Transcript Document

STANSW
young Scientist
Awards
Training workshop 2014
Top 10 Hints
Age groups
There are four age groups for entries:
• Years K-2
• Years 3-6
• Years 7-9
• Years 10-12
A Few Opening Comments:
These Booklets were sent out to every Primary
and Secondary School in NSW, in May
A Few Opening Comments:
Our last Booklet was produced in 2001.
It was then replaced by our website.
A Few Opening Comments:
An electronic version is able to be downloaded
from the Young Scientist website.
A Few Opening Comments:
The Booklet contains extra information that you
will not find on the Young Scientist website.
A Few Opening Comments:
2015 Booklet, Due for release in February
A Few Opening Comments:
Thanks to sponsorship from the University of
Wollongong, 3 students will travel to Pittsburgh
to represent Australia at Intel ISEF in May 2015
ISEF Finalists
Chanum Torres & Alexandra Garth
Redeemer Baptist School
ISEF Finalists
Josie Jacovac, Hills Adventist College
Young Scientist – Best in Australia!
For the last 15 years, the level of student research
projects in New South Wales has surpassed all other
states in the national BHP Billiton Science Awards,
winning 44.8% of the 58 major awards.
BHP Billiton Science Award Winners 1999-2014
30
Prizewinners
Number of Placegetters
25
20
15
10
5
0
NSW
Qld
Vic
Tas
SA
WA
NT
ACT
Young Scientist at an International level?
Historically 25-30% of all ISEF projects win a Grand
Award. In 15 years of representation at ISEF, our
students have won a staggering 19 Grand Awards!
19 Grand Awards from 36 projects is an amazing
52.7% - more than half of every STANSW entry,
returns from ISEF with a Grand Award!
Taking your Student
Research Projects to
the Next Level
The Judges are unanimous - any student
can produce a top level student research
project if they simply follow the
processes of Working Scientifically
Teachers!
If you want to take your
Student Research Projects to
the Next Level!
Follow these top 10 hints,
put together by judges of
the Young Scientist Awards
Hint 1
Familiarise your students
with the scoring rubric early
and work to cover all the
criteria of a Level 4 project
• The rubric is what the judges use
to categorise projects
• The best entries fulfil the majority
of the Level 4 criteria
• Most prize-winners are Level 4
projects
• Any student that follows these
criteria will go well, even if their
idea is not the most original
Hint 2
Show students early what a
good project looks like –
most students (and teachers)
have no idea
• Most students have no idea of what a
good science project looks like.
• Not only that, most of us teachers also
have no idea.
• Generally it is the case of the “blind
leading the blind”
• Unless there is a certain level of
expectation, students will continue to
pump out sub-standard investigations.
Our Most Important Resource!
2013 Prizewinning Entries
• 52 of the 58 prizewinning 2013
projects are accessible to NSW
teachers due to the overwhelming
support of last year’s winners.
• 58 of the 70 finalists for 2014 have
allowed their projects to be accessible
electronically for NSW teachers.
• Never before have winning projects
been available for NSW teachers!
• This is the best resource you can get!
“My student projects are not good
enough to enter Young Scientist!”
• Don’t worry, if in the first year of entry
your school may not get marvellous
results!
• Your just beginning your journey. Next
year you can build on your own and
student’s skills.
• Each subsequent year you will be
taking your student projects to the
next level.
• Eventually you will be able to build up
your own benchmark resources, that
students will be able to reference
Hint 3
Include an engaging
introduction that
contextualises the
investigation
• Like a good story, you need an engaging
introduction to make the judges want to
read further.
• It needs to provide a context for why
you chose your particular area of study.
• You should include photos or diagrams
to make the introduction inviting.
Hint 4
The best projects have the
best log books
• Log books are your daily record of any
activity associated with your project.
• Daily entries should be systematic and
comprehensive.
• Take lots of photos and insert them into
your log book.
• Log books allow the judges to “get into
the mind” of the students
Hint 5
Don’t do an experiment once
– have an appropriate
number of trials
• Do each experiment as least three
times.
• If you are testing people, try to get
more than 10 people involved – why not
try for 100 or more.
• By having multiple trials and large
sample numbers, it enables some form
of statistical analysis to take place and
trends and patterns are more readily
observable.
CASE STUDY
2008 Primary Young Scientist
The very first Primary Young Scientist was a Year 4 girl
who investigated whether musicians can hear higher
frequencies than non-musicians.
CASE STUDY
2008 Primary Young Scientist
What set her project apart is that she tested 179
subjects and for each subject she tested them at least
three times.
Subject
M/F
Age
Freq. I
Freq. II
Freq. III
167
F
17
17200
17900
168
F
15
18000
169
F
12
170
F
171
Freq. IV
Av. Freq.
