that you have a distinct independent variable and a dependent variable.
Record and Graph all data - this can not be overemphasized. Any suspected falsification of data will be subject to an inquiry and possible forfeiture of grade credit may result.
Form a conclusion based solely on your data - In your discussion you can address what in your experiment went well and what did not go so well.
For further assistance, see any of the science teachers in the building.
For help on the written portion of the project it is advisable to seek assistance from an English teacher as well as from your science teacher.
Week of Jan 12 - Science Expo is discussed in all classes. Students begin selecting projects. Students obtain an inventor/experiment journal on their own to present to the instructor in class.
Week of Jan. 19 - Due: Experiment or invention is chosen. Topic is selected. and submitted to the instructor. Journal is displayed in class.
Week of Jan 26 - Due: Experimental hypothesis or initial invention schematics/blueprints. Journal check.
Week of Feb. 9 - Due: Evidence that project is fully underway. All or most problems have been solved. All research materials have been obtained, and ALL BIBLIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION IS CITED PROPERLY. Journal check.
FEBRUARY BREAK: Week of February 17,2003
Week of Feb 23 - Due: Evidence that all, if not most, data has been obtained; student is ready to proceed writing the report and begin designing the display. Journal Check.
Week of March 2 - Due: Evidence that written report is nearly complete, and that backboard design has been planned. Journal check.
Due: Evidence that backboard is near completion. Written report has only minor editing remaining. Journal check.
Week of March 9 - Due: BACKBOARD IS COMPLETE Evidence that all data is graphed properly. All materials are put together for display. FINAL PAPER IS COMPLETED; HAS BEEN PROOFREAD, CORRECTED, AND TYPED. Journals presented for submission.
Tues. Mar 11 SCIENCE EXPO
Some students may be selected by Mr. Triozzi and Mr. McLaren to participate in the state science fair. The state science fair provides an opportunity for students to not only compete with their peers around the state, but to spend a day of hands on learning and experimenting with some of the state's best science instructors.
For those students wishing to go to college, participation in the state science fair would allow these students to list participation in the state science fair on a college application. This demonstrates ambition and intellect at an early age, to college admissions officers.
THOSE STUDENTS WHO DO AN EXPERIMENT (NOT AN INVENTION) AND WISH TO BE SELECTED TO GO TO THE STATE SCIENCE FAIR NEED TO MAKE THE TEACHER AWARE BY LATE FEBRUARY - EARLY MARCH.
EXPERIMENTS THAT MAY BE SUBMITTED MUST NOT INVOLVE LIVING CREATURES OR HUMANS AS EXPERIMENTAL SUBJECTS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM.
PROJECTS GOING TO THE STATE SCIENCE FAIR WILL BE SELECTED ON THE BASIS OF THOROUGHNESS, ACCURACY, DISPLAY ARRANGEMENT, COMPLEXITY, AND SOCIAL / ENVIRONMENTAL IMPORTANCE.
Science Expo projects will be graded as follows:
All deadlines are met. All items on checklists have been met. The student has shown significant ambition and consistency throughout the process. The display contains a variety of information and can stand on its own without the student having to be there. The display is colorful, and shows definite imagination and creativity. The written report is completed on time and there are very few, if any, mistakes, including spelling, grammatical, and factual. All reference sources are cited, and all citations appear in proper format in the " works cited" portion of the paper. The final paper shows an abundance of work, attention to detail, pictures and diagrams when appropriate, and, of course, absolutely no evidence of plagiarism. The students inventors/experiment journal is handed in, and it is obvious that the student did not just fill it in so it could be handed in for a grade, but, in fact, the notes within the journal reflect many days worth of significant effort. The student has listened to and acted on all advice from the instructor. All in all, an excellent project.
Almost all deadlines have been met. Almost all items on checklists have been reviewed/met. The student has shown an above average amount of ambition and consistency throughout the process. The display is colorful and shows above average creativity. The display can stand on its own, and the information on it is clear and understandable to all. The final paper shows an above average amount of work. There are few mistakes. All works are cited. All citations are in proper format in the "works cited" portion. Attention to detail is not as strict as it could be. A significant amount of work is clearly evident. The student's inventors/experiment journal is handed in. It contains an above average amount of effort is clearly demonstrated, although there could be more work shown, it is evident that the student put a considerable amount of time into recording his/her observations and ideas. The student has listened to and acted on most of the advice given by the instructor. In all, an above average project.
