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Archive for the ‘Science Expo’ Category

Plagiarism Declaration

Please find the Plagiarism Declaration in dropbox, and include it with your EXPO project on Monday.

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How your kid can rule the Science Expo

Bill Nye the Science Guy tells you how to assist your son or daughter in wowing the judges and landing a trophy

Guide Inspiration

Kids in Preparatory School don’t have to experiment with uranium. Ask your kid to look around the kitchen with a questioning eye: why is fizzy cold-drink bubbly? Why do some bottles have caps and others have corks? Comparing items shows the critical thinking that judges value, so go beyond just observation.

Step Back

Once your child has settled on a subject, its time for you to back off. Judges can tell when an adult has interfered too much; besides the child will learn more by taking the reins. Request a simple assignment instead. Say you’ll be the ‘assistant’ to set the tone. Ask questions instead of providing explicit instructions.

Follow the method

Judges will look to see if the student stayed with the scientific method (hypothesis, experimentation, refine the idea, experimentation, final statement…remember). If your child becomes upset because the experiment isn’t working, just say that’s part of the process. After all, that’s how Science works.

Present with style

Solid Science beats loud flashy displays every time. Keep the presentation to a trifold, going easy on the neon and glitter. And resist the urge to edit; you can point out glaring errors in the report, but don’t swat the occasional stray comma or sloppy letter. This is one time when too much perfection can thwart success.

Ideas for people struggling to find a project

Test different dishwashing liquids on greasy plates to see which ones clean best. Are manufacture’s claims all they’re up to be?
Put tea-leaves into a cup with water and stir. The leaves aren’t thrown to the outside as you’d imagine, but move to the middle. How come? Try it with things like peppercorns or sunflower seeds. How do they compare?
Test how testing affects critical thinking. Ask your child to solve problems while testing and not texting, note the relapsed times. Then have him or her replicate the experiment with other people. Why are the results the way they are?

Adapted from Men’s Health (March 2013 Edition)

Category:

6A 2013, Grade 6, Parent Resource, Science Expo

Bibliography / Referencing

If you intend to go to Eskom Expo, your referencing must be like this!

REFERENCING / BIBLIOGRAPHY

Referencing means that you give credit to the various sources you have used when writing your assignment/report. A reference list should include any documentation that is not your own.
All sources should be arranged alphabetically according to the surname of the first author.

The references should be written in the following order:
Author’s surname and initials, year of publication, title (underlined), edition, place of publication, publisher. This is a Harvard Style.

1. Books:
e.g. Kritzinger, A.A.C. and Fourie, C.M.W. 1996
Basic Principles of Financial Management, Cape Town: Juta

2. Journals:
Journals should be written in the following order: author’s surname and initials, year of publication of the journal, title of article, title of journal (underlined as before), volume, pages.
e.g. Manning, T. 1996 “Three steps to the future“, Human Resource Management, 12(8), 8-9.

3. Chapters in books:
e.g. Smith, R.J. Comparative themes in higher education, in “Trends in Higher Education” edited by J.N. Green. London: Benton

4. Newspaper articles:
The reference should be written in the following order:
year, newspaper, date and month, page.
e.g. 1980. Business Day. 25 June: 7

5. Internet Referencing:
www Pages: e.g. Unkown(1995)Sentient microfilaments:
A tempest in a tubule (On-line). Available:
http:somecomputer.printer.edu/pub/harnad/psyc.95.3.26/consciousness/11/bixley
Date accessed:

6. Theses and Dissertations
e.g. Smith, R.H 1998. Critical Theory and University Transformation. DPhil thesis, Rhodes University, Grahamstown.

Source: http://www.exposcience.co.za/index.php/referencing-bibliography.html

Category:

Grade 6, Science Expo

Tips for your Science Expo

TYPES OF PROJECTS

Investigation

An investigation is a project in which you try to solve a problem or answer a question that you have identified. When you do an investigation, you follow a method that allows you to test an idea or solve a problem and come to a clear conclusion.
Projects for Expo must have original work done by participant e.g.

a survey of more than a 100 questionaires
experimental work.

Pure science

Pure science focuses on learning more about the world we live in by improving our knowledge at a fundamental and basic level. Little or no regard is given to applying this knowledge to practical applications.
Pure scientists conduct experiments or studies to test scientific hypothesis and develop theories. An important aspect of this experimentation involves identifying variables and, where possible, controlling them.

Applied science

Applied science makes use of laws, physical relationships and other knowledge developed in the pure sciences and applies this knowledge to human needs. Engineering is very closely related to applied science.
Companies make use of applied science in their research and development division to improve their products. Innovative ideas and inventions will sometimes be found in this type of project. Applied science forms the foundation for technology and applied technology.

Technology and applied technology

Technology and applied technology is the application of pure and applied science knowledge to meet a specific user need, most often in an industrial or commercial setting.

Brilliant innovation and invention is less important, rather a systematic method for user need identification as well as technology or knowledge application to meet the need.

A good project would demonstrate the development of a useful technology using a systematic design, build and test process

Engineering projects

An engineering project should state the engineering goals, development process and the evaluation of improvements. Engineering projects should include the following:

Computer Science projects
Define a need or “How can I make this better?”
Develop or establish design criteria (could be more than one)
Do background research and review literature to see what has already been done or what products already exist to fill a similar need. What makes them good and what makes them weak?
Prepare preliminary designs and a list of materials needed. Consider costs, manufacturing and user requirements.
Build and test a prototype of your best design. Consider reliability, repair and servicing.
Retest and redesign as necessary. Product testing.
Present results.

Computer Science Projects
These often involve creating and writing new algorithms to solve a problem or improve on an existing algorithm. Simulations, models or “virtual reality”.

Mathematics Projects

These involve proofs, solving equations, etc. Mathematics is the language of science and is used to explain existing phenomena or prove new concepts and ideas.

Theoretical Projects

These projects may involve a thought experiment, development of new theories and explanations, concept formation or designing a mathematical model.

STEP 1: Choosing a topic

The topic for your project should be something that you are interested in and that you want to learn more about. You may think of a good topic straight away just by looking at the list of Expo categories, or you may need to look for ideas for your topic. You can get ideas for projects from:

Newspaper and magazine articles
The internet
Television programmes
Practical problems from your community

Your idea for a project should be an original one. This means that it should be your own idea and not somebody else’s. Do not repeat an experiment from the school syllabus or choose a problem to which people already know the answer. For example “Determining the specific heat capacity on iron” is not an original topic for your Expo project. The method to follow is well known from school textbooks and you can easily look up the answer.

The best Expo projects are not always complicated, but they are imaginative and well carried out.
A good project is often:

a clever solution to a problem; or
a new idea for a piece of apparatus; or
a study or survey that no-one has done before.

Be original, but DO NOT choose a project that:

could be dangerous to yourself or others;
needs any experiments on insects, live animals or humans; or
involves collecting plants or animals that are protected by Nature Conservation laws.

Ask your teacher for advice if you are not sure whether your topic will make a suitable scientific Expo project.

STEP 2: Do a research plan

Every student should type a research plan which you should submit to your teacher/mentor/qualified scientist at the beginning of your project. Aim for an original and creative project! This plan shows how you intend to do your projectso it is written in the future tense.
The length of your research plan should be between 2-4 pages long.

Research plan for ALL projects must include the following:

A. Question or Problem being addressed

B. Hypothesis or Engineering Goal (Engineering projects only)

C. Description in detail of method or procedures that will answer the question you asked or solve the problem:

The following are important and key items that should be included when formulating ANY AND ALL research plans:

Procedures (method)
Variables: independent, dependent and controlled/fixed Data Analysis: how you will analyse the data

D. Bibliography: List the three(3) most important references (e.g. science journal articles, books, internet sites) that you used to get information about your topic and that you will refer to in your introduction/part A above. Check this site to ensure that you reference your sources correctly: http://www.exposcience.co.za/index.php/referencing-bibliography.html

STEP 3: Gather background information

Use books and internet sites for your research. A summary of your background information must be included in your introduction (this is called a literature review). Remember to record your references/bibliography

STEP 4: Collect data

Test your hypothesis/engineering goals.
Interview people interested in your topic.
Do surveys or send out questionnaires – a minimum of 100 people if applicable or make a working model to illustrate the solving of your problem.

Keep handwritten notes in a project data book (e.g. file, diary or scrap book). A project data book is your most important piece of work. Accurate and detailed notes make a logical and winning project. Good notes show consistency and thoroughness to the judges. Record data in the data book and then transfer to tables when writing your report.
Make sure you date every entry.

STEP 5: Results

Record data in tables.
Generate graphs from your tables.
Add photos with captions.
File a blank copy of your questionnaire/survey in your data book.

