2. EARNING A $50,000 COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP OR…. TEACH YOUR STUDENTS SUCCESS THROUGH SCIENCE FAIR

3. EXPERIEMENTAL DESIGN DIAGRAM è Teach your students through hands on activities how to identify the basic concepts and use the experimental design diagram. ”Hypothesis ”Independent Variable (IV); Manipulated; Range ”Dependent Variable (DV); Responding; Domain ”Constants ”Control Group ”Repeated Trials

4. “An effective method for teaching students to design experiments begins with concrete investigations of phenomena that enable students to quickly manipulate materials and see the results.” Students and Research; Practical Strategies for Science Classrooms and Competitions, Cothron,Giese, Rezbz

5. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN DIAGRAM TITLE TITLE : THE EFFECT OF THE IV ON THE DV HYPOTHESIS IF then HYPOTHESIS: IF THE IV (describe change) then the DV (describe change or action) DV : the variable that responds to the change C C: constants; all factors that remain the same and have a fixed value

6. Luanda’s African violet plants never seemed to bloom. While visiting her friend Samantha, she noticed that Samantha’s African violet plants had the most beautiful flowers. After much coaxing, Samantha shared her secret with Luanda, once a week she water the plants with a few drops of liquid fertilizer mixed into the water. Luanda stopped at the store and bought the liquid fertilizer. She wondered, if Samantha only gave the plants the fertilizer once a week, what would happen if she increased the number of times she administered the fertilizer to the plants. She grouped her 20 African violet plants into 4 groups. One group would get the recommended amount of fertilizer, which was once/week. Another group would be given fertilizer every day. The third group was treated with the fertilizer solution every other day. And the last group was given fertilizer every three days (treatment-->then wait 2 days-->treatment). All other conditions for the African violets were the same. They were the same species, age, given the same amount of sunlight, and care. Every day for 21 days Samantha would examine the plants and record the number of blooms. Scenario

7. START with the SCIENTIFIC METHOD An engaging place to start is at BRAIN POP

10. Review the Scientific Method A step by step tutorial http://www.panpipes.net/edit6200/index.html

11. How about a little background on... data data Learn about graphing data by... putting data on a tabletable  choosing the proper graph type: http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/nceas-web/kids/main_pages/experiments/data/data.html

12. The Most Difficult Part of Any Science Fair Project CHOOSING A TOPIC; A PROBLEM TO INVESTIGATE

13. A Great Place to Start http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/ScienceInternet/ScienceFair.html

14. Choose a topic you like and are interested in learning more about. Make sure that you can do a test to find an answer to a question. A good Science Fair project is an experiment! Choose a topic you can do it with only a little help from parents, teachers and friends. It doesn't hurt or scare people or animals, including you. Plan your time wisely to allow for completion. Have teacher approval of entire project BEFORE starting.

15. WAYS TO FIND A SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT IDEA Look at lists of science categories  Pick one that you are interested in and narrow it down…i.e. psychology  Do boys remember football pictures better than girls? Use your own experiences and turn it into a project  Have you ever wondered is there a difference between SPF 15 and SPF 30? Think about current events…  Flooding and sandbags; Drought and plants

16. As kids think about a Science Fair Project they sometime wonder if their idea is a good one. Here are some pointers, make sure: 1.You Are Interested In The Topic Why do mosquitoes always ‘bite’ me and not my father or brother? HMMMMMMMMMMM You are able to turn your idea into an experiment 2.You Can Do A Test To Find An Answer To A Question. Don’t do a demonstration or just build a model.

17. 3.You Can Do It With Only A Little Help From Parents, Teachers, And Friends. 4.It Doesn’t Hurt Or Scare People Or Animals, Including You! Be careful, all vertebrate and microbiology work needs lots of special forms! 5.It’s A Project That, Even When You Are Done With It, Makes You Think of New Things You Want to Know. Did doing the project, or reading or seeing what happened make you think of other questions you are curious about?

