Science-Research-Project-Handbook-FY14-11-8-13

SCIENCE RESEARCH PROJECT HANDBOOK Developed for Middle School and High School Students... STUDENT EXPECTATIONS FOR SCIENCE PROJECTS Every student will have the opportunity to complete

SCIENCE RESEARCH PROJECT HANDBOOK

Developed for Middle School and

High School Students

Revised November 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ……….……… …….… 3

Goals and Rationale ….……… ………….….……… 3

Timeline……….… 4

Expectations for Science Projects ……….… ……… 5

Team Projects……….…6

Characteristics of a Successful Science Project ……….…… 7

How to Select and Write a Problem ……….…….……8

Science Fair Topic Sheet ……….… …….…………9

Research Paper Components and Criteria ……….…….…… 10

Reference Template ……….……….………….…………11

Sample Literature Citations ……… ……….……….…12

Bibliographic Samples ……….……… 13 -15 How To Write a Hypothesis ……… ……… 16

Materials ……….……… 16

Experimental Design Diagram ……….……17

Procedure ……… ……… 18

Data Tables ……… ……….………18-19 Conclusion ……… ………20

How To Assemble a Backboard ……… ……… 21

Explanation of Terms ……….…… ……… 22-24 Abstract Criteria ……… ………….……….… 25

Science Fair Application ……… 30-33

Scientific experimentation and inquiry are essential parts of any science curriculum Thescientific process is not any one fixed method but can be many activities that are designed toanswer a question or solve a problem In order to begin one must define a problem to besolved or ask a question The procedures for problem solving should include observations,research, development of a hypothesis, experimentation, data collection and analysis,conclusions, and communication of the results

As a student progresses through middle school and high school, activities andexperiments should become more detailed and advanced In middle school, the focus ofscience instruction is on the development of the process skills that are taught through hands-

on investigative activities Students are encouraged to ask questions and solve problems.They are given the opportunity and guidance necessary to conduct independent research.Students continue to develop the skills necessary and are given the opportunity to completemore involved scientific research in high school Middle and High school students are highlyencouraged to present their work for judging in a variety of formats at science fairs andexpositions While much of the preparation and skill building for scientific inquiry isconducted in the classroom it must be recognized that much of the work required to completeindividual research projects must be done outside of the normal class time

GOALS AND RATIONALE

A scientific research project integrates many skills that are often taught separately.Upon completion, the project is a culmination of reading, writing, spelling, grammar, math,statistics, ethics, critical thinking, computer science, scientific methodology, and research ofone or more specialty fields, public speaking, and possibly the defense of the project in front

Science Fair Timeline

September 21-October 1 Submit Topics

Review Period 1

Review Period 2

December 4 Student applications and ISEF paperwork due to SFC

May 11-16 Intel Science Fair – Los Angeles, California

Forms Checklist

Combined YCSD/TSF Application _

ISEF (1) Checklist for Adult Sponsor _

STUDENT EXPECTATIONS FOR SCIENCE PROJECTS

Every student will have the opportunity to complete a science project following theInternational Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) criteria and present the project to anaudience and enter it into a competition All students (grades 7-12) have the option ofsubmitting research papers to The Virginia Junior Academy of Science (VJAS) All researchpapers submitted to VJAS must follow the appropriate rules and regulations

EXPECTATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS

1 Each student will choose his/her own subject from any area of science, mathematics, orengineering (with prior teacher approval and following ISEF Guidelines)

2 Each student will conduct a review of the literature on his/her chosen subject Theteacher may choose to provide a few class periods for the students to use resources inthe school The sources should include at least 5 major references (science journals,books, Internet sites, etc) Students are encouraged to use time before and after schoolfor research and teacher support

3 The scientific method will be followed Each student will develop his/her ownexperimental design and submit this design for teacher approval When required, theexperimental design, using the appropriate paperwork will also be submitted for approval

by the Scientific Review Committee

4 A daily logbook should be kept It is the responsibility of the student to bring his/herlogbook to be reviewed by the judges

5 Students will write an abstract, a summary of their research Those competing in sciencefairs will present this abstract on the appropriate form required by ISEF or VJAS (refer tothe ISEF and VJAS websites)

6 Students invited to the York County Science Fair or the Tidewater Science Fair mustpresent their project on a backboard and follow all of the rules and regulations of ISEF

7 Each student will present his/her project to an audience In doing this, the student will:

a Introduce himself/herself to the audience

b State clearly the title of the project

c Explain the problem and/or the hypothesis

d Briefly explain the methods

e Identify the results using figures, tables, logbook, pictures, etc

f State the conclusion

g Elaborate on any problems that were encountered

h Explain what he/she might do in the future to continue the project

i Discuss the practical application or importance of the project

j Respond to any questions

k Thank the audience

TEAM PROJECT

1 Team projects may have a maximum of three members

2 Each team will choose a subject from any area of science, mathematics, orengineering (with prior teacher approval and using ISEF Guidelines) Please notedifferences between VJAS categories and ISEF categories on page 29

