Lake County SchoolsElementary Science and Engineering Fair

Student Handbook2017 – 2018

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Science and Engineering Fair General Information

Each project must be related to an area of science or engineering. All projects must be approved by your teacher before you begin and must reflect this year’s learning. All projects submitted must be from one of the following categories:

Earth Space Science Physical Science Life Science Engineering

Projects should be free-standing and all should include a display board. Plan to make a neat and attractive display board for the viewers/judges to easily understand your project and all the hard work you did. All projects should have neat (preferably type-written), colorful headings, charts and graphs to present your project. Please include pictures of important phases or parts of your project. Students should make every effort to use correct spelling and grammar. Your project should have a Laboratory Journal with entries that will provide background information to anyone looking at your project. Students who wish to advance to the District Science and Engineering Fair, must have a completed Laboratory Journal. The following items are not allowed: live animals (unless approved by a veterinarian and no harm to the animal is done), controlled substances, bodily fluid samples, dangerous chemicals, mold, bacteria (no petri dishes involved in experiments), alcohol, firearms, open flames and/or explosives. Each display board must have a Student Project Form (provided in this handbook) attached on the back. You may ask family members for assistance in getting materials and taking pictures, but they should not build or do the project for you. This is your work; be proud to do it independently! If you are being judged at a school level and/or district level, all decisions are final.

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District Elementary Science and Engineering FairThis will be offered to 3rd – 5th grade students, first place winners in each of the four categories from each school. The District Fair will be held February 5-6, 2018. If the first place winner cannot attend, schools may elect to send their second place winner.

Science and Engineering Fair Safety Guidelines

Parents and supervising teachers should use his or her best judgment to ensure the safety of the student and any subjects involved in testing.

Students should include photographs on projects rather than displaying breakable, valuable or potentially harmful objects. Photographs may include the student’s face.

Eye Protection: Safety glasses should be used for any experiments that any kind of splash may come in contact with your eyes.

Allergies: Remember human subjects may be allergic to different substances. Always ask about allergies before you test.

Fire: Projects are not allowed that involve fire or burning of objects.

Bacteria: Due to the potential for inhaling or coming in contact with harmful bacteria, students should avoid projects where they collect bacteria and then grow bacteria cultures. While this can be done safely, the potential exists for a very harmful pathogen to be inhaled or come in contact with the student. Any project involving growth on petri dishes is prohibited.

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Other: NO experiments should be done using firearms. Experiments cannot include prescription drugs, solid or liquid waste, illegal drugs or alcohol.

Science and Engineering Fair Project Display GuidelinesWhether you are doing a traditional science fair project, using the Scientific Method or doing an engineering project, following the Engineering Design Process, you will need to do a display board and Laboratory Journal.

Experiments using the Scientific MethodIf you choose to follow the Scientific Method your display board should have the following headings:

Title Question/Purpose Hypothesis Materials Procedure Data and Pictures - Graph, Table, Chart, etc. Results Conclusion Application Bibliography- In APA Format Sample board:

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Engineering Design Process If you choose to follow the Engineering Design Process your display board should have the following headings:

Title Problem Proposed Solution

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Pictures Background Research Student Design Materials Results and Interpretation Conclusion Evidence of the Engineering Design Process – Flow MapSample Board:

Science and Engineering Fair Laboratory Journal Guidelines

Grades 3-5 are encouraged to complete a Laboratory Journal.

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Students wanting to be considered for the District Science and Engineering Fair must complete a successful Laboratory Journal or the project will not be allowed entrance to the district fair.

The notebook should be a composition notebook, a folder, or three-ring binder.

Your Laboratory Notebook should have DAILY and/or weekly descriptions of your project, including all data collected.

It should include background research collected for your experiment.

It should have each heading from your display board with all of your thinking, work, ideas, problems, drawings, testing, data, etc.

All of the work for your project should be kept in this journal before the final information is gathered and put on your display board.

