Salem
Science Fair
Information
Please read this information carefully with your child.
This packet contains a worksheet for your child to use to help him/her plan a science
fair project.
Keep this packet for reference.
January 6, 2014
Dear Parents:
All students in grades 1-8 are required to complete a science fair project, it is optional for Kindergartners.
The Science Fair is part of our Fine Arts Festival, and is part of a three year rotating schedule (Social
Studies and Art). This exciting and challenging experience will help your child learn how to use science
skills to explore the world around them.
The emphasis is on the scientific method and all projects must be experiments with results that can be
measured, counted or recorded through photographs and drawings. Demonstrations and reports (e.g. solar
system, drug charts, and volcanoes) are not acceptable.
All projects must include:
1. An experiment that follows the steps of the Scientific Method.
2. A free-standing poster board displaying the project (tri-fold display boards are
available at Wal-Mart, Target, etc.)
3. An oral report. (The student must be able to explain what they did and what happened.)
4. A written report on the project. (Grades 5-8)
We encourage parents to guide their child in this process, especially in the planning phase. The completed
project must be the child’s own work. Check your child’s procedures to be sure there are no safety
hazards. Students may use small invertebrate animals (animals without a backbone) such as earthworms
or crickets, but live animals may not be brought to school for the fair (bring photographs instead).
Teachers will guide the students in this process to make sure they are on the right track. They will also
have deadlines for the various steps of the Scientific Method to make sure things are progressing properly.
Individual teachers will determine how much the project is worth towards their grade.
Students must bring their completed projects to school by Thursday, April 24th for the school science
fair. Students are expected to be at the science fair on Thursday, April 24th at 6:30 PM in order to present
their projects to the judges.
In Christ,
Mr. Beilke
The Scientific Method
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Purpose/Problem- This should be a question that identifies what you want to find out.
Research- Find information about your topic. (A written research report is required for grades 5-8)
Hypothesis-Your prediction; what you think will happen.
Materials- List what you will use.
Procedure- Your step-by-step plan; the directions.
Test your hypothesis- Do your experiment.
Results - Your data; include charts, graphs, pictures.
Conclusion- Answer the problem. State whether your hypothesis was correct or incorrect.
Communication - Share what you learned in an oral presentation at the science fair.
Guidelines for Choosing a Science Fair Project
The following contains guidelines and suggestions to assist you in helping your child choose an appropriate project.
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1.
The project must be an experiment, not a demonstration or simply a research project. Volcanoes, solar system
models, research projects on whales, etc. are not acceptable.
To help determine if a project idea is an experiment:
•It must identify a problem that you will try to answer through doing tests (This is usually a question).
Example: Do carrot seeds or bean seeds sprout faster?
•It must have results that can be measured, counted or recorded with photographs and drawings.
2.
Change only one thing (variable) in your experiment. Everything else must stay the same for each trial (test). For
example, if you are testing the effect of plant food “A” on plants, you must use all the same type of plants, water
them equally, give them equal amount of sunlight, etc. The only thing you can change is that half of the plants will
get the plant food and half will not. This makes the test “fair”. Then you can measure and compare the growth.
3.
Do more than one trial and/or use more than one or two subjects (example: plants) in your tests.
4.
Use tools such as rulers, thermometers, or balances to measure correctly.
5.
Choose projects that require materials that are inexpensive, easy to obtain, and safe to use.
6.
Make sure that you will have enough time to set up the experiment and observe and record the results. Some
experiments with plants or animals may require two or more weeks to observe and measure the growth or response.
These types of experiments are good choices, but start early!
The content and concepts in the experiment should be appropriate for the grade level of the student. Students should learn
something from doing the project and should be challenged, but they should not do projects that are designed for older
students.
Sample Science Project Ideas
Your child can choose from one of these sample projects or can choose a project from Internet sites, from a larger list
supplied by their teacher, or from a book in the library. All projects must be approved before the student begins the
experiment.
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How does temperature affect the lifecycle of mealworms? (Put some in room temperature, some in the refrigerator. Feed both
groups equally and observe for 2-3 weeks.)
How does planting depth affect how fast seeds germinate? (Plant seeds on top, down 2cm, 4 cm, etc.)
How does acid rain affect plant growth? (Simulate acid rain using a vinegar solution or lemon juice)
Do different surfaces affect how fast mealworms (or earthworms or snails) move?
Which warms up faster and which cools down faster, land or water?
What affects the frequency of a pendulum? (You can test length of string, size of bob, etc.)
