Loudonville School Science Fair Booklet

What exactly is the Loudonville Science Fair? The science fair is an event where you and the other students can share your science projects. The Science Fair is held one evening, February 5th, and is open to all members of the Loudonville Community. The young scientists also display their projects to fellow students during the following school day. You can solve problems, make discoveries, report on a scientists life, or do an experiment. How can this booklet help me get ready for the Science Fair? The Science Fair Booklet is designed to help you find an idea, do the project, and show your results. How do I get started? The first step on your science fair adventure is choosing a project that works for you. What kind of science interests you? What do you want to learn about? What special hobbies or talents do you have that you could use in a project? Do you want to work by yourself or with a friend?

On the next page, we list different types of science projects that might work for you. At the back of this booklet we have included a list of possible ideas. We have also included a list of books and web resources that you can use to get your project started.

What Type Of Project Should I Do?

There are many different types of science projects. Below are four types of possible projects you could do. 1) A Descriptive or Demonstration Project. Describe what something is like or show us how it works. Students might tell how a bike is constructed, or demonstrate how the gears work. 2) Comparisons. These projects will follow the same basic steps as the descriptive or demonstration projects, but will push it one step further and compares two or more things. Explorations might consider how the gears of a bike differ from the gears of a unicycle, for example. 3) Experiments. These projects will attempt to answer questions about what happens when, and to test students guesses about how and why things work. The goal of the experiment is to generate a testable hypothesis - a guess that one can then challenge to see if there are instances when it is true or false. For example, students might make guesses about how well different laundry detergents work to remove chocolate stains (for example, Tide works better than All) then test to see if these guesses seem correct. Its okay if your hypothesis is wrong; we still learn a lot! Finally, students try to explain what they found. 4) Present A Biography of a Scientist. We want to learn about the stories of scientists that students find interesting. Students can tells us about a scientist or inventor and what they discovered or created; what they were like growing up; how their discoveries or inventions came about; how the discovery or invention changed the way people thought or acted; and timelines that show major events in the scientists life. There are over 100 scientists listed at the end of the booklet.

Whats Next?
Once you have decided on the type of project and idea that you want to do, you should complete the Science Fair Proposal Form on the next page. The form asks you to tell us your name, grade, and teacher. It also asks you to circle the type of project you think you will do and to tell us a little bit about your idea for a science project. Try to be as specific as possible. You might tell us about.. What you decided to study. What you hope to learn or find out. How you are going to find these things out.

Will you use books and the Internet? Are you going to take pictures or keep a journal? Are you going to build a model? Will you visit a museum? Will you do an experiment? What will your experiment involve? Will you do your project alone or with a friend?

Please fill out the form either on line or hand in to the school by the date indicated. The proposal form lets the Science Fair Committee know how many students are doing projects and the types of Science happening in our school. Soon after you hand the Proposal Form in, Science Fair mentors will read your form and fill out a review sheet. The review sheet might include some additional suggestions that you can use in your project. It also lists some safety rules that we need students to follow. BE ORIGINAL! BE SAFE!
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BE CREATIVE!! HAVE FUN!

Hands Off
So far we have talked about all of the different projects that you can do for the Loudonville Science Fair. As we want everyone to have fun AND Be Safe, there are also some rules that you need to know about. The following items are NOT allowed at our science fair for ANY presentation: X X X X X X X X X X X dangerous chemicals breakable objects hypodermic needles drugs body parts (except for contained teeth, hair, nails, or animal bones) materials that explode or can catch fire live animals (including fish and insects) sharp objects open containers of water or any other liquid dry ice any food items

Also note that projects should NOT require the use of an electrical outlet.