Hint: Tape a large envelope on the back of your display board and keep your journal in it until it is time to display all your hard work at your fair.

The Scientific Method vs The Engineering Design Process

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The Scientific Method:

Scientists use The Scientific Method to study the world around them. You can use the Scientific Method to study a spider, a flower, candy, a river, the Sun and much more. You can use the Scientific Method to test predictions about the world around you. It is a process for experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer questions. Scientists use this method to search for cause and effect relationships. In other words; will changing one item cause something else to vary or change in a predictable manner? Projects involving the scientific method should include collection and comparison of data.

Steps of the Scientific Method:

1. Ask a Question – The Scientific Method starts with a question about something you have observed. It could be something you have wondered about: how, what, where, when, who, which, why, when? Your question must be something that is measurable and should be something you are interested in but don’t already know the answer to.

2. Do Background Research – Find information from a reliable source on the internet and at your school or local library to help you find

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information to best support the question you are asking. The more you know about your topic, the more successful your project will be.

3. Construct a Hypothesis (What do you think the answer to your question is) – A hypothesis is an educated guess that can be tested. For example, If________, then _________ will happen because __________. Your hypothesis must be stated in a way that you can easily measure and should be constructed in a way that will assist you in answering your original question. It should not include personal words like “I think” or “I predict”. Your hypothesis may end up being correct or incorrect. That’s ok. NEVER change your hypothesis to match your results.

4. Test with an Experiment (Test your Hypothesis) – Your experiment tests whether your hypothesis is supported or not. You should repeat your experiment at least 3-5 times to make sure your results were not an accident. For a fair test, make sure you only change one variable at a time.

First, write your experimental procedure. This is like a recipe. It should be step-by-step so another scientist could repeat the exact same experiment. Your procedures will also include what materials you used and how you used them. When conducting your experiment follow your procedures exactly, make observations, and record all of your collected data in your Laboratory Notebook.

Your experiment will have three variables: Control Variable – What does not change Independent Variable – What is changed by the

scientist (that’s you ) Dependent Variable – The outcome or results of your

experiment5. Analyze your Data and Draw a Conclusion (What happened? What were

your results?) – Once your testing is complete, collect your data and

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analyze it to see if it supports your hypothesis or not. Scientists often find their hypothesis is not supported. In such cases, they construct a new hypothesis and start the process over. Scientists may also start the process over when their hypothesis was supported just to find another way. Keep in mind, if you have successfully gone through the steps of the Scientific Method to this point, you are on your way to a successful science project regardless of whether your hypothesis was supported or not. In your conclusion, state what you think the “Real World Value” is to your investigation and why it is important information to share.

6. Communicate Results (Share what you have learned) – Lastly, you will communicate your results with a display board, showcasing the work you have done and all you have learned. All projects utilizing the scientific method should include graphs illustrating their data and results. Remember to make the final entries in your Laboratory Notebooks to display with your project.

7. Identify an Application- How does this project have real-world application. What did I learn and how does this apply to me?

The Engineering Design Process:

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Engineers use the Engineering Design Process to create solutions to problems. An engineer identifies a specific need: Who need(s) what because why? And then, creates a solution that meets the need.

Steps to the Engineering Design Process:

1. Define the Problem – Ask yourself the following questions about problems you observe:

What is the problem or need? Who has the problem or need? Why is it important to solve?

2. Do Background Research and Brainstorm Solutions - Find information from a reliable source on the internet and at your school or local library to help you find information to find the best solution to your problem or need. The more you know about your topic the more successful your project will be. Try to generate as many possible solutions as you can, that way you don’t overlook the best one. Remember, your best solution may not be your first solution.

3. Decide on a Solution and Develop a Plan – Your Plan is like a recipe. It should be step-by-step so another engineer could repeat the exact same experiment or you can focus on areas of improvement later in your design. Your plan will also include what materials you will need and how you will use them. When you create your prototype follow your plan exactly, make observations, and record all of your collected data in your Laboratory Notebook.

