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Science Projects Packet Spalding High School

2014-2015 • ISEF Student Handbook is available at

https://member.societyforscience.org/document.doc?id=12 • ISEF 2014-2015 Rules and Guidelines can be found at • https://member.societyforscience.org/document.doc?id=398 • Intel ISEF Category Descriptions are available at

https://student.societyforscience.org/intel-isef-categories-and-subcategories

• The Georgia Science and Engineering Fair website has information specific to this year’s state level competition

• http://www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/youth/academic-special-programs/georgia-science-and-engineering-fair

• Quick Reference Guide on APA Documentation • LEO:Literacy Education Online APA In-Text (Parenthetical)

Documentation handout • Information on Forms and the Research Plan Attachment • Rubric for initial science project topic idea due on Rubric

for updated and finalized science project topic idea due on Friday August 15, 2014

• Rubric for 10 pages of notes from 5 non-encyclopedic references due on September 19, 2014.

• Rubric for hypothesis, experiment, forms and research plan attachment due on Friday October 24, 2014.

• Final Project Rubric including project notebook (abstract, research paper, forms), log book, and visual display due on Friday December 5, 2014.

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Quick Reference for APA Documentation

When you document your sources in your logbook and paper for science fair, you must document using the APA style. This is the preferred style used in psychology, sciences, and education. I have included several examples of APA documentation in this handout. If you do not see the documentation for a source you have, let me know, or do an on-line search for “APA references.”

Parenthetical Citation Within A Paper

You must document any idea that is not your own. By documenting where your information came from, you avoid plagiarism. You will need to use parenthetical citation when writing the science fair paper. Please refer to the LEO: Literacy Education Online APA In-Text (Parenthetical) Documentation handout for more information

References When you list your references, list them is alphabetical order. Please make a note of the indentation that is used when citing references.

1. a book with a single author Last name, I. (year). Title of Book. City where published: Publisher. Example: Alverez, A. (1970). The savage god: A study of suicide. New York: Random

House.

2. a book with more than one author Last name, I., & Last name, I. (year). Title of Book. City where published:

Publisher. Examples: Natarajan, R., & Chaturvedi, R. (1983). Geology of the Indian Ocean. Hartford,

CT: University of Hartford Press. Hesen, J., Carpenter, K., & Milsop, A. (1983). Computers in the business world.

Hartford, CT: Capital Press. 3. journals/periodicals

Last name, I. (when published). Title of article. Periodical Title, page #’s.

Examples: Heyman, K. (1997). Talk radio, talk net. Yahoo!, 3, 62-83.

Maddux, K. (1997, March). True stories of the Internet patrol. NetGuide Magazine, 88-92.

Posner, M. I. (1993, October 29). Seeing the mind. Science, 262, 673-

674.

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4. electronic sources Try to include the following information. I have also included tips on where to locate it.

• Author of the document = if an author is given it is usually at the very

beginning or very end of a particular document; when in doubt, look for an email address-this will often lead you to the name of the person who authored the document.

• Date of Publication = if given, the document’s date will be included

somewhere in its text. There is a special way to note if the document has no specific date. Date of publication on the web (or the date of the most recently updated version.

• Title of Document = the placement of documents’ titles varies. Generally,

web authors place a title at the top of the actual web page. If no title is there, use the title of the window as it opens in your web browser.

• Type of Document = varies according to the source of the document,

usually On-line serial, WWW page, Discussion, News Bulletin, or Text File

• Volume and issue number (on-line journals) = if a volume and issue

number is given, it will probably be in the header of the document, close to the title

• Location of document = also varies according to the source of your

document. If it is a web page, place the URL in your documentation. Examples of general forms: Author, A., Author, B., & Author, C. (2000). Title of article. Title of Periodical.

Retrieved month day, year from URL. Author, A. (2000). Title of work. Retrieved month day, year, from URL. Author, A. (Date—indicate “n.d.” if date is unknown). Title [Electronic version].

Magazine or Journal Title, volume (issue, if given), paging. Retrieved month day, year, from URL.

Example if there is no author or date: Name of sponsoring organization or title of site. (Date—indicate “n.d.” if date is

unknown). Document name. Retrieved month day, year, from URL.