STEP 6: Discuss results

Interpret the data or make comparisons.
Look at trends and patterns.
Note limitation and errors in your discussion

STEP 7: Conclusion(s)

Your conclusion(s) must be based on your findings and must be linked to your hypothesis/aim/engineering goals.

Eskom Expo International Science Fair

If selected to participate test your hypothesis again and make sure that you collect more data to support your hypothesis.

STEP 8: Evaluate the whole project

Review, Revise & Redo

STEP 9: Write a report using the following headings

Choosing a title for the project: Title must be simple descriptive & scientific.
State problem/aim and hypothesis/engineering goals.
Introduction, including information collected and description of project literature review.
Method/Procedures (numbered, logical, concise, third person includes variables)
Results (record of data in tables and graphs)
Analysis/discussion and interpretation of results (including errors and modifications).
Conclusion(s)
Bibliography/References (with a list of books, magazine articles or internet sites where you acquired important information)
Acknowledgements (this is a list of the people who helped you and the help each one gave. For example, someone might have lent you a piece of equipment, taken photographs for your poster or given you some important advice)
Abstract – compulsory for Regional Expo and Eskom Expo International Science Fair (maximum of 250 words on one page).
Plagiarism form.
Research Plan.

STEP 10: Showing your work

Your presentation must include the following:

Poster
Project data book
Report file
Surveys, Questionaires (if applicable)
Working model on table (if applicable)
Your presentation must be presented logically and must be eye-catching
Check with your Regional Science Fair Director if display boards are provided and what is the size and dimensions

Compulsary layout for display board

Left Side:

- Problem & Aim
- Background information/Introduction
- Hypothesis or Engineering Goal
- Method/procedure including variables

Middle:

- Large title (Font size 150) (Same as submitted on entry to Regional Expo)
- Name and Grade underneath the title
- Results – graphs & analysis
- Photos

Right Side:

- Discussion and Interpretation of results
- Conclusion(s)
- Acknowledgements

Your display is a very important part of your exhibit. Your display should be easy to read and understand. It should explain what you did, how you did it and what you found out. Make your presentation eye-catching and interesting. You want visitors at the Eskom Expo to stop and read about what you did.

Summarised information must be laid out in a logical order. Anyone who wants more information can read your report. (Your report file is also very important).

Report File

Neat file – contents page with headings below, dividers, logical order.
At the front of the file – plagiarism pledge, research plan and abstract
Introduction including problem & literature review (Why you did the project and it includes evidence of background research and the value of your project).
Aim (to find out/to determine, etc).
Hypothesis/Engineering Goals (statement that you are going to test which includes independent and dependent variables).
Method/Procedure (How the project was carried out in the 3rd person and includes fixed variables.
Results (What happened – tables & graphs).
Analysis of Results (Results/findings/graphs explained in words, more extensive in report than on poster).
Discussion & errors and modifications (Patterns and trends are noted and explained, anomalies/unusual results are discussed, limitations noted and clarified).
Conclusions (refer directly to aim/hypothesis & engineering goals incorporates results; states whether supports engineering goals or hypothesis).
References (which books and webpages you consulted and these must be referenced correctly, the first reference must be the one where you got your project idea from).
Acknowledgements (people you talked to, who helped you and state what help they gave you).

Project Data Book

This is a record of ALL your work – no matter how untidy it is!
Everything should be dated
File all emails
File notes from interviews
File all designs, photos and plans
File copies of articles/webpages you have read – either in alphabetical order or in order of importance to the project
File all survey questionnaires

WHAT IS AN ABSTRACT?

The purpose of an abstract is to serve as a link between the title of a scientific project (research study) which may be a brief paragraph or two (maximum of 250 words). The abstract is a useful summary of
the project that provides justification for the research. The abstract allows the reader to conclude whether your project write-up is worth reading.
Your abstract appears at the beginning of your project file and a copy must be displayed on your table.

How to Write an Abstract
The abstract should include the following headings:

Purpose of the Project/Experiment

An introductory statement of the reason for investigating the topic of the project.
A statement of the problem or hypothesis or engineering goals being studied.

Method Used

A summarisation of the key points and an overview of how the investigation was conducted.
An abstract does not give details about the materials used unless it greatly influenced the procedure or had to be developed to do the investigation.
An abstract should only include procedures done by the student. Work done by a mentor (such as surgical procedures) or work done prior to student involvement must not be included.