18. Another Good Starting Point http://www.ipl.org/youth/projectguide/ The Internet Public Library IPL: Science Fair Project Resource Guide Are you looking for some help with a science fair project? If so, then you have come to the right place. The IPL will guide you to a variety of web site resources, leading you through the necessary steps to successfully complete a science experiment. If you have never done a science fair project before, it has been a while, or you just want to be sure you do a really great job be sure and look at the following websites for tips on what makes a good project before doing anything else. This way you will know ahead of time what will be expected of you.what makes a good project Understanding the Scientific Method. It is important to understand the scientific method before beginning a project. Scientific Method Choosing a topic Choosing a topic is the next step. Here you will find a variety of websites some of which ask questions to give you ideas for your project. Others describe the projects step by step.

19. WHAT IS A SCIENCE PROJECT http://www.selah.wednet.edu/JHS/Brown/SciProjComponets.html Each section of the project journal contains a description or definition, an example from a mythical project on plant growth, and a section with sentence starters and spaces for students to write.

20. WHAT DOES A STUDENT HAVE TO WHAT DOES A STUDENT HAVE TO DO TO COMPLETE A PROJECT

21. WHAT DOES A STUDENT HAVE TO WHAT DOES A STUDENT HAVE TO DO TO COMPLETE A PROJECT

22. A List of Topics and Ideas

23. Ideas, Topics, Misplaced Topics & Mentor Links

24. Using the Topic Link See if you can add a TWIST to one of the above

25. Mentor Links

26. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids/fair/moreideas.htm#it A List of Topics and Ideas

27. Intermediate Projects (Grades 7 - 9) PHYSICS  Fire and Burning- what factors affect burning?  Fire and Burning- what factors affect burning?  Fuels and their efficiency in producing energy.  Fuels and their efficiency in producing energy.  Musical instruments- the scientific principles behind them  Musical instruments- the scientific principles behind them  Music vs Noise- difference  Music vs Noise- difference  Air Pressure- Water Pressure  Air Pressure- Water Pressure  Gears- compare efficiencies, effect of different lubricants  Gears- compare efficiencies, effect of different lubricants  Solar Furnace  Solar Furnace  Lenses- effects of curvature, materials on light beams  Lenses- effects of curvature, materials on light beams  Can eggs withstand a greater force from one direction than from others?  Can eggs withstand a greater force from one direction than from others?  How strong are nylon fishing lines?  How strong are nylon fishing lines? CHEMISTRY  Effects of temperature on viscosity of oil, chemical reactions, Brownian movement, burning of different materials.  Effects of temperature on viscosity of oil, chemical reactions, Brownian movement, burning of different materials.  Testing of consumer products- glues, stain removers, antiseptics, mouthwash, detergents, paper towels, making salt water potable, removal of pollutants  Testing of consumer products- glues, stain removers, antiseptics, mouthwash, detergents, paper towels, making salt water potable, removal of pollutants  Effects of sunlight on rubber, ink, paper  Effects of sunlight on rubber, ink, paper  Effects of increased concentrations on the rate of chemical reactions  Effects of increased concentrations on the rate of chemical reactions  Compare the pH levels in mouths of various animals and humans at different times in the day  Compare the pH levels in mouths of various animals and humans at different times in the day  Compare the surface tension of various liquids  Compare the surface tension of various liquids  Dealing with chemical spills from industry  Dealing with chemical spills from industry  Analyzing snow and rain for pollutants; samples from different locations  Analyzing snow and rain for pollutants; samples from different locations http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/sciencefairs/intermed.html

28. Authentic Scientific Research for High School Students Copyright © 2003 Environmental Inquiry, Cornell University and Penn State University http://ei.cornell.edu

29. Protocol Planning Form Name _________________________________ Date __________________________________ 1. What is the name of the protocol you will be using? 2. What is the purpose of this protocol? 3. Dose/response experiment 4. Bioassay on environmental samples 5. Solution purification using ion exchange and/or activated charcoal Other:_______________________________________________ ______ 5. What question are you hoping to answer using this protocol? 6. What type of samples will you be testing? Chemical name _____________________________________________ Environmental samples from ___________________________________ 7. Describe the treatments you plan, such as the range of concentrations that you plan to test. 8. Describe your replicates of each treatment. 9. What will you be using for a control group? 10. What factors will you hold constant?

