Introduction, Introduction, RequirementsRequirements

, & Timeline, & TimelinePresentation Created By:

Ms. Paula Trapani-Wiener, LRMS Librarian

SCIENCE SCIENCE FAIRFAIR

SCIENCE SCIENCE FAIRFAIR

“Who will participate?”•ALLALL 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students at LR

“When will it be held?”•March , March , 24 201124 2011

•Only a few short months away!

“Sound scary?”

•Try not to get overwhelmed.

•Follow the timeline—don’t fall behind!

•Use a variety of resources

•books, websites, teachers, librarians

What’s due?…see your science fair packet for exact due dates

•Topic Approval

•Background/ Research

•Hypothesis

•Materials/ Procedure

•Data/ Observations•Results•Conclusion•Abstract•In-class presentation

“How do I begin?”•Choose a topic

that interests you•Narrow it down/ make it specific

•Develop an idea for an actual project

A Few Off-Limit Topics…•No models!

–Examples:–Model of a volcano

–Model of the solar system

Sample Topics…•People•Animals•Plants•Rocks•Electricity•Friction

Narrowed-down topics…•People: Success in school•Animals: Pet training•Plants: Rate of growth•Rocks: Erosion•Electricity: Conductors•Friction: Speed

Sample project titles…• People: Does eating nutritious food

make you more successful in school?• Animals: Does the length of an animal

training session make a difference?• Plants: Will soil conditions affect the

rate of growth of a bean plant?• Rocks: Which factors change the rate of

erosion of rocks?• Electricity: Can vegetables conduct

electricity?• Friction: Does surface affect speed?

“Where can I get some project ideas?”

1.Library Books2.Websites

posted on Science Fair Project Page

http://lrmslibrary.wikispaces.com/Science+Fair

BOOKS…• Both the LR

Library and our public libraries have plenty of books describing various projects

Online Resource…• Go to the Science Fair Project

Page for links to websites and online databases to help you choose a project and gather background info. on the topic.

• Click Library from our homepage, click Class Project Pages, click Science Fair, and scroll to the bottom for online resources.

So, you’ve picked a topic. Next…

•Get your topic approved by your teacher.

Then…•Begin

preliminary research

•Use books, encyclopedias, and websites to gather background information

•Use note cards or notetaking sheets

Then…•Cite your sources

using proper bibliography format– See Ms. T’s

“Bibliography Cheat Sheet” on LR Library website under “Research Tips”

Then…•Begin your project or experiment using the Scientific Method

•You’ll learn more about this in Science class.

Finally…you’ll be ready to prepare your display boards!• Include

illustrations, digital photos, charts, graphs, etc. AND typed up summaries in the following areas:

•Title•Background/ Research

•Hypothesis•Materials/ Procedures

•Data/ Observations•Results•Conclusion

Final Note…

•One of the 8 headings for your display board is “Abstract.”

What IS an Abstract?•It is a brief

summary of your entire project.

•Not more than one page.

The Abstract Includes:•Project title

•Statement of the purpose

•Hypothesis•Brief description of the procedure

•Results

GOOD LUCK!

•Stay focused•Follow the timeline

•Ask questions!

Presentation Created By:

Paula Trapani-Wiener

LibrarianLawrence Road Middle School