3 Each team should appoint a team leader to coordinate the work and act as aspokesperson However, each member should be able to serve as spokesperson, becompletely involved in the experiment and be familiar with all aspects of theexperimental design

4 In order to compete, all members must be present at fairs or competitions

5 The team will prepare all necessary paperwork and complete one display The oralpresentation will be prepared collectively

6 Team projects will be evaluated using the same rules and judging criteria as individualprojects Teams will compete in the content category appropriate for their work

7 Each team member must submit Form 1B and the Media Release Form All otherrequired forms may be submitted as a group

CHARACTERISTICS FOR A SUCCESSFUL SCIENCE PROJECT

1 The experiment shows a careful thought out approach and is well researched anddocumented

2 Projects a problem that is solved through experimentation See ISEF Student

Handbook page 1 for information regarding Non Inquiry Based Research such as

Engineering, Computer, Math and Theoretical Projects

3 The experiment demonstrates a working knowledge of the area of science chosen

4 Demonstrates that sufficient and correct safety measures have been takenthroughout the experimentation and presentation; no unauthorized chemicals,equipment, materials or methods have been used

5 All necessary pre-approvals are submitted on time

6 The experimenter keeps a logbook that shows a complete record of work

7 The experiment has a certain amount of originality with the experimenter’s ownapproach and ideas added to solve the problem

8 The equipment used is appropriate and fits the needs of the experimentation

9 Controlled experimentation with a standard and only one variable repeated for aminimum of three trials

10.Accurate, valid and correct observations have been made

11.The conclusion is drawn from repeated trials of the experiment or the use of a

sufficient number of subjects

12.The conclusion indicates strong points as well as weaknesses

13.The display/backboard includes photographs, diagrams, tables, charts, figures

(graphs), etc., that might be necessary in explaining your work It is an original andattractive presentation of the information and includes a complete andappropriately documented write-up

14.The backboard/display should have a simple, well-stated title with neat lettering; be

able to stand independently; and meets the size and display requirements of ISEFAll work must be typed

HOW TO SELECT AND WRITE A PROBLEM

The problem is what the student is attempting to find out by doing an experiment It should

be written as a question The experiment attempts to provide an answer to the

problem or question If you can answer the question before you experiment then chooseanother problem or change the variable

Examples:

Is artificial light or natural light better for plants?

Will goldfish grow larger in a larger tank?

Is salt or fresh water more corrosive?

Which brand of soap is more effective with people who have dry skin?

Does the water temperature at which one bathes have an impact on blood pressure?

Since you could be working on your project over a long period of time, make sure that youhave an interest in the topic in which you are going to experiment Once you have figured out

a topic, develop a list of questions that you would like to have answered Remember thatyour questions must be related to something that you can conduct an experiment on in anattempt to find an answer Finally, from your list of questions, you need to choose one.When choosing, make sure that the materials needed to answer your question can be easilyobtained and that there is a way to measure your results

Your teacher may help you with the four question strategy for selecting a topic (Studentsand Research: Practical Strategies for Science Classrooms and Competitions Cothron,Giese and Rezba)

SCIENCE FAIR TOPIC SHEET

Does your project involve humans? Number of subjects needed?

Does your project involve chemicals? If yes, list the names

Bibliography Sources (list at least five sources: they must be cited correctly; they should not all be from the same type of resource)

Approved _ Not Approved

RESEARCH PAPER CRITERIA

In order to make an educated guess as to the outcome of your experiment, you mustconduct some background research Internet, encyclopedias, books, magazines, experts inthe field and packaging labels are some of the resources available to conduct research.Evaluate the credibility of your sources to make sure they are reliable and appropriateinformational resources When conducting research, since you will have to cite where youreceived your information, it is important to note the topic, card number, location where yougot the information, all reference documentation and any other references that the author hascited if You will be required to use a minimum of five different sources

When researching your topic, summarize important information you learned from eachsource See page 11 of this handbook for a Reference template

COMPONENTS OF A GOOD RESEARCH PAPER (ISEF)

Title Page

Table of Contents

Introduction- Your introduction must answer the following:

Why did you conduct the experiment? How will knowing this information be helpful to society?

What did you hope to learn?

What was your hypothesis?

