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Science Success: Student Guide
Nicola Simmons©BASEF 2004
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About This Presentation
Outlines the science fair project process Use it with the “Science Success: Student
Workbook” Further information is at http://basef.
mcmaster.ca
BASEF 2004
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This presentation will introduce you to:
Choosing a topic and asking a good question Writing a hypothesis or problem statement Planning your procedure or prototype Conducting your experiment, innovation, or
study Organizing & analyzing your results Preparing your written report Presenting your completed work
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In addition, you will get tips on:
Managing your resourcesSafety and ethics guidelinesManaging timelines
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A Good Project!
Starts with a question or problem of interest to you!
Follows the steps as set out in the Student Workbook
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3 Types of Science Fair Projects
Experiment – Start with a question, make a hypothesis, test controlled variables, record & analyze results
Innovation – Design a product or process to solve a particular problem, run trials, record & analyze results
Study – Start with a question, state a hypothesis, observe naturally occurring variables, record & analyze results
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Award Winning Projects
Visit the BASEF site at http://basef.mcmaster.ca
Here you will find: Great photos of winning projects Tips for success Connections to great websites
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Some Terms Subject – what/who is being studied Independent Variable – what you change in order to
measure the results Dependent Variable – what changes as a result of the
changes you impose on the independent variable Controls – conditions that do not change Control group – subjects not exposed to the independent
variable Quantitative observations – can be measured Qualitative observations – can be described
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Choosing a Topic
Think about topics that really interest you – perhaps something you have read recently
Talk to friends about possible topics Check the books in your school library Go online to look at past years’ winning
projects at http://basef.mcmaster.ca
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Asking the Right Question
Common (but not the only!) question formats:
Experiment: “How does _____ affect _____?”
Innovation: “In what way could _____ improve the performance of _____?”
Study: “What type of relationship exists between _____ and _____?”
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Refining the Question
Is the question simple enough to solve? Can I complete the work in time? Can I get the resources and materials? Is the question complex enough to interest me?
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Stating the Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a statement that is an informed guess about the outcome, based on prior knowledge
Hypothesis:“If my dog eats my homework, I will get a detention.”
The hypothesis may turn out to be untrue – but it provides a roadmap for your research and helps focus your thinking.
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Keeping Track of Resources
The student guide gives you: A form to use for resource tracking Suggestions about formatting your reference list
Rule of thumb: At least as many resources as
your grade level From a variety of source typesBASEF 2004
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Managing the Timelines
When planning, allow extra time for:
Everything! Things take longer than you think Getting materials and resources Things not going according to plan! Ethics approval, if you need it
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Starting a Research Logbook Is considered a ‘must have’ by all scientists and
engineers (and judges!) Helps you keep track of all your ideas Include a summary of successes and failures Allows you to go back to earlier ideas when things
don’t work according to plan Provides a place to write down
your observations and opinions
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Safety & Ethics Guidelines
Protect both you and anyone involved in your work Full guidelines at http://basef.mcmaster.ca List of prohibited substances
(no, you can’t blow things up ) All animal research requires prior approval No vertebrate research except as observations in a
natural setting Must get ethics approval for human subject research
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Planning the Procedure or Building the Prototype
Your plan should be so detailed that another person could use it to repeat your work
Include a detailed materials list Think of your written procedure
as a recipe for your work Refer to page 15 in the Student Workbook
for specifics for each type of projectBASEF 2004
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Conducting the Experiment or Study, or Building the Prototype
Follow your procedure exactly as written Make careful notes if you make
any changes Record both quantitative and qualitative
observations during the work Take photographs of each stage of work
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Organizing & Analyzing Data
Record results in a chart to show patterns more clearly
Graphing may make trends more obvious Ask critical questions:
What do the results really mean?
What explanations exist for these results?
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Conclusions & Applications
What did your work show? What would happen if you changed a part
of your process? How will this knowledge be useful?
Summarize your work clearly, and tie the conclusions directly to your original question and hypothesis.
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Your Written Report
Communicates! Use it to tell a story about your work
Is clear and logical – someone else could use it to repeat your work
Follows the content list on page 21 of the Student Workbook
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Displaying Your Work
Display should be sturdy and freestanding
Go for bold! 24pt or larger, bright colours
Use graphs and photos to illustrate process and results
Think of your display as a webpage, and your written report as the links
Go to http://basef.mcmaster.ca to view winning projects
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Further information can be found at the BASEF website:
http://basef.mcmaster.caBASEF 2004
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Good luck on your project!
Remember to go to the Science Success: Student Workbook for details of each stage
The workbook will help you create a winning and rewarding project!
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Acknowledgements BASEF gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Ontario
Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. The Foundation receives annually $100 million in government funding through Ontario’s charity casino initiative. It provides grants to eligible charitable and not-for-profit organizations in the arts, culture, sports, recreation, environment and social service sectors.
In addition, BASEF would like to thank Dr. Joseph Engemann, Dr. Stacey Brydges, Dr. Pippa Lock, Angelo Brunetti, Rocco DiSabatino, Martine Fornoville, Gerry Fuchs, Gord Simmons, and Sandy Walker for their feedback during the development of this project.
Author: Nicola SimmonsDesign & Layout: Nicola SimmonsProject Director: Wuchow Than