Science fair
Packet
Page 1: Title Page
Page 2: Science fair letter
Page 3: entry form
Page 4: scoring sheet 4/5
Page 5: example of science
fair boards
Page 6: scientific method
Worksheet—this is
not required to be
turned in-
Page 7: Exhibit guidelines
Page 8: scoring sheet K-3
Page 9: scientific method
information
2012
COTTONWOOD CREEK
SCIENCE FAIR
Tuesday, march 6
STUDENT HANDOUT
Students can bring in their boards after 4:00 p.m. on Monday,
March 5th and place them in their assigned spot in the gym. They
may also set up the morning of the fair on Tuesday, March 6th
before school begins.
*Tuesday, March 6 - Judging with students will begin @ 9:30 a.m.
Students are randomly pulled from class. We typically begin with the
K-3 in the morning, followed by 4-5 in the afternoon.
*Students will go with their homeroom class in the afternoon
to walk through and observe the projects.
PARENTS:
*Tuesday, March 6th 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Parents are welcomed to come and view the Science Fair.
Attention 5TH GRADE
Fifth graders are required to participate in the Science Fair.
Partners are not allowed.
ENTRY FORM IS DUE FOR ALL STUDENTS ON
FRIDAY, MARCH 2ND.
COTTONWOOD CREEK ELEMENTARY
SCIENCE FAIR 2012
January 2012
Dear Parents,
Thank you for your interest in having your child participates in the
school science fair. The Science Fair will be held on Tuesday, March 6 in
the gym. Attached you will find several sheets that will help your child with
ideas and organization of the project. Included in the packet is the entry
form. The entry form is due Friday, March 2.
Students may bring in their projects the day before the science fair and
set them up on March 5th after 4:00 p.m. or the morning of the fair (before
the bell rings) on Tuesday, March 6th. When students enter the gym to set
up, they just need to find their name card on the table and display the board.
Judging will take place on Tuesday, March 6th. Students will be called
down throughout the day and interviewed by the judges. Please refer to the
scoring sheet that is included in the packet so you can review the guidelines
with your child. After the Cottonwood Creek Science Fair is held, The
Alaska Science & Engineering Fair will be held in Anchorage during the
month of March. Students who are interested in participating can go to their
website @ http://www.alaskasciencefair.org for more information.
Students are typically “nervous” when they are being interviewed. We
try to make this experience as comfortable as possible. Each judge will ask
a series of similar questions so students can accurately explain their
experiment. Please remember no live animals, hazardous materials, or
anything classified as a weapon (example: a potato launcher).
If at anytime you have questions or need help regarding the science fair,
please contact Mrs. Bleicher @ 864-2125.
Thank You!
Cottonwood Creek Elementary Science Fair
Entry Form Due Friday, March 2nd
1. Student Name:_______________________________
2. Home Phone:_________________________________
3. Teacher______________________________________
4. Grade (circle one) 1 2 3 4 5
5. Project Title:_______________________ (Name of Project)
6. Special Display Needs:_________________________
(Electrical outlet, extra space, etc…)
7. Purpose of Project_______________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
8. Student Agreement: I agree to do my best to follow the Science Fair rules and complete
a good project with minimum of help.
Student Signature_________________Date___________
9. Parent/Sponsor Agreement: I have read the Cottonwood Creek Science Fair Student
Handbook and agree to see that this student is aware of the rules and meet all deadlines. I
also agree to see that this exhibit is set up at the fair and removed on schedule.
Parent/Sponsor Signature________________Date___________________________
th
UPPER GRADES—4 & 5th GRADE Name__________________________
Criteria for Judging Science Fair Projects
There are many methods of judging science fair projects. This one, based on 100
points, will be used by the judges at the science fair.
Criteria
A. Scientific Thought: Scientific Method
1. Student set up experiment carefully and displayed 1 2 3 4 5
abstract in front of their board.
2. Student’s conclusion is logical.
1 2 3 4 5
3. Student’s science fair board shows title, question,
hypothesis, materials, procedure, results, and
conclusion.
1 2 3 4 5
4. Experiment is an original idea.
1 2 3 4 5
B. Physical Display
1. Student has a well-constructed backdrop
to display the project. 1 2 3 4 5
2. Display tells story of the project accurately. 1 2 3 4 5
3. Display is appealing and is NEATLY done. 1 2 3 4 5
4. Display shows all the components of
scientific method--question, hypothesis, 1 2 3 4 5
materials, results, and conclusion.
C. Attendance at Science Fair
1. Project was turned in on time. 1 2 3 4 5
2. Student greeted judges appropriately. 1 2 3 4 5
D. Oral Presentation
1. Student gives clear explanation about the 1 2 3 4 5
project.
2. They can clearly state the Scientific
Method and discuss how each part relates 1 2 3 4 5
to their experiment.
