Dear PS8 Lower and Middle School Families, Your child is invited to take part in our second annual Celebr8 Science event, an exciting opportunity for students to think like scientists! During the coming weeks, you child can choose to either:  construct a science project that uses the scientific method to solve a problem  design an invention  create a model/drawing/diagram that illustrates a scientific concept or topic  set up a “let’s do science” experience This is a voluntary family experience and is open to students, pre-k – 8! Students in 6 - 8 are strongly encouraged to participate, as they will be well supported by their science teacher! We ask that you encourage your child and monitor his or her progress along the way. Your support is key to a successful project, but please do not allow your involvement to extend any further in order to assure equity and promote student learning! It is important that your child be given the opportunity to wrestle with problems and try on their own to solve them. Guide your child whenever and wherever you can, but let the final project reflect your child’s individual effort(s) and design. Teachers will be available to lend some assistance to interested students after school on selected days in the weeks leading up to the Celebr8 Science event on April 29th. Attached are the guidelines for each of the categories of participation. For suggestions on helping your child through this process – from choosing a topic to the final report/presentation – please visit the public library, or utilize the internet where you can find many great educational websites that focus on science projects for young people to do at home. We made some suggestions for you in the pages that follow. If you have questions after reading the packet & exploring online, please consider attending an information session in February to see what went on last year and to ask any questions. Folks interested in volunteering in some capacity for this event, you’re welcome to attend of course or email us below to get involved! For additional support or specific questions, email us at [email protected] Sincerely, Celebr8 Science Committee Celebr8 Science! April 29th, 2015 PS8 Middle School Categories of Participation We hope you will be inspired to participate in this Celebr8 Science event! There are a variety of fun ways to be involved (and they don’t all involve making a poster board! ;-) ~ Construct a science project that uses the scientific method to solve a problem: If you would like to attempt to answer a question or solve a problem by using the scientific method, please bring in your tri-fold poster board to share with others and make sure to follow the format below to display your information: Scientific Investigation Display Board ~ Design an invention: If you would like to design an invention for Celebr8 Science please bring in your invention to share with others and make sure to include the following information in your presentation: · What inspired you to create this invention? · What is interesting about this invention? · How does this invention work? · Why do you think this invention is important? · What challenges did you face while creating your invention? Categories of Participation (continued) ~ Create a model/drawing/diagram that illustrates a scientific concept or topic: If you would like to construct a model, draw a labeled picture or sketch a diagram illustrating a science concept or topic for Celebr8 Science, please bring in your model, labeled picture, or diagram to share with others and make sure to include the following information in your presentation: · What inspired you to make this model, picture or diagram? · What is interesting about this model, picture or diagram? · What information about a scientific concept or topic are you sharing with others? · Why do you think the information you are sharing with others is important? · What challenges did you face while creating your model, picture or diagram? ~ Set up a “let’s do science” experience: If you would like to have event participants DO your science activity with you, please bring your materials to share with others. Be sure to plan out your materials with your parent so that you’ll have enough for perhaps 10-20 people to try your activity. Make sure to include the following information in your presentation: · What inspired you to do this science activity with others? · What is interesting about this experience? · What information about a scientific concept or topic are you sharing with others? · What elements of the Scientific Method are you doing with the participants? In late February, we’ll send out a request to register your participation in the Celebr8 Science event - at that time, you’ll need to let us know what category of participation your child has elected to do so that we can plan accordingly at the event site. HAVE FUN!! What’s the Scientific Method? Scientists are curious people who ask questions about the world around them and then seek to find the answers! This process of asking questions and finding answers through experimentation is the scientific method. The steps below are involved in this process and though it’s presented in a linear format - scientists often backtrack and start over at any step along the way in their quest for answers: ● Ask a question (Purpose of investigation or Problem to be solved) ● Make a guess (Hypothesis) ● Take a look (Observations made during an Experiment) ● Write it down (Data - goes in our Results section) ● Make it a picture (Results in Picture form; graphs, photos, tables, charts, drawings) ● Decide what it means (Conclusions and Discussion) Sample Celebr8 Science Questions: Does music have an effect on animal behavior? Does music have an effect on plant growth? Do plants grow better with natural sun (or grow lights) vs a regular light bulb? Which kind of food do dogs (or any animal) prefer? Does the color of food or drinks affect whether or not we like them? Which paper towel is the strongest? What is the best way to keep an ice cube from melting? What level of salt works best to grow brine shrimp? Can the food we eat affect our heart rate? How effective are childproof containers and locks? Can noise levels affect how well we concentrate? Does acid rain affect the growth of aquatic plants? What is the best way to keep cut flowers fresh the longest? Does the color of light used on plant affect how well they grow? Which plant fertilizer works best? Does the color of a room affect human behavior? Do athletic students have better lung capacity? What blade design produces the greatest voltage on a turbine? (Check out kidwind online) What brand of battery lasts the longest? What type of food molds the fastest? Does having worms (or compost) in soil, help plants grow faster? Does gravity affect how plants grow? Does the color of hair affect how much static electricity it can carry? (Test with balloons) How much weight can the surface tension of water hold? Can people really read someone else’s thoughts? Which soda decays teeth the most? What light brightness makes plants grow the best? Does the color of birdseed affect how much birds will eat it? Do natural or chemical fertilizers work the best? Can mice (any animal) learn? Can people tell artificial smells from real ones? Does age affect human reaction times? What is the effect of salt on the boiling (or freezing) temperature of water? Does shoe design affect an athlete’s jumping height? What grass seed grows the fastest? Can animals see in the dark better than humans? For more fantastic ideas, help on selecting a topic your child will enjoy AND support for your entire scientific experience - visit sciencebuddies.org or email the Celebr8 Science committee at [email protected] Be on the lookout for information about our Celebr8 Science webpage!