The scientist does not study nature because it is useful; she or he studies it because he delights in it, and he delights in it because it is beautiful. Henri Poincare Physics is puzzle solving, too, but of puzzles created by nature, not by the mind of man. - Maria Goeppert Mayer -

Doing The Project

Once you have submitted your proposal, it is time to get to work! The next few pages describe how you might go about completing your study. Not everything will apply to your project, especially if you choose to do a demonstration or descriptive study. Just skip over the instructions that dont seem to fit your project. We recommend that you start by counting the days until the Science Fair and work out a plan for completing your project. The next step is to turn your idea into a research question. For example, if you are interested in studying laundry detergents, your question might be what laundry detergent does the best job getting the grass stains out of your pants? An example of a descriptive question might by, what is laundry detergent made of? After you determine your question, you can them make a guess or hypothesis about what you think will happen. Your guess should be simple enough to test I think Tide is the best the detergent to remove grass stains. Next, spring into action.How do scientists investigate a question? Sometimes scientists make discoveries by accident. Other times, they carefully develop a plan to test a guess or hypothesis about how something works. If you are doing a descriptive study or demonstration, you can still make guesses about how something works, an animal lives, or seasons change, even though you wont test them using an experiment. Think about what questions you would like to answer about your subject. To test the guesses and ideas, scientists often conduct experiments and use the results or data to begin answering their questions. As part of your plan, you should describe what you plan to do during your experiment. List all the materials you will need. If you are doing a descriptive study or demonstration, list the resources you will use. Will you create or collect pictures, or make a diagram or model? Next, write down everything you will do. Other scientists should be able to repeat your experiment by reading your procedures. You can use the Tracking Your Progress form if you find it helpful. As you perform the steps, you need to keep track of your observations what you see. These are the data. You should report only what you actually see. You may want to organize your data into a table format.
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Doing The Project (continued)

If you are doing a descriptive project, you can see if the information you read agrees with your guess. Do you find any of the information surprising? As you move along through your project, collect, look at, and read some background materials to learn about what people already think or know. After thinking a lot about the data and the information you have read, you need to make a conclusion about what you learned: How does what you learned relate to the world in which you live? What you would do differently next time? What unanswered questions remain?

Many times the data and the conclusion often lead to another question and another experiment. The scientific method often goes round and round.

5 Tips For Success

1. Perform your test more than once to be sure your results are accurate. 2. Be precise in taking and recording measurements and results. 3. Be sure you dont gather only those results that say your hypothesis is correct. 4. Finding the real answer is more important than proving your hypothesis is true. Scientists learn as much from failed experiments (disproving the hypothesis) as perfect ones! 5. Make your project safe!

The Display
The purpose of the display is to give a project summary at a glance. The display shows your experiment/research process and findings; it is not a live demonstration of your experiment. The display is made of a tall board, sturdy enough to stand on its own for several days. Your board must be no larger than 4 feet (trifold) wide by 3 feet high. Many stationery and craft supply stores carry lightweight, three-sectioned foam board. Make your display interesting. You can use snappy visual effects and colors. But be careful not to make your display so busy that people look only at it and not at your work! Your display must include the following things, each typed or lettered neatly on separate paper to be attached to the display: 1. A descriptive title of ten words or less. The lettering should be easy to read and your title should be clear from a distance. 2. Your name and class. 3. The purpose of your project. This is a statement of the question which you were trying to answer. It should be in question form. 4. Your hypothesis. This is your educated guess about the answer to the question. 5. A short summary of your procedures. This is a step by step account of what you did. It should include the materials and methods used to reach your conclusion. 6. A short summary of your data and results in the form of tables, charts, pictures, graphs, etc. Scientists often combine science and math! 7. A short summary of your analysis. How your data supports, or does not support, your hypothesis. Use the notes in your log book for this. 8. A short summary of your conclusions. A summary of what you learned, including an answer to your original question. 9. A list of your resources.
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Use your space wisely. Fill the display board, but dont crowd things. Your presentation will be more spectacular if you use graphs, photographs, charts, drawings, diagrams, or samples. Triple-check your spelling and grammar, and remember that neatness counts. Be prepared to discuss your project with others.