4. Build/Create your Prototype and Test – A prototype is a working version of your solution. It is often made of different materials than the final version, this is usually to save time and money during the testing phase. Prototypes are a key step in the development of a final solution. This will allow you to test your solution, find new problems, make

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changes and test new solutions before deciding on a final design. Make sure you record all prototype testing in your Laboratory Notebook.

5. Improve and Redesign – Think about your design, what worked and didn’t work. What do you think you could have done differently with the knowledge you now have from making your prototype? If you feel like you have come to a better solution, make those improvements, redesign and create your final product.

6. Communicate Your Results (Share what you have learned) – Lastly, you will communicate your results with a display board and final product, showcasing the work you have done and all you have learned. Remember to make the final entries in your Laboratory Notebook to display with your project.

How do you know which process to choose for your project?

If the objective of your project is to answer testable questions or observe cause and effect relationship between two things then the Scientific Method would best fit your needs.

If the objective of your project is to solve a problem you have observed by building or creating a new product, then it makes sense to use the Engineering Design Process.

If you are not sure which process would best fit your particular project please talk with your teacher for advice.

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How to Write a Bibliography- APA FormatBook:

Format -

Author's last name, first initial. (Publication date). Book title. Additional information. City of publication: Publishing company.

Example:

Nicol, A. M., & Pexman, P. M. (1999). Presenting your findings: A practical guide for creating tables. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Encyclopedia or Dictionary:Format -

Author's last name, first initial. (Date). Title of Article. Title of Encyclopedia (Volume, pages). City of publication: Publishing company.

Examples:

Bergmann, P. G. (1993). Relativity. In The new encyclopedia britannica (Vol. 26, pp. 501-508). Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica.

Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (10th ed.). (1993). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.

Magazine and Newspaper Article:Format -

Author's last name, first initial. (Publication date). Article title. Periodical title, volume number(issue number if available), inclusive pages

Example:

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Harlow, H. F. (1983). Fundamentals for preparing psychology journal articles. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 55, 893-896.

Website or Webpage:Format –

Online periodical:Author's name. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume number, Retrieved month day, year, from full URL

Online document:Author's name. (Date of publication). Title of work. Retrieved from full URL

Example: Devitt, T. (2001, August 2). Lightning injures four at music festival. The Why? Files. Retrieved from http://whyfiles.org/137lightning/index.htm.

Student Project FormFold or cut at the line and glue/tape to the back of your display board.

Student(s) Name ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

Grade __________________

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School___________________________________________________________________________

Teacher__________________________________________________________________________

Project Category __________________________________________________________________

Project Title______________________________________________________________________

Science Fair Project Ideas by Grade Level

K- 2 3-4 5thLife Science Senses

Living and Non-living

Plants

Animals

Habitats and Environments

Invertebrates

Life Cycles

Plant Life

Adaptations

Food Chains

Inside Living Things

Earth and Space Science

Earth’s Surface

Earth, Moon, Sun,

Weather

Clouds, Wind, and Storms

Minerals, Rocks, and Soil

The Solar System

Atmosphere and Climate

Changing Landforms

Outside the Solar System

Physical Science Energy

Things move

Properties

Light

Heat Energy

Machines

Solids, Liquids and Gases

Sound

Force and Motion

Electricity and Magnetism

Mixing Matter

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Magnets Energy Resources

Engineering Any real world problem that they can design and build a solution to.

