Science Fair Guidelines and Assessment Stanwich School Science Fair Tuesday, May 20th 8:30am to 9:30am Stanwich East Campus Science Fair Guidelines and Assessment

Research Paper Cover Page (Title) (One third down) Eighth Grade Science Mr. Fletcher  John Smith Grade 8 Stanwich School May 20th , 2014

Student’s poster boards should be clear and easy to read Student’s poster boards should be clear and easy to read. Poster boards must include Project title, Purpose (idea), Hypothesis, Diagrams, Data, and Conclusion.

Purpose  State your idea and why.   Example: The Purpose of my research is to identify an alternative fuel source to provide energy for my classroom. Hypothesis  Hypothesis is a possible answer to a question or a reasonable guess about what will happen. Since my classroom requires electricity, solar panels may provide enough electricity for my needs. I need to research the cost of solar panels, investigate and analyze my current electric usage, and conduct a cost analysis and then determine a timeline for a return on my investment. I will also conduct a carbon footprint analysis.

Diagrams   All diagrams must be clear and easy to read. Hand-drawn diagrams are acceptable. All diagrams taken from books, magazines, websites, or other media devices must be cited. Example: Source: www.solarpanels.com

Conclusion   Your conclusion must defend your idea. The use of data, charts, and interesting/relevant facts will allow you to express your purpose.

Avoiding Plagiarism   Plagiarism is using someone else’s words or ideas without giving proper credit – or without giving any credit at all – to the writer of the original. Whether plagiarism is intentional or unintentional, it is a serious offense that you can avoid by adhering to the advice below. Citation Guide Stanwich School recommends following the Modern Language Association (MLA) guide. All sources cited in your research paper must be listed in a section entitled Work Cited (sometimes referred to as Bibliography), which should be located at the end of your paper.

Example:   Work Cited www.solarpanels.com www.energyworld.org www.windpower.net www.energy.gov

Citing your research within the body of your paper:   If you use someone else’s words or ideas within the body of your research paper, it must be cited as follows: Example: According to Dr. John Doe www.energy.org within the next ten years, our dependency on fossil fuel will double. Assessment  Poster Board 40%  Research Paper 60%  Total 100%  Science Fair Project is equal to having 2 science quizzes or 2 lab reports.