Fifth Grade Writing Non-Negotiables are the Expectation

If your project is chosen for the STEM fair, it will need to be typed and a display board

completed.

What is your testable question? (Due Wednesday, Jan. 9th)As you begin your science project, consider the use of science, engineering, technology, and mathematics. “Is this something that you can test to solve a problem or answer a question that you would like to know more about?”

Make sure your question:

√ Is original and interesting√ Has a limited problem, be specific√ Can be answered with an experiment√ Has measureable results

Example: How does the amount of air in a basketball affect the bounce?

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Research Questions (Due Friday, Jan. 11th)

Write three questions to guide your research. (These questions are to help you find relevant information in order to come up with a hypothesis.)

Examples: 1. How do you measure air pressure inside a

basketball?2. What is the normal amount of air in a NBA

regulation basketball? 3. Why does proper inflation of a basketball matter?

1. ___________________________________________2. ___________________________________________3. ___________________________________________

Research Summaries

Example of how to site the source:

Book (Print): Cohen, Daniel. America’s Very Own Ghosts. Doubleday, 1985

Internet Article (Digital): Arnett, Bill. “The Moon.” The Planets. University of Arizona, 5 May 2001. http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/.  8 Aug. 2016

Source 1 (Print source) ____________________________________________________Summarize important information learned from source 1. ___________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Source 2: (Digital source) ____________________________________________________Summarize important information learned from source 2.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Source 3 (Either digital or print) ____________________________________________________

Summarize important information learned from source 3. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hypothesis (Due Monday, Jan. 14th)This is what I think the answer to my question will be based on my research. Use the “If….then…because” format.

For example: If you increase the height from which a golf ball is dropped on to a flat surface of flour, then the resulting crater will be bigger because the golf ball will have more speed.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Identify the variables (something that has an effect on an experiment).

1. Independent variable (what I change)

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2. Dependent variable (what I observe/measure)

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3. Controlled variable (what I keep the same)

Materials (Due Wednesday, January 16th)List all materials someone would need to repeat this experiment. Be specific with amounts. (List format)1.2. 3.

Procedures – In numerical order, list the exact steps to follow. 1.2.3.4.5.6.

Observations and Pictures (Due Monday, February 4th)

Keep good records of what you do and what you measure. ADD PICTURES TO A SEPARATE PAGE!____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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_Repeat the experiment to increase the validity of your results;

include additional pages as needed.

Data (Due Monday, February 4th)The data from your experiment can also be considered the results. This is where

you share with us what exactly happened when you carried out your procedure. For this part you will be required to make at least one table and one graph (either a bar graph or a line graph).

Here are some important data table tips: (Points will be deducted if any of these are left out.)

Always give numbers (Example: Table 1 and Table 2) and titles for data tables. Decide how you will organize the table into columns and rows. Generally, you

will place the independent variable in the left column and the dependent variable in the right column(s). (See example below)

Always put units (minutes, inches, centimeters, etc.) in the column headings, leaving them out of the individual cells.

Table Example:

Table 1. Growth rate of a Child

Age (years) Weight (kg) 0 3.3 1 8.2 2 11.8 3 15.4 4 18.1 5 19.5

Please make your own data table for your experiment in the space provided below.

Data (continued)

The bar graph and the line graph are different ways of representing the data in your table. Below are some directions on how to make each of the graphs. You will need to choose which type of graph you would like to use to best represent your data. If you have a hard time deciding you are welcome to make one of each.

How to make a bar graph:

Place the dependent variable on the vertical axis (y-axis).

Place the independent variable on the horizontal axis (x-axis).

Choose a numerical scale for the dependent variable on the y-axis. The top of the scale should have a value greater than the highest value in the data. Use equal increments along the scale.

Draw and label the axes. Mark intervals on the y-axis according to the scale you chose.

Draw a bar for each data value. Use the scale to decide how long to make each bar. Label each bar.

Be sure to give your graph a number (Example: Graph 1 or Graph 2) and a title.

Bar Graph Example:

Figure 1. Number of Birds

20 18 16

14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

Bird Species

Number of Birds

Black-backed gull

Laughing gull Sand-

piper

Common tern

Data (continued)

How to make a line graph:

Place the dependent variable on the vertical axis (y-axis).

Place the independent variable on the horizontal axis (x-axis).

Choose scales for both axes of the graph. You should have two points more than you need on the y-axis, and the x-axis should be long enough for all of the data points to fit.

Draw and label each axis. Mark intervals on both axes according to the scales you choose.

Plot each value as a point on the graph.

Connect the points with straight lines.

Be sure to give your graph a number (Example: Graph 1 or Graph 2) and a title.

Line Graph Example:

Figure 1. Average Monthly Water Temperature on Lake Powell

30

27

24

21

18

15

12

9

6

3

0 Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Data (continued)

Water Temperature (degrees Celsius)

Month

Please make your own bar graph or line graph (or both) for your experiment in the space provided below. You are welcome to use the following website to create a graph:

http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/graphing/

Conclusion (Due Friday, February 8th)

Complete after the experiment!

My hypothesis was (supported or not supported) because…

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What did you learn while completing this project? (paragraph

form)

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How can you improve your experiment? (paragraph form)

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Based on your investigation, what other question(s) do you

have? What future investigation(s) can you do?

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