Why STEM?
Presented by the Sacramento
Regional Science & Engineering
Fair Foundation
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STEM is…
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Science
Technology
Engineering
Mathematics
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Why STEM?
• STEM is all around you!
• From your iPhone (Technology) to
your allergy medicine (Science)
that you take to get to school Sacramento’s Tower Bridge
(Engineering) to your parents
budgeting for groceries for dinner
(Math), STEM is a part of everyday
life!
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What is a STEM project?
• A STEM project is starts with a
question or a problem to solve.
• The question or problem can
concern any topic area –
buildings, energy, environment,
animal health, coding, etc…
• You want to be sure to choose
something YOU are interested in –
it makes projects more fun!
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Traditional steps
to complete your project
– Ask a Question
– Do Background Research
– Construct a Hypothesis
– Test with an Experiment
– Analyze Data
– Communicate Results
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Example of the development of a
STEM project
• A student lives in a house with a whole house fan.
• Simple definition: “A whole-house fan is a type of fan
designed to circulate air. It pulls air out of a home and
forces it into the attic space.”
• The student is in charge of taking the temperature
readings from outside the house and from inside the
house at different points in time to see when the best
time would be to turn on the fan.
• The student turns on the fan and opens the windows to
the home when the temperature outside is lower than
that inside the home.
• The whole-house fan cools the home by pulling the hot
air from the home into the attic and allowing the cooler
outside air in.
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Example of the development of a
STEM project
• Problem: The student in question is
tired of having to check the
temperatures, open all the windows
and turn on the fan.
• Solution: The student designs a
model house with a whole-house fan
& programs an Arduino redboard to
automate the whole-house fan.
• And there you have it! An
Engineering Project!
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Explanation of student’s STEM
project
• The student in the story took a
“simple” problem that they faced
during the summer – they didn’t
want to have to run around
opening and closing windows!
• STEM project development can be
that easy!
• What can you think of in your
life that would work as a great
project?
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WHERE TO DO A RESEARCH
PROJECT?
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Home
School
College or University
Public or Private Labs
Industrial Center
Medical Center
Field Study
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STEM project
Resources for 2014/15
• Synopsys Sacramento Regional
STEM Fair
– www.sacSTEMfair.org
• Science Buddies
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Science Fair Project Resource
Topic Selection Wizard
Steps of the Scientific Method
Ask an Expert
Non-profit
www.sciencebuddies.org
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Synopsys Sacramento
Regional STEM Fair
To be Determined
We hope that you will enter
your STEM project into the
regional competition.
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WHO CAN ENTER
• You!
• Any student in grades 6 through
12
• Students can enter in teams of 3
in 17+ STEM categories!
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SUGGESTED PROJECT TIMELINE
• December: Brainstorm and refine
your project idea.
• Right before Winter Break: Finalize
the project topic.
• Winter Break: Complete research
portion, finalize procedures,
complete Synopsys Sacramento
Regional STEM Fair online
registration.
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SUGGESTED PROJECT TIMELINE
• January: Begin experimentation,
collect data and record in data
book.
• February – March: Complete
experimentation, record data,
write conclusions, design graphs,
revamp abstract, and design
board.
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SUGGESTED PROJECT TIMELINE
• March 13: Set up your project for
preview night.
• March 14: Student Orientation at 8AM,
judging to follow. Attend workshops,
College and Career Hands on Event,
and panel events throughout the day.
Enter the raffle for prizes!
• March 14: Award Ceremony begins at
5:30PM.
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Teacher / Student Guidelines
• Start with an open-ended question
or demonstration
• Gather responses and subsequent
questions from students with little
comment or direction
• Require students to collaborate on
designing experiments or methods
of inquiry
• Student teams conduct experiments
or gather data
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Teacher / Student Guidelines
• If time allows, re-evaluate
question based on new data and
re-experiment or collect new data
based on revised question
• Students present findings as an
oral presentation, a poster
presentation or an evaluative
write-up
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OTHER STEM COMPETITIONS
• Intel International Science & Engineering Fair
• Intel-Science Talent Search (STS)
• Society for Science and the Public Middle
School Program
• Junior Science & Humanities Symposium
• Discovery Education / 3M Young Scientist
Challenge
• More information can be found on our website
at: www.sacSTEMfair.org
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SRSEFF CONTACTS
• Questions or Comments:
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Bianca Gutierrez, Fair Coordinator
(916) 441-3150
bgutierrez@sacSTEMfair.org
Michele Hastie, Fair Director
mhastie@sacSTEMfair.org
• www.sacSTEMfair.org
• www.facebook.com/sacSTEMfair
• www.twitter.com/sacSTEMfair
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