1. Napa County Science Fair

2. Scientific Process

3. Scientific Process

4. Steps in the Scientific Process

5. Steps in the Scientific Process
Curiosity and Observation
Develop Hypothesis
Design Experiment
Data Collection
Analyze Results
Conclusion
Present Results

6. Be Curious and Observe Be Curious! Observe things using your senses.
Wonder at the why & how of things.
This is what a scientist does.

7. Examples of Observations
After leaving that pan of seawater in the sun all day, all that was left was white crystal residue.
I always feel better after I talk with my friend.

8. Turn your Curiosity of an Observation into a Question
I wonder if the size of the residue crystals can change?
I wonder if something about me changes when talking with my friend?

9. Build a Hypothesis Propose an explanation for your question.
Must be testable and repeatable!
Sometimes written as If…Then… statements
Predicts an outcome

10. Examples of Hypotheses
The longer it takes the seawater to evaporate the bigger the crystals grow in the residue.
My heart rate drops when I talk with my friend so I’m more relaxed and feel better.

11. Design an Experiment Think of a procedure to test the Hypothesis.
Identify variables
Control Variables
Experiment Variable
Identify list of materials

12. The Experiment Variable
The factor in the experiment that is being tested.
A good or “valid” experiment will ONLY have ONE variable!

13. The Control Variables
The experimenter makes a special effort to keep other factors constant so that they will not effect the outcome.
Those factors are called control variables.

14. The Crystal Experiment
Experimental Variable – Vary evaporation time of seawater by using different exposures to air.
Control Variables
Same volume of seawater
Conduct experiment with two jars at same temperature/location.
Materials
Two same size and shaped jars. One with lid with penny sized hole in it.
Seawater
Pencil and paper

15. The Heart Experiment
Experimental Variable - Check heart rate before and after talking with friend.
Control Variables
Call same time of day.
Be in same place doing same thing such as sitting alone on bed at home during call.
Do same activity one hour before every call.
Talk for same length of time each call.
Materials
Cell phone
Friend
Pencil and paper

16. Doing Experiments and Collecting Data
Repeat experiment multiple times
Evaporate seawater from same two cleaned jars several times.
Call Friend every day for a week.
Record experiment results
Note time it takes seawater to completely evaporate from each jar and compare the size of the resulting crystals.
Note heart rate before and after each call.

17. Analyze Data
Tabulate/Chart Data to help you understand and see patterns in the Results of the experiment.

18. Conclusion
The answer to the hypothesis based on the data obtained from the experiment
Remember some of the most important discoveries were made when conclusions did not match hypothesis.

19. Engineering Process

20. Engineering Process

21. Steps in the Engineering Process
Define a Need
Do Background Research
Establish Design Criteria
Prepare Preliminary Designs
Build and Test a Prototype
Redesign & Retest as Necessary
Present Results

22. Observe a Need Look for better ways to do something!
Listen to things people complain about doing.
Develop an idea on how to do it better.
This is what a engineer/inventor does.

23. Background Research
Find out what others have already learned about your idea.
Gather information that will help you design your invention.
Don't reinvent the wheel.

24. Establish Design Criteria
List design requirements.
Target cost of product
Form factor (size)
Functions and features
Make decisions about how to manufacture the product.

25. Do Preliminary Designs
Good engineers look at a variety of different possible designs.
It's faster and cheaper to improve designs on paper than making changes to something already being built.

26. Build and Test Prototype
A prototype is an initial working model of your idea.
Often it is impossible to meet all your design criteria and you need to compromise on choices of materials and features.

27. Redesign & Retest as Needed
Almost every prototype has unexpected flaws
Engineers redesign their products to "get the bugs out“ and improve the idea.

28. Present Results Scientific Method/Engineering Process
Share your excitement for your design with others!
Learn from others so you can do better with your next idea and the one after that… and after that…

29. What can Mom or Dad do?
DO Ask how the hypothesis relates to the project. DON’T Write the hypothesis yourself.
DO Assist in finding materials. DON’T Do the experiment yourself.
DON’T Create the tables, graphs or poster board yourself.
DON’T Draw the conclusion – but let your child talk it through with you.

30. So… Be curious! Observe with your senses!
Think about things and try to understand how and why things work the way they do!
HAVE FUN!