ESKOM CAPE TOWN EXPO
FOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS
EXPO WORKSHOPS
FOR TEACHERS
2015
Extra information for teachers
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Teacher involvement
Scientific method & engineering process
Categories
Successful projects
Judging & Rubrics
Research plans & abstracts
Plagiarism & ethics
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Dates
Teachers – what do you need to do?
• Feb/March: Approve the research plan inc. topic and
focus question
• March – May: 1. Teachers to mentor learners. 2.
Check their progress regularly. 3. Evaluate projects in
pieces
• May: Bring workshop learners to Mini Expo
• June - July: Evaluate project progress & select your
school’s top projects to bring to Expo
• July: enter your school’s projects into Cape Town
Expo. Double check projects’ ethics
• Help the learners to upgrade their projects before
bringing them to Expo
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• Distribute information (refer to the Expo calendar)
Scientific
Method
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http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_scientific_method.shtml#overviewofthescientificmethod
Engineering
Design
Process
http://www.sciencebuddies.org/engineering-design-process/engineering-design-process-steps.shtml#theengineeringdesignprocess5
Computer Science and Maths Projects
Computer Science Projects
These often involve creating and writing new
algorithms to solve a problem or improve on an
existing algorithm. Simulations, models or “virtual
reality”. Computer projects which involve the
development of new software also follow a design
process. Documentation of any code written is
essential.
Mathematics Projects
These involve proofs, solving equations, etc.
Mathematics is the language of science and is
used to explain existing phenomena or prove
new concepts and ideas.
Maths projects almost always deal with areas
of Mathematics that are outside the normal
school curriculum. Looking at past Olympiad
questions could be used to spark ideas for
further investigation.
*CATEGORIES
 Expo has 24 categories and a project must fit into
one of the categories
 There are categories for Gr 6 & 7 (Primary), Gr 8
& 9 (Junior) and Gr 10,11 & 12 (Senior).
 Learners can enter their own individual projects or
two learners can work together and enter a group
project
 A learner may only enter ONE project in ONE
region each year
 No more than two learners will be able to enter
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a project at one Regional.
*CATEGORIES
Agricultural Sciences
Food Science, Food Technology and Healthy Eating
Animal and Veterinary Science, including Marine Animals and
Animal Ecology
Health Care and Sports Science
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Innovation and Technology
Computer Science and Information Technology
Earth Science– including Geography, Geology, Oceanography and
Housing and Settlement Studies
Energy: Non-renewable - fossil fuels and use of electricity
Energy: Renewable - Solar, wind, wave, hydro
Energy: Renewable - Biofuels, geothermal, bio digesters
Mathematics and Statistics
Medical Sciences: Human Biology (anatomy, genetics,
physiology)
Microbiology and Diseases, Disease-causing
organisms, Medicine
Energy efficiency and conservation: efficient use of energy and
ways of using less energy
Physics, Astronomy and Space Science
Engineering: Electronics and Electrical
Plant Sciences including Marine Plants and Plant
Ecology
Engineering: Chemical, Metallurgical, Civil and Mining
Social and Psychological Sciences
Engineering: Mechanical, Aeronautical and Industrial
Environmental Management: study of human interaction with the
environment (e.g. waste management, deforestation, land
management and bioremediation)
Environmental Science: changes to the environment (e.g. pollution,
climate change, carbon emissions)
Sustainable Development , Recycling and Recycled
materials
****See handout , FB and website for
details
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ELEMENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL
PROJECT – things for you as teacher to teach
your learners & check that they are doing
1. Project data book/Rough work
 Book or file in which results are recorded as they
are produced – learners might not remember
some observations and data after experiment
 Include careful notes during data collection of
every detail of data and observations
 Data tables are essential
 Make sure each entry is dated
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ELEMENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL
PROJECT
2. Scientific report
• The project written up in scientific
language in the third person
• Presented in a file with a contents page
and dividers
• The detail of the project is in the report
• With headings as shown on the
following slides
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Introduction
 Summary of relevant background reading done
 Summary of the key points including purpose
 Overview of how the investigation was
conducted
Aim and hypothesis/engineering goals
Including variables
Method
Written in numbered points like a set of
instructions
Includes materials and equipment
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Observations / data / results
Provide key results in tables and relevant
graphs that lead directly to the conclusions
Copied from the rough data book and
presented in a programme such as Excel
Analysis and discussion
Critically evaluate the results and describe
patterns and trends as well as unusual or
unexpected results.
Give reasons for the results
Discuss improvements that could be made
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Conclusions
• Conclusions should be described briefly.
• Link back to hypothesis.
• State some applications.
• Discuss extensions of the research project
Acknowledgements
• It is OK to have help, but it must be acknowledged
• Write a paragraph stating all the names of the
people & institutions AND HOW they helped .
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References
• ALL resources and references used, including
teachers or people interviewed are listed.
• Information is organised so that readers could seek
out & find the sources referred to.
