Mr. Byerly's Wi-Sci World

Change in Science Fair Plans

Dear Parents,

I have asked our students to stop working on their Science Fair projects.

After discussions with Mr. Gardner (our Principal) and Mr. Young (our Science Department Chair), I think the nature of this project is going to change.

I would like to move this project to spring and weave our science fair project (a detailed exploration of science process skills) into our Plants Unit. I would like to spend the last quarter of the school year experimenting with plant in class.

I think this will be a really valuable educational experience because the whole class will be able to integrate standardized data in our research and we will be able to compare and contrast our experimental findings. I really like the idea of the vast majority of the work being done in the classroom.

Furthermore, instead of winners and losers, we foster a feeling of collaboration. This is the spirit that seems compatible with our seventh grade Pinewood science classroom.

I will be sending home a more complete letter detailing the changes to our seventh grade science fair project, but I wanted you to know what I had in mind.

If any student still wish to compete in the county fiar (SYNOPSYS) they may talk to Miss Robinson or myself and we will help them with their project.

Mr. B.

Science Fair Project Report

12 Points
Extra-Credit - to be added directly to your project grade.

Directions: 
Use Koopman’s “How to Write an Abstract” as an outline. Instead of a sentence for each section, write a paragraph and go into more detail.

I.    Introduction
II.    Motivation
III.    Problem Statement
IV.    Approach (1-2 paragraphs)
V.    Results (1-2 paragraphs)
VI.    Conclusions

You may submit a maximum of eight well-constructed paragraphs, 500 well-chosen words, and three scintillating pages.

You must submit the paper to me no later than 4 p.m. on Friday, March 31, 2006. Papers may be submitted at any time before that date. Papers not submitted on time will not be accepted.

If you email the paper, you MUST use the following subject line:
Full Name and the words “Project Report”
(Kent Byerly Project Report)

BIG NEWS

THE STUDENTS WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A PAPER IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SCIENCE FAIR.

ANY STUDENT WHO HAS STARTED ON A PAPER, OR WHO WISHES TO DO A PAPER, MAY DO SO FOR EXTRA CREDIT.

After conversation with Miss Robinson, we have decided several things:

• The students did a fantastic job on their science fair projects.
• The students are feeling overwhelmed.
• The paper was adding to that feeling of being overwhelmed.
• We really want the Science Fair to be an exciting, motivating event - not a chore which must be done.

Given our observations, the obvious conclusion is to reward the effort of our students and cancel the paper. The classroom presentations will be viewed very critically and of course, the students will be judged by other teachers - so each student is doing their presentation twice. That seems like enough pressure.

Any student who chooses to write the paper should come speak to me. Help will be available and the paper will count for a large extra credit grade.

Please send me any comments, question or concerns.

Mr. B
kbyerly@pinewood.edu

Science Fair Tuesday

10:20
Olivia and Monica        Room 19
Nakta and Ambika        Room 21
Margo and Ally             Activities Center

10:35    Katherine        Activities Center
10:45    Keyan              Activities Center
10:55    Kyle                Activities Center
11:05    Cameron         Activities Center

12:25    Cynthia and Haley     Activities Center

12:35
Lizzie and Chloe            Room 20
Sarah M. and Einat        Room 19
Trevor and Marco          Room 21
Stephie and Jenise        Activities Center

Science Fair Monday

Well, check in was interesting.

I appreciate everyone helping me figure out how to improve my best laid plans. I really appreciate the cooperation and excellent attitude of all my students. It took a while to get organized. Akila, Ilana, Nate, Phil, Anthony, Diana, Andy, Andrew, Julia, Chelsea, Sarah Normoyle, Avnee, Erika, Sam and Kimberly (whew!!) all did their presentations today. I am asking them to post their comments when they have a moment. We will start classroom presentations tomorrow.

Tomorrow's schedule will be in the next post.

7th Grade Schedule

Here is a quick view of the schedule for judging this week. The students have this information in their assignment notebook, but for reminders and parent interest...

Download fair_schedule.doc

THE SCIENCE FAIR

Judging

Student projects will be judged during school (science class, at break, during lunch) between Monday and Thursday.

The Science Fair

The Pinewood Science Fair will be on the evening of Thursday, March 2, 2006.a

7:00 - 8:00 Science Fair - Parent and Student walk through and refreshments.

8:00 – 8:30     Awards Ceremony

* Students take home their display boards after the awards ceremony.

• Display boards are due Monday, February 27, 2006.

• Oral Presentations will be presented in class Tuesday, February 28, 2006 – Thursday, March 2, 2006. There will be a random drawing to determine the order of student presentations.

Science Fair Central

A tasty treat just for you:
Check out the Science Fair Central at Discovery School!!
Check out the link below and check out the samples in the Photo Album.

More on the Display Board

The Science Fair Display

Your science fair display represents all the work that you have done. It should consist of a backboard, the project report, and anything that represents your project, such as models made, items studied, photographs, surveys, and the like. It must tell the story of the project in such a way that it attracts and holds the interest of the viewer. It has to be thorough, but not too crowded, so keep it simple.

The allowable size and shape of the display backboard can vary, so you will have to check the rules for your science fair. A three-sided backboard is usually the best way to display your work. Sturdy cardboard or other heavy material is easier to work with and is less likely to be damaged during transportation to the fair. Wooden panels can be cut and hinged together. Some office supply stores sell inexpensive pre-made backboards. If these are not available in your area, you can order inexpensive pre-made backboards from science supply companies. Purchased backboards generally come in two colors, black and white. You can use a different color by covering the backboard with self-stick, colored shelving paper or cloth. For items placed on the backboard, select colors that stand out but don't distract the viewer from the material being presented. For example, if everything is in fluorescent colors, the bright colors, instead of your work, will be what catches the eye.

The title and other headings should be neat and large enough to be read at a distance of about 3 feet (1 m). A short title is often eye-catching. You can purchase, at office supply stores, self-sticking letters of various sizes and colors for the title and headings and stick them to the backboard. You can cut your own letters out of construction paper or stencil the letters for all the headings directly onto the backboard. You can also use a word processor to print the title and other headings.

Some teachers have set rules about the position of the information on the backboard. The following headings are examples: Problem, Hypothesis, Experiment (materials and procedure), Data, Results, Conclusion, and Next Time. The project title should go at the top of the center panel, and the remaining material needs to be placed neatly in some order. Figure 7.1 shows one way of placing the material. The heading "Next Time," though not always required, may be included if desired. It would follow the conclusion and contain a brief description of plans for future development of the project. You could include this information in the conclusion rather than under a separate heading.

*Pinewood Students: display boards must include Experimental Design (Abstract), Statement of Purpose, Research Summary, Hypothesis, Experiment, Analysis and Conclusion. Check Mr. Byerly’s website for more information.

You want a display that the judges will remember positively. So before you glue everything down, lay the board on a flat surface and arrange the materials a few different ways. This will help you decide on the most suitable and attractive presentation.

Helpful Hints

1. Place all typed material on a colored backing, such as construction paper. Leave a border of 1/4 to 1/2 inch (0.63 to 1.25 cm) around the edges of each piece of typed material. Use a pape cutter so that the edges will be straight.
2. Make the project title stand out by using larger letters for it and smaller letters for the headings.
3. To arrange the letters on the backboard, first lay the letters out on the board without attaching them. Then, use a      yardstick (meter stick) and pencil to draw a straight, light guideline where the bottom of each letter should line up. This will help you keep the lettering straight. Before adhering everything, ask the opinion of other students, teachers, or family members.
4. If you need electricity for your project, be sure the wiring meets all safety standards.
5. Bring an emergency kit with extra letters, glue, tape, construction paper the color of the backboard, stapler, scissors, pencils, pens, touch-up paint, markers, and so forth. This kit should contain anything that you think you might need to make last-minute repairs to the display.
6. Before standing your backboard on the display table, cover the table with a colored cloth. Choose a color that matches the color scheme of the backboard. This will help to separate your project from other projects displayed on either side.     

Do's and Don'ts

Do use computer-generated graphs.

Do display photos representing the procedure and the results.

Do use contrasting colors.

Do limit the number of colors used.

Do display models when applicable. If possible, make the models match the color scheme of the backboard.

Do attach charts neatly. If there are many, place them on top of each other so that the top chart can be lifted to reveal the ones below.

Do balance the arrangement of materials on the backboard. This means evenly distributing the materials on the board so that they cover about the same amount of space on each panel.

Do use rubber cement or double-sided tape to attach papers. White school glue causes the paper to wrinkle.

Don't leave large empty spaces on the backboard.

Don't leave the table in front of the backboard empty. Display your models (if any), report, copies of your abstract, and your journal here.

Don't hang electrical equipment on the backboard so that the electric cord runs down the front of the backboard.

Don't make the title or headings hard to read by using uneven lettering, words with letters of different colors, or disorganized placement of materials.

Don't hand-print the letters on the backboard.

Don't attach folders that fall open on the backboard.

Don't make mistakes in spelling words or writing formulas.

From Janice VanCleave's Guide to the Best Science Fair Projects,
Janice VanCleave (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1997)

Display Board Tips

Project Display Checklist

1. Pictures taken during the experiment
2. Data notebook or background research notebook
3. Any equipment or material used in the experiment (that is not excluded by rules)
4. Abstract
5. Title (as a header at the top of the display board)
6. Hypothesis
7. Procedure
8. Results
9. Conclusions
10. Applications
11. Charts, graphs, tables, or other visual aids
12. Statistics, where appropriate