MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE Science Fair 2003

6th Grade: Betts Browne Railey

Browne 7th Grade

Railey 8th Grade

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Science Fair 2003

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December 9th, 2002

Re: March 6th, 2003 Science Fair

Dear TASIS England Middle School Students and Parents

With this packet of information, we begin the process that culminates in our Middle School Science Fair for 2003. We are embarking on a revised version of past Science Fairs produced at TASIS. The two major changes are that the students will work in groups of two (sometimes three) within each class of science, and nearly all the work will be done at School in the science classrooms over a period of four weeks. The topic of the project will be chosen from lists of investigations given within this packet. (Others will be considered.)

As a reflection of industry where people have to work together to problem-solve, we need to emphasize communication, cooperation and compromise. This new format will allow us to monitor the students working as teams throughout the process, meeting the various deadlines so that things will be ready on the day of Thursday, March 6th. This needs to be accomplished in a sharing, give and take, for the good of the project atmosphere. In the beginning, students will go through some exercises dealing with cooperative learning and working as a team. Throughout the process, students will be evaluated by their respective teachers with the use of rubric sheets and in meeting deadlines over the next two plus months. This will be combined with their performance scores on the night of the Science Fair.

Your support is needed in terms of helping to locate/purchase supplies for the students to plan a display and an interactive demonstration of a scientific principle, whose target audience is the Lower School--about 3rd/4th grade level.

We are allowing the students to choose their partners from within their science classes. Classes with odd numbers of students will have one group of three students working together. A list of topics is given under 11 themes in the pages that follow. No topic can be done by more than one team, and the topics will be dispensed on a first come, first served basis.

Application forms giving a first and second choice accompany this packet. The pair working together submits this proposal to their science teacher by Monday, Dec. 16th. The teacher will enter the choice and get back to the pair submitting the form by Wed., Dec 18th with confirmation. Once approved, then the background research may begin.

Each team will have a box of supplies which we will pull out every day during the weekly work periods leading up to the deadlines, which are given on subsequent pages. The criteria for the background paper are provided with this packet. Additional rubrics will be given to the students as we progress.

Time has been taken in class today to consider initial reactions, questions and concerns. So that more can be addressed, we ask your child to record their questions on paper. Feel free to contact us with any questions as they surface throughout this process.

Kind regards,

Mr. Betts                                        Ms. Browne                                        Ms. Railey

This page was last updated on January 15, 2002.