STEM Science Fair
James Ryder Randall Elementary
January 29, 2009
What is a STEM Science Fair Project?
…Our students will be conducting an
investigation relating to Science, Technology,
Engineering or Mathematics!
Agreement of Understanding
Everyone participates in the school.
 Grades Pre-K-3 complete class projects.
 Grades 4-6 complete individual projects.

– You should complete a science fair project in order
to successfully pass Science in the third quarter.
– The research paper will be graded and part of your
written communication grade.
You must stick to the timeline set out by your
teacher so you can finish on time.
 No late projects will be accepted into the fair!

SCIENCE FAIR PROJECTS ARE DUE JANUARY 27!
What you must include in your project?
Display board with all
parts of the scientific
method.
 Research paper (4 – 6
grade)
 Journal

I can do all kinds of things for
my topic in

Biology

Physical Science

Earth/Space Science

Chemistry

Mathematics

Engineering

Technology
Guidelines for choosing a topic
Only primary grades can do consumer
projects
 No Projects involving VERTEBRATES
 No Models
 No Bacteria Projects
 No Mold Projects
 Your teacher will provide you a with a list
of possible topics to pick from.

STEM Science Fair is on
January 29, 2009
Some students will be
interviewed and
scored by a judge.
 Students at each
grade level will be
awarded first, second
and third place.
 Kids for Science
county competition
for grades 4 – 6
winners.

Vertebrates are FISH
Don’t experiment
on me!
Vertebrates are REPTILES
Like……
 Snakes
 Lizards
 Turtles
Don’t
Experiment on
us!
Vertebrates are AMPHIBIANS
Don’t
Experiment
on us!
Like FROGS and SALAMANDERS
Vertebrates
are BIRDS
Don’t
Experiment on
us!
Vertebrates are MAMMALS
SUCH AS Rabbits
 Dogs
 Cats
 Hamsters
 Gerbils
 AND …………..
NO EXPERIMENTS ON US!
PEOPLE ARE MAMMALS TOO!

Do not do
experiments on
people like making
them taste
something, exercise
and check heart rate
or breathing or even
asking survey
questions
Don’t
experiment
on us!
Topics I can do- Invertebrates
WORMS
MOLLUSKS
INSECTS
Models do not allow you to
collect data
Such as
 Volcanoes
Or
 The Solar System
CONSUMER SCIENCE IS FOR
PRIMARY GRADES (Pre-K – 2)
ONLY!
What paper towel
soaks up the most
water?
 What diaper absorbs
the most liquid?
 Which ketchup is
thicker?

Consumer science is testing a product or comparing it
to another brand of the same product.
Student Journal
Each student receives a science fair project
journal that takes the student step-by-step
through the process.
 It is the place to keep track of the project
steps throughout the process.
 Gives examples and explanations of each
step.
 Gives a place for teacher/parent
communication.

Getting Started
Choosing a Topic
Research some topics
using the library
and/or internet
 The topic should be
something you have a
question about that is
related to science
 Can the question be
answered through an
experiment?

What is a scientific investigation?
It has a QUESTION What
exactly are you trying to find
out?
 It has a HYPOTHESIS written as a PREDICTION
Based on your research,
and/or your own experiences,
make an educated guess as to
what you think will happen.
 Be sure to support your
prediction with a reason!

What is a scientific investigation?
It has VARIABLES
 An independent variable is the thing you purposely change.
 A dependent variable is the thing that’s being observed. It’s what you
hope will change during the experiment.
 The variables that do not change are controlled variables.
What is a scientific investigation?

It has MATERIALS
Be specific!
Give amounts and sizes
For example: 2 liters of water


You must use METRIC measurements!
What is a scientific investigation?

It has Procedures
The procedures are a detailed step-by- step
set of directions of how to conduct the
experiment.
 Procedures are numbered.
 There should be at least 3 repeated trials.

What is a scientific investigation?
It has an EXPERIMENT.
This is your chance to test
your prediction.
 Data should be collected
throughout your
investigation. Decide what
data tool will most fit your
needs.

What is a scientific investigation?


It has RESULTS. This is what
actually happened in the
investigation. This should
include data, at least one graph,
and a written explanation.
It also has a CONCLUSION.
Was your prediction supported?
What did you learn? What
things would you do to change
the investigation? What will
you do next? How does what
you learned apply to the real
world. The conclusion is written
in paragraph form.
100
50
0
1st
Qtr
3rd
Qtr
East
West
North
Research Paper





Title Page
Acknowledgements
Question
Background research
Sources/Bibliography
What is a scientific investigation?

Finally, it has a
PRESENTATION. This
includes the backboard and
the oral report.
Display of the Science Fair Project
Title
Procedures
Question
Written
Explanation*
Hypothesis
Variables
Conclusion
Materials
Data Chart*
*All parts of the results.
Graph*
Thank you for all of your
support!