Willamette Science Fair

Science Fair 2015 Willamette Primary School Wednesday, February 25, 2015 6:00-7:30 pm

Information and Registration Packet

General Information

All Willamette Primary students are encouraged to enter a project in our Science Fair. It is a non- competitive forum to highlight student inquiry projects.

Students first complete the form at the end of this document and return it to their teacher by January 23rd. Then they work at home individually or in groups and deliver completed projects to their class on Monday, February 23rd. Projects will be exhibited through February 25th, when we will have a special Science Fair Family Night.

Types of Projects Accepted o Experimental: the scientific method is used to conduct and explain an experiment o Models and designs including inventions and engineering projects o Observational: including animal behavior and environmental studies o Research in any scientific field

WLWV School District Science Fair

All entrants in the science fair are encouraged to enter the CREST/Jane Goodall Science Symposium Fair on Friday, February 27th at West Linn High School. For information regarding this event, please contact your child’s classroom teacher or Sara McCarney.

1 How to Enter

As noted above, simply fill out the form at the end of this document and return it to your teacher by January 23rd. The entry form must be signed by a parent/guardian, who may be contacted to obtain any missing information. If you have questions, please contact your teacher.

Getting Started

There are many resources available to help. The Willamette Primary and West Linn libraries have resources to support inquiry projects. The website Science Buddies ( www.sciencebuddies.org ) is a great resource for project ideas and tools. Many other ideas can be found at sites such as the Internet Public Library: www.ipl.org/div/projectguide. Last but not least, simply start by exploring the world around you and asking yourself, ”What do I want to learn more about?”

Entry Rules

Projects MUST:

● Demonstrate an understanding of the scientific process or be an exploration of a scientific topic ● Show student ideas and work ● Be neat and creative!

Display Boards Should Be Used to Present Projects. Boards May Include:

● Title of project ● Student name(s), grade(s), and school ● Background information: what was learned through initial research and how you decided what you wanted to learn more about ● Hypothesis: prediction of what would happen ● Procedure: what was done, including experiment design ● Results: including what happened, data, observations, charts, graphs ● Conclusions: what was learned

2 Your Project Display May NOT Include:

● Science or math kits from stores ● Expensive or non-replaceable property ● Live animals including insects (observing live animals during the research process IS permitted) ● Bacterial specimens ● Matches or flames ● Hazardous or flammable substances ● Electricity passing through an un-insulated wire ● Uncontained messes or liquids, or anything that may cause stains ● Breakable items ● Blood ● Gory products or illustrations

Suggestions for Parents/Guardians

➢ Help your child get started. Project ideas may include topics your child is curious about and/or learning about in class. Have your child think about the following sentences: o I want to . . . to find or show . . . o I think that . . . will happen if I . . . o I want to learn more about . . .

➢ Encourage your child. The fair is meant to be an enjoyable learning experience. It is non- competitive. Parents do not need a background in STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) to be a support!

➢ Monitor your child’s progress. Changing ideas, missing items, over-looking steps, and not managing time effectively are common occurrences in any project. If necessary, help guide your child towards completing a project with the goal of helping them learn the skills to work more independently on the next project.

➢ Avoid doing your child’s project for them. Help as noted above is encouraged, but handwritten signs and descriptions in students’ own words are perfectly fine!

3 Timeline and Checklist to Help with Project Planning and Completion

Week of January _____ Turn in registration form by January 23rd. 19th _____ Gather information on topic _____ Formulate question and hypothesis based on background research Week of January _____ Design study or experiment to find out possible answers to 26th question(s) Remember that if an experiment is being conducted, variables should be controlled, if possible, or noted if they cannot be controlled Week of February _____ Begin experiment or study 2nd Remember to allow time to repeat experiment or engage in study. If possible, begin working on how findings will be presented Week of February _____ Finish experiment or study 9th _____ Develop way to display work

Week of February _____ Assemble poster 16th _____ Present findings to friends and family _____ Students able to answer most questions about project February 23rd

_____ Bring project to school!

February 25th Projects on display for classroom viewing during the day February 25th _____ Families attend Science Fair from 6:00-7:30 (students can take projects home at 7:30) February 26th _____ Remaining projects brought home. February 27th _____ Interested students take projects to WLWV CREST-Jane Goodall Science Symposium at West Linn High School

Science Fair 2015!

4 Willamette Primary School

Registration Form

Date:______

Name(s): ______

Teacher (s): ______

Topic: ______

Question to Be Investigated: ______

______

Student Signature: ______

______

Parent Signature: ______

Please return this form to your teacher no later than January 23rd. Thank you for participating—we can’t wait to see your project!