Instrument
Music loud
Headphones
17900
17667
recent 5+
frequently
rarely
17900
17900
17933
recent 5+
always
occasionally
15500
15000
15300
15267
recent 5+
always
occasionally
3
19100
19000
19200
19100
none
rarely
never
M
43
13400
13800
13500
13567
none
occasionally
never
172
F
41
13400
13400
13500
13433
none
frequently
never
173
M
28
19100
19200
19200
19167
recent 5+
occasionally
occasionally
174
F
14
17200
17400
16900
17167
recent 5-
frequently
always
175
M
19
17600
17900
17500
17667
recent 5+
rarely
frequently
176
F
27
16000
16100
16300
16133
none
frequently
occasionally
177
F
73
11000
10600
8800
10133
recent 5+
never
never
178
F
28
16500
16900
16500
16633
past 5+
always
rarely
179
F
9
18100
19200
19100
19167
recent 5-
always
occasionally
19200
CASE STUDY
2008 Primary Young Scientist
Large sampling data makes it easier to observe trends
such as her conclusion - musicians can hear higher
frequencies than non-musicians of the same age.
Musical Instrument Experience - Age 24+
Highest Frequency Heard (Hz)
22000
20000
18000
16000
14000
12000
10000
8000
More than 5 years recent musical experience
6000
No musical experience
4000
0
10
20
30
40
50
Age (Years)
60
70
80
90
Hint 6
Control as many variables as
possible and only change
one variable at a time
CASE STUDY
2008 Years 3-6 Scientific Investigation Winner
e.g. Does looking straight ahead, instead of
down at the sand, significantly increase
an athlete’s long jump performance?
Fair Testing
• Tests ensure constant conditions for valid and
reliable results
• Fair tests ensure:
- the control of variables
- change one variable to
be tested
- use an experimental control
- the use of repeat trials or replication.
To ensure a Fair Test, they used standing long
jumps to avoid variations in an athlete’s run up.
Hint 7
Teachers must inform and
encourage parents to get
involved with projects
Parents have a major role to play in the
development of a science project:
• They can provide the undivided time to
their child that a teacher is unable to give.
• Parents can encourage routine tasks such
as the daily filling in of a logbook.
• Provides parents an opportunity to bond
with their child in the completion of a
common task.
Hint 8
Contact the scientific
community for resources
or seek out a mentor
If you school doesn’t have the right equipment
• Use the internet to look for the equipment you need
• Better still – use the Yellow Pages
Amatuers to Professionals
with one phone call
• This pair of students needed an ultrasound to
accurately measure blood flow for a DVT study
• Looked through the Yellow pages and first company
they rang gave them the use of a $60,000 portable
ultrasound. They went on to win awards at ISEF
Alternatively, you can ring
project-related industries to
seek out a mentor
CASE STUDY
ResMed Mentors at Quakers Hill East Public School
ResMed mentors
made a huge impact
on the lives of school
children at a local
primary school.
Our mentors helped
children learn the
value and fun of
science. It was so
successful… we’re
ready to do it all
again and would like
you to join us!
ResMed mentors for the MyScience program
ResMed’s Internal Call for Mentors
If you’d like to inspire the
next generation of scientists –
please become a mentor for
the MyScience program at
Quakers Hill East Primary
School.
Mentoring is a valuable skill
and will contribute to your
own career development. We
urge team members to get
involved!
“Helping teachers and kids at a local primary school was a fun
and rewarding experience, as was the opportunity to meet and
collaborate with like-minded ResMed colleagues.”
– Ian McKenzie
What’s involved to be a ResMed Mentor
· The MyScience program runs in June/July and
requires a total of approx. 8 hours of your time.
· Mentors coach a group of primary school
children in Year 5. Mentors visit 3 times, over 5
weeks, assisting their group with a science
project.
· The children would love your help with
scientific method, practical tips for setting-up
equipment and a healthy dose of enthusiasm
and encouragement.
ResMed even produce an annual book
A collection of the student projects for that year
Forging strong school-industry relationships
ResMed contact Justin Wise presenting Quakers Hill East
Public School staff and students with their annual book.
Hint 9
Photographs are a great tool
for providing evidence that
criteria have been covered
• Photographs are one of the best tools to
show evidence of student work.
• Photographs are an effective qualitative
way of showing results that are
changing over a constant time.
• Good, clear photographs enhance the
presentation of a report.
Hint 10
Steer students in the
direction of choosing an idea
that will benefit society
• At the “Getting an Idea” stage, get
students to explore problems that need
addressing – talk to people – listen to
the news.
• Projects that benefit society always
score well in national BHP Billiton
Science & Engineering Awards and ISEF.
• Projects that benefit society generate
more public interest, resulting in
greater motivation for the student.
STANSW
young Scientist
Awards
Training Workshop
Thank you!