“The formulation of a
problem is often
more essential than
its solution.”
-Albert Einstein
Bibb County School District
Elementary Science Fair
From Stress
to Success!
Coordinator: Christopher Holmes
Email: Christopher.holmes@bcsdk12.net
Are you worried about
managing your student’s project
and becoming overwhelmed?
Learn how to successfully organize
your child’s thoughts and
love the process.
-
Parent Role
The parent's role is not exactly hands-on, but not exactly hands-off
either. Think of yourself as chief facilitator. Your place is in the back
seat, hands folded (make that clasped!) in your lap, with the student at
the wheel (except, of course, for those trips to the craft store and
transporting delicate 3-D models and tri-fold display boards).
You may end up wearing several hats: lab assistant, personal shopper,
deadline cop. Be there for moral support, to help gather supplies, keep
an eye on the calendar, monitor progress, and to make sure things
don't (unintentionally) explode, catch on fire, or slip through the cracks.
Towards the end of the process, build in time to listen to your child
rehearse the oral presentation. Give gentle reminders and a bit of
constructive criticism, and ask helpful questions. Do some role playing
and add some humor if your child doesn't respond well to the exercise.
On the day of the science fair, your job is to keep things calm and cool,
and to remind your child to relax and enjoy the event.
Essential Questions:
How do I engage my student in science fair
learning?
How do I facilitate the process?
What makes a strong science fair project?
SAFETY FIRST!!!!
The following require prior approval:
Guns
Paintball guns
Mold
Fungi
Bacteria
Fresh or frozen
animal tissue
Soil Studies
Human Surveys
Use of humans in
experiments
The following cannot be done by
students.
 Any experimentation that requires humans
to ingest something.
 Any experiment that changes the
surrounding conditions of a vertebrate.
 Any survey or experiment that might cause
emotional or other forms of mental stress
to humans or other vertebrates.
What Makes a Project
Great?
Students come up with their own question(s) based
on their own interests
Students design an investigation to answer their
question(s)
Essential Questions
for K-5 Science Inquiry:
Can I answer questions about how or why something
happens in my world?
How can I use the scientific process or method to find out
more about the world around us?
How will I change the way I think because of my
experiment?
What questions about the natural world do I have and want
to answer?
00:30
Percent Complete 100%
iRespond Question Master
A.) Response A
B.) Response B
C.) Response C
D.) Response D
E.) Response E
Projects should:
1. Follow scientific
method
2. Answer question(s)
3. Support results
with data
Scientific Method
Must
have!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUa-ilQqEv0
Follow the Scientific
Method
Define the question
Form a hypothesis
Perform the experiment and collect
data
Analyze data
Interpret data and communicate
conclusions
“Does the amount of surface area affect the rate of evaporation of
water?”
Independent Variable: What do you control?
Surface Area, Volume of water, Amount of sunlight or heat
Dependent Variable: What do you NOT control?
Rate of Evaporation
Hypothesis: This is a statement about what the
student thinks will happen.
For example: If the surface area
(increases or decreases) then the
rate of evaporation will (increase or
decrease)
OR If the surface area is (large or
small), then the water will evaporate
(faster or slower).
Procedures: How will your child go about answering
the question? What “recipe” will they follow in order to
find the answer?
Identify what data will be taken
during the experiment.
Safety is of the utmost importance
Procedures should lead to a
reasonable answer.
Materials: Once the procedures have been identified,
students should make a materials list
Encourage the use of materials that
are easily found at grocery stores or
department stores.
Set a budget for you child.
The use of any home cleaning
supplies should be approved by the
teacher.
Experimentation: This should be done in an appropriate
and safe location.
Student should record all data and
observations (even failures) in a log
book.
The student should write in pen
(doesn’t really matter what color at this
stage).
It is OK if the log book gets messy.
NO pages should be torn out of log
book.
Anything that influences the data
should be recorded in log book.
The same experiment should be performed THREE
times.