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Example if you cannot identify the sponsoring organization and there is no date: Title of Document. (n.d.). Retrieved month day, year, from URL. Specific Examples: A personal web-site Pellegrino, J. (1998, December 16). Homepage. World Poetry Audio Library.

Retrieved October 4, 1999 from http://www.english.eku.edu/pleelgrino/default.htm.

A professional web-site American Psychological Association. (1999). Electronic reference formats

recommended by the American Psychological Association. Retrieved October 4, 1999 from http://www.apa.org/journals/webref.html.

A site with no author or date but there is a sponsoring organization Greater New Milford (Ct) Area Healthy Community 2000, Task Force on Teen

and Adolescent Issues. (n.d.). Who has time for a family meal? You do! Retrieved October 5, 2000 from http://www.familymealtime.org.

A site with no author, no date, and no sponsoring organization GVU’s 8th WWW user survey. (n.d.). Retrieved August 8, 2000 from

http://www.cc.gatech.edu/gvu/user_surveys/survey-1997-10/

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LEO: Literacy Education Online

APA In-Text (Parenthetical) Documentation

In APA style, source material is cited using a system that emphasizes the author and date of publication in its in-text citations. These in-text citations—used when source material is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized—point to full bibliographic citations located in the reference page at the end of the document. Here are general guidelines for in-text citations that cover the use of authors' names, placement of in-text citations, and treatment of nonrecoverable and electronic sources.

Use of Authors' Names

In APA style, only the author's last name is used in the document as a whole and within in-text citations in particular.

If the author's name is mentioned in the text

Most often, an author's last name appears in the text with the date of publication immediately following in parentheses:

Bolles (2000) provides a practical, detailed approach to job hunting.

If the author's name is not mentioned in the text

When the author's name does not appear in the text itself, it appears in the parenthetical citation followed by a comma and the date of publication:

Interactive fiction permits readers to move freely through a text and to participate in its authorship (Bolter, 2001).

Note: If you cite the same source a second time within a paragraph, the year of publication may be omitted.

If there are two authors

When a work has two authors, always cite both names every time the source is cited in the text:

Katzenbach and Smith (1993) define a team as "a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable" (p. 45).

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If the authors' names appear in the text itself, connect the names with the word and; however, if the authors' names appear parenthetically, connect the names with an ampersand (&):

A team is defined as "a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable" (Katzenbach & Smith, 1993, p. 45).

If there are three, four, or five authors

When you cite for the first time a work with three, four, or five authors, cite all authors:

Cogdill, Fanderclai, Kilborn, and Williams (2001) argue that "making backchannel overtly available for study would require making its presence and content visible and its content persist, affecting the nature of the backchannel and raising social and ethical issues" (p. 109).

(Again, if the authors' names appear parenthetically rather than in the text itself, connect the final two names with a comma and an ampersand). In all subsequent citations, include only the name of the first author followed by et al. (the abbreviation for the Latin phrase meaning "and others"):

Cogdill et al. (2001) assert that "backchannel is multithreaded, substantial, and governed by many social conventions" (p. 109).

Again, if the authors' names appear parenthetically rather than in the text itself, connect the final two names with a comma and an ampersand.

If there are six or more authors

If a work has six or more authors, cite the last name of the first author followed by et al. in all citations:

Adkins et al. (2001) studied the use of collaborative technology during a multinational, civil-military exercise.

If two authors have the same last name

If a document includes sources by two authors with the same last name, include the first and middle initial of each author in all text citations:

R. P. Allen (1994) and D. N. Allen (1998) have both studied the effects of email monitoring in the workplace.

If two or more sources are cited

When citing two or more sources by different authors within the same citation, place the authors' names in parentheses in alphabetical order, followed by the year of publication and separated by a semicolon:

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Hypertext significantly changes the process of information retrieval (Bolter 2001; Bush, 1945; Landow 1997).

If no author is identified

If no author is identified, use an abbreviated title instead, followed by the date. Use quotation marks around article or chapter titles, and underline book, periodical, brochure, and report titles:

The use of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems has grown substantially over the past five years as companies attempt to adapt to customer needs and to improve their profitability ("Making CRM Work").