Some deadlines have been met. Some items on checklists have been reviewed/ met. The student has shown an average to below average interest throughout the process. The display is difficult to understand. Items may be missing. A lack of creativity or color marks this project. The paper does not represent a significant amount of work or time given to the project. Citations are not evident, nor in proper format. The student may have taken the easy way out in some aspects of this project. There is not a significant amount of work evidenced in the student's inventors/experiment journal. The student has not listened to or acted on much of the advice given by the instructor. In all the project represents an average to below average amount of time and interest.
Few deadlines have been met, or they have not been met with the required amount of work. Few items on the checklists have been met or they have been met with unsatisfactory effort. The display is unsatisfactory, with large gaps of information or pictures/diagrams missing; it may be esthetically unappealing. The paper has not been completed appropriately. The inventors/experiment journal shows a lack of effort/interest. In all, a below average project.
Student did not participate in project. Student did not follow directions. Plagiarism. Falsification of data. Student sabotaged another student's project. Student used living organisms without explicit permission from the instructor.
The following are just a few topics for science fair projects.
Remember: Experiment or Invention. No Demonstrations.
Keep in mind that "easy" projects do not generally elicit a good grade.
There are many more ideas out there. If you think of something you like, check with your teachers first. Permission must be granted.
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Taken from: http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/~jbarron/intermed.html
2. Fuels and their efficiency in producing energy.
3. Musical instruments- the scientific principles behind them
4. Music vs. Noise- difference
5. Pendulums- how can a period of a pendulum be increased?
6. Air Pressure- Water Pressure
7. Gears- compare efficiencies, effect of different lubricants
8. Solar Furnace
10. Lenses- effects of curvature, materials on light beams
11. Can eggs withstand a greater force from one direction than from others ?
12. How strong are nylon fishing lines?
13. How strong are plastic wraps?
14. Which homemade airplane design flies best?
15. What factors affect the bounce of a dropped ball?
16. How do compression and tension make things strong?
17. How strong is a toothpick?
18. Which type of lawn sprinkler works best?
19. Which type\size of light bulb produces the most light?
20. How can the strength of light be measured?- the effect on degradable materials
21. Which materials can be charged with static electricity?
22. Which battery lasts the longest?- How can power be increased?
23. What affects light reflection?- refraction and diffraction of light?
24. Spectrum and color production- prisms
25. How is sound produced? What affects the pitch of sound?- What affects the volume of sound? - How would you measure the velocity of sound?
26. Electric Motors- principles and factors affecting their efficiency
27. Electric Circuits- factors affecting voltage, amperage, resistance
28 .Magnets and electromagnets- What affects the strength of and electromagnet?
29. Buzzers and bells and alarms
30 . Radios
31 .Internal Combustion engines
32 .Heat convection- Radiation of heat
33 .Insulation-best materials, thickness
34. How is paint affected by temperature changes?- Elasticity of rubber; effect of glue's
1. Use of solar energy- design and construct solar cookers, solar panels, etc.
2. Designing a strong bridge, or an energy efficient home
3. Efficient use of renewable energy resources- E.G. Wood, Wind
4. Determine the accuracy of various thermometers
5. How much heat is required to raise the temperature of various substances by an equal amount?
6. Principle of energy conservation
7. Comparing active & passive solar energy systems for cost and efficiency
1. Snow- what happens when it melts; what does it contain; structure of snow flakes; life in a snow bank
2. Sky Color- account for differences in color at different times
3. Wind and Clouds- what are the common wind patterns in your area and why? Is cloud formation related to height, weather systems and temperature? Study and record how clouds relate to weather patterns
4. Water levels- study and record varying levels over the year in a body of water; account for differences and the results on the surrounding environment.
5. Dew formation- how much is formed on a square meter for a period of time; account for variations
6. Wind-does wind travel at same speeds and in same directions at different heights?
7. Frost formation- what must the temperature be to form first; what are the effects of humidity? What is the make-up of frost and dew?
8. Evaporation- which affects the rate of evaporation most- temperature, humidity, wind speed or other factors?
9. Rain- can you measure the speed and force of raindrops?- What is the effect on soil, with and without ground cover? Could you simulate the effect of rain?