Results: This is where the data is analyzed.
Data can be graphed.
You can average the data.
You can use a formula to analyze
the data.
You can create a ratio to show the
relationship between the data.
Conclusions: This is where the student refers back to
the hypothesis. Student should support this with data.
For example: I found that it took
longer for water to evaporate with a
small surface area. My data shows
that it took 3 days for the water to
evaporate from a 2 inch diameter
cup and it only took 1 day for the 5
inch diameter cup.
RESEARCH PAPER (May be Handwritten)
Title Page
Introduction
Should answer the following questions:
What is your purpose?
What is your hypothesis?
Why did you want to do this project?
OR What did you hope to find out?
This may also include research
information about the topic.
Materials and Procedures
Should be copied neatly from log book.
Great projects use…
Best Practices…
Student initiated and completed
Experiment-based
Data-driven results analyzed and written
No thanks:
Models (Volcano, Robot, etc.)
“Research only” projects or display boards
about general interest topics
Recording Data…
http://www.fcps.net/media/548198/student_data_results_and_co
nclusion-current.pdf
http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fairprojects/project_data_analysis.shtml
Da Vinci’s Notebook…
http://www.sciencecompanion.com/professionaldevelopment/pd-articles/using-science-notebooks/
http://learningcenter.nsta.org/files/sc0511_28.pdf
Galileo’s Notebook…
http://www.biography.com/people/galileo-9305220
Alexander Graham Bell’s
Notebook…
http://www.kidsclick.org/searches/search.php?searchtype=all&ke
ywords=telephone&title=Telephone
Recording Data…
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/sciencefaircentral/Getting-Started.html
What Kind of
Questions?
Examples: Do coffee grounds affect the growth of plants?
Which type of surface can an insect walk on best?
Which sunscreen blocks sunlight the best?
What food do mealworms like best?
How long does it take a candle to go out?
Scientific
Challenge
The biggest problem…
is choosing a
problem!
How do I display my
results?
Quantitative data includes numbers and/or units
of measure
Measurements: height, weight, voltage, time,
distance, quantity
Data presentation: graph, matrix, table, etc.
Comparative data that validates (proves)
conclusions
00:30
Percent Complete 100%
iRespond Question Master
A.) Response A
B.) Response B
C.) Response C
D.) Response D
E.) Response E
How do I display my
results?
Display Board
Pictures
Procedure
Data
Notebook or Journal
00:30
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iRespond Question Master
A.) Response A
B.) Response B
C.) Response C
D.) Response D
E.) Response E
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A.) Response A
B.) Response B
Required
Information
Page
C.)
Response
C
• Title
•
•
•
•
Name
School
Class
Grade
D.) Response D
E.) Response E
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iRespond Question Master
A.) Response A
B.) Response
B
Required
Information Page
•
Title
• Name
• School
• Sponsoring
Teacher
• Grade
C.) Response C
D.) Response D
E.) Response E
Materials
Guiding Rubric
A standards-based rubric is
used to judge all entries (3-5).
This template will be used by
judges at your school fair and
give students exposure prior
to the District/Regional Fair.
00:30
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iRespond Question Master
A.) Response A
B.) Response B
C.) Response C
D.) Response D
E.) Response E
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iRespond Question Master
A.) Response A
B.) Response B
C.) Response C
D.) Response DInterviews are optional.
Many are done while students are between ESO events.
explain
E.)Students
Response
E their thinking and their project results.
00:30
Percent Complete 100%
iRespond Question Master
A.) Response A
B.) Response B
C.) Response C
D.) Response D
E.) Response E
More info? Questions?
K-12 Science Coordinator:
Christopher Holmes
Christopher.holmes@bcsdk12.net
Pam Montgomery, Burdell-Hunt
Academic Coach
Pamela.Montgomery@bcsdk12.net
Questions???
“The best scientist … begins with the idea that
anything is possible.”
-Ray Bradbury