Placement of Citations for Quoted Material

Specific page numbers for paraphrased or quoted material appear within the parenthetical citation following the abbreviation for page (p.). The location of the parenthetical citation for a quote depends upon the placement of quoted material within the sentence:

• If the quotation appears in midsentence, insert the final quotation mark, followed by the parenthetical citation; then complete the sentence.

Branscomb (1998) argues that "it's a good idea to lurk (i.e., read all the messages without contributing anything) for a few weeks, to ensure that you don't break any of the rules of netiquette" (p. 7) when you join a listserv.

• If the quotation appears at the end of the sentence, insert the final quotation mark, followed by the parenthetical citation and the end punctuation:

Branscomb (1998) argues that when you join a listserv, "it's a good idea to lurk (i.e., read all the messages without contributing anything) for a few weeks, to ensure that you don't break any of the rules of netiquette" (p. 7).

• If the quotation is long (40 words or more), it should be formatted as a block quotation, and the parentheses should appear after the final punctuation mark:

Bolles (2000) argues that the most effective job hunting method is what he calls the creative job hunting approach: figuring out your best skills, and favorite knowledges, and then researching any employer that interests you, before approaching that organization and arranging, through your contacts, to see the person there who has the power to hire you for the position you are interested in. This method, faithfully followed, leads to a job for 86 out of every 100 job-hunters who try it. (57)

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Treatment of Nonrecoverable Sources and Recoverable Electronic Sources

Nonrecoverable sources

Personal communications (letters, interviews, email, and other nonrecoverable sources) are cited in the text of the paper rather than in the reference list at the end. Provide the initials and the last name of the author. When citing an email or letter, provide the date the communication was sent. When citing an interview, provide the date the interview occurred:

R. N. Valesquez (letter to author, November 17, 2000) noted misapplication as the source of poor product results.

B. O'Connor (personal interview, March 3, 2001) indicated that an environmental task force is being established to evaluate the most pressing problems and strategies for addressing them.

Recoverable electronic sources

When citing recoverable electronic sources in text (that is, those sources that have an Internet address), use the author-date method described above. Also, when quoting or paraphrasing source material from an Internet source, include either the paragraph number or "n.p." (for no page) directly following the quote or paraphrase:

Wigand and Benjamin (1995) predict "an evolution from manufacturer-controlled value chains to electronic markets" (n.p.).

© 2004 The Write Place

This handout was written by Judith for the Write Place, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN, using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association; it may be copied for educational

purposes only. If you copy this document, please include our copyright notice and the name of the writer; if you revise it, please add your name to the list of writers.

URL: http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/research/apaintext.html

Updated: 6 March 2004

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Information on Forms and the Research Plan Attachment

o You are required to access, type on, and print out the forms you need for your project from the Internet (https://student.societyforscience.org/intel-isef). You need to have Acrobat Reader on your computer in order to access the forms. It is on the computers here at school and can be downloaded for free from your home computer. If you choose to print out the forms you need from the library, you will be charged $0.10 per page. Remember, you will have to have typed the required information on the form before you print it out. Nothing should be handwritten except for required signatures, the date that the forms are signed, and the actual start and actual end dates of your experiment. If you have a problem typing something on the form, it is your responsibility to notify your teacher as soon as possible.

o The forms can be found by following these steps. o In the URL box type in https://student.societyforscience.org/intel-

isef o Click on Rules, Forms and Resources in the left hand margin (it is

listed under Intel ISEF). o Click on Forms. o Select the forms you need for your project. If you are unsure about

what forms you need: § Click on Rules and Guidelines in the left hand margin. § On the webpage you will see Intel ISEF Rules Wizard. § Click on that link and answer the questions that follow.

o Only type on and print out the forms that you need for your project. All students will need the Checklist for Adult Sponsor (1), Student Checklist (1A), Research Plan and Approval Form (1B), as well as the Risk Assessment Form (3). Be aware that the Research Plan will be a separate document that you will have to type on your own and turn in. You will find examples on the next handout.

o Your project may require Forms 1C, 2, 4, Informed Consent Statement, 5, 6A, 6B, or 7 depending on the specifics of your project.

o You will not need to complete the Abstract form until after you have completed your entire project. It is due with the final project in December.

o Don’t forget that your science teacher will be your adult sponsor for your science project.

o And remember, information on any and all forms can be found at https://student.societyforscience.org/intel-isef

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Research Plan Attachment

A. Question or Problem being addressed

The question (or problem) being addressed in this project is blah, blah, blah, blah.

