Tips
Messages sent via Remind to Fifth Grade Families
Message Sent February 23, 2024
Happy Friday Families!
This is the final week before projects are due. The projects turned in early are amazing! I can’t wait to see the rest!!!
Science Fair judging day is March 7th. Students will share their boards with at least three judges (one on one). Please encourage your child to dress nicely. Let’s represent! 😊
Science Fair Night is also March 7th from 5:30-6:30 PM. From 5:30-6:00 PM you will have the opportunity to view all the projects. Around 6 PM we will begin the awards celebration. All participants will receive a participation award and ribbon. We will also announce honorable mentions and first, second and third place winners. We hope to see you there!!!
I’m in a STEM training tomorrow (fun!), but will check my email and Remind messages throughout the weekend. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need any assistance.
Thank you for your support,
Ms. Clark
Remind Message Sent February 16, 2024
Good Afternoon Families!
About two weeks left! Projects are due March 1st. The boards turned in already are AWESOME! I’m so proud of our Cougars. I can’t wait to see more!!!
I know this hasn’t been easy, but these skills will be assessed on the FCAT in May. More importantly, it’s great practice and has real world applications.
This week we talked about how to design our board and the judging day. I provided students with colored paper for decorating their boards and index cards to use to help with presenting to the judges. I shared some examples of middle schoolers presenting for the real fair as well.
Boards should include the title, question, hypothesis, sources (research is bonus), materials, the procedure, data (charts/graphs), results, and a conclusion. Pictures are optional. I can print anything you need, but please make these requests within the next week.
For judging day (March 7th), students should be able to share what their project is about (question, hypothesis, summarize their data, then their conclusion). The judges will ask some questions to clarify if needed or ask some general questions to help students share more about their projects. I know students are nervous about this, but I have some of the coolest people coming to judge. Some Doctors, School Board and other community members. These people LOVE science and students. They’re also good about giving students pointers to help them remember what’s important through the science process. Last year was truly amazing to see how our fifth graders went from super shy at first, to seeking the judges and asking them to check out their projects. It’s an amazing growing experience. I recommend having your child practice a few times before they turn in their boards. Take some pictures and get info on index cards if needed as well.
Please have your child dress nicely. Suits/dresses are not required, but a clean professional look is appreciated. Let’s represent!!!
Please do not hesitate to reach out of you need anything.
Have a great long weekend and thank you for your support!
Ms. Clark
STEM Lab and Science Fair Coordinator
Message Sent February 9th
Good evening Families!
This week students learned what to include in their conclusion. Students wrote questions in their journals to help prepare their conclusion.
What did I learn?
What can I improve and/or do better?
How does this impact the real world?
What would I like to try now?
Here’s an example conclusion from the Magic Grow Experiment:
Based on my experiment, I recommend using distilled water to grow the largest Magic Grow creatures. Not only did they grow the largest, but the water looked the cleanest after the project concluded.
If I were to do this experiment again, I would try different liquids because I’m curious to see if seltzer water would work too.
Some issues during this experiment involved measuring the snakes with yarn. Sometimes it wasn’t consistent (yarn stretches easily). I would use string next time and get more people to help me measure it for better accuracy. The tap water developed some mold.
It would also be great to see if this project could make a difference in our waters. Can hydrogel be used to absorb oil spills?
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. If you need anything printed, please email me within the next few weeks.
Thank you,
Ms. Clark
STEM Lab and Science Fair Coordinator
Message Sent February 1, 2024
Happy February Families!
One month left! 😊
This week we worked on writing our results. Results should stick to the facts. Here’s an example from the Magic Grow Experiment:
My hypothesis did NOT match the data. The Magic Grow creature in the distilled water grew the longest. Tap water creatures grew the second largest and spring water magic grows grew the least.
If you take the largest creature growth from each trial, the distilled water creature was over 90 cm longer than the tap and spring water creatures!