NOTE: Photos and drawings are encouraged as part of your presentation. Props will be permitted if they are smaller than 12 x 20. Glass objects and food are not permitted in the exhibit at school. Your project will be on display all evening and for one complete school day. Please be sure all items are securely attached to your poster board. Please be aware that other students may handle your exhibit. If youre worried that something may be broken, do not use it in your exhibit but display photos or drawings of it.

Tracking Your Progress (optional)

If you want, you can use the sheet below to help track your progress. Title: ____________________________________________________________ Materials: ________________________________________________________ What I did: _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Date What I changed What I Observed

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ What I learned: __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ What I Think, Unanswered Questions, and Things I Would Do Differently: __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Your Research Resource

While creating your science project and doing your research, be sure to keep track of the books, web-links, and videos, and magazines that you used to help complete your science project. You should post this list or bibliography somewhere on your science fair poster or display. You can find helpful materials at bookstores, libraries, museums, hospitals, and websites. On the following pages, we listed book sources and websites that may be useful.

A Permanent Record
Loudonville School would like to have a permanent record of all the projects in the Science Fair. Please use the form on the next page, or bring in a piece of paper with the following information: Your name and grade. The title of your project. A short (3-5) sentence explanation of your project and what you learned.

Loosely tape the form or paper to the back of your project. (Please dont glue it!) It will be collected on the evening of the Science Fair. Information about your project will be bound along with photos of each display. This information is kept in the library.

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Loudonville School Science Fair

(Complete this form and affix to the back of your display the night of the Science Fair)
Name(s):__________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Grade(s): ___________ Teacher(s): ____________________________ Project Title: ______________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ What did you learn doing this project? _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ *Please fill out this form and attach it to the back of your Science Fair display board. It will be collected at the Science Fair.

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Book Sources
Loudonville School Library
Ms. Davis has about 500 books in the 500-575 section of the library. Some good books to start with include, Mr. Wizards Supermarket Science, Don Herbet, 1980 507H The Kids Sciencebook, Robert Hirschfeld and Nancy White, 1995, 507.9H Books by Vicki Cobb about everyday science.

William K. Sanford Library

More than 500 books on science in the childrens section. Call numbers J500-J574. Check out Janice Vancleaves Molecules!, 1993, J540.78V Awesome Experiments with Electricity and Magnetism, Michael S. Spezio, 1998, J537.075DIS

The Little Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza

Home to thousands of kids titles and an enthusiastic staff.

At Borders, Barnes and Noble, orAmazon.Com, check out.

1001 Ideas for Science Projects, Marion Brisk, 1999 100 First-prize Make it Yourself Science Projects, Glen Veccione, 1998. 175 Science Experiments to Amuse & Amaze your Friends, Brenda Walpole, 1988 The Complete Science Fair Handbook: For Teachers and Parents of Students in Grades 4-8, Anthony Fredericks and Isaac Asimov, 1991

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Internet Resources
General Hints and Ideas for Science Projects: http://www.education.com/topic/great-science-fair-project-ideas http://www.scienceproject.com/projects/index/elementary.asp http://sciencefairproject.virtualave.net http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/steps.html http://www.juliantrubin.com/environmentprojects.html http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas.shtml Projects: http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/snackintro.html http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/ - Howard Hughes Medical Institute http://www.madsci.org/experiments - Mad Science link http://www.funsci.com - Fun with Science http://www.sciencemadesimple.com http://www.mcrel.org/whelmers - gives instructions for actual projects http://www.doscience.com/act_archive/index.html http://school.discovery.com - see link to science fair central
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Helping Your Children with Their Science Fair Project

Share a story or an example of a science project you did. Help your child pick a project that is doable and not too frustrating. Give encouragement, support and guidance. Be positive. Make sure your child feels it is his or her own project. Science is a process as much as a product; focus on helping your child rather than doing the project for your child. Make safety a priority. Help child in understanding and using the major research skills, such as: Locating resources Organizing materials Recording findings Collecting Constructing Reporting findings Demonstrating Presenting

Develop a schedule or plan for doing the project and finishing on time. Help your child proofread his or her work. Make gentle suggestions about alternative approaches or corrections. Let your child display his or her project to you before showing it at school.