10. Heat Retention- does fresh water hold heat longer than salt water? How does water compare to land and what effect does this have on the weather? What factors affect the cooling of land?
11. Sunlight- how do different surfaces affect the amount of sunlight reflected and absorbed? Design a method of measuring how much sunshine is available each day.
12. Humidity- can you collect the amounts of water in the air at different temperatures?
13. Temperature- what is the difference between direct sun and in the shade? Is the difference constant?
14. Weather records- Design and build an automatic recording weather device. Test it over a period of time.
15. Effects of Humidity- what happens to hair during periods of changing humidity? How does human hair compare to that of other animals? How do other materials compare in expansion and contraction.
1. Effects of temperature on viscosity of oil, chemical reactions, Brownian movement, burning of different materials.
2. Everyday activities that illustrate chemical principles
3. Chemical reactions that produce energy or that require energy
4. Testing of consumer products- glues, stain removers, antiseptics, mouthwash, detergents, paper towels, making salt water potable, removal of pollutants
5. Effects of sunlight on rubber, ink, papered
6. Effects of increased concentrations on the rate of chemical reactions
7. Compare the pH levels in the mouths of various animals and humans at different times in the day
8. Compare the surface tension of various liquids
9. Dealing with chemical spills from industry
10. Analyzing snow and rain for pollutants; samples from different locations
11. Effects of temperature on density of gases
12. Effects of salt and other contaminants on rate of rusting
13. Growing crystals- factors that affect the rate and the size
14. Can you obtain water from ink, vinegar, milk?
15. What effects do different amounts of exercise have on the production of carbon dioxide in humans?
16. Analyze soil samples for their components, ability to hold moisture, fertility and pHs
17. Does the amount of particle pollution vary with distance from a road, with location, with height. Determine types of particles found in pollution fallout
18. Catalysts- how they work and why; commercial applicants and problems
19. Fire extinguishers-principles of operation and factors affecting their efficient use
20. How do acids react with different metals under varying conditions
22. Can you devise and experiment that will list metals in order of their activity, from the most potassium to the least active ore gold
23. Electroplating- the principles, how different metals can be used and the practical applications
1. Germination - how monocots and dicots differ - the effects of heat, light, carbon dioxide, pH level, etc. on germination rate
2. Photosynthesis - factors affecting the rate of photosynthesis temperature, light intensity, water, carbon dioxide - part of light spectrum used in photosynthesis
3. Leaf - do the numbers and sizes of stomata vary with different plants - what happens if stomata are covered and why?
4. Roots - how much water is used by different plants - what is the effect of temperature, sunlight, etc., on the use of water (transpiration) - how do different types of soils affect the ability of roots to anchor plants - what factors encourage root growth and what is the effect of water, oxygen, soil type, minerals on root growth?
5. Plant growth - determine the effects of various nutrients, amounts of water, hours of sunlight, strength of weed killer, temperature, pollutants, pH levels on plant growth and crop yields - can
plants live without oxygen, carbon dioxide - what percentages of various plants is water
6. Genetic Studies - connections between hair and eye color, sex and left handedness, hair color and strength - family studies on inheritance
7. What conditions are favorable for: -fungus growth- E.G. yeast, mold, mildew diseases -mushroom production - growing brine shrimp -algae growth -bacteria growth or control- mutations - rooting cuttings -the survival of Planaria -the growth of nitrogen fixing bacteria -lichen growth
8. Field Studies -effects of herbicide spraying, acid rain in a lake, auto exhausts on a roadside, SO2 emissions on plants, under hydro lines -types of bacteria found around the home, on the body, in soil of different types
9. The preferred pH level in the soil for various plants
Any doubt as to the authenticity of materials presented for grading without proper citations will be subject to an inquiry. If plagiarism is evident the student will receive a 0 for the project grade.
Due to the copious amounts of information currently available in electronic form (cd-roms, Internet, etc.), it is easy to cut and paste information into a project. For this reason, special programs for teachers have been developed to search the Internet to locate the original sources of information suspected of plagiarism. We have some of these programs available to us.
Therefore, it is in your best interest to properly cite every item you use.
Improperly cited paraphrasing will be treated the same as plagiarism.
The following pages have been selected from various sources to help students as a guide to assist the progress of the project.