30. Are you getting enough sleep?: Abstract Project Title Are you getting enough sleep? Project Summary This project was designed to allow adolescents keep track of their sleep patterns. Data taken during a one week period (including one weekend) will provide information about not only how much they sleep but when they sleep the most. http://mathforum.org/workshops/sum96/data.collections/datalibrary/

31. ScienzFair’s Topics/links one of personal favorites http://members.aol.com/ScienzFair/ideas.htm Project Categories Just pick your favorite science to see ideas and sample projects: Anatomy Animals (Zoology)Anthropology Astronomy Behavioral Science Chemistry CompetitionsComputer ScienceConsumer Science Earth ScienceEconomicsEducation & Learning Electricity & Mag. EngineeringEnvironmental Sci. Food Science Health & Medicine Mathematics MicrobiologyPlants (Botany)Physics

32. ScienzFair’s Link May Be Take you to Useful Tools *links change so be careful Economics Project: Currency Exchange Rates Botany Project: Determining Sugar Content of Different Apples

33. ScienzFair’s Link May Take you to Subtopics Behavior

34. ScienzFair’s Link May Be to an Article Concerning One of the Subtopics

35. ScienzFair’s Link May Be to an Abstract

36. ScienzFair’s Link May Be to an Experimental Design Remember that these project ideas and outlines are meant to help you complete your own science fair project. But it is DISHONEST and UNETHICAL to copy someone else's project work samples and submit them as if they were your own. That's called plagiarism and it's a fast way to get a failing grade.

37. ScienzFair’s Has Links for Other Types of Competitions Also

38. Making Your Science Fair Project a Winner! 1.Pick Something You're Interested In Don't pick a project just because you think it looks easy, or because you have a friend that did the same project last year. You don't have to do a highly sophisticated project in order to have a good one. A simple project can be a winner just as easily as a complex one. What’s important is your ability to demonstrate that you understand your project and that you have researched the issues and are knowledgeable of the scientific and technical facts that relate to your project.

39. 2.Don't wait until the last minute to start your project. NOT To have a winning project you have to spend quite a bit of time thinking about how it should work and planning out how to do it. Winning projects are NOT ones you throw together at the last minute. 3.Do the Work Yourself. When the judges are standing there, quizzing you, YOU have to know those answers, and the best way to learn them is to have done the work yourself. 4.Don't Get Upset If Your Hypothesis Is Incorrect. It's more important to understand what DID happen in your experiment that to have had a hypothesis supported. Alexander Fleming serendipitous discovery of penicillin

40. 5.Keep Accurate Records From Beginning to End. NOT After your project is completed is NOT the time to go back, relying on memory and trying to construct a project data book. 6.Prepare An Attractive, Informative Display. Keep your display organized. It should be easy enough to read that that judges and visitors can quickly locate your title, hypothesis, experimental procedures, results and conclusions.

41. http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/fair.html http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/steps.html http://www.scifair.org/

42. http://sciencepage.org/scifair.htm http://mathscience.dadeschools.net/scifair02/default.htm

44. One Difference Between a Superior Project and a State Fair Project STATISTICS http://science.northern.edu/scifair/projectfeedback/statistics.html Takehome Message: Graphs and averages are both statistics. Use them.

45. http://davidmlane.com/hyperstat/ A GREAT PLACE TO START

46. http://www.businessbookmall.com/free-stuff-statistics.htm Free STUFF to Help People Learn Statistics

47. Free Statistical Tools http://www.webstatsoftware.com/

48. Understanding the POWER of Statistics

49. Find a Local Statistician to HELP http://stat.fsu.edu/flasa/index.html

50. Remember it’s not if you win or lose