Year 8 Student Research ProjectTerm 1, 2018

Cover Sheet

Declaration:

I affirm that this assignment is my own work, with the exception of those parts that I have indicated in my Bibliography. I am fully aware that the various parts of the assignment must be handed in as shown in the information sheets and the Checklist below and that failure to do so without an acceptable reason could lead to a zero mark awarded in Science. I also understand that failure of technology such as computers and printers is not an acceptable reason for non-submission. Failure to attempt the assignment to a satisfactory level could lead to a zero.

Signed

Important Dates: There are four main parts that you need to submit to your teacher:

Assessment Due Date Checklist (tick off as you do it)

Project notification form (During) Week 4 Term 1 2018Reflection journal Continuous- throughout Term 1

2018Final Report, PowerPoint and speech

transcriptWeek 9 Thursday 29th March Term

1 2018Presentations (speech) (During) Week 11 Term 1 2018

What you need to doDecide on ONE problem that you can investigate

o Choose ONE project from the ‘potential projects’ listo You will have to design and perform your own experiment to try and solve your chosen problem

Fill out the Project Notification Form

o You need to give this to your teachero Give details of what you are investigating and how you will do it

Write at least 5 entries into your reflection Journal from the time you first decide on your project until you finish your assignment

o Purchase a small exercise book or notebook. o Have at least 5 entries (with a date on each entry) in your reflection journal. Write down any ideas

you have about your project, any advice you get from books, people and the Internet, as well as the results from your experimental work.

o Make sure you write down where you got your advice/ideas from.o Write down any problems you encounter while doing your assignment and what you did to solve

these problems.o It must be handed in for marking on the reflection Journal due date.o An idea of the content of your journal entries could include:

o Entry 1: Explain the your reason/s for choosing your selected projecto Entry 2: What things do you need to do your experiment? Where will you get them from and

how much will they cost?o Entry 3: What steps will you take to carry out the experiment?o Entry 4: What problems have you found with your experiment and how could you overcome

these issues if you were to do it again?o Entry 5: Do some research on your experiment and write down what you have found out.

Do your experiment carefully

o Write down results and observations in your reflection Journal as you go.

Write up a neat, complete final report on your work

o This report should be word processed (typed on the computer and printed). Model your experiment on the final report example included in this booklet.

o You must submit your report on the due date which is . Your report must include the signed cover sheet. It should all be stapled together.

Write an oral presentation (speech)

o This needs to be a 1-2 minute verbal presentationo Your speech should clearly outline what you did in your project and what you found out in your

experiment.o You will need to prepare 3-4 PowerPoint slides to present during your speech. These slides should

include the key ideas and findings from your experiment. This could include: pictures of you completing your experiment, a table of your results, a list of equipment you used, the steps you took to complete your experiment.

Your Final Report should include:

Aim

This is a short statement of the problem that you are investigating.

Background information

You need to include relevant information that you have researched about the problem you are investigating. This background information often helps you decide how you will do your investigation.

The background information should be written in paragraphs with topic sentences.

Hypothesis

This is a section in which you write what you think the answer to your problem might be before you start. You should also give a reason for what you think.

Equipment

This is a list which identifies all the equipment used in the experiment. It should contain the sizes and quantities of the things you used.

Example: To investigate the affect of two fertilisers on the growth of seedlings.

Example: There are two main types of fertilisers used in gardens in Australia. These are organic types, such as ‘Blood and Bone’ and… etc

Example: Both the organic and chemical fertilisers will increase the growth rate of the seedlings compared to no fertiliser. The chemical fertiliser will have a bigger affect on the growth rate than the organic fertiliser because… etc

Example:

200g of organic fertiliser 200g chemical fertiliser

30cm ruler 15 pea seedlings Watering can Etc

Safety

This is where you need to think about any safety risk your experiment may have.

YOU CAN NOT DO ANY EXPERIMENT WHICH INVOLVES THE POSSIBLE HARM TO ANIMALS, THIS INCLUDES YOU. ALSO, NO USE OF FIRE, WEAPONS, FIREWORKS OR TOXIC CHEMICALS.

Safety risks should be identified and ways to minimise this risks listed. It is a good idea to present this in a small table.

Example:

Risk Prevention measure

Breathing in microbes in the fertiliser Wear a dusk mask when using fertiliser. Tell an adult if feeling unwell after using fertiliser.

Eating fertiliser Make sure gloves are worn and hands are washed each time the soil or fertiliser is touched.

Insect /spider bites Before touching seedlings, check for any bugs on the plants. If present, ask an adult for help.If bitten, seek help from an adult immediately.

Method

This shows the exact steps you took in your investigation.

These steps must be written in numbered points. The steps should be written in detail so that another person could repeat your experiment without having to talk to you to find out exactly what you did. It could also contain diagrams, maps and so on if necessary.

You must also identify the independent and dependent variables and any controls in the experiment.