Data/Results

This section should provide key results that lead directly to the conclusion you have drawn.
It should not give too many details about the results but must include the most important data generated in the investigations.

Conclusion(s)

Conclusion(s) from the investigation should be described briefly.
The summary paragraph should reflect on the process and possibly state some applications and extensions of the investigation.
An abstract does not include a bibliography, references or acknowledgement.

Source: http://www.exposcience.co.za/index.php/student-information.html

Category:

Grade 6, Science Expo

Ethics at the Science Fair

ETHICS STATEMENT

Scientific fraud and misconduct are not condoned at any level of research or competition. Such practices include plagiarism, forgery, use of presentation of other researcher’s work as one’s own and fabrication of data. Fraudulent projects will fail to qualify for competition at any Eskom Expo events.

1. Plagiarism

What is plagiarism? It can be defined as follows:
To use another person’s words or ideas and to pretend that they are your own. The following are considered as plagiarism:

To steal or borrow another person’s work.
To pay another person to write your assignment.
To copy directly from a source without referencing the original source & without permission from the author(s)
To use another person’s ideas and build on them withoutgivi ng credit to the original ideas.
To paraphrase another person’s work word-for-word.
To present false data (fabricated, altered or borrowed without permission).

The worst form of plagiarism is to do it intentionally:

Plagiarism can also occur unintentionally: when you rewrite another person’s ideas or words in your own words, or use small sections of another person’s writings without acknowledging it as a source.
Fraudulent projects will be disqualified at all Eskom Expo events.

It is compulsory that every participant has a signed copy of the plagiarism form in their file.

2. Ethics

Ethics is concerned with what is right or wrong, good or bad, fair or unfair, responsible or irresponsible. Research on micro-organisms, human or animal subjects including surveys, need a form signed by a supervising scientist or teacher giving approval for the project to be done. Any surveys (questionnaires) need another form giving consent
or permission by parents or schools. Both forms need to be filled in the project file in the appendix.

Make sure your project is safe and ethical
Before you start a project, it’s important to know the rules – especially if you’re thinking of using animals, human subjects, hazardous equipment or materials, recombinant DNA or other biotechnological materials. (By the way, “animals” include pets and livestock and humans include family members and students in your class or school.) It’s
heartbreaking to have your project disqualified at any Eskom Expo events because you broke the rules – or maybe even the law! Any research or experiment on potentially hazardous biological agents, animal or human subjects must be done under the supervision of a qualified scientist/laboratory. A signed letter/from the qualified scientist or/and laboratory will be required before participating at any Eskom Expo events.

ETHICS INFRINGEMENTS

Students are encouraged to check their ethical infringements before exhibiting their projects at any Eskom Expo event.
Please note that the following are not allowed on any Eskom Expo project:

Living organisms including animals, fish, insects and plants
Agar plates and other growth mediums for microbiology studies
Human or animal parts including tissues and body fluids (for example blood, urine, hooves, skins etc)
Dangerous chemicals: Poisons, drugs, medications, controlled substances, hazardous substances and devices (for example firearms, weapons, ammunition, reloading devices, knives and any other sharp instruments)
Flammable substances
Photographs or other visual presentation depicting humans or vertebrate animals in surgical techniques, dissections, necropsies or other lab procedures or who belittle people in any way or show animals being harmed in any way
Brand names or any other branded products
Food substances that are not in completely sealed containers (plastic wrap is not acceptable as it can easily be removed).
Water except if in sealed apparatus
Any apparatus deemed unsafe by the Eskom Expo organisers.

NB:Photographs will be sufficient for judging
3. Safety
All electrical work must conform to the National Electrical Code and Exhibit Halls Regulations. Fire regulations will be strictly enforced. The on-site electrician may be requested to review any electrical work on any project. The safety guidelines presented here are general ones and other rules may apply to specific configurations.
4. Patents

Innovation and Development – Patents and Registered Designs

Some participants display projects that show innovative thinking and provide new products. Expo encourages the development of entrepreneurial projects, which may lead to the marketing of these products.
Participants are advised to obtain legal advice about patent applications before entering their work at any Eskom Expo.
Once a design or product has been on public display, it can NOT be patented. However, if an exhibit is displayed for judges only, no patent rights should be lost.
Refer to following website for more information on how to patent your project. http://patentsearch.cipc.co.za

Source: http://www.exposcience.co.za/index.php/ethics.html

Category:

Grade 6, Science Expo

Eskom Expo International Science Fair

Selection for the Eskom Expo International Science Fair is only for students in grades 6 – 12. The event is held in the break between term 3 & term 4 of the school calendar.

