Transcript Slide 1
So what does/does not make for a good middle school project? Product comparisons and surveys are not suitable for middle school. Models and demonstrations are not science fair projects. A good project allows for measurable results, such as time, distance, capacity or temperature changes. Speaking of measurement… Metric is the language of science: meter, liter, gram, Celsius. Do NOT use cups, pints, ounces, pounds, inches, feet, Fahrenheit. Time is the same in metric: seconds, minutes, hours. Where do I begin? Research topics that interest you. Topic selection is the hardest part! Write a proposal of experiment in your log book. What problem are you investigating? Write a DETAILED procedure. Identify your variables. Submit your proposal to your teacher. Log Book EVERYTHING you do should be recorded in your log book. Use pen (blue or black ink), not pencil. Date every entry (extremely important). Do NOT tear out pages or white out or scratch out changes. Draw ONE line through changes. Your entries should document your topic research, your proposal, the date the proposal was submitted and returned—everything! Log book sample entry 9/3/08 Today I logged on to the internet to research possible experiment topics. I found several that interested me. Here are the website addresses: http://www.fantasticidea.com http://www.iwonfirstplace.org I discussed the prospects with my teacher and my Mom and decided to do…. What next? AFTER your teacher has approved your proposal, record the date submitted and approved in your log book. IF your teacher approves your project, you may begin work on your project. Experimentation After you gather your materials and are ready to start, document everything in your log book. Create a chart to record data. A good experiment is repeated many times OR has a large test group. Examples If you are doing an experiment with plants, insects, brine shrimp, or human subjects you should have a LARGE number in each test group. (And always have a control group.) If you are running an experiment that involves timed trials, repeat the experiment as many times as possible and find the mean of your results. You MUST have AT LEAST 5 trials. Variables These are factors in your experiment that you must identify. (They are a part of your proposal.) Independent-the one thing that you are changing in your experiment. Dependent-What are you measuring? Constants-everything you keep the same for fairness. Control-a group to which the independent variable is NOT applied to. Report I require a detailed research report on the topic of your experiment to be done. In this way I know if you have done sufficient research to thoroughly know your topic and develop your hypothesis. In order to write a report, you should research your topic and document your sources. READ and understand this information! Graphing results The Excel program or other computer graphing programs can be used to develop computer generated graphs. The judges will be looking for good math in your results. Can you find the mean, median and mode? Abstract An abstract is a summarized version of your project. It must be typed on the official state abstract form. It includes the purpose, hypothesis, procedure, data analysis and conclusion. It is written in past tense and 200-250 words in length. Make 3 copies, one for your final report, one for your show board, and one for your records. Title Problem Materials Data (graphs) Hypothesis Abstract Procedure Variables Data Analysis Conclusion Completed Project Title Page Abstract Table of contents Introduction problem, hypothesis, why you selected this project and what you hope to achieve Research report Materials and procedures Data (tables and graphs) Data Analysis Discussion Conclusion Recommendations Acknowledgements Bibliography The Education Foundation of Indian River County are the proud sponsors of this program and provide funding for the regional fair. In addition the foundation provides the funds for student participation in state and international competition.