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Variables and Their Controls: Being Fair
Book Chapter |
To create a fair test, all the conditions (variables) must be kept the same (constant) except for the variable being investigated. Scientists call this type of investigation a controlled investigation. They try to find…
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Experiment Design: Getting Experiments to Work: Repeatability
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This chapter features five investigations from Starting Points presented in Chapter 1 and gives a scenario of “the test of a fair test” for each. If a test is a fair test, it is expected to be repeatable. This is…
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Sources of Error: Taking the Average
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This chapter focuses on sources of error and taking the average. If an investigation is done five times with different readings each time, what could make the difference and which result is most accurate? The average…
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Making Sense of Your Results: Charting Your Data
Book Chapter |
Can you imagine the world without clocks? It was 400 years ago that Galileo got his idea for the first pendulum clock by watching the lamp in the dome of the cathedral swing back and forth with an even rhythm. The task…
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Explanations: Looking for Patterns and Trends: Generalizing
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This chapter features projects where you look for patterns and trends. The success of a project depends on whether or not the findings are valuable—whether you have discovered some generalizations—in addition to its…
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Sharing Your Findings: Displaying Your Project
Book Chapter |
This chapter provides a simple pattern for making display boards and pictures of displays are found in the book. There is no recipe for a great display because every project is different. It’s a real challenge to find…
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Judging Projects: Checking for Quality
Book Chapter |
It’s not easy to judge projects. Every project is different and must be judged on its own merits. Some projects are straightforward, while others are demanding. This chapter asks that students be the judge by carefully…
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Generating Ideas for Projects: Ideas From Previous Science Fairs
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This chapter shares a list of titles of projects at a national science fair to give students some indication of the range of topics. A good way to explore a topic is to discuss it with a friend. When exploring a topic…
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Book Chapter |
It’s not easy to tell what science fairs and science projects are all about. The best way to find out is to do a project and take it to a science fair. This chapter provides “starting points” for projects and these “…
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An Overview of the Nature of Scientific Inquiry: What Do Scientists Do?
Book Chapter |
This chapter explores the question, “What do scientists do?” A good way to find out what scientists do is to try being a scientist. The chapter presents a challenge to students with an exercise on falling objects. It…
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Science Without Numbers: Looking for Similarities and Differences
Book Chapter |
This chapter presents the task of students finding out all they can about the soil by looking for similarities and differences. This task allows students to experience a little of the difficulty and puzzlement the early…
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Variables and Their Controls: Finding Out How Much It Matters
Book Chapter |
In this chapter, students are asked to be a ramp design consultant and to devise a test rig using a toy racetrack and a ball. They need to determine the best angle for the ramp and think about what makes a fair test.…
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Experiment Design: Designing Good Apparatus
Book Chapter |
This chapter presents the task of judging bubble solutions to see which makes the biggest bubbles and the longest-lasting bubbles. Students design and carry out a scientific experiment to decide which bubble solution…
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Sources of Error: Searching for Errors
Book Chapter |
This chapter investigates suffocating candles and how long a candle stays lit in jars of different sizes. The students’ task is to try to find out what the uncontrolled variable is and how to control the variable, while…
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Making Sense of Your Results: Graphing Your Data
Book Chapter |
This chapter features two projects—one on the science of table tennis and one on exploring the best way to stop needles from falling off Christmas trees. The focus is on “graphing the data,” and the decisions that need…
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