1. Poster Presentation, Gym
L B Haynes
Science Spectacular
2009
Grades 3&4
Kickoff-
February 27th , 11:30 A.M
April 17th
Poster Presentation, Gym
Welcome to our first Science Spectacular. This is a voluntary event open to students in third and fourth grades. The goal of the Science Spectacular is to get students excited about science, expose them to scientific methods and encourage curiosity and observation. Each student or group of students interested in participating will choose a science project from the approved list provided with this handout or they may choose from other sources (books, websites, etc.). If they choose from another source, please submit a proposal for approval before beginning. The students will then proceed with their project while using the journal provided to guide them in the scientific method. The projects will all end with a poster presentation or model to be displayed for the students during school hours. This is not a competition. There will be no grading. It is simply to encourage interest in scientific exploration and observation. 1

2. 2 3 Parents- What is expected of you? What is Scientific Method?
Find a problem or question you would like to answer- How does...
Research the problem or question and find out everything you can.
Make a Hypothesis - a hypothesis is a prediction. What do you think with happen based on everything you know?
Conduct the experiment and collect data (numbers, measurements, photographs...)
Organize your data into a format that makes it easy to see the results (pictures, graphs or tables)
Form a conclusion. Check your recorded hypothesis (prediction). Were you right?
Write about what you learned and what it means.
Set up a poster which shows all of these items to share with your classmates and teachers.
What is Scientific Method? 3
Parents- What is expected of you?
Minimal oversight and guidance over the course of the project which will run from February 27th until poster presentations on April 17th (Poster should be brought into school on April 15th).
Safety- Please be sure that your child outlines his/her plans to you and that you are aware of and approve of all of the steps and equipments involved. Your child’s safety is paramount.
Some level of guidance in the construction of a poster to document the project at the conclusion of the project may be necessary.
If you have any questions or need any support along the way, there is a contact list at the end of this booklet. Please call or with any questions. We are here to help! 2

3. 5 4 Getting started… In comparison, a “not testable question” is:
General
Vague
Confusing
Unrealistic
Anything that would be unsafe to test
Example:
Not-testable question- How is one brand of battery different from another brand?
Testable question- Which lasts longer: a brand-name battery or a store-brand battery?
Choose a project from the approved list provided and choose a “testable question” that you would like to answer. Please record your project choice and question on the front sheet of your journal packet, remove that sheet and submit it to your teacher by Friday, March 6th. Now record your question on the next page of your journal. You may also choose a topic from another source, but 5
Getting started…
How do I pick a science project? Well, what are you interested in? Use some of these ideas to help you choose a subject.
Do you have a hobby?
What do you wonder about?
Is there anything you’ve seen or heard about that you have a question about?
What do you think would be interesting to investigate?
Now you need to come up with a “testable question” to answer. What is a “testable question”? A testable question should be:
Specific
Realistic
Safe
Harmless to you, other people, animals etc. 4

4. before you proceed, you need to submit a project proposal (see the front sheet of your journal packet) for approval. Please do not start on your project unless it is from the approved list until you have approval.
Project types
Model
Experiment
Survey
NOTE: Models must be static displays (no active volcanoes, but a cut-out display explaining how a volcano works would be fine)
Research your subject
Talk to friends and family
Read- books, internet (with parent’s permission)
Interview someone with experience with your subject (experts)
Make a hypothesis (prediction)- what do you think is going to happen? Record this in your journal. 6
Make an educated guess based on your research.
A hypothesis is what you think will be the result of the experiment before you get started and why you think that.
It could be right or wrong- that doesn’t matter as long as you think it through.
Remember to record your hypothesis before you do your experiment.
Procedure- This is where you plan out how to do your experiment in a way that will allow you to collect data in the process.
What materials will you need?
What are the steps you plan to take to perform the experiment?
As you perform your experiment, record the data and, if appropriate, take pictures of the process.
Many experiments need to be repeated 3 to 5 times to make sure you have the correct answer. 7

