Science Fair Research Plan Template

Science Fair Research Plan Template  (Due January 7^th)

(Must be typewritten and submitted electronically)

(To be completed and approved by Mr. Knoflicek prior to experimenting)

By First Name Last Name

I.  Title  _____________________________________________________________________

II.  Problem (question) ________________________________________________________

III.  Hypothesis (If........, then…….. will happen)

IV.  Research (notes and information written in your own words and the sources from which you obtained it – I will confirm that your research is in your own words by using a plagiarism checker.  If you plagiarize you will be given a zero and will be written up for academic dishonesty (Level 1 Offense))

    1.  source: _________________________________________________________________

          information: ___________________________________________________________

    2.  source: _________________________________________________________________

          information: ___________________________________________________________

   3.   source: _________________________________________________________________

          information: ___________________________________________________________

     

   4.  source: _________________________________________________________________

         information: ___________________________________________________________

    5.  source: _________________________________________________________________

        information: ___________________________________________________________

      V. Experimental Plan/Procedures  (written step-by-step)

    VI.  Materials Needed

    VII.  Variable (this is what is actually being tested- the one thing that will change)

   VIII. Controls (the things in the experiment that don't change)

      IX.  Data (how will the data you collect from your experiment be organized and displayed?) (In a graph, chart or table)

       

Rubric based on these nine (I through IX) Sections with Research counting 2 points.  

Example Science Fair Projects by the Branch of Science You Selected

 Science Fair 2010-2011


Science Fair Contracts are due November 30th.  Work with your parents to be sure that you have all the things you need to answer your question for your science fair project or you can get them.


Step #1  Deciding on a Project


Brainstorm 10 things that you are interested in and then pick the top four things and start asking questions about them.  Questions can be who, what, where, when, or how.   You can then get some help finding questions that relate to your topic/branch of science using the following websites:

General Links for Project Ideas

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/science_project_ideas.php
http://www.juliantrubin.com/branchesofsciencefair.html
http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/2005/Panels/
http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/category0.html
http://chemistry.about.com/od/sciencefairprojects/u/sciencefair.htm#s1

Forensics/Forensic Anthropology 

Fingerprint Heredity
Ballon Bloodspatter
Hot Dog Mummification
Forensic Resources

Archeology

Archeology Wikipedia Article

Astronomy
Astronomy Projects
Astronomy SB Projects

Biotechnology

Biotechnology SB Projects

Nuclear Physics

Nuclear Physics Projects

Biology

 Biology Projects

Geology

 Geology/Earth Science Projects

Genetics

Genetics & Genomics SB Projects

Zoology

 Zoology Projects

Medicine

 Medicine Projects
Alternative Medicine Projects
Medicine Resources

Marine Biology

Marine Biology/Ecology Projects

Civil Engineering

Engineering Projects

Cardiology

Circulatory System Projects
Heart Disease Projects

Astrophysics

Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Cosmology Resources
Astronomy Projects

Electrical Engineering

Electronic Component Projects
Electronics Projects
Electricity & Electronics SB Projects
Electrical Sciences Projects

Bacteriology

Bacteria Projects

Cryptozoology

Crypto Resources
Cryptozoology Resources
Crypto Link on the Web

Botony

Botany projects

Opthamology

 Wikipedia Article
Medicine Resources
Eye and Visual System Projects

Microbiology
Microbiology Projects
Microbiology Experiments
Bacteria, Virus, Fungi & Algae Projects

Musicology

Music Projects
Music SB Projects
Sound & Hearing Psychology Projects
Wikipedia Article

Photography, Digital Photography & Video Science

Photography and Video SB Projects

Physics

Physics Projects

Air Pressure
How to make a simple Hovercraft
Hovercraft Research
30 Minute Hovercraft
More Complex Hovercraft
Medium Effort Hovercraft
List of all Hovercraft projects at Make 'zine

Structural Engineering

Engineering Projects
Building Projects

Oceanography

Oceanography Projects

Chemistry

 Chemistry Projects
Chemistry SB Projects

Sociology

Psychology Projects

Computer Science

 Computer Science Projects

Paleontology

Earth Science/Geology Projects
Paleontology Resources

Food Science

Food Science Projects
Cooking & Food Science SB Projects
Food Science Experiments
Food Science Resource

Aerodynamics

Aviation & Aeronautics Projects
Aerodynamics & Hydrodynamics SB Projects

Cosmetic Chemistry

 Cosmetics Projects

Rocketry

Rocketry Project

Numerology

Numerology Wikipedia Article
Astrology Resources

Entomology

Incests Projects

Meterology

Meterology Projects

Hydrology

Water Projects

Mycology

Mushroom Resources
Fungi Projects

Fluid Dynamics

Fluid Projects

Primary Grade Full Class Science Fair Project Suggestions

Fingerprint Analysis

Games that indirectly help you learn :)

Cell Craft Game 

Bunny Natural Selection Game 

Textbook Access

As a reminder the textbooks can be accessed by following these instructions:

Login as student on SchoolNet
http://phila.schoolnet.com/

Your username is your School District Student ID Number
Your Password is a 5 digit series of numbers and letters

Then click on the Textbooks K-8 on the left

Find your grade and the textbook you want to view.

