SCIENCE+FAIR+INFORMATION

For those entering the YORK COUNTY SCIENCE FAIR:
 * Return the Parent Permission form to attend the fair (March 5th)
 * Complete the necessary forms ([|click here] to complete the forms online) and return them by FRIDAY JANUARY 27th
 * Include a copy of your procedure AND a one-page abstract (summary of your project...why?, how?, what did you learn?)

Grading Rubric for Science Project

PROJECT GUIDELINES for SCIENCE FAIR **the attached guidelines are taken directly from the York County Science Fair website; 7th-9th graders are in the JUNIOR DIVISION**

Upcoming Dates:

__**Thursday October 20th & Friday October 21st**__
 * Approval of science project topic in class
 * research in school library on topic of choice
 * Complete an "Advanced Search" on your topic via Google or Yahoo!
 * Fill-in the "Resource Form" as you locate useful information
 * You MUST HAVE at least 3 sources on your topic (at least 3 of the resource forms COMPLETELY filled out)
 * Websites MUST have a domain ending in .edu, .gov, or .org (NO EXCEPTIONS!)
 * You may use as many books as you would like (NO Encyclopedias or Dictionaries...includes Wikipedia!)
 * [[file:Resource Forms.doc]]

__**Tuesday November 22nd**__
 * //Rough Draft// of INTRODUCTION & Procedure (METHODS and MATERIALS) due in class
 * Students will peer review each others rough drafts to search for errors and make suggestions and corrections
 * HELPFUL HINTS FOR INTRODUCTION
 * [[file:Designing an Experiment Helpful Hints.pdf]]

__**Tuesday December 6th**__


 * SCIENCE PROJECT DUE in class (100 pt grade)

__DATE CHANGE **Friday January 13th**__
 * Set-up for YORK CATHOLIC Science Fair ( **extra points awarded for entering this!!!!** )