5. Title 8 9 Question Or Problem Hypothesis Materials: Procedure:
Which….
How….
I think that…
Title
Materials:
Procedure:
(Test the
Hypothesis)
Results
Graphs, drawings, photos, charts- whatever form you choose to display your results.
Conclusion
If at any point you need any pointers or help, please contact one of us :
Conclusions
Did you find an answer for your question?
Did what you predict occur?
What happened?
Remember, experiments are not always predictable. Your conclusion may be different from your prediction (hypothesis). That is OK. Your conclusion may also be that your experiment did not answer your original question. Can you still learn something from your data?
Poster
Your poster will not only show your results, but should contain all of the steps you went through to complete your experiment.
You can use photos, bar graphs, measurements or numbers to show your data.
Posters are due on April 15th and will be displayed for the school on April 17th.
See example on facing page. 8 9

6. How does the type of string used in a “can and string” phone affect the phone’s ability to transmit sound?
Do “triple roll” toilet paper rolls really last three times as long as regular rolls?
Can people tell the difference between music played on an MP3 player, CD player, tape player, and turntable?
How does the amount of daylight that enters your room affect how late you sleep?
How does the time of year affect the number if hours of daylight in a 24-hour period?
Which type if cup will keep a hot drink warm longer; paper, plastic, Styrofoam, or glass?
Does a person’s height affect his or her ability to successfully make a jump shot in basketball?
Do mood rings accurately predict a person’s emotions?
Is a person’s favorite subject in school influenced by gender?
Which type of fertilizer helps plants grow taller?
Do left-handed people prefer the same school subjects as right-handed people? 11
Science Project Ideas
How does the length of time that a soda bottle is open affect its fizziness?
How does the temperature of water affect the time it takes to freeze into ice cubes?
How will the time spent chewing bubble gum affect its bubbles’ maximum size?
Under what color light plants do grow best?
Which brand of mouth wash kills the most bacteria?
In a blind taste test, can you tell the difference between nonfat, low -fat and whole milk?
Which cereal brand stays crunchy in milk the longest?
How does a person’s age affect his or her flexibility?
How does color affect a person’s mood?
What effect does watering have on how fast a plant grows from a seed?
Do all plants seek out light?
How does the weather affect your mood?
Which type of soap removes more grease; dish soap, hand soap, or shampoo?
What type of ground layers limit erosion most; sand, gravel, or soil?
How does the material of a bandage affect its ability to stick after getting wet? 10

7. How does the temperature of a tennis ball affect the height of its bounce?
How does the air pressure of a soccer ball affect how far it travels when kicked?
How does the weight of a bowling ball affect how many pins the ball knocks down?
How does a light bulb’s wattage affect the amount of heat detected above a light?
Does the color of a terrarium affect a lizard’s skin color?
How does the amount of air in a bicycle’s tires affect how long it takes the bike to brake?
How does the size of a bicycle’s tires affect how far it travels given a specific amount of peddling?
Which is a better insulator: wool, cotton, or down feathers?
How can you speed up the ripening of tomatoes?
How does gravity affect the direction of a plant’s growth?
How does the weight of a paper airplane affect its ability to fly?
How does a parachute’s material affect speed at which it falls?
How does the speed of a river’s current affect the size of the grains on the riverbed? 12 13
What difference do low-phosphorous fertilizers have on a lake’s pollution level compared with standard fertilizers?
How does the type of seed in a birdfeeder affect the types of birds that the feeder attracts?
What types of flowers attract the highest number of butterflies?
How does the time of a day affect levels of algae in a lake?
How does the amount of air in a balloon rocket affect how far it flies?
How does temperature affect the growth of mold?
Do different brands of batteries last longer than others?
How much trash do you keep out of a landfill by recycling paper and plastics?
Does the weight of a baseball bat affect how far the ball goes when it is hit?
Does the temperature of a hockey puck affect how far it will travel when struck by the stick?
Which has a better chance of survival: grass that was planted as seed or sod?
Do some materials conduct heat more than others?
How does increasing the height of a ramp affect how far a ball rolls down the ramp?

8. 14 How does the strength of a magnetic field vary with the magnet?
Does the length of a bat affect how far a baseball will travel?
Which best helps prevent soil erosion on a slope: plants, rocks, or mulch?
Can you skate faster with in-line skates or roller skates?
In what type of lighting does a plant grow best?