Developing Research Skillsfor Science Fair!

Instructors: Tom Babayan & Melanie Sellar

Teachers Information Literacy Institutes: UC Irvine Libraries

What will cover today?

• Strategies for helping students develop research topics

• Information resources in support of science and science fairs

• Source citation: why do it, how to do it, and ideas for encouraging those skills in students

What research skills are needed for science fair

projects?

How do you cultivate these skills in your

students?

Where can you go for information?To do background research for topics:• Online dictionaries• Online encyclopedias• Print materials from library• Science websites

To learn how to do a science fair project and to find project ideas:

• Science Buddies: www.sciencebuddies.org• Internet Public Library - Science Fair Guide:

http://www.ipl.org/youth/projectguide • Discovery Education – Science Fair Central:http://school.discoveryeducation.com/sciencefaircentral/

Activity! Explore these sites in pairs

Which do you like?What do you like about them?

How could you use them?

Developing Research Topics:

How do your students pick a topic for science fair?

Step 1: Choose a general topic

How? Use science websites, look at other projects online, check out library materials.

Sample topics:

magnets, fingerprints, fruit flies, seeds, acid rain, light bulbs, soda pop

Step 2: Dictionaries and EncyclopediasLearn some basic info about your topic. Define words you don’t know.

Magnets Example:Words: magnetism, metals, attraction, poles.

What kinds of materials respond to magnets? Magnetism is the force of attraction between different substances. Do different metals have different levels of attraction to magnets?

Step 3: Specialized SourcesFind more detailed information about your topic. Try more specialized encyclopedias, books, and websites.

Magnets Example:From www.sciencedaily.com: I found out that there are different types of magnets and different strengths. Some stronger ones can be hazardous to people’s health.

From Kidspace: I found a cool site called “How Things Work”. I found out some magnets can levitate objects!

Step 4: Ask Questions!Read your information. Create a list of questions you’re interested in answering.

Magnets Example:Which types of metals do magnets stick to?

Do magnets have healing power? If you put a magnet on your skin, will it attract blood?

Can magnets levitate small objects?

What are the different strengths of magnets?

Does the temperature affect how well magnets stick?

How do magnets really work?

Citing Sources!

Do you ask your students to document the information sources they use?

How do you teach them how to cite?

Tips? Best practices?

The how-to’s of citation!

Some Tips…• Doesn’t have to be perfect! But nurture

the behavior…

• Record sources as they take notes; if they wait until later, they won’t remember!

• Record as much information about the source as they can determine…

• Web sources are tricky: not all the traditional info can be found

• Ask your library for help!

Can you cite these pages?

1)Go to www.biology-online.org-search for “stem”-cite that page!

2) Go to www.factmonster.com-search for “thermometer”-cite that page!

3) Go to www.sciencenewsforkids.org-click on “physics” and then the first article

“seen on the science fair scene”-cite that page!

Thanks for coming!

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