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Cumberland’s 19th Annual
K-3rd Science Fair
6-8 p.m. ​
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Cumberland Multipurpose Room
Sign up forms Due Thursday, February 5
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K­3rd Cumberland Elementary Science Fair 2015 Science Fair Basics 1. Brainstorm.​
Think of a question or problem that interests you (see ideas, p. 5).
2. Research.​
Use books and the Internet to research your topic. Discuss your
ideas with a parent, teacher, older sibling, or someone else who can help you.
For resources and tips, visit ​
http://cumberlandsciencefair.pbworks.com​
.
3. Sign up.​
Complete the sign-up form at the end of this packet and give it to your
teacher by Thursday, Feb 5.
4. Work on your project.​
Prepare your project according to the steps described
on the following pages and at ​
http://cumberlandsciencefair.pbworks.com​
.
5. Bring your project to the fair​
. On Thursday, March 26, bring your display
board to your classroom in the morning. Keep it in your classroom until setup
time. Put your name and your teacher's name on your project.
6. Come to the Science Fair!​
The K-3 fair is open 6-8 p.m. Thursday, March 26,
and 8-8:30 a.m. Friday, March 27. Everyone earns a ribbon and a certificate.
Kindergarten Classroom Projects Kindergartners will collaborate on Science Fair projects, with guidance from their
teacher and/or volunteers. They do not need to complete signup forms. Individual
kindergarten projects cannot be accepted or displayed.
Important safety reminders 1.​
All liquids must be securely contained.
2.​
DO NOT display anything hazardous. Use
diagrams, drawings and photographs.
● No flammable, combustible, caustic, or
dangerous materials such as solid model
rocket engines or strong acids.
● No flames, open or concealed (no candles
or Bunsen burners).
● Devices producing temperatures over
120°F must be adequately insulated.
3.​
Electrical devices must be safe. Bare wire and exposed knife switches may be used
only on circuits of 12 volts or less; otherwise, standard enclosed switches are required.
Voltage over 12 volts must be out of reach and protected by an overload safety device.
Batteries with open-top cells (wet) are not permitted.
4.​
Bacterial or fungal cultures (including bread mold and stinky cheese) must be
secured in an airtight container. Photos or drawings are preferred to live displays.
5.​
Live animals are permitted only with permission of the student’s teacher, and only
in an appropriate enclosure. Animals’ basic needs (food, water, bedding) must be met.
Displays considered unsafe will not be allowed in the fair!
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K­3rd Cumberland Elementary Science Fair 2015 Tips for Parents: Helping Your Child Scientist With An Enjoyable Project Selecting a project:​Keep it simple! A good project interests your child but isn't too
complicated. As one of our teachers put it: “Projects should be done by child scientists,
with adult assistants.” Help your child plan time to do the project. A project involving
plants, for example, should allow five weeks for plants to grow. For help, read through
this packet and find resources online at ​
http://cumberlandsciencefair.pbworks.com​
.
Making a display:​
Parents can offer advice and encouragement, but let your child
take the lead. Children learn by doing! Parents can help with writing, but please use
the child's own words. The display doesn't need to look polished or professional. Young
students can show results with a drawing, photo, or simple bar chart. A brief sentence
or two may be enough to explain the hypothesis, method, results, etc.
Materials:​Students will receive display boards from their teachers through a grant
from Synopsis. (Thank you to Mrs. Yordan for writing the grant application!) Many
experiments can be done with materials you have at home — it’s usually not necessary
to buy anything. Be sure to observe common sense safety procedures.
Have fun!​The Science Fair is not a competition: There is no judging at the fair.
(Note: Some teachers may require students to participate, and grade projects.) Every
participant earns a ribbon and certificate for their efforts. Working on a Science Fair
project is a fun way for children and parents to explore science.
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K­3rd Cumberland Elementary Science Fair 2015 Project Guidelines Your project can be an experiment, a model or demonstration, or a collection.
Experiment:​
An experiment is a test to demonstrate a known fact or determine
whether a hypothesis is correct. Experiments follow the scientific method (below).
Model or demonstration:​
A model is a small object, usually built to scale, that
represents an already existing object. A demonstration is an illustration or explanation
of a scientific principle that shows how and why something works.
Collection:​
A collection is a group of scientifically related objects that demonstrates
you've learned something through the process of collecting and categorizing. Items
should be categorized and labeled correctly using scientific names when available.
The basic steps are the same for each type of project:
Project:​
Describe your project or problem. What scientific question will your
experiment try to answer or demonstrate?
Research:​
Learn about your question.
Materials:​
What materials will you need?
Procedure:​
How will you test your hypothesis, display your demonstration, or
organize and label your collection?
Conclusion:​
What did you learn? What does your project teach others?
The Scientific Method 1. Identify the problem.​
Think about an area of science that interests you, and then
focus on a specific question.
2. Collect information.​
Research your topic and take notes.
3. Develop a hypothesis.​
A hypothesis is an educated guess based on what you
learned through research and what you think might happen when you perform your
experiment. The hypothesis answers your question.