Each exhibit is given a space of maximum 1.5m table length and a display board. It is compulsory to use the display boards provided at ISF events – size and dimensions of the display board – height 1m; left side 50cm; middle 1.5m and right side 50cm. Look at the drawing below to see how to make the most of the space you are given.

Compulsary layout of display board at ISF

Awards at Eskom Expo ISF

Participants are judged and awarded gold, silver and bronze medals.

Special Awards

There are numerous awards made by special interest groups such as:
Eskom Awards:

Best development project
Best energy project
Best female project
International trip to a science fair or science forum
A science lab for a rural Primary and Secondary School
Best energy efficiency project (energy and cost saving covered in all categories)

There are many prestigious awards presented by interested organisations at the ISF prize-giving ceremony. Visit the Expo website for the Hall of Fame, which lists previous winners.
Some finalists from Eskom Expo ISF are selected to participate in International Science Fairs in other countries.
Please note that participation at International Science Fairs is strictly for selected individual participants and invited Eskom Expo officials. No exceptions will be made.

Source:http://www.exposcience.co.za/index.php/national-finals.html

Category:

Grade 6, Science Expo

Help with your tables and graphs

When making your tables remember to structure them correctly.

Your Independent Variable should go into column A, and your dependent variable should go into Column B.

Then when making your graph the Independent Variable should be your X-axis and your Dependent Variable should go onto your Y-axis.

e.g.

Smiling at girls

Girl 1	3
Girl 2	2
Girl 3	3
Girl 4	3
Girl 5	3

Key:

0 = reacted badly

1 = did not smile

2 = smiled no teeth showing

3 = smiled showing teeth

4 = broke out laughing

Remember the style of your graph is determined by your information.

If you have continuous information such as temperature, the rand-dollar exchange rate, or electric current, then you must use a line graph.

If your data is not continuous but rather snap shots in time, such as ‘a girl’s reaction when I smile at her’, then you must use a bar graph.

Category:

Science Expo

Table Size

At the Expo, you will have a trestle table dimensions (180 cm x 76 cm x 73,5 c,m). Two people will share a table so you will have half of a trestle table to work with. Chairs will be supplied for you.

When planning your Expo its advisable to have a look at: http://sciencefair.math.iit.edu for tips.

Your character you choose should have a link to your Expo project, and you may come to school dressed in character.

Category:

Science Expo, Uncategorised

Science Fair Tips

Grade 6’s its almost time to present your Expo projects.

Here are some tips:

Question:

Your question (or purpose) should end in a question mark.

Hypothesis:

Remember to set it out properly “If I …., then …. (will happen). e.g. If I smile at a girl, then she will smile.

Variables:

Independent Variable (What I am changing)
Dependent Variable (What I am measuring – also what changed)
Controlled Variables (constraints or the things I am keeping the same)

Procedure:

List your Materials and Apparatus

Then number your step-by-step instructions.

Observations:

Must include a table and a graph but can also include photographs and pictures.

Conclusions:

Follow the questions in your Science Fair Logbook. Be sure to answer the following questions:

What happened in your experiment or survey?
Was your hypothesis accepted or rejected (and say why)?
What trends did you notice in your graph?
What did you learn when you did the experiment?
What questions do you still have?
What wen wrong and how did you fix these things?

Acknowledgements:

Thank the people that helped you and list what they did to help you.

Bibliography:

A list (as done in Information Skills) of the resources you used in your Expo Project.

Heading:

Make a heading that stands out. Try play with words to make it interesting. e.g. If you added peppermints to cold-drink, then instead of a heading that reads ‘Peppermints and Cola”, rather say something like ‘Exploding Soda’ or something that will attract visitors to your experiment.

Poster:

Your poster has 3 sides, and if the corners are not strong enough, reinforce them on the back by glueing strips of cardboard on the corners.

Remember you poster must stand up on its own.

There is no rule that says what must go where, but it is advisable to begin on the left panel, continue on the middle panel and end on the right hand panel.

As you can see in these pictures, there are many possibilities:

displayDiagram
fame_1

You do not need a report or an abstract. But if you want to do one you may. An abstract is a summary of your project and the report is the detailed project in A4 format.

Category:

Science Expo