Here’s another example from a student working on a banana experiment:
My hypothesis did NOT match the data. The bananas in the refrigerator didn’t have as many brown spots, but they were completely brown and soft inside. The bananas in the freezer had a few brown spots, but were brown inside. The bananas on the counter had the most brown spots but weren’t all brown on the inside (only a few brown spots).
Practice
With the fifth graders, I had them practice by writing down what to include (a template so to speak):
My hypothesis matched/did not match my data because…(Explain data and observations). Do NOT write what you think happened (save that for your conclusion).
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you need any assistance. 😊
Ms. Clark
STEM Lab and Science Fair Coordinator
Message Sent January 27, 2024
Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii Families!
Time seems to be flying! We have about one month left for science fair. If your child hasn’t started, now would be a great time. Please!!! 😊
We worked on data charts and graphs in STEM lab this week. Many students drafted their charts and or graphs, or copied my example as a resource. Data is a crucial part to the experiment – data is needed to draw conclusions. It’s fun to see how the experiment turned out!
I also spoke to the students about completing three or more trials. Good scientists always do the experiment three or more times. It’s important to make sure there is data to collect. Some students needed some help with this part. For example, one student is placing bananas in different locations to see if location helps prevent browning. Counting the number of brown spots each day could be good data. Recording the size and number of those brown spots would be even better.
It’s also very important to be sure variables are controlled. I have some students testing paper towel absorbency. They need to make sure the sheets are the exact same size when they test. They also need to be sure they test all the brands the exact same way each time.
There are some super cool ideas out there! Please help your child get started soon. I’m willing to print pictures if needed. Please email or send photos via Remind and I can print them on paper in color for your child’s board. My only request is to please not wait until the last week of February. 😉 Start now if you need some assistance with printing or anything else. 😊
Thank you for your support,
Ms. Clark
STEM Lab and Science Fair Coordinator
Remind Message Sent January 16, 2024
Good evening Families!
It’s time to start thinking about the procedure. The procedure should be step by step instructions and a complete description of how the experiment was conducted. This is crucial for not only understanding the experiment, but for someone to try the experiment!!! Someone reading the procedure should be able to complete the experiment without help. In other words, students need to write their procedure clearly and with as much detail as possible. This may be a work in progress since many have not started experimenting yet. That’s okay!!!
I also told students the research paper is optional. If they turn it in, bonus points will be added to their science fair project grade.
Students still need to display their sources on their board. I provided a lot of time in class for research and using Easybib to write a bibliography/works cited page.
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you need assistance. I’m here if you need me! :-D
Have an awesome end to your week!!!
Ms. Clark, STEM Lab Teacher and Science Fair Coordinator
Remind Message Sent January 8, 2024
Happy New Year!!! 😊
I hope you had a wonderful break.
Students have two more months to complete their Science Fair projects. They’re due March 1st. Judging day is March 6th.
This week, we’re diving into the materials list. If your child has not selected a project idea yet, please encourage them to select one. Two months will fly by! Remember, projects do not need to be complex. There are some great examples on my website that are simple and fun to complete. Many of the Middle School projects I judged involved saving money (helping food last longer, product testing, etc.). Saving money is a great real-world project idea.
There are tips and examples on my website if needed. You can also reach out to me via Remind or email: Nicole.Clark@yourcharlotteschools.net
As always, thank you for your support! I can’t wait to see their projects!!!
Have a wonderful week,
Ms. Clark, STEM Lab Teacher and Science Fair Coordinator
Remind Message Sent December 12, 2023
Happy Tuesday Families!
This week and last, we reviewed writing a hypothesis and questions. We’re also still working on the research of our projects. I’m continuing work on research because students need help with searching for sources and working on citing and the bibliography.
Part of science fair involves researching the question and topic. Your child should have a few paragraphs about their research. As they’re writing, it’s important to be sure they cite their sources to avoid plagiarism. They can cite their work a few different ways. One way could look like:
According to Steve Spangler’s article, Growing Creatures – Superabsorbent Polymers, magic grow creatures are made from a special chemical called hydrogel. This hydrogel…
Citing can also look like:
Magic grow creatures are made from a special chemical called hydrogel (Spangler, 2023).