Internet Resources:

Science Buddies – www.sciencebuddies.org

Science Projects – http://www.scienceprojects.com

Lake County Schools District Science and Engineering Fair Judging RubricScientific Method Rubric

Project Number _______________Project Total _______________/60 Judge Name__________

Missing0

Beginning1

Developing2

Accomplished3

Superior4

Effort No project completed

Many parts missing or very simple

Most or all parts present, but easy project that did not require much time

All parts present. Spent adequate time on

project

All parts present. Obviously spent a large amount of time on all parts of the project and had

great attention to detailDisplay Board Missing or

not freestanding

Illegible, messy, incomplete

Missing some categories or does not demonstrate

understanding of all categories

All categories present and shows adequate

understanding of each category

Well organized with all required categories. Communicates full

understanding of each category

Laboratory Journal

Missing Journal has less than 5 entries or is unable to be read

clearly

Incomplete journal, does not make sense or show

a history of learning

Journal complete and with display board

Journal is complete and demonstrates a high level of tracking student learning and

scientific processCreativity None Project lacked

creativity or uniqueness

The ideas was somewhat unique

The idea selected was creative

The idea selected was extremely unique and of interest to the student

Bibliography Missing Title Only A single reference, incomplete citation

Several reference References using the APA format

Scientific Thought

Missing Incomplete Scientific Method

Uses most of the Scientific Method but

has missing or incomplete sections

Adherence to Scientific Method

All the parts of the Scientific Method are present and student

communicates full understanding of each category

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Clarity Disorganized Difficult for viewers to follow

Fairly organized but viewers may have some

difficulty following

Organized project that is easy to follow

Superior organization and attention to detail

Question and Hypothesis

Missing Mentions either a question or

hypothesis but missing one

Question and Hypothesis are both present

Question and Hypothesis are both

present and hypothesis supported by reasons

Question and Hypothesis are both present and hypothesis supported by research based reasons that the student has

explainedPlan, Variable, and Trials

Missing Project used the Scientific Method

but no variables or trials evident

Project used the Scientific Method

however only had one trial but used the

variables correctly

Project used the Scientific Method,

participants did three trials and used the variables correctly

Project used the Scientific Method and participants did

more than 3 trials using all the variables correctly

Data/Results Missing Incomplete, disorganized,

unable to read/interpret data

or errors in data

Displayed data is not consistent with projects intent or final conclusion

Data is well represented with table,

graphs, figures etc. Data supports conclusions

All data is used appropriately, displayed in graphs and tables,

and a logical conclusion was expressed by the student

Interview - Knowledge of Project

Insufficient – student has little or no

knowledge of project and its details

Student demonstrates

below level knowledge of their

project

Student has a fair understanding of their

project but not necessarily the content

behind the project

Student is able to explain the project,

data and conclusion. Student demonstrates

acceptable content knowledge about

project.

Student has a deep understanding of all parts of

their project and content knowledge and are able to

clearly communicate

Interview – Responses to Questions

Student could not answer

judging questions

Student could answer very few

questions

Student could answer most of the judges’

questions with clearly and concisely

Student could answer all questions with clear

answers

Student demonstrates thoughtful, clear, and concise

answers

Application No connection to

real world impact

Students made very little real

world connection

Student could recognize real-world connection

but could not articulate specifics

Students understood and could explain real

world connections

Students had exceptional understanding and could go into great detail regarding the real-world connection and impact

Interview - Primarily student work

No apparent student work, the student

has no knowledge of their project

Appears to be very little student work,

student has minimal details

about their project

Fair student knowledge, student could answer

questions but cannot go into great detail

Student work evident, student was able to

explain the project in great detail and the

display board appears to be primarily student

work

Student has complete ownership of the project. They

are able to answer in depth questions and the display board appears to be authentic student

work

Preparation Student was clearly not prepared

Student was able to present project

with judge guidance

Student was somewhat prepared but needed some judge guidance

Student was decently prepared and covered

most aspects of project

Student was clearly prepared and presented project with

confidence and ease

Lake County Schools District Science and Engineering Fair ENGINEERING Judging RubricProject Number ____________Project Total _____________/60 Judge Name_______________________

Missing0

Beginning1

Developing2

Accomplished3

Superior4

Effort No project completed

Many parts missing or very simple

Most or all parts present, but easy project that did not require much time

All parts present. Spent adequate time on

project

All parts present. Obviously spent a large amount of time on all parts of the project and had

great attention to detailDisplay Board Missing or

not freestanding

Illegible, messy, incomplete

Missing some categories or does not demonstrate

understanding of all categories

All categories present and shows adequate

understanding of each category

Well organized with all required categories. Communicates full

understanding of each category.

