1. S.T.E.M. Project Information Night
Welcome to our
S.T.E.M. Project
Information Night

2. Agenda for Tonight Sign in.
Run through a project using the Inquiry Research Plan.
Questions
Dinner

3. What is STEM?
Science
Technology
Engineering
Mathematics

4. Why a STEM Project?
It is crucial that we provide students with opportunities to develop the skills, and behaviors necessary for college, career, and life readiness.

5. Supporting your child as they work on the STEM Project
Be interested, encouraging, and positive!
Supervise and use resources that ensure the SAFETY of your child.

6. Try to ask questions rather than give answers:
Questions help place responsibility on your child.
Questions help develop your child’s thinking and problem solving skills.

7. Getting Started: Choosing an Investigation
Your child needs to be excited about their investigation!
Guide them to investigate something they are interested in.
Research: Your child needs to gather information to help them develop their investigation.

8. Two Types of Projects OR
Solve a problem
Create or build something to help you solve a problem. OR
Answer a question
Perform a controlled experiment to help you answer a question.
To solve a problem, think about:
organization tools
cleaning “gadgets”
things that help the old or very young
Innovate something that is already available, make it better!

10. How can I make the best paper airplane?
Part 1: Designing the Experiment
My Question:
______________________________________
_______________________________________
How can I make the best paper airplane?
Part A: Things I could change or vary:
SIZE OF PAPER
FOLD
TYPE OF PAPER
PAPER CLIPS
Part B: Things I could measure or observe:
HEIGHT OF
THE FLIGHT
DURATION OF THE FLIGHT
DISTANCE TRAVELED

11. Identifying Variables
I will
change:
I will
measure or observe:
Place sticky note from Part B here
Place sticky note from Part A here
Type of paper
Distance traveled
I will not change these things:
(These things will control my experiment):
Place remaining sticky notes from Part A here
Place remaining sticky notes from Part A here
Place remaining sticky notes from Part A here
Size of paper
Paper clips
Fold
I will not measure or observe:
Place remaining sticky notes from Part B here
Place remaining sticky notes from Part B here
DURATION OF THE FLIGHT
Place remaining sticky notes from Part B here
HEIGHT OF
THE FLIGHT

12. Asking a Testable Question (Refining my beginning question)
the type of paper I use for the airplane
When I change_____________________________: What happens to ___________________________ ?
the distance the airplane traveled
What I will measure or observe
Distance traveled
Type of paper
What I will change
Write the question that will guide your experiment:
_________________________________________
Which airplane will travel further, the one made
of a heavier paper or of lighter paper?
Predictions
List 3 possible outcomes: Increase, Decrease, or No Affect.
I predict:
1. My airplane will fly a greater distance if I use a lighter weight
paper. 2. 3.
My airplane will fly a shorter distance if I use a lighter weight paper.
The type of paper I use will have no affect on the distance my airplane will fly.
Choose a prediction and generate a hypothesis statement.
Hypothesis:
If_______________________________________
then_____________________________________
because___________________________________.
I create a paper airplane using light weight paper
it will travel a longer distance than an airplane made with heavy paper
the lighter weight paper will fly more easily through the air.

13. The Procedure Materials List Directions
Others should be able to follow the way you set up your controlled test.
Materials List
(Detailed)
Directions
(List exactly what you did in each step of your experiment)
Printer paper
Cardstock paper
2 measuring tapes
Masking tape
Make two paper
airplanes. One made from
printer paper and one
made from cardstock.
Fold them the same way.
Make a “runway” from
two measuring tapes.
Launch/throw each
airplane 5 times and
record the distances in cm.
Set-Up Conditions/
Controls
What conditions should be kept the same?
Size of paper
Fold
Paper clip

14. What I will change (independent variable):
Type of paper
What I will do to carry out the change:
Create one airplane made of cardstock. Create one airplane made of printer paper.
______________________________
Number of trials I will conduct: 5
The data I will collect by measuring or observing (dependent variable):
What I will measure or observe
Distance traveled
How I will collect the data:
After each throw, measure the distance, and record on the data table.
How I will record the data
(table, chart, or picture):
Enter data on a table and ensure all
measurements are in cm.

15. Part 2: Conduct the Experiment
Data Collection:
When I changed the type of paper, what measurements or observations resulted?
What I will measure or observe
(dependent variable)
Distance traveled
What I will change (independent variable)
Type of paper
Record your Data:
(This is intended simply as an example to help get you started. You may design your own chart to fit your experiment.)
Results
(Use Metric measurement)
Item(s) Tested
Trials 1
  2  3  4  5
 Avg.
 Printer Paper
Cardstock

16. X axis Graphing Results Distance traveled Y axis Type of paper
Which type of graph is best- line graph or bar graph? ______________
Graph: should reflect mean average of trials.
Distance traveled
What I will measure or observe
(dependent variable) Y
axis
What I will change (independent variable)
Type of paper
What I will change (manipulated variable) X
axis
(Note: Both axes will need to be labeled and the appropriate scale marked.)

17. Title of Graph: Paper Airplane Test
Y-axis: Distance Traveled (cm)
Printer paper
Card stock
X-axis: Type of Paper
When I changed _________, what happened to ____________?
Distance traveled
Type of paper
What I measured or observed
(dependent variable)
What I changed (independent variable)

18. Explain your Results
1. Looking at your graph, describe your results.
2. Conclusion: Was your hypothesis supported or not supported? Explain.
3. Compare your initial predictions and the actual results from your experiment.
Explain real world uses relating to the results of your experiment.
What are some questions that you have for further investigation? 10

19. Appendix A
Attach any photos, diagrams, or drawings. 11

20. Dates Pasco County STEM Fair GTES STEM Fair Due date for this project?
February 12, 2019
Pasco County STEM Fair
April 27, 2019
Due date for this project?
Check with your child’s teacher.
GTES