Here’s the site I’m using with the students to help create their works cited/bibliography page: https://www.easybib.com/
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you need assistance. You can message me via Remind, connect via my website (https://sites.google.com/yourcharlotteschools.net/msclark/home?pli=1), or email me (Nicole.Clark@yourcharlotteschools.net).
Have a wonderful week!
Ms. Clark, STEM Lab Teacher and Science Fair Coordinator
Remind Message Sent December 1, 2023
Happy Friday Families!
This week we worked on our science questions and the hypothesis. 😊 Ms. O’Brien’s class will make up this lesson next week. I was out on Wednesday at LA Ainger Middle School judging their science fair! They had some fabulous projects. I’ll post them on my website this weekend.
Some key points I discussed with the students:
1. Make sure you ask a testable question. I have so many students that love certain topics – like the ocean or volcanoes. This is fun, but not always tied to the science fair/science process. However, we can always research topics related to our favorite things. The student loving volcanoes is now looking into recipes to make the tallest eruption. We will see if he can find a way to ask a science question. 😉
2. Some of the best science fair questions deal with a real-world problem. Some examples from past years include: Which beverage will destroy teeth the most? Where can I place bread so it doesn’t mold? Where can I store bananas so they don’t brown so quickly? Students LOVE solving problems – this is a motivator if you feel your child needs some support. Think of a problem you see or discuss often. Can you solve it using science? Another student said her milk always goes bad before they finish it all – she’s wondering if it’s the brand – or fat content.
3. Remember to write your hypothesis as an if/then statement. This is cause and effect. IF I do this, THEN this will happen… When I work with the younger grades, we’re testing to see what water helps magic grow creatures grow larger. Our hypothesis is, If I place magic grow creatures in tap, distilled and spring water, then the magic grow creatures in the __________ water will grow the largest (I have them fill in the blank).
Students are super excited about their projects. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you need assistance. I will work on posting weekly to keep you up to date on what we discuss and to help with the suggested deadlines so it’s a smooth process.
You can find more resources on my site: https://sites.google.com/yourcharlotteschools.net/msclark/science-fair
Thank YOU for all of your support!!!
Ms. Clark
Remind Message Sent November 21, 2023
Happy Tuesday Families!!!
We resume Science Fair work next week. 😊
Thank you so much for all of your support! I appreciate the positive energy from your kiddos and how they’re already tackling their projects. I’m very proud!
I hope you have the opportunity to rest and enjoy time with family and friends.
Take care,
Ms. Clark
STEM Lab Teacher and Science Fair Coordinator
Remind Message Sent November 12th
Happy Sunday Families!
On November 9th, I started Science Fair with your fabulous students! I met with Mrs. Falkovitz’s and Mrs. Littlepage’s classes. I am meeting with Mrs. Materjohn’s and Ms. O’Brien’s classes this week.
A packet with more information went home on November 1st. If you need another copy (or didn’t receive it), please let me know! You can also find it on my website.
I begin by reviewing expectations. I take grades in STEM weekly for their science work, so yes, this is a grade. Their final project will be a grade in both classes (STEM and their science class). Science Fair is a great way to work on science skills and prepare for the FCAT Science Test at the end of the year. There are amazing opportunities for students if they continue in middle and high school. Winners can earn scholarships for the Edison Fair - the work they do now can prepare them for the real fair.
Please talk to your child about their Science Fair idea if they haven’t spoken to you already. Many students came up with three or more ideas just in case. I’m very proud of the positive attitudes. The energy was great!!!
It’s important that their science fair idea can be testable. How the dinosaurs died and how volcanoes work are research projects and not testable. Real world problems are great ideas. How to prevent bread from molding, or the best place to store bananas so they don’t brown quickly, are great testable ideas. These are also simple and relatively cheap science fair ideas. Science Fair does not need to be a long or expensive process.
Science Fair boards were delivered to your child’s classroom. 😊
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!
Ms. Clark
STEM Lab Teacher and Science Fair Coordinator