What affects how long bubble soap bubbles will last? (ex: temperature: outdoors and room temp., or test different soap solutions)
What affects the strength of an electromagnet? (Test number of batteries or number of coils of wire)
How does the amount of water affect how fast the water heats up or cools down?
Which foods or beverages are the most acidic? (Use wide-range pH test paper)
Which products, foods, and beverages are acids and which are bases? (Use pH test paper)
How does the temperature of the air affect the rate of evaporation? (or try size or shape of container)
How does the amount of air (air pressure) in a basketball affect how high it will bounce?
Which chicken soup contains the most chicken?
Do tennis balls lose their bounce after the can is opened? (leave 2 cans open for 2 weeks; compare the height of their bounce
with balls from 2 unopened cans)
My Science Project Worksheet
Part 1 Due: ____________
Topic: I am interested in ____________________________________________________
Problem: _________________________________________________________________
Research: I will find information about: ________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Teacher’s Initials: ________
Part 2 Due: _____________
I have completed my research and I am ready to begin my experiment. This is my
hypothesis, a list of my materials, and the procedure I will follow.
Hypothesis:_______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Materials:
______________
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Procedure: (Number each step. Use the back if you need more room)
Independent Variable: (This is the only thing you can change.)_____________________________
Dependent Variable: (These are the results that you will count or measure.) __________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Steps:1._____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Approved
Teacher’s Initials: _________
Part 3: Student may now begin the experiment.
Completed projects including written report and poster display are due:
____________________________
Name:
Grade:______
The Written Report
All students in grades 5-8 must include a written report as part of their science fair project.
The completed report should be in a folder. It can be typed.
The report should include the following:
1. Title Page -
Center the title of your project and give the problem/purpose if it is different
from your title. Also include your name, grade, school, and teacher.
2. Acknowledgements -
Acknowledge or thank any person (parents, sisters or brothers, a teacher, a
scientist, a doctor, or a company) that helped you with your project. The
Acknowledgements page should come after the Title page.
3. Table of Contents –
List the order and page numbers of each part of your report.
4. Research -
This is background information about your topic. You should look in
encyclopedias, science books and magazines, and on the Internet. This part
can be 1 – 2 pages long.
5. Hypothesis -
Tell what you predict will happen in your experiment.
6. Materials and Procedure – List the materials needed in the experiment. Then identify the manipulated
and responding variables and list the variables that you controlled or held
constant. Write the steps (the directions) for doing the experiment.
7. Results -
Write down what happened in the experiment. Make charts or graphs and
include them in the report folder. These may be smaller than the ones you
put on your poster display.
8. Conclusion -
Answer the problem and explain what you found out. Tell if your
hypothesis was correct or incorrect. (It’s okay if your hypothesis was
incorrect.)
9. Reference List -
(Bibliography) List the books, magazines and Internet sites that you used in
your research.
Name:________________________________________________________________ Grade: ______
Sample Science Project Display Board
Materials
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Procedure
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The Title of the Project
Problem
This is a
question that
asks what
you are
trying to find
out.
Hypothesis
I think _____
__________
will happen.
More pictures or drawings or
charts and graphs
Results
Graphs
Charts
Photos
Drawings
Written
Logs
Conclusion
I found out
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Name:__________________________________________________________________ Grade: ______
Science Project Display Board
Salem Science Fair – Judges Scoring Rubric
A score of 36-40 will be 1st place, a score of 26-35 is 2nd place, and 12-25 is 3rd place
Student’s Name ________________________
____
Grade ____________
Title of Project ________________________________________________________________
Circle the score next to each category.
0 = no evidence
1 = below average
2 = average
3 = above average
4 = superior
0
1
2
3
4
Formulated a hypothesis (educated guess; prediction) 0
1
2
3
4
Described procedure; included repeated trials
0
1
2
3
4
Reported results clearly; interpreted results
Results should include graphs and/or charts.
0
1
2
3
4
Stated conclusions; consistent with data,
logical and valid
0
1
2
3
4
Scientific facts and principles stated correctly
and used accurately
0
1
2
3
4
0
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2
3
4
0
1
2
3
4
0
1
2
3
4
0
1
2
3
4
1. Scientific Method
Stated the problem/purpose
(appropriate problem that could be answered
through experimentation)
2. Written Work - Report should show evidence of
research and be organized and complete.
3. Oral Presentation
Demonstrated a thorough understanding
of the project
Showed enthusiasm about topic and
experimentation
4. Exhibit - visually appealing, neat, attractive
Total ________
Comments: ________________________________________________________________
____________________________________Signature of Judge: _____________________