• In the case of a book, the title of the book, its
author, publishing company, the city where the
publishing company is located, and the date the
book was published must be given.
• For a magazine issue, the volume of the magazine,
& pages the article appeared on should be stated.
• Internet sites as opposed to search engines should
be correctly referenced.
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The following are sample of different sources:
Article – Johnson, Peter H. “Wired for Warmth,”
(electric soil warmer & ndash; plant propagators),
Rodale’s Organic Gardening, Jan. 1987, vol 34,68
Book – Irwin, Wires & Watt (1981) Math New York,
Scribner
Encyclopedia - “Gyroscopic Properties, “The World
Book Encyclopedia, 1968, vol 8, 477
Website – J. Smith (2012) Planning for college and
Academic Planning. The College Board. Available
at:http://www.collegeboard.org/features/parentd/ht
ml/academic/html
Date accessed: 7 June 2012.
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3. THE DISPLAY AT EXPO
 The display represents all the work that learners
have done
 It should be made in such a way that it attracts
and holds the interest of the viewer
 It has to be thorough, but not too crowded, so
keep it simple
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HINTS FOR DISPLAY
Poster: This summarises the report showing the
most important information;
*Has a neat descriptive title & headings: large
enough to be read at a distance of about 1 meter.
*Pictures of important phases of the project can be
used, they must have captions and credit author
*Use neat, colorful headings, charts and graphs to
make the display eye-catching, but it should look
simple not crowded.
Display: *This needs to be organized and make sure
that the display follows a sequence.
*The display should follow size limitations and safety
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rules.
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JUDGING: judges will focus on the
following wrt learners and projects
Were they creative when doing their project?
Does the research show creativity?
Did they solve the question in an original way?
Did they construct or design new equipment?
Did they follow the scientific methods and procedure in the
scientific project?
Did they use scientific literature when they did your initial
research?
Did they clearly state the variables?
Did they use controls?
Does the data support the conclusions?
Do they recognize the limitations of the data/experiment? And
did they state them in your conclusions?
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Where they thorough in doing their science project?
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RESEARCH PLANS 1
• Every student should type a research plan which they
should submit to their teacher/mentor/qualified
scientist at the beginning of your project. Aim for an
original and creative project!
• This plan shows how they intend to do their project
so it is written in the future tense.
• They need to be absolutely sure that their project fits
into of the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists 20134
categories.
• They need to be sure that their project is ethical – for
more information on ethics consult the Expo Guide
book on the Expo website: www.exposcience.co.za
• The length of the research plan should be between 2 4 pages long.
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RESEARCH PLANS 2
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ESKOM EXPO FOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS 2014
TEMPLATE FOR RESEARCH PLAN FOR PROJECTS 2014
NAME:
INITIAL PROJECT TOPIC:
INITIAL EXPO CATEGORY:
Question or Problem being addressed:
Engineering Goals (for engineering projects) or Hypothesis
(for all other projects):
Variables listed or requirements listed that the design
needs:
Procedures (method):
Data Analysis:
Bibliography:
Teacher’s/mentor’s comment:
Teacher’s/mentor’s signature and date:
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HOW TO WRITE AN ABSTRACT
 This is written after completion of the project just
before coming to Cape Town Expo
 Half to one A4 page in length
 A brief summary of the project
 Should reflect the focus of the project
 Judges should gain a basic idea of the project after
reading the abstract
 Details and discussions should not be included
 An abstract should not include a bibliography
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PARTS OF AN ABSTRACT
PURPOSE
 An introductory statement of the reason for choosing and doing
this topic AND a statement of the problem or hypothesis being
studied.
PROCEDURE/METHOD
 A summary of the key points and an overview of how the
investigation was conducted.
OBSERVATION / DATA / RESULTS
 Provide key results that lead directly to directly the conclusions.
CONCLUSIONS
 Conclusions should be described briefly.
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 State some applications and extensions of the research project
Key dates for Cape Town Expo 2015
• Mini-Expo and Judges workshop: Workshop
schools only on Saturday 16 May @ South
Peninsula High School – closing date for Mini
Expo applications 7 May.
• Applications for Cape Town Expo open: 22
June TBC
• Closing date for applications: 27 July
• Preparation afternoon: Friday 7 August
• Cape Town Expo: Tuesday 18, Wednesday 19
and Thursday 20 August.
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Sources of information
Expo Guide Book
http://www.exposcience.co.za/index.php/student-information.html
"Waterfall model" by Peter Kemp / Paul Smith - Adapted from Paul
Smith's work at wikipedia. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution
3.0 via Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Waterfall_model.svg#mediavie
wer/File:Waterfall_model.svg”
Science Buddies
http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fairprojects/project_guide_index.shtml
and Brian Cox
CAPE TOWN EXPO 2015
Website: www.expo.wcape.school.za
Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/CapeTownExpo
Look often for project ideas, updates, copies of
documents etc
CONTACT DETAILS:
Mrs Olga Peel
Regional Science Fair Director
email: opeel@bishops.org.za
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