Avoid the last minute rush!

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Possible Ideas To Get You Started

Demonstrations and Things you Can Make, Study and Share: (Generally, live action demonstrations are not possible- It is best to document with digital photos, display photos, process and findings!) A model of a volcano A magnet A bat or bird house Animal habitats A sundial Salt crystals A model of the solar system Show the parts of an ear or eye A model of a cross section of the earth A tundra Compass Sugar Crystals Show the parts of a flower Make a miniature greenhouse Make a simple electrical circuit Build a small electric motor

Descriptive Projects: Describe and display an insect collection Describe how you know how old a tree is Display a seed, rock or wood collection Describe how a tooth decays? pictures would be great A day in the life of a bee, butterfly, grasshopper, ant, or other insect. A day in the life of a rat, mouse, hamster, gerbil, or other rodent A day in the life of a woodchuck, beaver, moose, or other animal A day in the life of a crab, lobster, or other crustacean What is cotton candy? Describe the history of shells How are ocean depths measured? How are distances measured in outer space? How does a traffic signal work? Report on the plant and animal life around the schoolyard Report on the plant and animal life in your backyard Report on what grows in the winter Describe what animals, plants, or insects grow in trees How are video games created How are earthquakes measured?

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More Ideas To Get You Started

More Descriptive Projects: How is snow made and the parts of a snowflake. How does a doorbell work? Was moss really used as a diaper? How does a telegraph work? Describe the causes of the seasons How do canals and locks work? Lots of local examples! What causes erosion? Why are earthworms important to the soil? Why does a submarine float? What causes air pollution? Comparison Project: How do the insides of different fruits differ? How are different kinds of tree leaves the same or different? Compare different insects which are the good guys, which are the bad guys? Which is lighter, hot or cold air? Compare packaging for an egg Report on the differences between tornadoes, hurricanes, and other storms Compare different simple machines Compare the hardness of different types of rocks and minerals What is the best wing shape for an airplane? Calculate and record length of days and nights over two weeks? Why does the day length change? Is the air temperature in house the same at floor level as near the ceiling? Keep track of the temperature outside when is it the coldest, when is it the hottest? How accurate are the television weather forecasters at predicting the next days weather? Is one channel or station better than another?

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Other Ideas To Get You Started

Possible Experiments: Do plants grow toward light? Do detergents work best in cold or hot water? What causes milk to spoil? Which freezes faster plain water, distilled water, salt water or sugar water? How does temperature effect plant growth? What is the effect of salt or sugar water on plant growth? What is the effect of vinegar on plant growth? Compare which battery lasts the longest Compare different dish detergents or bubble bath which one makes more bubbles? Use a homemade weather machine to measure rainfall or snowfall. Explore the uses of the fulcrum and lever What types of objects does a magnet attract and repel? What are the effects of air pollution on a plant? Which popcorn brand pops the fastest or the most? What paper airplane design flies the farthest? Straightest? How does light make a prism? What makes static electricity? What can cause a ball to stop rolling after being set in motion? What factors affect the speed of a Pinewood Derby car? Biographies of Scientists: The remaining pages list the names of scientists that you may want to make the focus of your science project. Some lived a long time ago and some are still living. The list includes men and women from a number of different countries, races, and backgrounds. Some never went to college and others received their Ph.D.s or are doctors. Several received the Nobel Prize for their contributions to science. This list is intended as a starting point. If you know of another scientist that you want to study, let us know about that person too.
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Some Scientists Worthy of Study