B. Goals/Expected Outcomes/Hypotheses

The hypothesis for this project is blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. OR The engineering goal of this project is blah, blah, blah, blah.

C. Description in detail of method or procedures.

The materials and/or equipment used in this experiment include: 1. blah 2. blah 3. blah etc. (This should be written in a list format.)

The procedures for the experiment are: 1. blah, blah, blah 2. blah, blah, blah 3. blah, blah, blah etc. (This should be written in a list format.) Data Analysis: The data collected in this experiment will be analyzed using the following methods: 1. blah, blah, blah 2. blah, blah, blah etc. (This should be written in a list format.)

D. Bibliography: List at least five (5) major references (e.g. science journal articles, books, internet sites) from your literature review. If you plan to use vertebrate animals, one of these references must be an animal care reference. • Choose one style and use it consistently to reference the literature used in the

research plan • Guidelines can be found in the Student Handbook

(If your project involves human subjects research, vertebrate animals research, potentially hazardous biological agents, or hazardous chemicals, activities and devices, you must address the individual concerns mentioned on the research plan attachment cover sheet for those situations.)

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Name: Period

Rubric for Science Project Topic Idea Due on Friday August 15, 2014

Students: When you turn in your initial idea, it can be either handwritten or typed. Please indicate if you will document your references in either MLA or APA style.

Project Idea and Possible Project Variables

Category 4 3 2 1 Points Earned

Idea

Independently identified a question to be addressed in the project which was interesting to the student and which can be investigated.

Identified, with adult assistance, a question to be addressed in the project which was interesting to the student and which can be investigated.

Identified, with adult assistance, a question to be addressed in the project that can be investigated.

Identified a question to be addressed in the project which can not be investigated or that does not merit investigation

Variables

Independently identified and clearly defined possible independent variables (variables to be changed in the project) and possible dependent variables (variables to be measured in the project).

Independently identified possible independent variables (variables to be changed in the science project) and possible dependent variables (variables to be measured). Feedback is needed to clearly define the variables.

With adult assistance, identified and clearly defined possible independent variables (variables to be changed in the project) and possible dependent variables (variables to be measured in the project).

Adult assistance is needed to identify and define the possible independent and depend variables in the project.

Five Possible Non-Encyclopedic References

Category 5 4 3 2 1 Points Earned

Possible References

Student has provided 5 possible non-encyclopedic references for the project. At least 2 possible references are not websites.

Student has provided 4-3 possible non-encyclopedic references for the project. At least 2 possible references are not websites.

Student has provided 2 possible non-encyclopedic references for the project. At least 2 possible references are not websites.

Student has provided 5-2 possible non-encyclopedic references for the project. All possible references are websites.

Student has provided either only 1 no possible non-encyclopedic references for the project.

Proper Documentation

Student has listed all 5 possible non-encyclopedic references for the project in proper format.

Student has listed 4 possible non-encyclopedic references for the project in proper format.

Student has listed 3 possible non-encyclopedic references for the project in proper format.

Student has listed all 2 possible non-encyclopedic references for the project in proper format.

Student has listed 1 (or no) possible non-encyclopedic references for the project in proper format.

Points Earned = __________ Total Points Possible = 18 Your Grade = __________

Teacher Feedback/Comments:

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Name: Period:

Rubric for 10 Pages of Notes from 5 Non-encyclopedic References Due on Friday September 19, 2014

Students: Be sure to indicate if you are using MLA or APA for reference documentation.

Points Possible

Points Earned

Logbook

Mechanics

Bound notebook with pages sewn in. 3

Blue or black ink only used, no pencil. 3

No whiteout used if mistakes are made. Single line strikeouts are used.