Methods and Materials

Required Forms and Abstract

Note that the “attachment” to Form 1A includes a Research plan with the following

components and is NOT the same as the Research Paper:

A Question being addressed

Checklist, for the correct order of forms

(See the VJAS website for requirements for research papers for that competition)

Edition or Volume Number: _

Month and Year of Publication:

Web Address:

Research Notes

SAMPLE LITERATURE CITATIONS

A Form

1 The basic reference in author-date system consists of the last name of

an author and the year of publication of the work, with no punctuation

between them: (Smith 1978)

2 A specific page, section, equation, or other division of the cited work follows the date, preceded by the comma:

(Piaget 1989, 74) (Johnson 1979, sec 24.5)

3 When the reference is to both volume and page of the author’s work, a

colon will distinguish between the two:

(Garcia 1992, 2:26, 35; 3:50-53)

4 “Author” means the name under which the work is alphabetized in the literature cited and may thus refer to an editor or compiler or organization as well as an individual author or group of authors

5 For works of multiple authorship use names for to or three authors:

(Meredith, Lewis and Todd 1999)

6 If there is no author listed and the book or article is published by an agency the name of that group serves as the reference

(Virginia Institute of Marine Science 2006)

B Placement

1 If possible, a reference should be placed just before a mark of

punctuation:

The findings suggest that the finch has adapted to its surroundings and

food sources (Jones and Carter 1989)

2 If this placement is not practical, the reference can be inserted in a

logical place within the sentence:

Various scientists (Jones and Carter 1989) have reported findings on

the finch and its adaptations

3 When all or part of the citation is incorporated in the sentence, it is not enclosed in parenthesis:

Jones and Carter (1989) report findings on finch adaptations

BIBLIOGRAPHIC SAMPLES

These sample bibliographic entries are examples of proper format for all books,publications, and communications from which significant materials are cited in the paper.These entries will then be compiled into the Literature Cited section, which comprises thelast component of the research paper and/or on Form 1A of the required ISEF forms Donot include bibliographic entries in the Literature Cited section if that source was not cited

in the body of the paper All bibliographic entries are written in APA format All lines afterthe first line of each entry in your reference list should be indented one-half inch from theleft margin This is called hanging indentation Italicize titles of works such as books andjournals The following site may be helpful - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

Book with One Author

Author’s last name, author’s first name (or initials) Year of publication Title of Book

City of publication: Publishing Company, page #s

Example:

Swertka, Albert 1995 The World of Atoms and Quarks New York: Twenty-

first Century Books, 141-151

Book with Two Authors

1st Author’s last name, author’s first name (or initials), and 2nd author’s first and last name

Year of publication Title of Book City of publication: Publishing Company, page #s.

Example:

Tunnel, Michael O., and George W Chilcoat The Children of Topaz New

York: Holiday House Publishing, 12-21

Book with Three or More Authors

1st author’s last name, author’s first name (or initials), et al Year of publication Title of

Book City of publication: Publishing Company, page #s.

Book with One Editor (ed.) Translator (tr.) Compiler (comp.)

Editor’s last name, editor’s first name (or initials), ed Year of publication Title of Book

City of Publication: Publishing Company, page #s

Example:

Nelson, Michael, tr 1992 The Presidency A to Z Washington D.C.:

Congressional Quarterly, 23-25

Book with Two Editors (eds) Translators (trs.) Compilers (comps.)

First editor’s last name, editor’s first name (or initials), and second editor’s first and last

name, eds Year of publication Title of Book City of Publication: Publishing Company,

page #s

Encyclopedia Article with an Author

Author’s last name, author’s first name Year of publication Title of Encyclopedia Article,

Title of Encyclopedia, Vol.#: page #s.

Example:

Weishampel, David B 1998 Dinosaur, World Book Encyclopedia, 5: 815-819.

Encyclopedia Article with No Author Given

Title of Encyclopedia Article Year of publication Title of Encyclopedia, Vol.#: page #s

Journal Article

Author’s last name, author’s first name Year of publication Title of journal article Title

of Journal: issue #: page #s.

Example:

Meltzer, Francoise 1979 On Rimbaud’s “Voyelles.” Journal of Modern

Philosophy: 76: 344-346.

Magazine Article with an Author

Author’s last name, author’s first name Year of publication Title of magazine article

Title of Magazine, Month published, page #s.

Example:

Wu, Corrina 1998 No hands used Science News, September: 54-59.

Magazine Article with No Author Given

Title of Magazine Article Year of publication Title of Magazine, Month published, page

#s

Example:

The Immoralities of Genetic Cloning 1997 U.S News, October, 34-39.

Newspaper Article

Author’s last name, author’s first name Year of publication Title of news article Title of

Newspaper, Date published, page #s.

Example:

Wolfe, Water R 2002 Environmentalist Bill Finally Passed The Daily Press,