Research Project 

 

Science Research Packet—2003-2004

All students in Pre-AP science classes will do a research project in which they do hands on research in a topic of their own choice. The students will write a formal report of their research and present their research in a poster board format (similar to Science Fair display) or in an oral presentation before their peers. The following will be used as criteria for grading of the report (Unit III):

10 pts. Abstract

25 pts. Introduction
Interests/importance, spelling/grammar, history, citations,hypothesis (if needed)

10 pts. Purpose/Procedure

25 pts. Data
Data tables, graphs or other presentations

25 pts. Conclusions
Correct interpretation of data
Future projects/applications

5 pts. Bibliography and Acknowledgments

Display/presentation
Jan. 2004
A major grade in 3rd quarter

The project may be a group effort with a maximum of three members in the group. This situation requires special counseling and paperwork by the teacher and students.

TIME LINE

August 27,2003 submit preliminary idea to teacher. Discuss preliminary idea with your teacher.
September 12, 2003 Deadline for receiving preliminary idea approval from instructor. 
Deadlines may vary slightly with Individual teachers.

Each unit must be typed.
Font type: Times New Roman
Font size: 12pt.
Spacing: Double space

Oct 6, 2003  Unit 1 due:

Purpose statement, procedure outline and bibliography.  State your purpose or ask the question that you hope to answer, describe the methods that you plan to use and list the bibliography.

Help on APA bibliography style is available at the following web sites:

http://www.english.uiuc.edu/cws/wworkshop/bibliography.htm

http://www.simmons.edu/libraries/apastyleguide.html

Bibliography requirements are as follows:
Pre-AP Biology: 5 or more with a minimum of 3 cited within the report.
Pre-AP IPC: 7 or more with a minimum of 4 to be cited within the report.
Pre-AP Physics: 10 or more with a minimum of 6 to be cited within the report.
Only 1 encyclopedia will count. Encarta is an encyclopedia.

Oct. 6, 2003 Protocol papers due.

Protocol documents may be downloaded in Adobe pdf format from the following site.

http://www.sciserv.org/isef/document/


NO VERTEBRATE ANIMAL RESEARCH WILL BE DONE WITHOUT PRIOR PROTOCOL APPROVAL. This includes behavioral research. Also no surveys may be done without consent of the subjects parents.

Nov. 3, 2003 Unit II due: Complete introduction including citations.

 

An example of the some of the elements used in a research project report; includes abstract, purpose statement,  introduction with citations.

Introduction page1  Introduction page 2   introduction page 3

Dec. 8, 2003 Unit III due:
This unit includes the completed report, abstract, data, data tables, graphs, appendices, conclusions and display/presentations.  The latter is a requirement for every student.  Students qualifying for competition will have the Christmas holidays to polish and refine display and paper if necessary.  Display/presentation will accompany the written report. Good inclusions are photographs, the actual apparatus, the demonstration of actual procedures.  The unit III grade will be recorded with the third nine weeks grades.

Abstract Example

Start Jan. 12, 2004 Unit IV due:
Presentation/display and abstract.  An oral presentation is required, in which researchers present their work to their classes.  Presentations will begin the second week and third week in January and count as major grades, in the third nine weeks.   Be certain that the abstract is a summary of the entire project.  Although the abstract is part of Unit III, it will be an important part of Unit IV.

Jan. 9, 2004 (tentative date)
Judging of local Science Fair Projects must be set up in the S.M.H.S. cafeteria by 4 P. M. Judging will take place in the cafeteria starting between 6-7 P. M. Results will be announced Saturday, Jan. 10, 2004

Jan. 10, 2004 (tentative date)
Science Fair will be open to the public at 6:00 P.M. Awards will be presented in the cafeteria at 7:00 P.M. Projects are to be removed from the cafeteria by 8:30 P.M. Students are responsible for removing their own displays or making arrangements to have them removed.

Date to be announced 
Junior Academy of Science Competition

Date to be announced
Alamo Regional Science Fair