1. Project Title Student Name(s) Mill Creek Elementary Grade(s) 1.Go to File, Save As… Save File as School_Grade_Title.ppt Now you can edit 2.You may change the background theme to whatever you would like. Be sure that the text and pictures are easily readable. 3.Go to View, “Header and Footer…” Change “Footer” to your own information 4.If you have used the MillCreek STEM Fair Guide presentation, many of the slides/text boxes can simply be copied into this presentation where prompted. 5.Delete this text box when you have completed the above steps.

2. Question or Problem Statement  An excellent question will be interesting, creative, worded scientifically and relevant to the world today. Your slide should also include your thought process and preliminary research on why you selected the question. (250 Word max, no pictures on this slide) Find a question or problem that interests you about something that you have observed, noticed or wondered about.  Slide 12 from the Guide School_Project Title

3. Hypothesis/Design Goal  An excellent hypothesis will lead on from the question, be tightly focused and build on existing knowledge and be testable. An Engineering/Invention project will have a design goal instead of hypothesis. A hypothesis should be a concise 1 or 2 sentences (no pictures on this slide/page). What is your hypothesis or design goal? Try to address something that you believe is challenging which you are able to answer in a single experiment.  Example Hypothesis: If sulfur released from a coal-burning power plant contributes to acidity of precipitation, and snow samples are collected and tested for pH from 3 upwind locations from the plant, versus samples collected from 3 downwind locations from the plant, then the downwind samples will indicate an average pH that is lower than the upwind snow samples.  Example Design Goal: This project’s goal is to develop a sound-based golfing system that people who are blind can use to accurately locate their golf ball. The hole will also have a sound so that they may be able to direct their ball to the right location. This will be accomplished by inserting a beeping mechanism in the ball and a different sound mechanism at the hole. Initial tests will be conducted by the student scientist using a blindfold to hit test golf balls toward a sound target.  Slide 25 from the Guide School_Project Title

4. Background Research  Excellent students will undertake research to help them shape their question and hypothesis and to put their work into a relevant, real-world context. Engineering/Invention show research about how the new product will meet a need or solve a problem better than an existing product. (500 Word max, no pictures on this slide/page)  Figure out what others have found out about your subject area or question. How has your research helped you to refine your question and ask something that may not be unique, but is relevant and interesting and not already answered.  Slide 21 from the Guide School_Project Title

5. Experiment/Design Process  Excellent students will demonstrate that they have used good experimental techniques and describe their experiment clearly and in detail. Engineering/Invention should show schematics, assembly information, refining of design, prototyping. (500 Word Max; summary explaining the procedures, variables, materials, & testing/experimental trials. Pictures are very appropriate on this slide/page). Multiple slides may be used to show the experiment.  Design and execute an experiment that tests your hypothesis. Include descriptions of the materials, equipment, and methods/techniques you used. Explain the variables and how they will be controlled, manipulated and measured. Also detail any key steps to avoid errors, risks and safety.  Slide 27 from the Guide School_Project Title

6. Data/Observations  Excellent data will be relevant, sufficient to support a conclusion and should be recorded accurately and precisely, and be presented clearly. -Excellent observations will describe patterns or trends supported by the data. Engineering/Invention project show evidence of testing, applications of invention. (multiple slides/pages OK to record data, charts, graphs, and lists are appropriate).  Multiple slides may be used to show data/observations, pictures and graphs are appropriate.  Report on all of the data, numbers, outputs or outcomes from your experiment. Show an understanding of what you saw happening during your experiment. Describe the patterns and trends you saw emerge as you worked.  Slides recording your observations and graphs (Slides 30-38 on the Guide may have your data recorded). Include Slide 39 from the Guide as well. School_Project Title

7. Conclusion  An excellent conclusion will explain how the experiment answers the question or why it fails to do so and whether or not it supports the hypothesis or design goal. (500 Word Max, no pictures on this slide/page).  How did your experiment support or contradict your original hypothesis? How could you improve your experiment? Did everything go as planned or were there unexpected results? Does what you learned lead to a new question to ask or experiment that would answer it? If so, why would it be important, interesting, or useful to do?  Slide 41 from the Guide School_Project Title

8. References  Excellent students will acknowledge and provide clear references for sources of information that they have consulted and/or referenced and acknowledge any assistance received (e.g. to find equipment and materials, to stay safe or to use unfamiliar equipment or techniques). Use a bibliography generator such as citationmachine.net to document articles you read, people you interviewed, etc.  Slides 17-19 on the Guide will have 3 references listed at the bottom. Insert this information into Citation Machine (APA format) to generate a scientific citation to include here.Citation Machine School_Project Title

9. Final Instructions  Be sure to save the PowerPoint with a file size of under 10MB (Click Save As…Reduce File Size on a Mac or on a PC, right click on pictures and choose Format Pictures, then Compress). You can also save your file as PDF.  Make sure that your file will open on a computer OTHER than the one you used to create it (if you worked on it at home, try it on a school computer too).  If you work on your project over several days, don’t put the unfinished version in the Science Fair Folder. Only save your final version of the PowerPoint in Science Fair 2016. Save another copy somewhere else, just in case there is a problem.  If you have video clips, use links to the video, do NOT embed in the PPT (it will be too large a file).  Your File should be named in the correct format:  Millcreek_Grade_Title of Project.pptx or Millcreek_Grade_Title of Project.pdf  You can delete this slide before you turn in your project. School_Project Title