Carolina Biological OSE - May 2023

Science Fair Warm-Up, Grades 8–12: 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 the other books in the Science Fair Warm-Up series, you already have an idea of what a science fair project and real scientific investigation is like; if not, don’t worry.

Science Fair Warm-Up, Grades 8–12 provides you with the opportunity to choose a great project. For instance, you might carry out experiments that explore the pollution of our planet’s water or the possibility of growing plants on the Moon. 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 challenging problems other students have encountered: problems of designing and carrying out experiments, collecting and making sense of your findings, and sharing and presenting 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


***Simplifying Complex Scientific and Technological Problems



Chapter 3: Science Without Numbers


***Searching for Patterns



Chapter 4: The Numbers Game


***Designing Your Own Measures



Chapter 5: Variables and Their Control


***Isolating Variables: Reducing Complexity



Chapter 6: Experiment Design


***Preparing Experimental Designs



Chapter 7: Sources of Error


***Sampling: An Introduction



Chapter 8: Making Sense of Your Results


***Interpreting Graphs



Chapter 9: Explanations


***Deepening Your Understanding: Analogies and Models



Chapter 10: Sharing Your Findings


***Talking About Your Project



Chapter 11: Judging Projects


***Making Judgments



Chapter 12: Generating Ideas for Projects


***Ideas From the Scientific Literature



Appendix A. Science Fair Project Judging Criteria

Download a sample chapter

Grade Levels

High School Middle School

Topics

Disciplinary Core Ideas General Science Safety Teacher Preparation Teaching Strategies

Details

Type NSTA Press BookPub Date 11/15/2012ISBN 978-1-936959-22-8Stock # PB328X1

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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