Example:

Independent variable (the thing changed by you): Type of fertiliser

Dependent variable (the thing you are going to observe for change): height of the plant

Controls (the things you keep the same): Amount of fertiliser, sunlight, water

Method:

1) Six seedlings of the same type were selected for each of three groups. These were:a. Group 1: Organic fertiliser (Blood and Bone)b. Group 2: Chemical fertiliser (Aquasol)c. Group 3: Control (no fertiliser)

2) The plants were etc….

Results

This section should show all observations and measurements you have taken as a result of following your method. Write your observations in point form and your measurements in a suitable table.

This section could also contain an analysis of your results which could be in the form of graphs, diagrams and maps.

Height Of Seedlings (mm)Day Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4146

Discussion

You need to discuss the accuracy, reliability and sources of error in your experiment. You should discuss your results qualitatively (information from your observation) and quantitatively (information in your table). You should mention any improvements that could be made to your method and what further research should be carried out.

Conclusion

This is where you interpret your results. This means you decide how well they answered the problem that you set yourself in the aim. Identify whether the results supported or didn’t support your hypothesis.

Bibliography

Plagiarism is a serious for of cheating. Plagiarism involves using other people’s ideas or written words without indicating that you have done so. You must put in a list called a bibliography which lists books, magazines, internet sites and people you have help from. Normally you do this by listing:

o Author, year it was published, title, pages used for books and magazines.o Full URL, date accessed and title of webpage for an Internet site.o Surname, initial and job title for people who have helped you.

Example:

The results were not very reliable because the experiment was only repeated twice. The reliability of the result could be improved if the experiment was repeated multiple times etc…

Example: Both the organic fertiliser and the chemical fertiliser increased the growth rate etc… These results didn’t support the hypothesis.

Example:

Potential Projects

You need to choose ONE of the projects below*

1. Which paper towel is the strongest?2. Which breakfast cereal is the most absorbent?3. Which sticky tape brand is the most adhesive?4. Which type of bread grows mould first?

5. Does hot or cold water absorb more salt?6. What is the best way to prevent metal corrosion?7. Does the thickness of toilet paper affect its ability to absorb water?8. Which food wrap is the strongest?9. Which sausages have the most fat?10.Which type of light globe shines the brightest?11.What is the best non-toxic repellent to keep ants away from food? 12.Which detergent is best at removing a grease stain?13.Which type of ball bounces the highest?14.Does listening to music affect reaction time? 15.Is soil temperature the same throughout the day?

*The above ideas all involve things you may have already in your home, or are reasonably inexpensive. They are also safe, interesting and achievable. If you think you have an exceptionally good idea which you would like to test, you can discuss this with your teacher. Your teacher will use their judgement on whether you can do this experiment or one from the list. Their decision needs to be respected.

Your Student Research Project will be marked on your:

Problem solving skills Ability to design experiments Capability to communicate ideas clearly and concisely Oral presentation and PowerPoint slides Completeness of your reflection Journal Understanding of scientific ideas Presentation of your final written report

Year 8 Student Research Project

Notification Form

Student Name

Due Date

Class (circle) M Y S T I C

1. What problem are you going to investigate?

2. State your hypothesis

3. What variables are you going to measure?

4. What variables will you need to control?

5. Equipment list

Equipment Source of equipment(where are you going to get it from?)

6. Have you worked out your method? Yes/No

7. Have you read through the project information and looked CAREFULLY at the marking criteria?Yes/No

Ask your teacher for help if you need it but don’t leave it till the last minute!

Date submitted: ________ Teacher’s signature: ________________

Your Practical Report

Title: ________________________________________________ Date_______

Aim (Write a brief description about what you are trying to find out.)___________________________________________________________________________________________

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Background Information (What has some research told you about your experiment)___________________________________________________________________________________________

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Hypothesis a. (Write a statement to explain a fact or observation. It is this hypothesis you will test through this

experiment.)

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b. (Write a brief statement of what you predict or expect to observe during this experiment.)

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Apparatus (list all the equipment used in this experiment. Include size of equipment (e.g. 250ml beaker), and amount of material used (e.g. 5g of copper sulphate powder.)___________________________________________________________________________________________

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Safety (In the table below write the risks of the experiment and how you can prevent the risks from occurring.)

Risk Prevention

Method a. (Write in third person the method or process you used to complete the experiment.) All steps should

be numbered and begin with a verb (action or doing word).

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b. Identify the independent variable (changed), dependent variable (measured) and control variables

(kept the same) used in your experiment and list them in the table.

Variable

Independent variable

Dependent variable

Control variable

ResultsObservations (Describe what you saw during your experiment here.)___________________________________________________________________________________________

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Tabulate the results. (Include titles and units.)

Table title: ______________________________________________________________________________

Independent variable Dependent variable

Draw a diagram or include photos of your observations.

Title: __________________________________________________

Graph the results. (Select the most appropriate graph type, e.g. line or column graph. Include graph title, x

and y axis label and units. An appropriate scale should be used to spread information evenly along the x axis

and y axis. A pencil and ruler must be used.) Remember: The dependent variable is on the vertical (y) axis.

The independent variable is on the horizontal (x) axis.

