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Science Fair Warm-Up, Grades 7–10: Learning the Practice of Scientists

by: John Haysom

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To the teacher:

Although this book is intended as a guide for your students, NSTA has you covered as well! Science Fair Warm-Up, Teachers Guide: Learning the Practice of Scientists provides all of the information you need to guide your students through the activities included in this book.

To the student:

If you have used Science Fair Warm-Up, Grades 5–8, you already have a pretty good idea of what a science fair project or real scientific investigation is like; if not, don’t worry.

Science Fair Warm-Up, Grades 7–10 provides you with the opportunity to choose a great project. For instance, you might carry out experiments that explore the mysteries of suffocating candles when they are deprived of air or the possibility of improving a water pump designed by the great Greek scientist Archimedes. If you prefer, you can select an inquiry of your own and even work with a partner.

As you work on your project, your teacher will give you help along the way. Together you will explore some of the more difficult problems other students have encountered: problems of designing and carrying out experiments, collecting and making sense of your findings, and sharing and reporting on what you have learned.

As you follow in the footsteps of scientists, you will learn about the ways in which scientists carry out scientific research and begin to understand how they have uncovered so much about how our universe works.

Table of Contents

Be Safe!



Chapter 1: Starting Points


* Paper Helicopters


* What Makes Seeds Grow?


* Check Rust


* What Makes Sow Bugs Move?


* Bouncing Balls


** Louis Braille’s Invention


** Archimedes’ Screw


** Electric Cells


** The Right Nail for the Right Job


** Suffocating Candles


*** Women Can! Men Can’t!


*** Smoking Chimneys


*** Acid Rain and Pollution


*** Life on the Moon


*** Falling Leaves



Chapter 2: An Overview of the Nature of Scientific Inquiry


**What Do Scientists Do?



Chapter 3: Science Without Numbers


**Looking for Similarities and Differences



Chapter 4: The Numbers Game


** Are Some Measures Better Than Others?



Chapter 5: Variables and Their Control


** Finding Out How Much It Matters



Chapter 6: Experiment Design


**Designing Good Apparatus



Chapter 7: Sources of Error


**Searching for Errors



Chapter 8: Making Sense of Your Results


**Graphing Your Data



Chapter 9: Explanations


**Getting Explanations That Fit



Chapter 10: Sharing Your Findings


**Writing Your Report



Chapter 11: Judging Projects


**Suggesting Improvements



Chapter 12: Generating Ideas for Projects


**Ideas All Around You



Appendix A. Science Fair Project Judging Criteria


Download a sample chapter

Grade Levels

High School Middle School

Topics

Curriculum General Science Safety Teacher Preparation Teaching Strategies

Details

Type NSTA Press BookPub Date 11/15/2012ISBN 978-1-936959-21-1Stock # PB328X3

NSTA Press produces classroom-ready activities, hands-on approaches to inquiry, relevant professional development, the latest scientific education news and research, assessment and standards-based instruction.

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