Science Fair Assignments

1. Science Fair Assignments Mrs. Villanueva Science

2. Background ResearchBackground & Bibliography worksheets are due February 26th! • Purpose: To understand why your experiment turns out the way it does. Research: • The history of similar experiments or inventions • Definitions of all important words and concepts that describe the experiment • Answers to all background research questions • Mathematical formulas, if any, needed to describe the results of the experiment • Tips: • Collecting information in an organized way makes writing the research paper easier! • You must search at least 3 credible background sources • Credible resources are updated or reviewed regularly and are written or controlled by professionals

3. Research Paper – DUE 03/05 • The 3 sections of your Research Paper are: • Introduction: Why did your group choose this project? What’s your project about? Explain the history of your project; similar projects in the past, and definitions to scientific concepts. (1 paragraph) • Body: What is your project? What supplies do you need? What procedure will you do? What is the question you plan to investigate? How will you investigate your question? Answer the questions on your background research worksheet and use the checklist. (3 paragraphs) • Conclusion: What is your hypothesis? What do you predict will be the outcome of your project? How do you hope your project turns out? (1 paragraph)

4. Research Paper – DUE 03/05 • Format: • APA Format is required. • Must be 3 pages long, double-spaced (without the Title Page and Bibliography) • Must be typed, size 12 font, Times New Roman • Quote 1 book and any 2 other sources in your paper • Must have a Title Page • Must have a Bibliography • See chart & sample. * • I’ve made a few changes…

5. Title Page of your Research Paper • Include the title of your project • Ex: “Title: Research Paper” • Include all group members • Grade & Subject • Teacher • Date Printed • This is a bit different than APA.

6. Body of your Research Paper • Title the Introduction, Body and Conclusion creatively. • Italicize the Section Titles. • Tell who wrote each part of the paper.

7. Quoting in Your Research Paper • For a science fair project, a reference citation (also known as author-date citation) is an accepted way to reference information you copy. Citation referencing is easy. Simply put the author's last name, the year of publication, and page number (if needed) in parentheses after the information you copy. Place the reference citation at the end of the sentence but before the final period. • Example: • "If you copy a sentence from a book or magazine article by a single author, the reference will look like this. A comma separates the page number (or numbers) from the year" (Bloggs, 2002, p. 37).

8. Bibliography of your Research Paper Example of a Website: Learning centre. Duracell. The Gillette Company. Retrieved July 31, 2006, from http://www.duracell.com/au/main/pages/learning-centre-what-is-a-battery.asp Example of a Book: Dell, R. M., and D. A. J. Rand. (2001). Understanding batteries. Cambridge, UK: The Royal Society of Chemistry. Check out a sample of a completed research paper…*

9. Don’t forget…It’s DUE March 5th, next Tuesday! Get to work, everyone!

10. Groups without a research paper stapled to their proposal form, bibliography & background research ON 3/5 WILL NOT BE ADMITTED TO LAB ON TUESDAY.

11. Variables & Hypothesis • Scientists use an experiment to search for cause and effect relationships in nature. • Variables: any factor, trait, or condition that can exist in differing amounts or types. An experiment usually has three kinds of variables: independent, dependent, and controlled. • Independent: What will you be changing in the experiment? • Dependent: What will you be measuring or observing? • Controlled: What will you be keeping the same during the experiment?

12. Variables & Hypothesis

13. Hypothesis • A hypothesis is an educated guess about how things work. • Most of the time a hypothesis is written like this: "If _____[I do this] _____, then _____[this]_____ will happen." (Fill in the blanks with the appropriate information from your own experiment.) • Your hypothesis should be something that you can actually test, what's called a testable hypothesis. In other words, you need to be able to measure both "what you do" and "what will happen."

14. 2 Lists are due… By March 19th, 2013! A List of Project Supplies (including measurements) and Experimental Procedure Steps.

15. Conducting a Science Experiment Read for Tips:http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_experiment.shtml#keyinfo

16. Be ready to show some progress on your project By March 26th, 2013! Write one paragraph of observation notes and create a data table.

17. Write a conclusion & create a graph of your data… By April 2nd!

18. Display Board Include the following: • Project Title • Hypothesis • Purpose/Background • Materials • Procedure • Pictures, Charts, Graphs of Data • Conclusion (The end result of your project) • Analysis (What you’ve learned because of this project) • Group Names on the back of the poster!