Note: Use Safari as your browser if you are having difficulties

What is this pink goo?

This is the filler in mcdonalds "chicken" nuggets.  This material needs to be soaked in ammonia to kill the billions of bacteria.  The substance also needs to be bleached white to look more like chicken meat.  Why eat something this processed? 

Phase Change Diagrams

What is a phase diagram?

A phase diagram is a convenient way of representing the phases of a substance as a function of temperature and pressure. Below is the phase diagram for water.

As seen above, one can determine from a phase diagram what state the water will be in at a certain temperature and pressure. For example, at 1 atm and 100º Celsius both liquid and solid water will exist.

**Note that a phase diagram describes conditions and events in a closed system where no material can escape into the surrondings and air is present


The phase diagram of water is very different that the phase diagrams of other substances. One unique thing about water is that the boundary line between the solid/liquid sections has a negative slope, meaning that the melting point of ice decreases as the external pressure increases. This occurs because the the density of ice is less than the density of water, which is not true for other substances. For example, below is the phase diagram for Carbon Dioxide.

Note that unlike water the line between the liquid/solid sections has a positive slope unlike water.

Below is the phase diagram for carbon. By defintition a phase diagram shows the different states that a substance could be in, and the temperatures and pressures at which it occurs. Carbon is different from the previous two because it can exist in different states as a solid:

The common graphite:      
And the more expensive diamond:


The reason diamond is more expensive is because of its rarity, which is clearly evident in its phase diagram.

As shown in the phase diagram above it takes huge amounts of pressure and temperature to form a diamond. While diamond can be formed artificially, it is too expensive to compete with the natural stores of the stones found in various parts of the world.

from http://bhs.smuhsd.org/science-dept/marcan/apchemistry/cool_phase_changes_diagram.html

When done go through these skill building questions at this URL http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/c123/phasesdgm.html

You are Here?!

Which of these links is a more accurate description of where you are? And why did you select it.

Milky Way

Branching Diagram

Answer by writing  a comment.

Study Island Assignments for Week of 9/27

Assignments have been added to your class lists under Study Island.  7th Graders have been assigned the unit on Natural Selection, and 8th Graders have been assigned Week of 9/27 Assignments (Properties and Sci Evidence) .  All of these testing questions will help you prepare for the science PSSA.  If you need help with any of the questions you may refer to the lesson in Study Island or use your textbook.

Your username is your first name followed by your last name without any spaces @mccall.
Example:
joesmith@mccall


Your password is your unique student ID number.


This first assignment will be due at the end of the day on Saturday October 2nd.  Let me know if you have any problems.

Mr. Knoflicek

Dr. Blumberg Extra Credit Assignment

On September 29th we have the pleasure of hosting Dr. Baruch S. Blumberg here at McCall.  Dr. Blumberg is a distinguished scientist and is the 1976 Nobel Prize winner in Medicine.  Dr. Blumberg has a very interesting biography and we would like to prepare for his meeting by learning about his achievements and being prepared to ask him questions about his experiences and how students can strive to success and contribute to the common good in their own way.  The following assignment is an assignment that when completed (according to the below checklists) will earn you a 100% on a quiz grade and a week homework pass.  Not a bad deal if you are dedicated enough and can budget your time wisely.  Rough draft is due Friday September 24 and final draft is due Monday September 27th.

Here are the Assignment Guidelines.  If you need help please let me know.

Biography Assignment

Write a 5-paragraph report on Dr. Blumberg's life and his achievements.
Report must:
•    Be typewritten •    Use 3 or more sources for information •    Have a cover page •    Have a bibliography •    Have one picture of the Dr. Blumberg and one picture representing his work
Rough Draft due: 9/24/10
Final Paper due: 9/27/10