3. Oral presentation is coherent and well-organized. 1 2 3 4 5
4. Oral presentation had effective use of visual aids. 1 2 3 4 5
5. Students answer questions accurately. 1 2 3 4 5
Levels of Performance:
5= Superior
4= Excellent
3=Good
2=Satisfactory
1=Fair
TOTAL POINTS
EARNED:_____________
Organize your information like a newspaper so that your audience can
quickly follow the thread of your experiment by reading from top to bottom, then
left to right. Include each step of your science fair project: Abstract, question,
hypothesis, variables, background research, and so on.
This sample shows how difficult it can be to read text
when you print it on top of an image. Don't do it!
Students are encouraged to use this handout when completing their
experiment. They understand the information from this form can help them
complete the board.
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
Question:____________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Hypothesis:___________________________________________
___________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Materials:____________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Procedure:____________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Results: _____________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Conclusion:____________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
EXHIBIT GUIDELINES
Exhibits must be prepared solely by students. Parents my only advise.
1. General Suitability: Cottonwood Creek Elementary School reserves the right
to refuse any project which is considers unsafe or unsuitable for display or which
does not conform to the Science Fair rules. Furthermore, it will not be
responsible for loss or damage to any project or part thereof.
2. Project Outline: Include the following in each exhibit:
A. Title of the project written in large letters.
B. Question: What are you trying to answer?
C. Hypothesis: What is your educated guess as to what will happen?
D. Materials: What things were used for the experiment?
E. Procedure: What were the steps to your experiment?
F. Results: What happened during your experiment?
G. Conclusion: What do the results mean? What did you learn?
3. Main Display Elements:
A. Display Size- The maximum size is a total exhibit is:
Width (side to side): 48 in.
Depth(front to back): 30 in.
Height(floor to top): 72 in.
Display Construction
Exhibits must be free standing. Nothing may be attached to the walls, table
or floor in the exhibit space. Therefore, strong durable materials suitable for the
size and shape of the exhibit should be used.
NO LIVE ANIMAL MAY BE EXHIBITED AT THE FAIR-You may display toy
animals, drawings, photos, charts or graphs to illustrate your exhibit.
JUDGING CRITERIA NAME_______________________
Grades K, 1, 2, 3
GRADE___________________________
EACH PART IS WORTH TEN POINTS.
Questions 1-8 are asked by the judges. These are the specific questions students in
K, 1, 2, 3 are asked.
1. What is the name of your project? ______________
2. What is on your science board? __________
3. Can you tell me the materials you used for the experiment? ________
4. How did you set up your experiment? ________________
5. What was your favorite part of the experiment? _______________
6. What did you learn from your experiment? __________________
7. Why do you think science experiments are important? ___________
8. Why did you choose this experiment? ______________________
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Questions 9 and 10 are scored by the judges.
9. The board is neatly done.____________________________________
Board needs to include: Question/Problem, Hypothesis, Materials, Procedure,
Results, and Conclusion
10. The student could logically explain the answer to each of the questions asked by
the judges. They understand their experiment._______________
TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 100/ POINTS EARNED
The Scientific Method
The following is a review of the Scientific Method with some key questions and directions on how to design and conduct
an experiment.
Problem/Purpose
What is your goal?
What idea are you trying to test?
What is the scientific question you are trying to answer?
Hypothesis
Explain how you think your project can demonstrate your purpose.
Make a prediction regarding the outcome of your experiment.
State the results you are predicting in measurable terms.
Procedure
Give a detailed explanation of how you will conduct the experiment to test your hypothesis.
Be clear about the variables (elements of the experiment that change to test your hypothesis) versus your
controls (elements of the experiment that do not change).
Be very specific about how you will measure results to prove or disprove your hypothesis. You should include a
regular timetable for measuring results or observing the projects (for example, every hour, every day, every
week).
Your procedure should be like a recipe - Another person should be able to perform your experiment following
your procedure. Test this with a friend or parent to be sure you have not forgotten anything.
Materials
List all materials and equipment that were used.
Your list of materials should include all of the ingredients of the procedure recipe.
Observations/Data/Results
Keep a detailed journal of observations, data, and results. Your journal should contain data measurements and
written notes about what you are sensing (hearing, seeing, or touching) about your experiment.
If appropriate, photograph your project results or phases of the project to help your analysis and possibly to
demonstrate your experiment on your exhibit board.
Analysis
Explain your observations, data, and results. This is a summary of what your data has shown you.
List the main points that you have learned.
Why did the results occur? What did your experiment prove?
Was your hypothesis correct? Did your experiment prove or disprove your hypothesis? This should be
explained thoroughly.
Conclusion
Answer your problem/purpose statement.
What does it all add up to? What is the value of your project?
What further study do you recommend given the results of your experiment? What would be the next question
to ask?
If you repeated this project, what would you change?