Our school is closing in on Science Fair, set for mid-January. Now is the time for students to finish the experiments and write research papers. My kids create slideshow presentations (Keynote, PowerPoint, Google Slides, etc) to help them get organized. Slideshows allow students to edit, save citations, and make creative changes. Kids can use templates for the slides and then print them for their display boards.
The content in the research paper is key. The student should have a complete understanding of the topic. One of the Middle School students is comparing heat values of different woods. T. must understand combustion, BTUs, calories, joules, cellulose, hard wood versus soft woods, and the principles of calorimetry. Students should start by defining every unfamiliar term they encounter as they research. Next, kids should look up all the formulas and have images or graphics for each molecule or compound. In this case, wood is composed of cellulose; what is its molecular composition? It is important to keep track of sources. One way is to copy and paste links into the Bibliography page in the slideshow or book mark specific pages. The science textbook may have information; kids tend to overlook this resource.
As students perform the experiment, keep track with photos, creating a photo journal, which includes the materials, observations, changes, etc. T. can assemble a simple calorimetry experiment with a soda can and platform to burn the wood. (Soda Can Calorimeter). He should photograph every experiment and print a few images for his display. T. can bring this equipment to the Science Fair as part of the display. (Chemicals, liquids, and glass are prohibited.). This brings up another aspect of the research paper. The student must be able to name every part of the experiment, identify the independent, dependent, controlled and confounding variables, explain the process, discuss the outcomes, and draw conclusions.
With this level of detail and consideration it is time to get a move on!
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