1. Buzz Aldrin - astronaut 37. John Dalton 2. Armedeo Avogadro 38.Charles Darwinbiologist 3. Andre-Marie Ampere 39. Leonardo DaVinci - inventor 4. Archimedes 40. Charles Drew 5. Aristotle 41. Annie Easley 6. Neil Armstrong astronaut 42. Thomas Edison - inventor 7. John Audubon - environmentalist 43. Albert Einstein - physicist 8. Charles Babbage 44. Gertrude Elion pharmacologist 9. Leo Baekleland chemist 45. Euclid 10. Benjamin Banneker 46. Michael Faraday physicist 11. Edward Emerson Barnard 47. Philo Farnsworth inventor 12. Alexander Bell inventor 48. Enrico Fermi - physicist 13. Tim Berners-Lee - computer science49. Carlos Finlay 14. Henry Bessemer - inventor 50. Alexander Fleming chemist 15. Charles Herbert Best 51. Henry Ford - inventor 16. Elizabeth Blackwell 52. Dian Fossey biologist 17. Blaise Pascal 53. Ben Franklin - inventor 18. Niels Bohr physicist 54. Galileo - astronomer 19. Otis Boykin 55. Yuri Gargarin cosmonaut 20. Robert Boyle 56. Bill Gates - computer science 21. James Bradley 57. John Glenn 22. Tycho Brahe 58. Winifred Goldring geologist 23. Luther Burbank 59. Robert Goddard physics 24. Wallace Carothers 60. Kurt Godel 25. France Anne Cordova astrophysicist 61. Jane Goodall 26. Rachel Carson - environmentalist 62. Stephen J. Gould paleontologist 27. George Washington Carver 63. Elisha Gray 28. Anders Celsius 64. Edmund Halley - astronomer
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29. Noam Chomsky 30. Eugenie Clark astronomer 31. Nicolaus Copernicus - astronomer 32. Henry Cort Herschel 33. Jacques Costeau 34. Francis Crick 35.Marie Curie chemist computers 36.John Dalton

65. William Harvey - medicine 66. Steven Hawking 67. David Henrik 68. Frederick William 69. Gustav Ludwig Hertz 70. Hippocrates medicine 71. Grace Murray Hopper72. Robert Hooke

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More Scientists
73. Edwin Hubble astronomer 74. Mae Jemison Astronaut 75. Edward Jenner 76. Steve Jobs 77. James Joule 78. Ernest Everett Just 79. Lord William Thomas Kelvin 80. Johann Kepler 81. Edwin Land inventor 82. Louis Semour Bazett Leakey 83. Henrietta Swan Leavitt 84. Lewis Latimer - inventor 85 Carolus Linnaeus 86. Ada Byron Lovelace 87. Charles Lyell 88. Ernst Mach 89. Guglielmo Marconi -inventor 90. Maria Goeppert Mayer physicist 91. Margaret Mead - anthropologist 92. Barbara McClintck - geneticist 93. Gregor Mendel 94. Dmitriy Mendeleev 95. Csar Milstein 96. Garrett Morgan 97. Samuel Morse - inventor 98. Sir Isaac Newton - physicist 99. Robert Noyce physicist 100. Ellen Ochoa 101. Severo Ochoa 102. George Simon Ohm physicist 103. Robert J. Oppenheimer 104. Elkin Patarroyo 105. Louis Pasteur chemist 106. Linus Pauling 107. August Piccard 108. Max Planck - physicist 109. Joseph Priestly
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110. Ptolemy 111. Santiago Ramn y Cajal 112. Sally Ride - astronaut 113. Ernest Rutherford 114. Carl Sagan - astronomer 115 Jonas Salk biochemist 116. Erwin Schrodinger 117. Earl D. Shaw Laser technology 118. Alan Shephard - astronaut 119. William Shockley 120. Eugene Shoemaker 121. Percy Spencer 122. George Stephenson 123. Nikola Tesla 124. J.J. Thompson 125. Alan Turing - computer science 126. Anton Van Leeuwenhoek 127. John Von Newman - computers 128. Allesandro Volta 129. Sarah Breedlove Walker 130. James Watson 131. James Watt - inventor 132. Eli Whitney - inventor 133. Daniel Hale Williams 134. Ian Wilmut - biologist 135. Chien-Shiung Wu - physicist 136. Roger Arliner Young