Biography Report Steps

1. Questions - write down questions you have about Dr. Blumberg. What did he do? Why is he famous? How has he made an impact on our world today? In what ways can a young person be like them?
2. Gather Information – find as many books, magazines, encyclopedias and internet sites about Dr. Blumberg as you can.
3. Read, read, read! – You need to know about Dr. Blumberg if you’re going to tell other people about them, so read up!
4. Take Notes! – Write down facts as you find them. You can write these on index cards or in a special notebook with all of your research.
5. Check your questions – Have you answered them in your research? Do you need to research further? Is the question important?
6. Draw a web diagram – Write Dr. Blumberg's name in the middle and facts or ideas that you want to write about in each circle. When you find more details about your facts and ideas draw smaller circles off of the bigger ones. This web will help you as you write your sentences.
7. Write your first draft – This is also called a rough draft, it doesn’t need to be perfect, it is just to help you get your ideas on paper and get your paragraphs moving in the right direction.
8. Revise your paper – Use the revising checklist to make sure you have a great paper coming along. Read your paper and ask other people to read your paper.
9. Write your final draft – Now that you have worked on your paper and gotten some help from others, make changes until it is just as you like it.
10. Proofread your paper – Use the proofreading checklist to make sure you have not made any spelling or grammatical errors. Correct these errors as you find them
11. Write the bibliography – Use the bibliography sample sheet to correctly write down the information for the sources that you used.
12. Find your photos – If you have not found a photo of Dr. Blumberg and his work yet, find one and print it out. Look at the photo sample page for ideas.
13. Create your cover page – Your cover page should have the title of your paper in the center and your name underneath it. Look at the sample cover page for ideas.
14. Print everything out – Print out and gather all of your report papers and turn them in!

Revising Checklist

• Is my introduction interesting? 
• Does each paragraph have a topic sentence, three supporting sentences and a closing sentence? 
• Does each paragraph stay on topic? 
• Do my sentences make sense? 
• Is my ending well written?

Editing Proofreading Checklist

•  Did I use correct capitalization? 
• Did I use correct punctuation? 
• Did I use complete sentences? 
• Did I indent my paragraphs?
• Are any of my sentences run on sentences? 
• Did I spell correctly?

Completing the report

• Do I have a cover page? 
• Do I have 5 paragraphs? 
• Is it typewritten? 
• Did I include a bibliography with 3 sources? 
• Did I include a photo of Dr. Blumberg and a photo representing his work?

Study Island Assignments in Preparation for the 8th Grade Science PSSA

Assignments have been added to your class lists under Study Island.  7th Graders have been assigned the unit on Classification, and 8th Graders have been assigned the "Pre-Test" .  All of these testing questions will help you prepare for the science PSSA.  If you need help with any of the questions you may refer to the lesson in Study Island or use your textbook. 

Your username is your first name followed by your last name without any spaces @mccall.
Example:
joesmith@mccall


Your password is your unique student ID number.


This first assignment will be due at the end of the day on Saturday September 25th.  Let me know if you have any problems.

Mr. Knoflicek

Fungi and Animal Cards

Fungi

Animals

Links for Content Relating to Classification (7th) and Matter (8th)

7th Grade Classification Links

http://tolweb.org/tree/phylogeny.html

http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/class/class.htm

http://library.thinkquest.org/C004535/eukaryote_examples.html

http://www.pmbio.icbm.de/mikrobiologischer-garten/eng/index.php3

8th Grade Matter Links

http://www.chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/atoms/states.html

http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weight/index.html

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/difference-between-mass-and-weight.html

Happy Sequential Day

Yesterday Sequential Day was celebrated in Britain and many other countries where they abbreviate the date by having the day of the month followed by the month followed by the year (8/9/10) instead of the US version of the month followed by the day of the month followed by the year (9/8/10).

Sequential Day is celebrated at 12:34pm and 56.7 seconds on 8/9/10

The phenomenon is so rare that the last ‘pure’ sequence fell at 01:23 and 45 seconds on 6/7/89 and the next will take place at 01:23am on 4/5/67 - in 2067.

Where were you during Sequential Day at 12:34?

"Follow" mccallscience.com

In order to get emailed updates of all the recent posts to www.mccallscience.com sign in and "follow" the blog.

All students who become followers will get points for an extra credit assignment and will be the first to hear about new entries.

Mr K

First Day Back

Welcome all to the 2010-2011 school year!

Please remember to get all you school supplies (on the back of the 7th and 8th Grade Parent letter) by Monday at the latest. Also make sure and have your Lab Safety Contract signed.

7th Grade - We will start with a contrasting case tomorrow learning about the different levels of classification.

8th Grade - What is Matter? Lab tomorrow!

Mr. K

Science Lab Safety Contract

SCIENCE LAB SAFETY CONTRACT

Wow! It is so exciting that you would be able to perform a lot of "scientific investigations and experiments", but it can be dangerous if the proper precautions aren't followed. If a student chooses not to follow the rules below, you will not be allowed to participate in lab activities. You will do an alternative assignment, assigned by the teacher. To make sure that your laboratory experience is both exciting and safe, follow the general guidelines listed below:

1. Be respectful, follow your teacher's instructions, and don't take shortcuts.
2. Always get your teacher's permission before attempting any laboratory investigation.
3. Read the procedures carefully, paying attention to safety information and cautionary statements.
4. As a responsible citizen, be aware of the location of and the procedure for using the nearest fire alarms, fire-evacuation routes and any other safety equipment, such as fire blankets and eyewash fountains.
5. Never work alone in the laboratory.
6. Walk with care and keep your work area free from all unnecessary clutter. Keep backpacks and other belongings at a certain place designated by your teacher.
7. Dress appropriately on lab day, tie back long hair, remove dangling jewelry and wear closed-toed shoes or sandals in the laboratory. Wear an apron to protect your clothing from staining, burning, or corrosion if instructed by your teacher.
8. Certain products, like hair spray, are flammable and should not be worn while working near an open flame.
9. Wear approved safety goggles when working with or around chemicals, any mechanical device, or any type of flame or heating device. If any substance gets in your eyes or spills or your skin or clothes, rinse it immediately with water and have someone notify your teacher.
10. Wear protective gloves or oven mitts to avoid burns.
11. Be trustworthy and never touch, taste, smell or mix any chemicals unless your teacher instructs you do so.
12. Use knives and other sharp instruments with extreme care. Always cut an object after placing it on a suitable surface for cutting.
13. Handle plants and animals carefully and wash your hands afterwards. Always treat animals with care and respect.
14. While using electrical equipment, be careful about the wiring, hanging and damaged cords. Be sure your hands are dry and the electrical equipment is turned off before plugging it into the outlet. Turn off all equipment when you are finished using it.
15. Be a responsible and careful scientist by examining glassware to make sure that it is clean and is free of chips and cracks. Report damaged glassware to your teacher.
16. CLEANUP: Clean your work area before leaving! Follow your teacher's directions for washing, unplugging and putting away the equipment. Wash hands with soap and water after working in the laboratory.
17. Stay, work and talk to your own group. Don't leave your group and work area unless instructed by the teacher. Do not sit on counters or tables.

Student: I have read the science safety rules and agree to follow them.

__________________________________________ __________________
Student's Signature & Date

Parent: I have read and discussed the science safety rules with my child and agree to reinforce them.

__________________________________________ __________________
Parent's Signature & Date

Science PSSA's

To help you prepare for the science PSSA's here are some links:

http://www.pssa-prep.com/PSSA_Science.htm

http://quizlet.com/17101/science-pssa-flash-cards

http://www.mcsdk12.org/pssa.htm#science

Class Presentation of Science Fair Project

Our in-class science fair presentation will start on Wednesday March 3, 2010.  The rubric that you will be graded on is:

Presentation of Science Fair Project Rubric

Criteria Excellent Needs improvement

A.  Content (30 points)

1.  Thoroughness*     10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1 

2.  Accuracy*           10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

3.  Clarity*              10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

B.  Voice Modulation (10 points)

Varies voice in an  interesting manner  10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

C.  Posterboard (30 points)

1.  Contains all required information   10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

2.  Execution                            10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

3.  Creativity                            10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

Points for Presentation:      ______/40  = _______

Points for Posterboard:        ______/50 = _______

* Presentation included the following (20 points):

•Background Information About Your Research

•Purpose of Research

•Hypothesis Stated

•Description of Experimental Design

•Results and Conclusions

•Discuss any problems you encountered

•Ideas for further study

An example Powerpoint template will be posted on Snapgrades.

2010 Carver Fair Participants

Congratulations to the following students who were invited to present their science fair projects at the Philadelphia George Washington Carver Science Fair on March 9th, 2010:

7th Grade

Amani Bey
Huidan Mei
Jieying Chen
Wayne Lee
Jacky Li
Timmothy Mak
Sandy Yu
Yingci Chen
Aaron Zheng
Sandy Tang
Talia Smith

8th Grade

Sydney Marchiano
Zhewei Wu
Lihang Lin
Cindy Li
Sierra Hall
Nicholas Collis
Xin Lin
Joseph Szarak
Weilin Li
Yiaming Liu

Assignments for Classwork 2/2/10 and 2/2/10

Classwork (Due at the end of class tomorrow)

Chapter Review Page 53 #'s 18 to 25. (hand draw your circle for 25)

In groups complete the new Study Island Assignment to prepare for the PSSA science test. Let me know who is in each group and

which login you used for each group so I can put your groups score into snapgrades.

Do the Framiliarize Learn and then Test sections on the website: http://quizlet.com/17094/pssa-prep-science-8th-gr-flash-cards/

THEN play the "Space Race" and "Scatter" and show me your best time.

Engineering Club Wins Award at the Future City Competition

The McCall Engineering Club won a special award for "Outstanding Engineering Performance Award", sponsored by Shell.  Mr. Knoflicek, Robbie P. (8th Grade), Amani B. (7th Grade), and Sandy T. (7th Grade).   Congratulations to all students you participated in making this year's entry a success!

Annie C., Ms. Amal, Mr. Knoflicek, Amani B., Robbie P., Sandy T., and Julie Z. with their model of "Emerald Island Coast"