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Science Success: Teacher Guide

Nicola Simmons

©BASEF 2004

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Purpose of This Presentation

To demonstrate the connection between science

fair projects and curriculum expectations

To introduce the content of the Science Success: Teacher Guide and the Science Success: Student Workbook and corresponding slide presentation

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Meeting Curriculum Expectations – Through Science & Technology Projects

Well executed science and technology projects: Move students through a process of scientific inquiry,

and in doing so, Demonstrate mastery of curriculum expectations in

“Developing skills of inquiry, design, and communication”

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Meeting Curriculum Expectations – Through Science & Technology Projects

Overall goals in the science curriculum relate directly to the process of completing a project:

1) To understand the basic concepts of science

2) To develop the skills, strategies, and habits of mind required for scientific inquiry

3) To relate science to technology, society, and the environment

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Meeting Curriculum Expectations – Through Science & Technology Projects

Science fair projects address specific expectations through all strands:

1) Formulate scientific questions,

2) Demonstrate skills to plan and conduct an inquiry,

3) Select and integrate information from various sources, and…

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Meeting Curriculum Expectations – Through Science & Technology Projects

4) Analyze qualitative and quantitative data, and where appropriate, apply statistical analyses, and

5) Communicate scientific ideas, procedures, results,and conclusions and make appropriate applications based on their findings.

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Meeting Curriculum Expectations – Through Science & Technology Projects

Projects may also address, depending on student topic choice:

Specific expectations in content strands Expectations under “Relating science and

technology to the world outside the school”

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3 Types of Science Fair Projects Experiment – Start with a question, make a

hypothesis, test controlled variables, record & analyze results

Innovation – Design a product or process to solve a particular problem, run trials, record & analyze results

Study – Start with a question, state a hypothesis, observe naturally occurring variables or existing data, record & analyze results

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Meeting Curriculum Expectations –

A Sample Experiment

The student is interested in types of birds that visit a backyard birdfeeder, and decides to investigate whether using different types of birdseed will attract different types of birds.

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Meeting Curriculum Expectations –

A Sample Innovation

The student is interested in types of birds that visit a backyard birdfeeder, and notices that larger birds crowd out smaller ones. The student decides to build a feeder that will favour smaller birds.

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Meeting Curriculum Expectations –

A Sample Study

The student is interested in types of birds that visit a backyard birdfeeder, and decides to study what how many birds of each type visit the birdfeeder in relationship to the weather conditions on any given day.

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How You Can Support Science Success!

Follow the learning activities in the student workbook and the teaching suggestions in the teacher guide to:

1) Encourage students to look at award winning projects from previous fairs,

2) Hold class brainstorming sessions around topic choice and asking great questions, and…

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How You Can Support Science Success!

3) Start a class bulletin board of science news, and encourage student postings,

4) Remind students that the best projects always begin with something that is of interest to them, and

5) Encourage students to seek additional resources, such as links from the BASEF website.

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How You Can Support Science Success!

In addition, Use the parent letter template to involve parents in

supporting science project work. Help students know what resources (equipment,

lab space) may be available at the school.

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How You Can Support Science Success!

Allow 8-12 weeks (more for secondary) for project completion.

Ask students to get your approval on topic choice Be prepared with knowledge so you can walk students

through approval processes. Tell students that real science is not a linear path, and

that great discoveries have been made by mistake – like the famous glue gone wrong – Post It Notes™ !

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The Science Success: Teacher Guide

Gives specific examples of how each of the preceding projects directly matches specific curriculum expectations

Provides teaching suggestions to accompany the 22 activities from the student workbook

Outlines tips for running a school or class fair

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The Science Success: Student Workbook

Provides 22 activities that move students through the science project process.

Can be used by self-directed students to complete the work independently, or

Sheets from the workbook can be printed and handed in for assessment purposes.

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The Science Success Student Slide Presentation

Walks students through all the steps in the process of completing an excellent science fair project

Can be used to make a class

presentation, or independently

by self-directed students Is designed to be used in conjunction

with Science Success: Student Workbook

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Some Specifics

Safety & ethics guidelines Additional resources Managing timelines A word about assessment Applying to the regional fair

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Safety & Ethics Guidelines

Protect student and anyone else involved Full guidelines are at http://basef.mcmaster.ca List is given of prohibited substances All animal research must have prior approval No vertebrate research except as observations in a

natural setting Must get prior ethics approval for research involving

human subjects

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Where do I Find More Resources?

Visit the BASEF website at http://basef.mcmaster.ca If you go to the teacher area for the current year, you

will find an extensive teacher handbook that covers safety and ethics guidelines, and outlines how to register for the regional fair.

Connect to numerous resources from that site

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Managing Timelines

Support student success by allowing ample time for project stages Elementary – 6-8 weeks or more Secondary – much more!

Activity 10 in the Student Workbook provides a form for recording due dates for project stages

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Managing Timelines

Start early! Allow at least 6-8 weeks Extra time for project stages builds in reflection

time. Allow extra time for ethics approval, or changes

needed to accommodate safety guidelines Murphy’s law will hold true, and time will be

needed to fix what went wrong! Assign a due date of at least one week before the

school fair for last minute touch-ups

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A Word About Assessment

Can use the judging rubric (Appendix III in Teacher Guide; Appendix I in Student Workbook)

Can design your own assessment rubric

Students who have the rubric prior to project work complete better work, and higher level projects!

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Formative or Summative?

Science Fair Projects : can be formative or summative are excellent portfolio tasks provide a particularly good summative activity for

consolidating student skills and knowledge

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Applying to the Regional Fair

Winning projects from school or class fairs should be encouraged go on to the regional fair

If there is no school fair, any student may register for the regional fair if they wish

Regional fairs broaden students’ perspectives Regional fairs let students see the type of work

others are doing Students may win significant prizes!BASEF 2004

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Further information can be found at the BASEF website:

http://basef.mcmaster.ca

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Good luck with the Student Science Projects!

Remember to go to the Science Success: Teacher Guide and Student Workbook for details of each stage

The guide and workbook will help you support Science Success!

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Acknowledgements  BASEF gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Ontario

Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. The Foundation receives annually $100 million in government funding through Ontario’s charity casino initiative. It provides grants to eligible charitable and not-for-profit organizations in the arts, culture, sports, recreation, environment and social service sectors.

In addition, BASEF would like to thank Dr. Joseph Engemann, Dr. Stacey Brydges, Dr. Pippa Lock, Angelo Brunetti, Rocco DiSabatino, Martine Fornoville, Gerry Fuchs, Gord Simmons, and Sandy Walker for their feedback during the development of this project.

Author: Nicola SimmonsDesign & Layout: Nicola SimmonsProject Director: Wuchow Than