SCIENCE FAIR INFO

Dear 7th and 8th grade parents,

It is time for students to start work for the 2008 Science Fair! Students will need to write up a proposal for their project and research paper by March 17th! I have a pile of project ideas and resources for them to utilize. Many students already know what their project will be focused on.

I really need your support in this educational process. There will be due dates every two weeks, in which the kids will need to show me their progress. Besides the experimental process to record, the kids need to write a five-page research paper. This research should really be the background information to tell us about the factors within the experiment.
This 7/8th grade class has recently finished writing a research paper for Mrs. Ellis, so I believe that they will now be better equipped at writing one to support their project theme.

Students need to pick a project that is challenging, interesting, and not beyond their ability level. The materials for the experimentation SHOULD NOT be expensive or hard to come by. I’m hoping that we can recycle everyday materials for our efforts. I have some science equipment that I can share, but I need to know ahead of time what the students will need. I cannot provide all materials. This is another avenue that I need your help in.

Attached are the due dates of the project stages. Please encourage your student to work diligently in order to receive their points for progress. Please also remind your student that copying and pasting information from internet and other sources is going to earn them a zero. All information used in writing a research paper has to be rephrased in their own words, or quoted within the paper. Citations (author’s name and page number) must accompany the “borrowed” information within the paper. Also, the students will need a “works cited” page at the end of their paper to give credit where it is due.

Thank you in advance, for communicating with your child, and encouraging him/her to do their best, and to have fun too! Please show your interest, and give suggestions, but remember that this is your child’s project! Don’t let them push all their responsibilities on you! Time management is of the essence. I will allow some class time, but we will not devote a significant amount of class time, as we have other curriculum goals to achieve.

Sincerely,

Nancy Marita, OLL Jr. High Science Teacher


Due Dates:

March 17th
Project Proposal:
Paper that states the purpose of project; pose the question that you want tested/answered.
Hypothesize what you think the answer or result of testing will show. Include the factors(controls) within the experiment that will always remain the same, and the factor that will change (variable). The variable is the one thing that you are testing.

March 31st
Introduction page of the project is due (¾-full page), along with one full page (12 font) of research that is NOT plagiarized from a legitimate source.

April 7th
Three more pages of research to support your “experimental theme” are due. This information has to be directly related to the components of your project, or the historical background of your subject. For example, if I am doing an experiment to test common foods for proteins and salts, my research would include information about the nutritional value of these two compounds, and how the body uses them to do particular cellular jobs.
Again, citations must be made within the paper to tell the reader where the information was found. Ex: “Your body needs help making cells as you grow and replacing cells that become worn out.” (Tanacredi, p.422 ) At the end of the paper, the “works cited” page will tell us more info about Tanacredi, and which book/source it came from.

April 21st
Last page of research is due, plus the Bibliography! Students must have 3 different types of resources for bibliography. They must use 3 of the following: scientific magazine, newspaper, Internet, encyclopedia, and/or book Citations HAVE to be shown within the paper too!!!!

May 5th
One chart and one diagram or graph is due. Must be done very neatly. I prefer computer generated charts/diagrams, but I will accept black marker.
Make sure these are labeled with a title and also the independent and dependent axes if a graph.

May 12th
Rest of project is due. Scientific Process (Dr. Pheac) is due, plus the research paper and bibliography, which have been proof-read and fixed for errors. Poster boards must be ready! Presentations this week (Monday-Thursday)

May 17th (Tentative date)
Science Fair set-up in morning (gym.) Start Science Fair presentations at 12:30. Judging starting at 12:30. All parents/family members/friends are welcome! Awards presented between 2:15-2:30!