Email: lamaderasciencefair@gmail.com with questions
Science Fair Mission
• Get kids talking about and interested in
science
• Encourage critical thinking and develop
the scientific thinking process (question
and test) (Main Focus of NGSS and Part
of CCSS)
• Prepare students to participate in county
and state level science fairs
Academic Benefits of participating in
a Science Fair
• Reading Comprehension and Writing: Doing
background research and writing a research paper
• Math: Creating graphs and performing data analysis
• Time Management: Planning a multi-step project
• Communication: Presenting and explaining the science
fair project
• Ethics Understanding: Learning about plagiarism and
the importance of credit and citations
Tonight’s agenda
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Important Dates
General rules and judging
Getting started
Scientific method
Important Dates
Dates for 2014-15 are in the La Madera Office
• Registration Deadline: __________
• La Madera Science Fair __________
Drop-off 7:45 – 8:30AM Judging will be 9:00 – 12:00AM
• Science Fair Family Night __________
Viewing: __________PM, awards:_____PM
• Viewing of science fair projects by classes ____
• All projects must be picked up by 3:00 PM on
Wednesday, __________
Rules overview
To be eligible for judging, you must:
• perform an experiment to test a
hypothesis. (You may not enter a display,
informational report or collection)
• fit in space provided, free standing and
self supporting
4 feet wide x 2.5 feet deep x 6.5 feet tall (table) or 9
feet tall (floor)
Rules overview cont.
• Electricity may be available, first come first
served, you must register for it ahead of
time and have your own extension cord
• All displays and materials are displayed at
entrants own risk, the school and/or
science fair committee will not be
responsible for displays
General Judging Criteria
• Scientific thought: understanding and use of
the scientific method
• Understanding, thoroughness and clarity:
comprehensible and concise story about the
experiment
• Technical skill: quality of display and attention
to detail in writing conventions
• Creative ability and dramatic value: practical
and attractive use of materials for display
Judging Cont.
• Group and family projects will be allowed
this year, they will be judged separately
from individual projects
Getting started
• 1. start a notebook
• 2. observe, observe, observe
• 3. research your ideas
• 4. pick a topic
Keep in mind….
You are performing an experiment, not just
sharing knowledge
Don’t: just explain what crystals are and show
your favorite collection
DO: compare the size and shape of crystals
grown in three different temperature conditions:
room temperature, in the refrigerator, and in an
ice bath.
• Don’t just explain how mold grows on
rotting fruit
• DO: investigate which types of wrappings
keep sliced apples the freshest in the
refrigerator: foil, wax paper, plastic wrap,
or baggies
Definition of science
• Science is a process
that scientists follow to
answer questions about
and explain our natural
world.
Step :1 Ask a question?
Observe the world around you, watch things
as they happen, and wonder:
• Why?
• How?
• When?
Then ask: What if?
Questions that need work
• Can I grow crystals?
• What environment is best for growing
crystals?
• Will food spoil in the refrigerator?
• What wrap will prevent food from spoiling?
Good questions:
• Which growing conditions will form the
largest salt crystal, room temperature or in
the refrigerator?
• Which form of food wrap will preserve a
half an apple the longest, foil, saran or a
ziploc baggie?
Step 2: Form a Hypothesis
• A hypothesis is a testable, educated
prediction
• If I do _________, then ________ will
happen because _____.
• Research, research, research!
• Scientists always know what they think
should happen before they start the
experiment
Good hypotheses:
• If I grow crystals in the refrigerator, then
they will grow bigger than room
temperature because the water
evaporated more slowly and they had
more time to form.
• If I wrap food in foil then it will last the
longest in the refrigerator because foil
blocks out light and air.
Step 3: Design an experiment.
• Make sure your results are
BECAUSE of your procedure, not
DESPITE it.
• Eliminate all factors that could effect
your results except the ONE you are
testing.
Parts of an experiment:
• Independent variable – what you are
testing
• Dependent variable – what you hope
changes ( the best ones can be
measured)
• Controls: everything else!
• Materials list
• Detailed procedures
Step 4: Collect and Analyze Data
• WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN
• Organize your data into tables, label your
numbers
• Use graphs or charts – a picture is worth a
thousand data points
Step 5: Write a Conclusion
Your conclusion should:
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Restate your hypothesis
Summarize your results
Explain your data –
*Did it support your hypothesis or not?
*Did something unexpected happen?
Explore the next step in your research
process,*should your retry your experiment or revise
your hypothesis and try again?
Writing counts!
• Make sure you proofread your entries
carefully.
• Write neatly or type.
• Have someone not familiar with your
research read your write up to make sure
it make sense
Step 6 Share your results
• That’s what your display at the Science
Fair is for!
Display dimensions
• Must fit in space provided, free standing
and self supporting
4 feet wide
2.5 feet deep
6.5 feet tall (table) or 9 feet tall (floor)
Table top displays are preferred.
Display should include
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What you did
What you learned
Clear headings
Easy to read text (16 point)
Original science notebook, securely tethered
or brought for judging
Display may include…
• La Madera entries may include living
organisms
• Plants
• Sealed petri dishes
• No live animals
Does your display include????
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Title
Question or Problem
Background research
Hypothesis
Materials list
Experimental procedure including variables and controls
Data analysis and discussion including appropriate data
table and/or graphs – label your data with proper units
Conclusions
Ideas for future research
Acknowledgements
Bibliography
Sample Layout
Ideas for Success
• Organize your display to tell a story, like a
newspaper
• Title should be big enough to see from
across the room
• Headings should be clear
• Use photos and color to help, not distract
• Your project may be moved during the
science fair. Please be sure all materials
are securely fastened to the display board
or a base.
Meeting with the Judges
• You will prepare a 1-2 minute speech to
present your experiment to the judge
• You will not be performing or
demonstrating your experiment
• Be sure to include your original inspiration,
your hypothesis, an overview of your
procedures and results, and what you
learned.
Keys to a good “talk”
• Make it understandable to someone who
is not familiar with your research
• Be prepared… practice makes perfect
• Speak from your heart
• Dress “professionally”
Questions judges might ask.
• Judges may ask about any part of your project
• They will want to know more about what you did
and what you learned
• Be sure you understand the science behind your
experiment
• Be prepared to answer questions about what
you did and why.
• It is important to answer honestly… “I don’t
know” is better than making something up.
Sample Questions
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How much help did you receive from others?
What does your data tell you?
Why is this research important to you?
What do your graphs represent?
What does your data tell you?
What problems did you run into while doing your
experiment and how did you fix them?
• What are the three most interesting things you
learned when doing this science fair project?
• What further research do you plan on doing, or
would do, to this science fair project?
Judging
• Judges will score projects according to a set
rubric.
• Group/family projects will be judged separately
from individual projects
• Judges decisions will be final. Rubrics will not
be returned.
• 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes will be awarded.
Grade levels may be combined depending on
final number of entries
• Winners will be announced at the evening award
ceremony.