Science Fair for Parents!! Lets have some FUN!!

SAFETY FIRST!!!! The following require prior approval: Mold Fungi Bacteria Fresh or frozen animal tissue Soil Studies Human Surveys Use of humans in experiments

The following cannot be done by students. Any experimentation that requires humans to ingest something. Any experiment that changes the surrounding conditions of a vertebrate. Any survey or experiment that might cause emotional or other forms of mental stress to humans or other vertebrates.

The following should be done in their Science Fair logbook. The Science Process Choose a Question or Purpose: Resources: The students science book, AIMS lab books, an older siblings science book or lab book. Question should have only ONE dependent variable. For example:

Does the amount of surface area affect the rate of evaporation of water? Independent Variable: What do you control? Surface Area, Volume of water, Amount of sunlight or heat Dependent Variable: What do you NOT control? Rate of Evaporation

Hypothesis: This is a statement about what the student thinks will happen. For example: If the surface area (increases or decreases) then the rate of evaporation will (increase or decrease) OR If the surface area is (large or small), then the water will evaporate (faster or slower).

Procedures: How will your child go about answering the question? What recipe will they follow in order to find the answer? Identify what data will be taken during the experiment. Safety is of the utmost importance Procedures should lead to a reasonable answer.

Materials: Once the procedures have been identified, students should make a materials list Encourage the use of materials that are easily found at grocery stores or department stores. Set a budget for you child. The use of any home cleaning supplies should be approved by the teacher.

Experimentation: This should be done in an appropriate and safe location. Student should record all data and observations (even failures) in a log book. The student should write in pen (doesnt really matter what color at this stage). It is OK if the log book gets messy. NO pages should be torn out of log book. Anything that influences the data should be recorded in log book. The same experiment should be performed THREE times.

Results: This is where the data is analyzed. Data can be graphed. You can average the data. You can use a formula to analyze the data. You can create a ratio to show the relationship between the data.

Conclusions: This is where the student refers back to the hypothesis. Student should support this with data. For example: I found that it took longer for water to evaporate with a small surface area. My data shows that it took 3 days for the water to evaporate from a 2 inch diameter cup and it only took 1 day for the 5 inch diameter cup.

RESEARCH PAPER (May be Handwritten) Title Page Introduction Should answer the following questions: What is your purpose? What is your hypothesis? Why did you want to do this project? OR What did you hope to find out? This may also include research information about the topic. Materials and Procedures Should be copied neatly from log book.

o Results: The students should answer the following questions. What is the actual data that I am using to answer my question? May include a data table and/or a graph. Copy data from log book. o Discussion: How did the data vary between repeated observations of similar events? How were your results influenced by uncontrolled events? What would you do differently if you repeated this project? What other experiments do you want to conduct on this topic?

Conclusion: Copy conclusion neatly from log book. Acknowledgements: Credit those who gave assistance. Bibliography: Include any documentation that is not the students own work.

Board: This may be handwritten.

Parents: Make sure your child feels it is his or her project. Make sure the work is primarily the work of the child. Realize the main goal of a science fair project is to help your child use and strengthen the skills he or she has learned and develop higher-level skills as well as have FUN!

Provide transportation to libraries, nature centers, or universities that can help your child find project information. Help your child plan a mutually agreed upon timeline to prevent a last minute project. It is suggested to allow at least 12 weeks to conduct an experiment and prepare the presentation.

Help your child ask good questions. My mother made me a scientist without ever intending to. Every other Jewish mother in Brooklyn would ask her child after school, "So? Did you learn anything today?" But not my mother. "Izzy, she would say, Did you ask a good question today?" That difference - asking good questions – made me become a scientist. ~Isidor Isaac Rabi ( ), physicist ~