Purpose of Meeting *To discuss importance of Science
Fair/Science Fair Expo *To discuss upcoming dates/deadlines *To
answer questions about Science Fair
Slide 3
Why Participate? 1.Students learn and apply the Scientific
Method. 2.This year, 5 th graders will take the Science California
Standards Test (CST) at the end of the school year; this test will
cover a variety of science fields. Besides learning about the
Scientific Method, our students will become exposed to a variety of
science topics when they share and present their projects with each
other. 3.Each student is challenged academically in a science or
math field of his/her own interest; Many of our GATE students have
chosen fields Science or Math as a personal topic of interest on
their GATE Learning Plans for this year. 4. Students learn the
difference between a demonstration project and a comparison
project. 5. Students become participants in the Etiwanda School
District Science Fair.
Slide 4
Important Dates 1) Parent Meeting 12/11/14 @5:30 p.m. Students
may come also; homework passes will be given for that day if
students and parents come to the meeting. 2) Checkpoint 1: Due to
homeroom teacher on 12/16/14 3) Checkpoint 2: Due to homeroom
teacher on 1/8/15 4) Final Project: Due to homeroom teacher 1/21/15
5) *Science Exposition: MPR on 1/22/15; time TBD; optional event
*Note: At our Science Exposition, fifth grade students will present
their projects to families and other students in the MPR. Students
will, also, get the opportunity to observe and write about at least
projects they view. Students who participate in Science Exposition
will receive extra credit!
Slide 5
How to Get Started 1 st Each student picks a problem/question
that would like to investigate; make sure to complete Checkpoint 1
by 12/16/14 to have your teacher approve your topic before you
begin. One great website to help students choose science fair
project topics is Sciencebuddies.org. Note: Our students will test
only one variable for their projects. Each problem/question needs
to be apart of a comparison experiment that test the variable using
the Scientific Method. Demonstration projects are not appropriate
for Science Fair. 2 nd Each student researches about his/her topic
to help form a hypothesis, an educated guess regarding the outcome
of the experiment. Make sure to complete Checkpoint 2 by 1/8/15. 3
rd Gather needed materials to conduct experiment: journal, 3-way
display board, construction paper, etc. 4 th Before, during, and
after the experiment, students take notes inside of journals
regarding the entire process. 5 th When conducting the experiment,
students take photos of Procedure/Steps. 6 th Each student
completes at least 3 trials for his/her experiment. 7 th Save typed
information on USB and/or Google Drive! Students can add on or edit
information daily. Most of the items that go on the 3-way board are
also included in the journal. 8 th Remember that final project
(3-way board with journal) is due on 1/21/14. Points will be
deducted for late entries.
Slide 6
A Great Website for Science Fair Project Ideas:
www.sciencebuddies.org
Slide 7
Q1: Is participating in the Science Fair mandatory? A1: Yes,
participating in the Science Fair (with the student completing a
journal and representing his/her experiment with a 3-way display
board) is mandatory. Participating in the Science Fair Expo,
however, is optional; students who participate in our Science Fair
Expo will receive extra credit. Q2: What is the difference between
Science Fair and Science Fair Expo? A2: The Science Fair is a
competition of science experiments among our 4 th and 5 th grade
students at Terra Vista; the 3 winners of our school will then
compete at the district level. Science Exposition is a night for
students to present their projects in the MPR; participating
students of Science Fair Expo will also view and comment on other
student projects. Q3: May students work together with partners? A3:
Yes, students may work together on the project. Q4: Is this project
to be completed at home? A4: Although teachers can assist students
along the way, the majority of the Science Fair project (which
consist of experimentation) would have to be completed at home.
Typing and saving student work on flash drives and Google Drive are
highly recommended. This way, students may continue working on the
written parts at school. In addition, if students have questions
regarding their projects, they may show/share the saved work with
their teachers to get input. Q5: What is the difference between a
comparison experiment and a demonstration project/experiment? A5:
In a comparison experiment, a student is testing a variable using
the Scientific Method. In a demonstration project/experiment,
however, no comparison is being made. The student is only showing
how something works or teaching facts about the concept. Each
students is to do a comparison experiment for the science
fair/expo. What are the F.A.Q.s? (Frequently Asked Questions) Q6:
Will supplies be given to students to complete the Science Fair
project. A6: At school, students may use the basic supplies such as
construction paper, unlined computer paper, crayons, etc. White
3-way boards will be supplied to students who need them. If
students would like colored three-way boards, they would need to
purchase these items themselves. Other decorative materials and
specific supplies needed to conduct an experiment would have to be
supplied by the student. Q7: Should the information be typed or
handwritten? A7: Even though its the students choice, it is easier
for information to be typed. Students can edit work in and out of
class if the information is typed and saved on Google Drive or
flash drives. Also, most of the information will be repeated and
can be used for both the 3-way board and the journal. Q8: How many
trials should be conducted in the experiment? A8: An experiment
should have at least 3 trials to validate results. Q9: Are students
allowed to only turn in the completed 3-way board to get credit for
their Science Fair Project? A9: No, each student must turn in a
completed 3-way display board (experiment) and a completed journal
for credit. Note: See packet for information explaining items for
three-way board and journal. Also a rubric for grading is
included.
Slide 8
Parts of Science Project *3-Way Board Left: Problem, Research,
and Hypothesis Middle: Title, Steps (Procedure) with materials
used, photos, illustrations and models Right: Results represented
with graphs (show results of all 3 trials) and Conclusion Note: All
sections need to be neatly labeled using a large font. See handout
that explains each section in detail. *Completed Journal Read each
section of the packet provided to see the setup of a Science
Journal. Both the 3-way board and the completed journal including
abstract and bibliography will be scored using the rubric provided.
Title Problem Research Hypothesis Steps Results Conclusion