4th Grade Science Fair Experience

Created by Dawn Hess

Science Fair is an opportunity for students to learn the steps of the scientific method.

The Scientific Method is a series of steps followed to answer questions and solve problems!

Investigation Teams and Roles

Question #1 How might you increase the amount of friction on a slippery surface to prevent a slip and fall accident?

Hess Team 1: Brody, Allie, Mason, Lexi, KelseyHess Team 2: Alyssa, Elizabeth, MaddieMiller Team 1: Bram, Thomas, Brynn, Savannah, Jamoi

Question #2 Which surface creates the most amount of friction so that you might slow down a moving object?

Hess Team 3: Anna, Dalton, Brianna, StanleyHess Team 4: Joshua, Michael, Canyon, GarrettMiller Team 2: Joshua, Tiffany, Kyle, Miranda, Beka

Question #3 How does the number of coils impact the magnetic field of the electromagnet?

Hess Team 5: Braden, Alex, Isabelle, IsabelaMiller Team 3: Tanner, Braden, Caleb, Ashylnn, Ahnaiyah

Question #4 How does the size of the power source impact the strength of the electromagnet?

Hess Team 6: Gregory, Jesiyah, CamdenTeam 4: Lily, Jeremiah, Parker, Max, Austin

Question #5 How does increasing the number of power sources effect the energy output?

Hess Team 7: Jordan, Jack, Gabe, Cannon, KristinaMiller Team 5: Keonce, Ashton, Noah

Project Roles OrganizerTeam # ____________

Job Title Duties Assigned Tasks

Signature(s) of Student(s) Assigned to Task

Leader/ Editor In charge of organizing the final product of the project

Backboard design and layout, including photos

Recorder In charge of taking notes when group meets and keeping track of data during investigation

Takes notes in Investigation Journal

Checker Prepares work materials daily and checks that all data is collected accurately

Oversees Materials Checklist and Data Chart

Spokesperson Summarizes the investigation

Completes PowerpointTemplate

Developing your hypothesis to investigate your questions

Key Vocabulary:

HypothesisPredictsExperimentOutcomeObservationRelationship

What Is a Hypothesis?

A hypothesis is more than a “good guess.” It is a statement that predicts an experiment’s outcome based on what you already know.

For example: “If I leave an ice cube on a plate for an hour, then it will melt, because it will warm up.”

Brain Check:

How can you test a hypothesis?

How is a hypothesis different from a good guess?

Written as a Statement (If…then…because…)

Predicts how the experimentwill turn out.

Testable through observation and results can be measured

Explains the relationship between variables

Based on observations and knowledge

BY DEFINITION…

Hypothesis: A statement that predicts how an experiment that can be tested turns out, based on what you already know, and that explains why you think it will turn out that way.

Example: “If soap bubbles are will last longer in cool air than in warm air, because water evaporates faster in warm air.”

Part 1. Write a hypothesis for each science question.

Directions: Create a hypothesis based on your knowledge of the topic.

1. Does listening to loud music change my heart rate?Hypothesis:I predict… ________________because…_____________

2. Does a tennis ball bounce higher when it is warmer or cooler?Hypothesis:I predict… ________________because…_____________

Part 2: Judging a Hypothesis

Directions: Explain what is wrong with each hypothesis below.

1. Will a bird sing more on a sunny day than on a cloudy day, because it will not be scared of bad weather?

2. If I mix different kinds of nuts with honey, the walnuts with honey will taste the best.

Three Types of Variables

Key Vocabulary:

Independent VariableDependent VariableControlled Variable

3 Variables

Independent Dependent Controlled

Create the above organizer in your Investigation Journal!

Explore Variables

Scenario: John wants to know if beans grow taller in the sun or in the shade. He plants the same number of beans in two pots. Each day, John waters both pots with the same amount of water. The only thing that is different is that one pot of beans grows in the sun. The other pot of beans grows in the shade.

The first variable is where the beans are grown- in the sun or in the shade. This amount of light is the independent variable. (manipulate or change)

The second variable is how tall the beans grow. The plant growth is the dependent variable. (measure)

John does something very important! He keeps everything the same except where the beans are grown. All the things that John keeps the same are called controlled variables. (constant)

3 Types of Variables!

Brain Check

What was John’s independent variable?

What was John’s dependent variable?

Why is it important that everything in an experiment is controlled, except for the independent variable?

Do you know?

Every experiment should have only one independent variable. Suppose the question were “Will kidney or pinto bean plants grow taller if put in the sun or shade?”

Two things would be studied at once- the type of bean and where they are planted. This can get confusing, so it’s important to change only one variable at a time.

Identify Variables

Some students were observing the life cycle of mealworms. They fed them all the same amount and type of food at the same time every day. They also gave the mealworms the same habitat and the same amount of water. But they put some mealworms in a bright light and some in a dark part of the classroom. They kept data on how many days it took for the mealworms to change from a larva to an adult.

Tell whether each variable is independent (changing), dependent (measurable),or controlled (kept the same).

____amount of food given

______number of days to change from larva to adult______amount of water given______type of habitat______amount of light reaching habitat

Identify Variables

Students wanted to compare how long it takes an ice cube to melt, depending on the temperature around it. So they made four ice cubes of equal size by measuring how much water they poured into the ice cube tray. The next day, they placed each ice cube on a waxy plate. They put one plate in the refrigerator, one outside in the sun, one on a counter under a lamp, and one on a counter with no lamp. After one hour, they measured how much water had melted onto each plate.

Tell whether each variable is independent (changing), dependent (measurable),or controlled (kept the same).

____location of each plate

______size of each ice cube______amount of water melted from each ice cube______amount of time letting ice melt______type of plate used

Identify Variables: Let’s check this out!

Two friends were curious about which student had the fastest time. They set up a test in which one partner spread his pointer finger and thumb two inches apart, and then the other partner dropped a ruler between the fingers. Depending on how fast the partner reacted and closed his fingers, a certain number of inches would pass through. The few the inches, the faster the reaction time would be. The friends made sure they always lined up the zero point of the ruler with the tops of the catcher’s fingers. They also gave no warning about when they would drop the ruler. They tried the test on each other a few times to see who reacted more quickly.

Tell whether each variable is independent (changing), dependent (measurable) , or constant (kept the same) .

______ no warnings about when the ruler would be dropped______ fingers began two inches apart______ lining up the zero mark on the ruler with the tops of the catcher’s fingers______ the inch mark on the ruler where each friend caught it______ which friend was catching the ruler

Making Observations and Inferences

Let’s make sense of these very important words!

We make OBSERVATIONS when using our 5 senses to gather information.

We make INFERENCES to explain something we observed. Your inference is based on your knowledge and experiences.

Collecting and Recording Data

Do you know?

To be sure of their results, scientists will repeat their experiment. They will also compare their results with the results of other scientists who are testing the same questions.

Types of Data Sheets

Tables Charts Graphs

Drawing Conclusions

After an experiment, draw a conclusion to tell what you found out. A conclusion can be written by answering the following questions.

What did you find out? Did the results prove that your hypothesis was true or false? Explain.

If not, that’s okay! Tell why you think you did not get the results you expected.

Tell how you might improve your experiment next time. Did your experiment lead to questions to test in a future experiment?

Documenting and Sharing Research

Backboard Display  

KEY

1. Purpose2. Hypothesis3. Procedure4. Materials5. Independent Variable (manipulated variable)6. Dependent Variable (responding variable)7. Constants8. Results – This should be in graph or table format.9. Conclusion

Title

5, 6, 7

Photos

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