1. Imagine Schools’ Science Fair 2015-2016

2. Imagine Schools’ Science Fair Guidelines
Policies and rules used nationally by all Imagine Schools
Guidelines create an age appropriate version of the scientific method so students of all levels and abilities (4-8th) can participate!

3. Please follow along in your packet and take down any notes needed.

4. Competition v. Class only
All Preasto and Honors Academy students MUST do a competitive level project
Class only participation information will come from your student’s teacher
Teachers may offer incentives for creating competition level projects

5. Progression Plan pg.7
Due dates for each portion will come from your students teacher
Class fairs will take place before Winter break
School fair for eligible competition level projects Saturday, January 9th

6. Step One: Choosing a topic
Pg. 3-6

7. Step two: Creating a Question see report guidelines (pg
Step two: Creating a Question see report guidelines (pg ) for specifics in each portion
Problem for the project must be in question form
Cannot be a simple yes or no problem
Cannot be creating a model; must be solving a problem
Must be testable or able to be investigated
Once selected choose the best category to enter (pgs.5-6)
If using animals, they may not be your personal pets
If testing on people, the student may not test on themselves
ScienceBuddies.org
Education.com/science-fair
More on page 19

8. Step three: Define the Purpose
What interested the student in this topic?
Why does the student think this is an important topic to study?
Can be a personal story

9. Step four: Research the topic bib. info pg. 14
All grades need to do some level of research in order to create a hypothesis
Should know vocabulary and content well enough to discuss it with a judge
MUST BE IN THE STUDENT’S OWN WORDS
4th: research must be shown in oral presentation, ex. “My hypothesis was ……because from my research I learned……”
5th: research summary and bibliography is required on the board in the correct place
Middle school: formal research paper and bibliography is required in the correct place in the written report binder
Will be in conjunction with language arts classes
Teachers will give the required minimum pages

10. Step five: Hypothesis Must be based on research
Is a guess based on their current knowledge about what will happen during the experiment
Should be written as a cause and effect statement, if possible
“If plants are exposed to different levels of light, then the plants given the most light will grow the quickest”

11. Step six: Define the Experiment pg. 12
Subject: (middle school written report only) What living or non-living this does the project focus on?
Constants: the things that are kept the same in each portion of the experiment
Variables: MUST LISTED SEPERATLY the independent (manipulated or testing) variable and the dependent (responding or measured) variable
Materials: bulleted list of all supplies necessary to test the experiment
Procedures: the detailed step by step process involved in the experiment
Should use the metric system
NO PRONOUNS (I, ME,MY, HE, SHE, YOUR, YOU)

12. Step seven: Experiment
Data notebook: (pg. 8) a composition notebook is suggested
Take notes on everything done during the testing
Take down observations based on the 5 senses
Take down and collect measurements during experiment
Must have qualitative (descriptive) data and quantitative (measured or numbered) data

14. Step eight: Wrap it up! Pg. 13
Data: a minimum of one graph or table is required for all levels
Results: the data from experiment put into paragraph form; JUST THE FACTS NO INTERPERTATION
Conclusion: interpretation of the results that answers if the hypothesis was valid and supported by the results or not
Application: describes how the projects results can be used in the real world
Recommendations: explains changes that would improve the experiment or gives extensions and follow up idea for future testing/research
Acknowledgments: gives credit to anyone that helped during the project

15. Written Report (middle school only)
Guidelines and proper order of components begin on pg. 10
Order of components counts during judging
Many components also appear on the board
MUST BE TYPED AND PRINTED
12-14 SIZE FONT
DOUBLE SPACED
PROPER PARAGRAPH FORMAT
will be given additional editing and writing help in language arts classes
Teachers will give length requirements

16. The Board pg.15-16 All competitive students create a board
MUST BE STANDARD SIZE TRI-FOLD
4th – not needed
5th- research
summary
Middle- abstract

17. Must be organized exactly like the template with each section given a title
Must include pictures (NO PICTURES CONTAINING FACES) with captions
Should have borders around each component
Data must be in upper right hand side (only overflow can be under pictures)
Any props or models must fit within the space of the tri-fold board

18. Presentation. 17 Should be well practiced
Must include all components listed on judging sheet
Students MUST know the information well and demonstrate a working knowledge of the experiment and necessary research to understand the topic at an age appropriate level
Students will be asked a few questions about their topic and project

19. Judging
Students must meet minimum point requirements to move on to regional and state competitions
Copies of judging sheets for each level
4th: pg.23
5th: pg. 24
Middle: pg. 25
If interested in volunteering as a judge please see Ms. Chase
or Mrs. Bolam or sign the sign-up sheet
Thank you

20. Good Luck
see you on the 8th
for the school fair!