Saturday, November 14, 2009

Science Fair Questions

This blog is to be an interactive board for students to post questions, answer or suggest ideas to other students, and/or get direct feedback from Mrs. Spires. Please post appropriate questions, comments and thoughts. Best of luck!

46 comments:

  1. I have a question about the ISEF forms. In my experiment I'll need volunteers(already chosen). So does that mean I will have to fill out the ISEF forms and return them, or does everyone have to anyway?

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  2. Will we have a parent preview for the science fair?

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  3. To ISEF form question, I will give you details on those forms AFTER your research plan has been approved. Don't worry, they are pretty simple, everyone has to do the first three forms, and if you need to additional ones - I will explain them to you. No worries.

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  4. Parent Preview - The science fair judging is conducted during the school day. The night prior and during the school day, parents are welcome to come into the gym and look at all of the projects. Later that night, I believe 6-7 will be the Open House for the community to come in and look at the projects. At 7pm the awards ceremony will begin. (The times are still yet to be confirmed, but this is the general framework.)

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  5. You need to research deeper. What makes the diaper absorbent? Research the polymers that are in the diapers. Cut open each of the diapers and 'shake out' the powder to get a look at them. Compare their ingredient lists and research their lists...this could give you more insight as to why one could hold more than another. (Remember the magic cup trick I did first day of school? Those were super-absorbent polymers...)

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  6. Problem/Engineering Goals: What is the problem that you are trying to solve? If you are building something as a part of your experiment, this would go in your engineering goal section.

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  7. You may adjust your hypothesis based on new information found in the research process.

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  8. The research paper MUST be typed. I know, we are ending a nice long break...hope you enjoyed it! :)

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  9. For the engineering goal part, can i put how i'm going to taste the texture and freshness of the beans?

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  10. I have to preserve green beans for part of my project and i'm not quite sure which methods I will use yet. Would i have to figure out the methods I will use and list the supplies needed for them in the procedure part of the research plan or can i just put - I will buy materials for the preserving methods i will use.

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  11. Ok thank you so much i really appreciate it and do you know what kind of diaper that powder came from?

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  12. The number of steps for your procedure will vary from project to project. Just be very clear in your detail so that anyone could repeat the procedure IDENTICALLY to yours!

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  13. Green beans - yes, you MUST have the preserving methods and ALL materials listed and procedures in step by step fashion for the research plan. If you do not have an engineering goal, leave it blank.

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  14. when are you going to fix the ISEF Forms link? it would be great to know what needed to be filled out and get a head start.

    see you in class:-)

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  15. Mrs Spires-

    I have a idea for yearbook cover!!!
    Is there a good time to show you on my USB drive.
    please let me know after class.(comment posted monday November 30.)

    Erica

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  16. Erica - I am at school tomorrow, but in Science teacher meetings...so how about before lunch on Wednesday? Looking forward to it! :)

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  17. ISEF Forms - I have corrected the ISEF form link on my website. Also, I have added a link for "Which ISEF forms do I need?" It is a brief quiz which will ultimately tell you which forms you must fill out. A new and helpful tool offered this year for a first time!

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  18. Mrs.Spires that would be perfect!!!!

    see you then!
    Erica

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  19. Is it ok if our 3 printed resorces are generally about our topic and not exactly about the topic we are doing?

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  20. ~Mrs.Spires I am doing What brand of diapers holds the most liquid for the price you pay for 1 resorce I would cut off the ingrediants off of the back of the diaper box and for another reasorce write whats in the diaper also for another what materials the people use to actually make the diaper
    ~Thank You

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  21. Diaper - none of those are resources. After looking at ingredient list, research THOSE ingredients. Encyclopedias, Search absorbent materials or absorbent polymers or polymers in general. Printed resources are books, journals, encyclopedias, magazines, essentially materials that has been written by someone else and edited and then published.

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  22. The 3 minimum printed resources need to be useful to your project. General is okay, as long as that general source had information that you have used and is relevant to your topic.

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  23. I was sick today.
    did I miss anything big?????

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  24. I have 3 pages most of them are my instrutions i have over 10 of them.
    is this ok??

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  25. It is perfectly fine if your research plan is more than 1 page long. You are just including the specific detail that makes projects GREAT!

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  26. Um.. is the internet count for a reasourse and if you cut the ingredants off the diaper box is that an ingredant and if you get a book about the stuff in the diaper is that a reasorce ~Thank YOU

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  27. Mrs. Spires,
    For my experiment, I'm preserving green beans, each one differently. If one of the methods doesn't work (for example, a can breaks) could I just eliminate it from my project or should I make back-up stuff?

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  28. For engineering goals, well on my project I have to record how long it takes for someone to do something, so would I put that under engineering goals?

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  29. For your three printed resources, can the book/articles be about what cause your varible to change?
    example: I am looking at colors and light waves affecting the color, so can one of my resources be about color or light waves since it plays a part in my project??

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  30. The Internet and ingredient list off of a box ARE NOT printed resources. Printed resources are books, magazines, newspapers or journals.

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  31. Green beans - definitely make 2 or 3 samples for each method of preservation. This will help if three are any accidnts, but will also be a larger sample size and increase the validity of your experiment.

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  32. Don't stress about the engineering goals. If you don't have one, it is okay. :)

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  33. Color & Light wave resources - yes, that book would be an acceptable resource.

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  34. Dear Mrs.Spires I was wondering on our research plan you gave us an example in our packets and I am using the same format. Is that ok or should I use something differant.
    Thanks,
    Anonymous

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  35. DIAPER~ok thank you i will look up the polymer and absorbant polymer and the other ingredants from the encyclopedia

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  36. Dear Mrs.Spires
    On our bibliography do we have to use books can we use the internet?

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  37. I doing my rasearch plan and I am using the sample in the packet. My question is: Do we need to have the Engineering Goals pharagraph

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  38. this isnt about science fair, but I need the ctf's for the last two weeks and some arent in the ctf book at school. Im sure I can get them from a friend, but it would help if I can find this on the website. If this does not happen, thank you for your time and merry christmas!

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  39. ~Mrs.Spires what and when is the next thing do for science fair?
    Thank You

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  40. CTF's - I updated my log book today, but am still mising a few from when Miss Walton was here. I will try to fing those by Friday.
    Thanks for asking for this! You aren't the only one who will need them....and so now you have helped others!

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  41. Sci Fair Next Step - Once I give you back your research plan (that will be sometime next week, definitely before winter break) then you will begin your experiment and collect data and take pictures! Look in your packet (pg. 2) should have the general outline for your work from here on out!

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  42. Mrs. Spires-

    I think your blog is really awesome. I am so happy to see our 7th graders taking advatange of such a great resource. :)

    Mrs. Young

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  43. Thanks, Mrs. Young.
    It's great that you have a blog, too.
    I hope all of our students start using this resource!
    :)

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  44. Mrs. Spires
    When I click on the ISEF form thing a page comes up saying this page cannot be found. What should I do?

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  45. YIKES!
    I keep trying to fix the ISEF form link, yet when I get it fixed - there is a new problem within a couple of days. I will keep trying to fix it. I apologize for the delay, but we will get it straightened out. Thanks for informing me of this glitch!

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  46. Mrs. Spires
    I posted the comment about the ISEF form yesterday and II just wanted to say that my computer recently crashed so we might not have something downloaded yet to bring up the page. I just thought I would tell you this in case it's just my computer. I wouldn't want you to have to do anything that you wouldn't need to. See you on Friday since you won't be here tomorrow :)

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