SCIENCE FAIR WORKSHOP GRADES 3-5 What do we need to do to have a - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

SCIENCE FAIR WORKSHOP GRADES 3-5

What do we need to do to have a successful Science Fair Project?

SCIENTIFIC METHOD OR ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS?

 Your child’s safety form has been signed which means your child’s project idea has been approved!  Now use the steps for the appropriate type of project on the next few slides.

 If your child is investigating a question by performing an experiment, follow the scientific method process (slides 3-5 in the presentation).  If your child is creating a solution to a problem by developing a design plan and creating and revising a prototype, follow the engineering design process (slide 6 in the presentation).

COMPARING THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD AND ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS

SCIENTIFIC PROCESS

• Question-what are you investigating scientifically?
• Hypothesis- guess based on a strategy and

background info

• Background- info that explains how student derived at

hypothesis/Research Info listing sources

• Materials- list all the things you need to experiment
• Procedures- steps you took to find the answer and test

hypothesis

• Observations- should be measurable
• Results- summarize observations
• Conclusions- answer the question based on results

MEASURABLE OBSERVATIONS

 Bar Graph  Chart/Table  Line Graph  These should be in the form of numbers! Something that SHOWS you kept a record of testing and displays the outcome

IMPORTANT TIPS FOR RESULTS…

Scientists want to test ONE variable called the “experimental variable” (EV) All other variables remain the same called the “control variables” (CV) This allows a truer result to occur Be sure to pick out your EV and your CV in your project!! Example:

I am testing to see if classical music effects plant growth; music is my experimental variable. The plants I test will be the SAME size, SAME kind, in the SAME type container, SAME soil, receive the SAME amount of water/food supplements, access to the SAME amount of sunlight at the SAME time of day, etc. Only one will “hear” the classical music and the

• thers will not.

• Problem- Choose a real-world problem. Investigate how
• thers have tried to solve it. What could you do to solve the

problem?

• Design Plan- Develop and sketch a plan for your design.

Label needed materials, measurements, etc.

• Construction- Build a prototype based on your design plan.
• Testing- Test your prototype. See how it could be improved.

Revise/improve your prototype and test again (and again and again and again, if necessary).

• Creativity- Make sure your solution is unique or solves the

problem in a way others have not. Building something that someone else already invented does not show creativity.

• Presentation- Show evidence of all steps of your process. You

may display photographs to show the stages of the process

THE THE EN ENGINEERING INEERING PR PROC OCESS: ESS:

DISPLAY IDEAS

Note: The project must be displayed on a poster board

• f some sort; although tri-fold boards are very popular, it

does not have to be a tri-fold board.  Cover with fabric/Paint backboard  Type all parts and proofread  Add photographs of the process  Add 3-D effects (picture frames, shelves, rods that are attached and can spin or move)  Place title above the middle section to save room for process

PROJECT DISPLAY BOARD SAMPLE FORMAT:

Title centered and raised above board Question Hypothesis Background Info Materials Procedures Observations Results Conclusions

TITLES SHOULD BE FUN!

FRIENDLY REMINDERS!

Photographs that show you testing the question or following your procedures are a GREAT idea…but be careful…DO NOT show pictures of your face. Judging has to be unbiased and you need to remain anonymous for fairness. This is a competition….what can you do to make your project stand out and look sharp?

EXAMPLES OF SCIENCE FAIR PROJECTS:

2017 3rd Grade winning projects 2017 4th Grade winning projects 2017 5th Grade winning projects

• Title centered and in

large font

• Typed information
• Headings stick out to

readers

• Colored paper frames

information to make it stick out

• Colored graphs
• Pictures do NOT include

any faces

Scie cient ntific ific Meth ethod

• d

• Title centered and

raised above the tri-fold

• Typed information
• A theme was given to

the board to match the project idea (Legos)

• Parts of the process are

clear to readers

• The variations of testing

and models are evident and clearly labeled

• Colored pictures of

models

• Summary of findings

En Engi ginee eerin ring g Des esig ign Pro roce cess ss

Scie cient ntific ific Meth ethod

• d
• Title centered and in

large letter cutouts

• Typed information
• Headings stick out to

readers (in cut out letters)

• Colored paper frames

information to make it stick out

• Colored pictures
• Pictures do NOT include

any faces

• Detailed data tables
• Detailed conclusion of

findings

Scie cient ntific ific Meth ethod

• d
• Title centered and

raised about the tri- fold

• Typed information
• Creative/fun paper

backgrounds

• Hanging details for

extra decoration

• Headings stick out to

readers

• Pictures do NOT

include any faces

• Colored pictures to

show the changes in the stains according to different detergents