Laboratory Journal

Missing Journal has less than 5 entries or is unable to be read

clearly

Incomplete journal, does not make sense or show

a history of learning

Journal complete and with display board

Journal is complete and demonstrates a high level of tracking student learning and

scientific processCreativity None Project lacked

creativity or uniqueness

The ideas was somewhat unique

The idea selected was creative

The idea selected was extremely unique and of interest to the student

Bibliography Missing Title Only A single reference, incomplete citation

Several reference References using the APA format

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Engineering Design MethodAsk, Brainstorm, Plan, Create, Improve, Communicate Results

Not evident Incomplete engineering design

process or no understanding of

the process

Missing some parts of the engineering design process or demonstrate little understanding of it

All sections of the engineering design process are present and shows adequate

understanding of each section

Well organized with ALL six sections of the engineering

design process. Communicates full understanding of each

section

Clarity Disorganized Difficult for viewers to follow

Fairly organized but viewers may have some

difficulty following

Organized project that is easy to follow

Superior organization and attention to detail

Design Missing Very little evidence of design plan

Student shows design plan, but may have missing components

Student shows sketch of their design and lists

materials needed for testing

Design clearly identifies the intended solution to the

problem to be solved and provides a connection based on

their researchData/ResultsNote- not all Engineering projects will have data. If it is not logical for a particular project to have data, students will receive a 3 for this section.

Missing Incomplete, disorganized,

unable to read/interpret data

or errors in data

Displayed data is not consistent with projects intent or final conclusion

Data is easy to follow and data supports

conclusions

All data is used appropriately and logical conclusion was expressed by the student

Construction and Testing

Missing Incomplete and/or not functional

prototype

Complete but not a functional prototype

Completed and functional prototype (does not have to be

currently function able but was during testing)

Prototype has been tested multiple times and

demonstrates the solution to the problem

Interview - Knowledge of Project

Insufficient – student has little or no

knowledge of project and its details

Student demonstrates

below level knowledge of their

project

Student has a fair understanding of their

project but not necessarily the content

behind the project

Student is able to explain the project and the engineering design process that was used to solve their problem

Student has a deep understanding of all parts of their project including the

engineering design process used to solve their problem

Interview – Responses to Questions

Student could not answer

judging questions

Student could answer very few

questions

Student could answer most of the judges’

questions with clearly and concisely.

Student could answer all questions with clear

answers.

Student demonstrates thoughtful, clear, and concise

answers.

Application Does not solve a problem

Student made very little connection to solving a problem

Student could recognize a problem they are

attempting to solve but could not articulate

specifics

Students understood and could explain problem-solving

connections

Students had exceptional understanding and could go into detail regarding how they have

solved a problem

Interview - Primarily student work

No apparent student work, the student

has no knowledge of their project

Appears to be very little student work,

student has minimal details

about their project

Fair student knowledge, student could answer

questions but cannot go into great detail

Student work evident, student was able to

explain the project in great detail and the

display board appears to be primarily student

work

Student has complete ownership of the project. They

are able to answer in depth questions and the display board appears to be authentic student

work

Preparation Student was clearly not prepared

Student was able to present project

with judge guidance

Student was somewhat prepared but needed some judge guidance

Student was decently prepared and covered

most aspects of project

Student was clearly prepared and presented project with

confidence and ease

Lake County Schools District Science and Engineering Fair Entry Form

Note: This form is to be completed by the 3rd - 5th grade school based winner(s) in each of the four judging categories.

Project Category:Place an X on the appropriate line: Individual __________ Group__________Student Name(s):

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1.

2.

3.

School:Grade Level: Project Title:Brief Student Description of Project (please print clearly):

Please return to Kelly Dodd– Curriculum and Instruction Dept. no later than 1/26/18

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