Dear Scientists and Parents, I’d like to welcome you as we prepare for this year’s science festival. The festival will be held on Thursday, February 7th. K-3rd graders please click on the following link to read how you can participate in the festival: K-3 Grade Festival How Do I Get Started? Included in this packet is a timeline to help you schedule your work. The first task is to pick a project and turn in the topic sheet to Mr. Strains no later than December 7h. Once you have received approval you may gather your materials, write your hypothesis, and start your experiment. Click on the link below to see your Science Fair Timeline: Science Fair Timeline What Kind of Experiment Should I Choose? There are a multitude of books with ideas for science fair projects. You can find them at most bookstores or at the public library. Project ideas can also be found on the Internet. Just type the key words “science fair projects” into any search engine. Check out the links below: Discovery School Science Fair Science Fair Idea Exchange Students will work on their own experiment. No teamwork on this project. Your experiment should be designed to investigate the effect of only one variable. For example: In what liquid does candy dissolve faster? (Only the liquid changes. The same candy is used in each liquid) What is the effect of freezing a candle? (The temperature varies while the candle type and size, and burning time remain constant) In choosing your project please be mindful of the following safety rules: • No hazardous chemicals, open flames, or burners may be used. • No live animals. • Cultures of molds and bacteria must be thoroughly and completely sealed. • Please avoid using foods that may cause allergic reactions (such as peanuts and nuts) in your experiments. You may not pass out or display any of the following foods: Peanuts, nuts, chocolate, or candy of any kind. Where Do I Conduct My Experiment? The experiment will be completed at home. NOTE: You are strongly urged to take pictures while doing your experiment, so that you can include them on your display board. As always be sure to take good detailed notes. Where Can I Purchase My Poster Board? Tri-fold poster board (32”H X 48” W) for displaying the project should be brought to school on Monday, January 28th. You can find poster boards at most office supply stores. What Work is Completed at School? The poster board display will be assembled at school during our science workshop. We also will type our headings, investigative question, hypothesis, material list, procedure, analysis/observation, and conclusion at school. Click on the following links to see a sample of the slides we will be typing in school: scifairdocssample.pdf scifairdocssample.2.pdf Any charts, tables, or graphs that you want to include should be created and printed at home. We will practice our 2-3 minute presentation at school and at home. What is the schedule for Science Festival Day (Thursday, February 7th) 12:45 p.m. 4th graders setup displays in the gym. 1:00-2:15 p.m. Displays are open to K-3 graders. 2:15 - 3:00 p.m. Project Evaluation 5:30-7:00 p.m. Projects open to public. Although a successful science festival requires a great amount of time and energy, the payoff is tremendous. Your children will experience the wonder and delight of exploration. The key to enjoying the science festival is to choose a project that is interesting to the student. Sincerely, Mr. Tim Strains http://www.district90.org/class/strains/2008packet2.pdfhttp://www.district90.org/class/strains/2008sciencefestivalschedule.pdfhttp://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/http://scienceclub.org/scifair.htmlhttp://www.district90.org/class/strains/scifairdocssample.pdfhttp://www.district90.org/class/strains/scifairdocssample.2.pdfhttp://www.yahoo.com/shapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1shapeimage_1_link_2shapeimage_1_link_3shapeimage_1_link_4shapeimage_1_link_5shapeimage_1_link_6
The Willard 2008 Science Festival