Science Fair: Complete

Science Fair

Science Fair Update

The children should have:

• Identified a question and writen a purpose to why they are investigating this question.
• Looked on the web to research the subject and to make notes using their own words to place on their Science Board.
• After their research the children can predict what they think the answer will be to their question. (Hypothesis)
• Identify their experiement and write a procedure for this. (95% of the class had their procedures checked and have been asked to type this up)

What they need to do?

• Conduct their experiement.
• Record the results for their experiement.
• Purchase a Topic Board to display their work. (Able to purchase these from Paper Plus and Whitcoulls).
• Bring board to school next week.

How can I help?
I have told the children to type their work at home, however I have given some children class time to type up their work.
If you have your children typing their work at home, you can email me this work so I can print it off at school. Also this allows your child  time at school if they are needing to alter or add any work, after I check it.

Science Fair experiments and boards are completed and handed in on Friday 2nd Septemeber.

Science Fair

This week I have conferenced with some of the Room 3 children and we have talked about their science fair experiments. Most children have ideas about what they are going to do and the next step for them is to ensure they write down their procedure and hypothesis.

Exploring the Internet, I have found some great websites that wi help the chidren in their research and writing their procedure. An important aspect is do not copy word for word the procedure. Please use your own words to write your procedure, research and so forth.

Mould Bread Experiment
http://www.experiment-resources.com/mold-bread-experiment.html

Growing Bread Mould
http://www.sciencefairadventure.com/ProjectDetail.aspx?ProjectID=77

Mouldy Bread Experiment
http://www.sciencenerddepot.com/Moldy_Bread_Experiment.html

Paper Towel Experiment
http://www.experiment-resources.com/paper-towel-experiment.html

Experiments with Popcorn
http://www.experiment-resources.com/experiments-with-popcorn.html

Example
Purpose


To demonstrate that bread mold spores are present anywhere and everywhere
Research

Bread Mold is a simple fungus which derives its food from a variety of materials such as grains, fruits, vegetables or flesh. Mold spores are tiny and usually remain suspended in air. As soon as it finds the right environment for it to grow, the spores transform into the living fungus.

Hypothesis

"Mold grows quicker at higher temperatures."

Room 3 KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

Science Fair Homework - Weekend 5th August

The children in Room 3 have been looking at questions that they can investigate for their science experiment. Today in class, the children wrote the purpose of why they would like to investigate their question.

The children for homework need to look for background information to help answer their question. In class we have been looking at the pH of soap. Our research taught us that the pH scale is from 1-14, with 7 being neutral. Numbers 1-6 was acidic and 8-14 was alkaline.

Background Research:

Background research is necessary so that you know how to design and understand your experiment. To make a background research plan -- a roadmap of the research questions you need to answer -- follow these steps:

 

Identify the keywords in the question for your science fair project. Brainstorm additional keywords and concepts.

 

Use a table with the "question words" (why, how, who, what, when, where) to generate research questions from your keywords. For example:

• What is the difference between a series and parallel circuit?
• When does a plant grow the most, during the day or night?
• Where is the focal point of a lens?
• Does a truss make a bridge stronger?
• Why are moths attracted to light?
• Which cleaning products kill the most bacteria?

Throw out irrelevant questions.

 

You should also plan to do background research on the history of similar experiments or inventions.

 

Network with other people with more experience than yourself: your mentors, parents, and teachers. Ask them: "What science concepts should I study to better understand my science fair project?" and "What area of science covers my project?" Better yet, ask even more specific questions.

 

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_scientific_method.shtml 

Steps of the Scientific Method

Ask a Question: The scientific method starts when you ask a question about something that you observe: How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where?
And, in order for the scientific method to answer the question it must be about something that you can measure, preferably with a number.

Do Background Research: Rather than starting from scratch in putting together a plan for answering your question, you want to be a savvy scientist using library and Internet research to help you find the best way to do things and insure that you don't repeat mistakes from the past.

Construct a Hypothesis: A hypothesis is an educated guess about how things work:
"If _____[I do this] _____, then _____[this]_____ will happen."
You must state your hypothesis in a way that you can easily measure, and of course, your hypothesis should be constructed in a way to help you answer your original question.

Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment: Your experiment tests whether your hypothesis is true or false. It is important for your experiment to be a fair test. You conduct a fair test by making sure that you change only one factor at a time while keeping all other conditions the same.
You should also repeat your experiments several times to make sure that the first results weren't just an accident.

Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion: Once your experiment is complete, you collect your measurements and analyze them to see if your hypothesis is true or false.

Scientists often find that their hypothesis was false, and in such cases they will construct a new hypothesis starting the entire process of the scientific method over again. Even if they find that their hypothesis was true, they may want to test it again in a new way.

Communicate Your Results: To complete your science fair project you will communicate your results to others in a final report and/or a display board. Professional scientists do almost exactly the same thing by publishing their final report in a scientific journal or by presenting their results on a poster at a scientific meeting.

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_scientific_method.shtml

Room 3 Bottle Rockets with Mr G

Today the children in Room 3 farewelled Mr Gaffaney. We had the honour of having Mr Gaffaney in Room 3 since the beginning of the term. The children thoroughly enjoyed having him in the class for the five weeks and yesterday were able to experience some science that he had planned. The video above shows Mr Gaffaney releasing the bottle rockets that the children had made. The children had a lot of fun making them and then seeing them take off.

If any of the authors would like to write about this activity, please do so and publish on the blog.

Thanks Mr Gaffaney for all your hard work over the past five weeks. It is much appreciated and we wish you all the best.

Mister A