Discussion

a. Interpret your results from the graph. What do the results tell you?

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b. Are there trends? If so explain them.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c. What were the experimental errors whilst conducting the experiment?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

d. What could be done next time to improve the experiment?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

e. Are your results reliable? Justify your reasoning. (Reliability refers to the consistency with which we can confirm a result. Consistency is usually achieved by repetition.)

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f. Are your results accurate? Justify your reasoning. (Most measurements contain some uncertainty. Accuracy refers to the exactness of a measurement. E.g. we can measure a small distance with a metre rule or with much greater accuracy using a micrometre.)

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Conclusion(The conclusion is a brief statement which explains if you achieved your Aim and if your results support or disprove your Hypothesis.)

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BibliographyUse this format for to reference every resource that you use to do research;Surname, Initial Year, Month, Date Article Title URL Date accessed

Year 8 Student Research Project

Marking Criteria:

Reflection Journal & oral presentation

This section of the project is testing how well you communicate scientifically.

Reflection Journal Mark Comments Has a logical sequence, include dates. A

minimum of 5 reflection log entries.0 1 2

How did you source (collect) your materials for the project? How much did they cost?

0 1 2

Describes all relevant steps from the experiment, include what you did and what you observed (saw)

0 1 2

Outline two (2) or more problems or issues from the experiment

0 1 2

Outline ways to overcome problems or issue in your experiment

0 1 2

Total /10

Oral presentation Marks

Comments

Submitted transcript/speech cards by due date

0 1

Submitted PowerPoint slides by due date 0 1

Speech is well organised and follows a logical sequence

0 1 2

Engages the audience through appropriate use of tone and pitch

0 1 2

Collected data was displayed Data displayed in a table Data analysis displayed (graph, photographs

etc.)

0 10 10 1

Is between 1-2 minutes, spoken at a steady pace

0 1 2

Powerpoint includes 3-4 relevant slides 0 1 2

Powerpoint slides support the oral presentation

0 1 2

Total /15

Year 8 Student Research ProjectMarking Criteria:

Final Report

Section Requirement Marks

A Aim -Stated clearly using appropriate scientific language-Stated clearly-Not stated clearly

210

B Background information

-Complete sentences used-No/incorrect use

10

-Relates to the project-Some relevant information provided-No/irrelevant information

210

C Hypothesis -Prediction-No Prediction

10

-Reason for prediction-No reason for prediction

10

D Equipment -All equipment listed-Some equipment listed-Equipment not listed

210

-Sizes and units given-Sizes and/or units not given

20 1

-Quantities and units used given- Quantities and/or units used not given

20 - 1

E Safety -Two or more risks identified-Less than two risks identified-No risks identified

210

-Safety measures minimise risk-Safety measures leave risk to safety high

20

F Method -Step by step in logical sequence-Steps included by not logical-Steps missing

210

-Each step starts with a verb-Verbs absent

10

- Evidence of repetition (3 or more trials)-Some evidence of repetition (less than 3 trials)-No evidence of repetition

210

-Measurement made-Measurements not made

10

-Method of recording results is described-No method of recording results described

10

-Method relevant to Aim-Method not relevant to Aim

10

G Variables -Variables correctly identified-Some variables correctly identified-Variables not identified or incorrect

31-20

H Results -Table used-No table used

10

-Table includes title, heading and units-Table includes some of the above details-Table does not include any of the above information

31-20

-Evidence of repetition (3 or more trials)-Evidence of repetition (less than 3 trials)-No evidence of repetition

210

-Appropriate second way of presenting results (e.g. graph, pictures etc.)-No further analysis of data provided

1

0-Analysis of data is correctly formatted/labelled/units- Some, incorrect or absent formatting/labelling

3 - 40 1 2

I Discussion -Discuss results obtained in the experiment 1-Correctly Identifies trend or patterns in the results 1-Discussed results in terms of accuracy and reliability-Some discussion of accuracy and/or reliability-Incorrect or no discussion of accuracy or reliability

210

-Identified sources of error and suggested ways to improve-Identified some sources of error and/or suggested ways to improve-No sources of error and/or ways to improve identified

3-41-20

-In depth discussion on what further research can be done in the scientific world in this area?-No discussion on further research made

1-2

0J Conclusion -Aim answered

-Aim not answered10

-Hypothesis answered-Hypothesis not answered

10

K Bibliography -Properly formatted 0 1-At least 3 references-At least 2 references-Less than 2 references

310

Total /55

ELDERSLIE HIGH SCHOOLFEEDBACK Form:

STUDENT FEEDBACK:

How would you rate this task?: Circle a number1 2 3 4 5

Quite Difficult Hard to understand

Fair OK. Understood some

Most parts were easy

Task was not challenging. Easy!

My areas of strength are…__________________________________________________________________

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Areas I need to work on include… ____________________________________________________________

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I am going to improve these areas by…________________________________________________________

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I know I am improving when…_____________________________________________________________

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TEACHER FEEDBACKComments:Strengths: Weaknesses:

Ways you could improve: