BMS Independent Project for Sound Off On Science & the

Rhode Island Science and Engineering Fair

Meetings: 2009-2010

Thursday, November 19, 2009 after school in rm 111 with Mrs. Fletcher – Informational meeting held by Mrs. Fletcher, Science Fair coach

Thursday, December 10, 2009 after school in Mrs. Fletcher’s room 111 – changed to TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15th so Olympiad participants may go to both meetings. Have your RISEF Registration and Liability forms with you or handed in to Mrs. Fletcher by this date. Bring your Purpose & Research; How to write a Hypothesis & Procedure will be covered at the meeting.

Thursday, January 21, 2009 after school in Mrs. Fletcher's room 111 – Bring all your Intel forms & project work for review; How to write a Conclusion will be covered at the meeting.

Before Tuesday, February 2nd drop off your paperwork to Mrs. Fletcher & pick up your Student Handbook. You may also drop by to see previous year's science fair boards for ideas on how to do your work.

Project Due: BMS Science Fair

Our Science FAIR this year will be at SOUND OFF ON SCIENCE. Top 12-15 students will be chosen to represent BMS at the RISEF.

Important Dates:

TBD = deadline for RISEF Senior Division registration form and liability form to Ms. Siliezar

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 = deadline for INTEL/RISEF paperwork from students

Mondays - Thursdays: 3/8 - 3/25 = after school practice with Mrs. Fletcher & mentors for students participating in RISEF

Thursday, March 11, 2010 = SOOS at BMS in the evening

Saturday & Sunday, March 27 & 28, 2010 = RISEF at CCRI in Warwick

WHAT IS THE BMS INDEPENDENT PROJECT?

·         It is a problem or question that is raised by a student’s interest.

·         It is the searching for a solution or explanation through research and experimentation.

·         It is discovering a method or process by which to solve the problem.

·         It is creating tables and graphs that best represent the data and results.

·         It is achieving immediate positive reinforcement when expected results are achieved.

·         It is learning to recognize an error and the need to start over or make corrections.

·         It is perseverance and the realization that you can accomplish anything that originally seemed impossible.

·         It is impossible to achieve any of these things if the students do not do the work themselves.

RHODE ISLAND STATE SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FAIR

HELPFUL HINTS FOR INDEPENDENT/SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT DISPLAYS:

·         A good title is an extremely important attention-grabber. A good title should simply and accurately present the research.

·         Take photographs. Many projects involve elements that may not be safely exhibited at the fair, but are an important part or phase of the project.

·         Be organized. Make sure your display is logically presented and easy to read. A glance should permit anyone [particularly the judges] to locate quickly the title, experiments, results, and conclusions. When you arrange your display, imagine that you are seeing it for the first time.

·         Eye-catching. Make your display stand out. Use neat, colorful headings, charts, and graphs to present your project. Home-built equipment, construction paper, and colored markers are excellent for display projects. Pay special attention to the labeling of graphs, charts, diagrams, and tables. Each item must have a descriptive title. Anyone should be able to understand the visuals without further explanation.

·         Correctly presented and well-constructed. Be sure to adhere to the size limitations and safety rules when preparing your display. Make sure your display is sturdy, as it will need to remain intact for quite a while. The dimensions for the display are: 30 inches deep; 36 inches wide; 6 feet high. All projects must sit on a table.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY

1. To choose a problem or to ask a question that they are interested in solving. If the student can apply the information to some aspect of his of her own life, the project will have more meaning for them. A real-life application of the problem also gives it high credibility at RISEF [Rhode Island Science & Engineering Fair].

2. To conduct their experiment or field work in a safe manner. Safety is of the utmost importance. A designated scientist or supervisor may be needed, depending upon the complexity of the science.

3. To follow all of the guidelines and deadlines as given to them by their teacher, Mrs. Fletcher, or the science fair mentors to fulfill the requirements of the independent project. Guidelines of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2007 must also be followed.

4. Use these websites to help further your understanding of a good project, get helpful tips, and learn the rules to follow for your project.

WEBSITES: Rhode Island Science and Engineering Fair = www.risef.org

Intel International Science and Engineering Fair = www.sciserv.org/ISEF

PARENT RESPONSIBILITY

1. To assist your child with time management skills in order to achieve success in meeting the guidelines and deadlines.

This assistance may include purchasing materials, developing pictures, and scheduling time at the library for research.

2. To review your child’s procedure to ensure that the experiment is conducted safely.

3. To assist your child in the editing process required for their written work. Editing may include proofreading any work for spelling, grammar, and sentence structure mistakes.

4. To assist your child in meeting the guidelines as given to them by their teacher, Mrs. Fletcher or the science fair mentors. This assistance may include reviewing with your child the criteria or assessment lists and rubrics for their science fair project. This review reinforces that the guidelines of the project are met and the student has done the best possible job they can do.

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

PURPOSE: a statement or question of the problem being investigated. The question should be open- ended. The problem should not be a demonstration.

RESEARCH: information and knowledge gathered from many resources so the student learns about the problem being asked in the purpose.

Reference / bibliography information must be kept for all research including pictures / illustrations.

HYPOTHESIS: an educated guess as to the answer to the problem. This can only be accomplished after some research into the problem has occurred. Reference to research is required as evidence for your claim.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN:

MATERIALS: all equipment, materials, and supplies necessary for the entire completion of the experiment.

PROCEDURE: the step-by-step numbered directions or instructions needed to perform all of the experimentation processes. A set-up procedure may be required for some projects.

RESULTS: the explanations of what happened during the experiment. These should be represented in numerous ways: data collection tables, written observations, graphs, and pictures [with credits].

CONCLUSION: an explanation of why the results were achieved. All information about the experiment should be included, even the evidence that represents any unsuccessful results. The conclusion should be analytical and described in terms that are understandable to the reader who may not be familiar with scientific terms.

CRITERIA OR ASSESSMENT LIST

FOR THE EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

1. Selects an independent variable to use and dependent variable(s) to measure.

2. Plans strategies to control variables.

3. Plans controls.

4. Plans for multiple trials.

5. Plans for multiple subjects.

6. Plans strategies to reduce error.

7. Plans strategies to use safe procedures.

8. Plans data collection and organization strategies.

9. Selects the appropriate mathematical procedures and graphing representation for the numerical data.

10. Takes pictures throughout the experiment and records the dates, variables, and observations for each photograph.