3

First page of logbook is the Table of Contents page 3

Statement of Problem is listed on the 2nd page of the logbook 3

Notes begin on Page 3 of logbook 3

Student uses their usual and typical handwriting style in their logbook (does not write larger than usual or leave larger than normal spaces between words).

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Notes are dated 3 10 Pages of Notes (There will be a penalty for skipped lines and unnecessary information.)

# of pages of notes = _____ # of skipped lines/unnecessary information = ______ # of lines on a page = ____

4 points per page

At least 5 Non-encyclopedic references provided on a reference page.

# of references

__________

3 points per

reference

At least 2 non-encyclopedic references are not websites.

# references that are not websites

__________

3 points per

reference

All references documented properly

Ref #1 = _____ Ref # 2 = _____ Ref # 3 = _____ Ref #4 = _____ Ref #5 = _____

3 points per

reference

Total Points Earned

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Name: Period:

Rubrics for Hypothesis, Experiment, Forms, and Research Plan Attachment Due on Friday October 24, 2014

Rubric #1

Points Possible

Points Earned

Logbook

Hypothesis (written in an if…than format)

2

Variables Identified (independent and dependent variables for experiment written on same page as hypothesis)

3

Materials List (Complete list of all and any materials and/or equipment needed. Schematics for self-built materials/equipment are also included.)

5

Procedures for Experiment (Must be detailed enough so that anyone off of the street can completely and total reproduce your experiment.)

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Forms

Required Forms for All Projects

Form 1: Checklist for Adult Sponsor/Safety Assessment Form

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Form 1A: Student Checklist 7 Research Plan 7 Form 1B: Approval Form 7 Form 3: Risk Assessment Form 7

Additional/Optional Forms if Required

Form 1C: Registered Research Institution/Industrial Setting Form

-5 points for each

optional form

needed for your project

if not included

Form 2: Qualified Scientist Form Form 4: Human Subjects Form Informed Consent Statement Form 5A or 5B: Vertebrate Animals Form 6A: Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents Form Form 6B: Human and Vertebrate Animal Tissue Form Form 7: Continuation Projects Form If using human subjects, you must also turn in a copy of any test, survey, or questionnaire to be used in your project.

If using human subjects, you must also turn in a copy of any test, survey, or questionnaire to be used in your project.

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Rubric #2 Category 8 6 4 2 Points Earned

Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar

One or fewer errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar

2 or 3 errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar

4 errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar

5 or more errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar

Materials All materials used in the experiment are clearly and accurately described.

Almost all materials in the experiment are clearly and accurately described

Most of the materials used in the experiment are accurately described.

Many materials are describe inaccurately or are not described at all.

Procedures Procedures are listed in clear steps. Each step is numbered and is a complete sentence.

Procedures are listed in a logical order, but steps are not numbered and/or are not in complete sentences.

Procedures are listed but are not in a logical order or are difficult to follow.

Procedures do not accurately list the steps of the experiment.

Safety All safety measures that should be followed in the experiment are clearly listed and are easy to understand.

Almost all of the safety measures that should be followed in the experiment are listed and are easy to understand.

Most of the safety measures that should be followed in the experiment are listed.

No safety precautions are listed for the experiment and/or the experiment poses a threat to the safety of the experimenter.

Experimental Design

Experimental design is a well-constructed test of the stated hypothesis.

Experimental design is adequate to test the hypothesis, but leaves some unanswered questions.

Experimental design is relevant to the hypothesis, but is not a complete test.

Experimental design is not relevant to the hypothesis.