__**Saturday March 3rd**__
 * Set-up for YORK COUNTY Science Fair at Penn State York

CITATION Information

**Information found on [|Science Fair Packet]**

DESIGN AN EXPERIMENT TOPICS Behavioral and Social Sciences (students are responsible for conducting surveys outside of school) 1. Effect of gender on memory (minimum of 50 subjects) 2. Effect of color on mood (minimum of 50 subjects) 3. Effect of Music or Background Noise on Memory (minimum of 50 subjects) Botany/Environmental Science 1. Effect of light on plant growth (minimum of 10 plants for each type of light and control) (DIFFERENT COLORS OF LIGHT OR VARY AMOUNT OF LIGHT) 2. Effect of various fertilizers on plant growth. (minimum of 10 plants for each fertilizer and control) ( PLEASE DO NOT USE MANURE OR CERTAIN CHEMICALS) 3. Effect of acid rain on plant growth (minimum of 10 plants for each type of acid rain and control) ( USE VINEGAR AND WATER DILUTIONS FOR ACID RAIN) Physics 1. Effectiveness of various insulators, either for heat/cold retention or for protection of fragile items (minimum of 10 trials for each type of insulation) 2. Effect of Temperature on the Performance of Various Sports Balls (minimum of 10 trials at each temperature) 3. Effect of airplane design on distance (minimum of 10 trials for each airplane design) Chemistry 1. Stain Removal with Various Detergents (minimum of 10 trials for each detergent, use only one stain but several detergents or stain removers) NOTE: Students may choose to do a different topic than those suggested, but must obtain APPROVAL from the teacher PRIOR to beginning the project. DESIGN AN EXPERIMENT PROJECT In this packet you will find information for writing a scientific paper. Scientific papers have very specific guidelines that may be different from the guidelines for other types of term papers. Please follow these guidelines carefully so that points are not deducted from your grade. The final report is to be typed, double space, font size of 12, and Times New Roman font style. Scientific papers do not use personal pronouns. Make sure that none of the personal pronouns listed are used anywhere in the report. PERSONAL PRONOUNS AND ADJECTIVES All of the following are considered personal pronouns or adjectives and may not be used, no matter the case, person, or number. I we my mine our ours me us you your yours He she it they his her hers its their theirs him Them myself yourself himself herself itself ourselves yourselves themselves Included in this packet is a section to be used for the journal/logbook. You will need to add additional papers to the journal/logbook. The journal/logbook will contain required information and questions and suggestions for helping you to find all necessary information. You need 1 or 2 good, reliable sources. Science Fair students need at least 5 sources. The format for the report should include the following sections. TITLE INTRODUCTION HYPOTHESIS PROCEDURE RESULTS ANALYSIS CONCLUSION WORK CITED TOPIC/TITLE: Choose one of the approved topics. Using the journal/logbook identify the independent and dependent variable. Write the title making sure that it is selfexplanatory and exact. The title needs to include the independent and dependent variables. Page 2 INTRODUCTION: The Introduction will include two or more paragraphs. The first paragraph should consist of 3–5 good, complete sentences which includes the question to be answered, identifying the independent and dependent variables and the control used in the experiment. You will be doing library research to obtain background information about the project. This information will make up the rest of the Introduction. You should especially try to find related research, (similar projects done by other reputable scientists). When choosing the library sources certain publishing information must be recorded. Use the journal/logbook to record this information. If using magazine or internet sources print a copy of the articles. Take notes from the sources you have chosen to use and record those notes in the journal/logbook. For each source you will be using you will write a paragraph of 7-8 complete sentences summarizing the information found in the source. Use your own words; do not copy information word for word. At the end of the paragraph you must cite your source, using correct in-text citation format. Internet sources should be from domains: .edu, .org, .gov. Encyclopedias and dictionaries are not acceptable sources. HYPOTHESIS: Write a sentence that makes a prediction about what you think will be the outcome of your experiment. Remember, a hypothesis is an educated guess about the results of the experiment. PROCEDURE: List all materials needed to complete the experiment. Write an exact and detailed procedure for conducting the experiment. The procedure must be so detailed that anyone would be able to duplicate the experiment exactly. Include what will be measured, units of measurement and how often it will be measured. RESULTS: The results must include at least one data table and one graph. Instructions will be given for inserting data tables and constructing graphs using the computer. Data tables must include: a title, column headings, units of measurement. Data must be numerical. Graphs must include: a title, labels for both the ‘x’ and ‘y’ axes and units of measurement. Data must be numerical. ANALYSIS: Analyze the results by writing one paragraph of 5-8 complete sentences, by comparing and contrasting the results to the control and between each set of data from the variables tested. Next, you will write a paragraph of about 5 sentences on error analysis. Take a look at factors that may have caused the results to be different than expected. For example in memory surveys consider how the conditions for your survey might be different from conditions found in school for regular test taking. CONCLUSION: Write a conclusion statement accepting or rejecting the hypothesis based on the results. Did the results support what you said would happen in the hypothesis? WORK CITED: Using correct format cite all sources used in the Introduction. Follow the examples of correct format found in this handout. IN-TEXT CITATIONS AND WORKS CITED PAGE Format for the research paper is typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman font style, and font size of 12. In-text citations or parenthetical references • Refer to examples of in-text citations • Refer to OWL at Purdue which can be found on the York Catholic Library site under Citing Sources Works Cited Page • Check Citing Sources page on YC Library site • Note that all citations in your list of Works Cited should be double-spaced • Note also that “medium of publication” is required for all citations – in most cases this will be Print (for those items in paper format) or Web ( for those items in online format) • Check examples of Works Cited • List entries in alphabetical order by author’s last name. If no author list alphabetically by title. • For entries that have more than one line a Hanging Indent must be used. Instructions for Hanging Indent are given below. Hanging Indent For Office 2007 1. type entry into word document, highlight entire entry 1.do step 1 2. click on Format 2. go to step 3 3. click on Paragraph 3. do step 5 4. click on special 4. do step6 5. choose Hanging 5. click OK 6. click on spacing and choose double 7. click OK EXAMPLES OF IN-TEXT CITATIONS “Short-term memory which is also known as working memory, resides between your sensory memory and long-term memory” (Hudmon 44). People have been trying to define light for thousands of years. Plato and Sir Isaac Newton each had ideas about light but Albert Einstein is credited with the now-accepted definition for light (Friedhoffer 34-35). Hyde (5) states that people react differently to emotions. Many think that anger is “bad” and must be controlled. If the source has no author, use the title of the source. Title should have quotation marks. Include page number. (“Recent innovations” 231) Works Cited Atwan, Robert and Greg Pacek. Edsels, Luckies and Frigidaires. New York: Dell, 1979. Print Boorstin, Daniel. The Creators: A History of the Heroes of Imagination. New York: Random, 1992. Print Elbow, Peter. “Ranking, Evaluating, and Judgement.” College English 55 (1993): 187- 206. Print Trillin, Calvin. “Culture Shopping.” New Yorker 15 Feb. 1993: 48-51. Print Zeki, Semir. “Artistic Creativity and the Brain.” Science. 6 July 2001: 51-52. 24 Sep. 2002. Web. 15 Oct. 2009. For help in doing Works Cited according to the MLA format go to the YC Library site. Click on the Yellow paper link ( Citing Sources). Choose either the Library’s link to citations or OWL at Purdue and look for Works Cited Page Format.

GREAT SOURCES TO HELP YOU ALONG THE WAY: