Resources:
Science Project
Every student will be required to complete a science project for a final semester grade. Students have the opportunity to choose between science fair boards or technology (PowerPoint, Prezi, etc.) as means to present.
Science projects will be an ongoing process during the fall semester, and it will be highly unlikely for a student to pass the semester without submitting a science project. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to due dates and guidelines. All topics should be approved by the science teacher prior to beginning the process a separate research paper will also be required as part of the science projects. Progression on the projects and research papers will be monitored in class.
All science projects must be completed and submitted to me on the due date, December 8th, 2017, to be presented in class.
Please review the attached dates, formats, and guidelines for science projects. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I am anticipating some great projects!
Science Project Dates:
I have “chopped up” the science fair project into smaller chunks. As a parent myself I understand the challenges of a large project. My goal is to make this project a fun activity for all my students. The due dates may vary from other classes.
The following dates may change
September 19th - Problem, Purpose (to be approved by Wednesday, September 23)
October 14th - Rough Draft for research paper
November 18th - Hypothesis Experimental Design (materials, procedure, variables, and safety)
December 1st - Research Paper is due (to include background research, procedure, results, etc.)
December 13th - Entire Project presentations due (including conclusion, graphs, tables, charts and credit slides)
December 15th -23th -Presentations of projects in class
January TBA - Campus Science Fair
Science Project Ideas:
These examples were found at: http://chemistry.about.com/od/sciencefairprojectideas/a/6thgradeproject.htm. You may found more inspirations online.
As you decide on what interests you, make sure to check with your parents to see if they can provide you with the tools needed. Also, consider the time it takes to complete the investigation. An experiment that involves growing plants for example may require more time.
Writing Your Research Paper
Academic conventions refer to the specific that a writer must follow when writing professional or scholarly papers. The fields of science use the conventions, or , outlined by the American Psychological Association (APA) manual.
Title Page
An abstract is a 75-100 word paragraph that provides the reader with a quick overview of your paper.It should summarize and key .It should also summarize results and conclusions, as well as implications or applications of the research you will discuss in your paper.
An abstract is written after the report is completed, even though it is intended to be read first. If your instructor requires you to write an abstract for your research paper, it will be written on its own page, which will come after the title page.Center the word “Abstract” one inch from the top of the page.
The Text
Main Text (or Body)
The main text of your paper should discuss your research and project results in an organized fashion.Follow your outline to help keep your ideas together.Make sure to discuss not only background , you must also summarize how you conducted your experiment and what results you found from your data sets.
Reference Page
Your reference page will begin on a new page at the end of your paper.The reference page allows you to share your information sources for the reader so that he or she can try to duplicate or build on your work.Center the title “References” about one inch from the top of the page. Double space throughout your reference page.Follow these additional guidelines for your reference page:
APA Style Documentation
Reference List Examples
Book by one author
Baldwin, C. (2004) Acids & bases. Chicago: Raintree.
Book by two or more authors
Engelmayer, J.E., Davidson, J., & Wagman, R.M. (1995). Lord’s justice. Garden City, New York: Anchor Books.
Book with an editor or editors
Duncan, G.J., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (Eds.). (1997). Consequences of growing up poor. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
Work in an anthology
Seegmiller, B. (1993) Pregnancy. In Denmark & M. Paludi (Eds.), Psychology of women: A handbook of issues and theories (pp. 437-474). Westport, CT: Greenwood.
Article in a journal
Lofland, L. Theory-basing and answer-improving in the study of social movements. The American Sociologist, 24(2), 37-58.
Article in a monthly magazine
Schuster, A.M.H. (1995, July). Colorful cotton. Archaeology, 48, 40-45.
Article in a weekly magazine
Dworkin, P., & Magorin, N. (1990, May 29). The incredible shrinking PC, U.S. News and World Report, 106, 49-69.
Signed article in a newspaper
Coleman, D. (1996, July 16). Forget Money: Nothing can buy happiness, some researchers say. The New York Times, p. C2.
Unsigned article in a newspaper
A freed prisoner visits his children. (1990, May 30). Tallahassee Democrat, p. A3.
Editorial in a newspaper
Fringes, fairness, and taxes. (1990, May 21). The New York Times, p.16.
Reference work
Kaufman, H.W. (1993). The Mc-Graw-Hill encyclopedia of world biography (Vol. 1, p.219). New York: Macmillan.
Unsigned article in a reference work
Poisons and poisoning. (1995). Encyclopedia Britannica (Vol. 8, p. 586). Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica.
Article from an online database
Author, A. (Year). Title of Article. Title of Journal, Vol(No.). Date retrieved, 2008, from EBSCO database.
Non-periodical web document, web page, or report
Neyhart, D., & Karper, E. (2008). APA Formatting and Style Guide: Reference List: Electronic Sources. Retrieved July 15, 2008, from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/.
Every student will be required to complete a science project for a final semester grade. Students have the opportunity to choose between science fair boards or technology (PowerPoint, Prezi, etc.) as means to present.
Science projects will be an ongoing process during the fall semester, and it will be highly unlikely for a student to pass the semester without submitting a science project. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to due dates and guidelines. All topics should be approved by the science teacher prior to beginning the process a separate research paper will also be required as part of the science projects. Progression on the projects and research papers will be monitored in class.
All science projects must be completed and submitted to me on the due date, December 8th, 2017, to be presented in class.
Please review the attached dates, formats, and guidelines for science projects. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I am anticipating some great projects!
Science Project Dates:
I have “chopped up” the science fair project into smaller chunks. As a parent myself I understand the challenges of a large project. My goal is to make this project a fun activity for all my students. The due dates may vary from other classes.
The following dates may change
September 19th - Problem, Purpose (to be approved by Wednesday, September 23)
October 14th - Rough Draft for research paper
November 18th - Hypothesis Experimental Design (materials, procedure, variables, and safety)
December 1st - Research Paper is due (to include background research, procedure, results, etc.)
December 13th - Entire Project presentations due (including conclusion, graphs, tables, charts and credit slides)
December 15th -23th -Presentations of projects in class
January TBA - Campus Science Fair
Science Project Ideas:
- Does coloring carbonated water change how its taste is perceived?
- Do different types of carbonated sodas have different pH?
- Can you tell different brands of soda pop apart based on taste?
- Do some plants grow better inside than outside?
- Which type of water contains the lowest amount of chlorine?
- What type of insulation holds in heat the best?
- Do different types of knots affect the breaking strength of a rope?
- Does wiping a doorknob with an antibacterial wipe really reduce the numbers of bacteria?
- Does using hand sanitizer really reduce the amount of bacteria on your hands?
- How do different flame retardants affect the flammability and burning rate of cotton?
- Does temperature affect the maximum size you can inflate a balloon?
- Do the colors of a crayon affect how long of a line it will write?
- Does changing the temperature affect how long a pen will last?
These examples were found at: http://chemistry.about.com/od/sciencefairprojectideas/a/6thgradeproject.htm. You may found more inspirations online.
As you decide on what interests you, make sure to check with your parents to see if they can provide you with the tools needed. Also, consider the time it takes to complete the investigation. An experiment that involves growing plants for example may require more time.
Writing Your Research Paper
Academic conventions refer to the specific that a writer must follow when writing professional or scholarly papers. The fields of science use the conventions, or , outlined by the American Psychological Association (APA) manual.
Title Page
- Page header in top-right
- Running head on the first line of the page, left justified; the words “Running Head:” followed by a colon and abbreviated title in all caps
- Type your full title in the upper half of the page, centered
- Beneath your title, type your full name
- Beneath your name, type the name of your school
An abstract is a 75-100 word paragraph that provides the reader with a quick overview of your paper.It should summarize and key .It should also summarize results and conclusions, as well as implications or applications of the research you will discuss in your paper.
An abstract is written after the report is completed, even though it is intended to be read first. If your instructor requires you to write an abstract for your research paper, it will be written on its own page, which will come after the title page.Center the word “Abstract” one inch from the top of the page.
The Text
- The purpose of the introduction is to get the attention of the reader.You may choose to use a narrative, anecdote, description, facts and statistics, or a quotation.Before you decide how to write your introduction, you should ask yourself, “What interested ME in this topic in the first place?”and try to share that interest or excitement through your introduction.
Main Text (or Body)
The main text of your paper should discuss your research and project results in an organized fashion.Follow your outline to help keep your ideas together.Make sure to discuss not only background , you must also summarize how you conducted your experiment and what results you found from your data sets.
- The conclusion should leave the reader with a clear understanding of the importance of your research.You may use any of the following ideas in your conclusion:
- Summarize the main points and draw a conclusion
- Discuss how your research and experiment influenced your attitude toward the subject
- Discuss what you learned throughout the project
- Discuss the implications of your research
- Point out directions for future research or
- Link the ideas of the last and first paragraphs to come full-circle with your ideas
Reference Page
Your reference page will begin on a new page at the end of your paper.The reference page allows you to share your information sources for the reader so that he or she can try to duplicate or build on your work.Center the title “References” about one inch from the top of the page. Double space throughout your reference page.Follow these additional guidelines for your reference page:
- Use a hanging indent (first line is flush left and additional lines are indented five spaces)
- Alphabetize your entries by the last name of the first author or editor
- Italicize titles and subtitles of books and ONLY capitalize the first letter of the first word and proper nouns
APA Style Documentation
Reference List Examples
Book by one author
Baldwin, C. (2004) Acids & bases. Chicago: Raintree.
Book by two or more authors
Engelmayer, J.E., Davidson, J., & Wagman, R.M. (1995). Lord’s justice. Garden City, New York: Anchor Books.
Book with an editor or editors
Duncan, G.J., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (Eds.). (1997). Consequences of growing up poor. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
Work in an anthology
Seegmiller, B. (1993) Pregnancy. In Denmark & M. Paludi (Eds.), Psychology of women: A handbook of issues and theories (pp. 437-474). Westport, CT: Greenwood.
Article in a journal
Lofland, L. Theory-basing and answer-improving in the study of social movements. The American Sociologist, 24(2), 37-58.
Article in a monthly magazine
Schuster, A.M.H. (1995, July). Colorful cotton. Archaeology, 48, 40-45.
Article in a weekly magazine
Dworkin, P., & Magorin, N. (1990, May 29). The incredible shrinking PC, U.S. News and World Report, 106, 49-69.
Signed article in a newspaper
Coleman, D. (1996, July 16). Forget Money: Nothing can buy happiness, some researchers say. The New York Times, p. C2.
Unsigned article in a newspaper
A freed prisoner visits his children. (1990, May 30). Tallahassee Democrat, p. A3.
Editorial in a newspaper
Fringes, fairness, and taxes. (1990, May 21). The New York Times, p.16.
Reference work
Kaufman, H.W. (1993). The Mc-Graw-Hill encyclopedia of world biography (Vol. 1, p.219). New York: Macmillan.
Unsigned article in a reference work
Poisons and poisoning. (1995). Encyclopedia Britannica (Vol. 8, p. 586). Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica.
Article from an online database
Author, A. (Year). Title of Article. Title of Journal, Vol(No.). Date retrieved, 2008, from EBSCO database.
Non-periodical web document, web page, or report
Neyhart, D., & Karper, E. (2008). APA Formatting and Style Guide: Reference List: Electronic Sources. Retrieved July 15, 2008, from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/.