Variables All variables are clearly described with all relevant details

All variables are clearly described with most relevant details

Most variables are clearly described with most relevant details

Variables are not described or the majority lack sufficient detail

Total Points Earned for Rubric #2

Rubric #1 Grade: __________ + Rubric #2 Grade: __________ = Final Grade: __________

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Name:_____________________________________ Project #:_____ Total Points:_____

Final Project Due on Friday December 5, 2014--Science Fair Project Evaluation Rubric #1

Creative Ability Poor Fair Average Good Excellent Points

3 Idea not original Methods not original Does not promote original & efficient problem solving No new conclusions

6 9 Ideas somewhat original Some original methods Promote somewhat efficient & reliable problem-solving Possible new conclusions

12 15 Idea is truly original Strong originality in methods Promotes, efficient, reliable problem solving New conclusions reached

Scientific Thought/Engineering Goals

Poor Fair Average Good Excellent Points 5

Unclear purpose/objective. Hypothesis poorly developed. Variables poorly defined. Observations not controlled, accurate or measurable. Insufficient data. Conclusions not limited to data. Little record of observations in log book. Solution unworkable. No related research or bibliography.

10 15 Somewhat clear purpose/objective. Hypothesis somewhat well developed. Variables somewhat defined. Observations loosely controlled, somewhat accurate & measurable. Adequate data. Conclusions somewhat limited. Adequate record of observations. Solution may be workable. Adequate research including bibliography.

20 25 Clear purpose/ Objective. Hypothesis well developed. Variables clearly defined. Observations controlled, accurate, & measurable. Extensive data. Conclusions limited to data. Extensive records of observations. Solution workable. Significant research including bibliography.

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Thoroughness Poor Fair Average Good Excellent Points

5 Purpose not fully carried out. Problem not covered. Conclusion based on single experiment or replication. Project notes insufficient. Insufficient time spent. Unaware of other theories.

10 15 Purpose limited in carrying out. Problem somewhat covered. Conclusion based on adequate number of experiments/ replications. Project notes limited Limited time spent on project. Somewhat aware of theories.

20 25 Purpose carried to completion. Problem covered completely. Conclusion based on extensive number of experiments/ replications. Project notes extensive. Sufficient time spent on project. Aware of other theories/literature.

Skill

Poor Fair Average Good Excellent Points 3

Little evidence of skills. Received much assistance. Demonstrates little understanding of project.

6 9 Adequate evidence of skills. Received some assistance. Demonstrates partial understanding of project.

12 15 Extensive evidence of skills. Received little or no assistance. Demonstrates extensive understanding of project.

Clarity

Poor Fair Average Good Excellent Points 4

Unappealing and not self-explanatory.

Data not clearly presented with spelling errors. Work haphazard or not done by student.

8 12 Somewhat appealing and self-explanatory.

Data presented adequately spelling mostly correct. Most work done by student.

16 20 Appealing and self-explanatory. Data clearly presented and with correct spelling & labeling. Work obviously done by student.

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Name: Project #:_____ Final Project Due on Friday December 5, 2014--Science Fair Project Grading Rubric #2

Points Possible Points Earned

Project Notebook

Forms

Abstract Typed on form and 250

words or less

5 points each

Form 1 Form 1A

Research Plan Form 1 B Form 3

Any additional forms If missing -5 points per form

Research Report

You must follow the guidelines in the Intel ISEF 2015 Student Handbook.

Double spaced

2 points each

Times New Roman size 12

font Pages numbered

Title Page Table of Contents

Introduction (at least 2 pages)

10 points each

Materials and Procedures Results

Discussion (at least 1 page)

Conclusions (at least ½ page and 2

paragraphs) Acknowledgements 5 points

References/ Bibliography 10 points

Appendix (if needed)

Log Book

Bound Notebook

2 points each

Entries Dated

Ink Only and No Whiteout Pages Numbered Table of Contents

Statement of Problem 5 points

10 Pages of Notes 4 points per page

5 Non-encyclopedic References Properly Documented

4 points per reference

Hypothesis 5 points

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Log Book Continued

Materials List 5 points Procedures 10 points Raw Data

Include Data Tables 15 points

Discussion 10 points each Conclusions

Visual Display

Tri-board is well organized with no handwriting on tri-board.

5 points each

Title Present Statement of Problem

Hypothesis Summary of Methods

(materials and procedures) 10 points each

Results/Data Tables Graphs/Pictures

Conclusions

Total Points Earned ____________ Total Points

Possible 295

Average of this rubric = _________/295

Rubric #1 Grade = __________ Rubric #2 Grade = __________ Average of Rubrics and Final Grade = __________