4. Plan and conduct an experiment.​
Write a plan describing how you'll do your
experiment, including a list of all the materials you'll need. Then conduct your
experiment. Be sure you only change one variable at a time: This means everything
about the tested items should be the same (conditions remain constant) and the only
difference (the variable) is the specific procedure or item being tested. Record your
observations: changes, growth or other results. You can use photos or illustrations too.
5. Display results.​
Use charts, graphs, tables, photographs, or other techniques.
6. Draw a conclusion.​
Analyze your results and draw a conclusion. Was your
hypothesis correct? Why or why not? Your conclusion should tell what you learned by
conducting the experiment. Remember, an experiment is not a failure if the hypothesis
is proven wrong!
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K­3rd Cumberland Elementary Science Fair 2015 Project Ideas Here are a few ideas to get you started. For more, find books on science experiments
at the library or research online. Find more at
http://cumberlandsciencefair.pbworks.com​
.
First grade:
How many of each color is there in a bag of M&M’s? Make a simple bar graph by
pasting a colored paper square for each M&M counted.
What kind of juice cleans pennies best? Why?
What foods are acids? Test with homemade red cabbage juice.
What materials dissolve in water? Will some, like sugar, dissolve in hot water
better than in cold water? Try others—salt, baking soda, etc.
Why do people sprinkle salt on ice when making homemade ice cream? (Try
comparing the temperature of the ice water before and after.)
Do sugar crystals grow faster in tap water or distilled water? Why?
Do plants grow better with tap water or distilled water?
Which banana has the most sugar — green, yellow or brown?
How does the color of light affect plant growth? How about temperature?
Does it matter in which direction seeds are planted?
Does a blindfolded person walk in a circle?
Why will more air inside a basketball make it bounce higher?
Does a baseball go farther when hit by a wood or metal bat? Why?
Does sound travel best through solids, liquids, or gases? Why?
Which boat shape is fastest? Which shape holds the most weight? Make boats of
paper, clay, or wood. Test in a bathtub.
Second and third grade:
How do people make anti-freeze for cars? Hint: Does salt water boil faster than
plain water?
How much of a piece of fruit is water?
Does colored (or muddy) water heat up faster in the sun than clear water?
What kinds of crystals can you grow? Tip: Borax crystals grow overnight. Bonus:
Can you make an even bigger crystal by using one of your homemade crystals
as a “seed” crystal?
Does leaf surface area affect plant growth?
Do living plants give off moisture? How do you know? If they do, why?
How do you know a green plant adds oxygen to its environment?
What are the effects of chlorine/bleach/fertilizer on plant growth?
Do the roots of a plant always grow downward? Can you make a plant grow
sideways?
Is there a relationship between age and response time?
Do we read or remember differently with different colored paper? If so, which
works the best?
Does a baseball go farther when hit by a wood or metal bat? Why?
How can one student use a lever to lift another student who is bigger?
What materials conduct electricity? (Try plastic, metal, glass, paper, rubber,
etc.)
Can you make electricity out of magnets? How about out of a lemon?
Which bridge design is strongest? Compare an arch to a flat bridge.
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K­3rd Cumberland Elementary Science Fair 2015 Grades 1­3 Student Project Timeline Dates
Check off
when
completed
Feb. 5
________
Choose a topic that interests you.
Feb. 5
________
Complete the signup form and turn it in to your teacher.
Feb. 6
through
first week
in March
________
Once you have your teacher's approval, start work on your
project. If you're growing a plant, start right away!
second
week in
March
________
Begin working on your display. Present your information in
easy-to-read graphs or tables and include your problem,
hypothesis, procedure, results, and conclusion. Decide how to
present additional materials, if any.
third
week in
March
________
Prepare to talk about your project. Be able to explain what
you did and what you learned.
March 26
________
Bring your project to your classroom in the morning, and go
to the fair in the evening.
March 27
________
Pick up your project during recess and bring it home.
______ Organize everything you plan to do.
______ Research your idea.
______ If you're doing an experiment, make your
hypothesis.
______ Write out your procedure.
______ Gather your materials.
______ Perform your experiments.
______ Record your observations.
______ What did you learn?
______ Check if your hypothesis was correct. Remember,
there's no right or wrong answer.
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K­3rd Cumberland Elementary Science Fair 2015 K­3 Science Fair Signup Form Return the bottom part to your teacher by Thursday, Feb. 5. Print clearly!
Question/problem (what I want to find out): _____________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Description of experiment: ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Materials needed: __________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
If you sign up for one project but change your mind about what you want to do,
it's OK — you can do the new topic. Have fun, and come to the fair March 26!
Keep the top portion of this form to remind you of your project plans.
— — — — — —— — —— — —— — —— — —— — —— — —
Please complete this bottom portion and turn it in to your teacher.
K­3 Science Fair Signup Form Teacher: ____________________________________________ Room #_____
Student name (first & last): ______________________________ Grade: _____
Question/problem (what I want to find out):
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
I have reviewed my project with my parent/guardian and have his/her support.
Student signature: _________________________________________________
Parent signature: __________________________________________________
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K­3rd Cumberland Elementary Science Fair 2015