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THE VIRTUAL SCIENCE FAIR 2020 – INTRODUCTION

During this enforced period of home-stay and home learning, the concept of the VIRTUAL SCIENCE
FAIR 2020 at Liceo Campoverde is to give students of Básica superior and Bachillerato an opportunity to
investigate an environmental problem in a formal and supervised manner, following the steps of THE
SCIENTIFIC METHOD or PROCESS, and create, as a result of their work, a publishable SCIENTIFIC
POSTER and a VIDEO describing their research.
STAGES OF THE INVESTIGATION
The investigation will be divided into 5 stages:

1. REGISTRATION OF PROJECT PARTICIPANTS

2. PREPARATION
a. Devising a question
b. Making preliminary research
c. Formulating and justifying a hypothesis

3. INVESTIGATION
a. Planning a suitable investigation, taking into account variables
b. Completing the investigation
c. Collecting results

4. CONCLUSION
a. Analysis of results
b. Conclusion with a justification
c. Evaluation of the process

5. COMMUNICATION
a. Scientific poster
b. Video

TIME FRAME & CALENDAR

Registration on a formal Application form by May 1st
Approval by May 4th
Completion of project, including Scientific poster and short video by June 5th
Judging by June 12th
Internet pages ready by June 19th
Prize-giving

JUDGING AND ASSESSMENT

A panel of scientists and knowledgeable people will be invited to review the work of all the participants,
according to a formalised assessment rubric, and decide upon winners, according to age groupings, so that
suitable prizes can be awarded both for participation and for quality of work.

PUBLICATION OF INVESTIGATIONS
An internet site will be created, where all the details of the VIRTUAL SCIENCE FAIR and the work of all
the participants will be published.

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 VIRTUAL SCIENCE FAIR 2020 INTERNET SITE

The link to the internet site is: www.virtualsciencefairlcv.wordpress.com

The opening (Home) page will give a general introduction to the VIRTUAL SCIENCE FAIR 2020
at Liceo Campoverde

From the Home page various other Pages and links and information can be selected, including
guides, assessment details, formats and templates, etc.

Every participant (or team) should create their own Page on the VIRTUAL SCIENCE FAIR 2020
internet site, with a suitable title, according to their focused question. On these pages (and sub-Pages)
should be included ALL the appropriate research, planning, links, documentation, results, analysis,
photos and images which will lead to a better understanding of how each participant or team has involved
itself in the VIRTUAL SCIENCE FAIR 2020. You may create further sub-pages within a page.

Be scientific as well as creative with the use of the internet site.

Remember that the internet site is in the public domain. This means that any resources and images used
must be credited, and the content of the pages must be acceptable to any reader who might be researching
in your investigation area.

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 THE VIRTUAL SCIENCE FAIR 2020 – Entry form
This format should be completed once by all intended participants or teams of participants.

Name(s) of the participant(s), incl. class group(s)

General area of interest which you wish to investigate

Name of a person who has agreed to be your supervisor

Signatures of all involved

Participants:
(If the participation is by a small team, then each member of that team must sign here)

1…………………………………………………………………………………………...

2…………………………………………………………………………………………...

3…………………………………………………………………………………………...

Supervisor:………………………………………………………………………………...

Date:

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 THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS or METHOD

This is the sequence followed by THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD:

OBSERVATION

QUESTION(S)

RESEARCH

HYPOTHESIS

INVESTIGATION

RESULTS

ANALYSIS

CONCLUSION

EVALUATION

COMMUNICATION

The investigation by participants in the VIRTUAL SCIENCE FAIR 2020 should follow the steps of the
Scientific Method.

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A template for planning – adjust this as you wish. It may not apply for a research investigation.

-PLANNING AN INVESTIGATION-
Use this format to prepare for an investigation, by completing each of the boxes.

YOUR NAME or NAMES OF TEAM MEMBERS DATE

WHAT IS BEING INVESTIGATED? Be specific!

WHAT WILL BE MEASURED? Be specific!

THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE IS:

THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE IS:

THESE ARE CONTROLLED VARIABLES:

1.

2.

3.

THIS IS THE HYPOTHESIS AND THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE HYPOTHESIS:

This will happen:

Because:

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THIS IS A LIST OF THE EQUIPMENT OR MATERIALS OR APPARATUS NEEDED:

THIS IS HOW THE INVESTIGATION WILL BE SET UP:

Draw here labelled diagram(s) which show how you will set up the investigation

.. AND THIS IS HOW THE INVESTIGATION WILL BE CONDUCTED:

Write here the steps you will follow – 1, 2, 3, etc

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 AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THIS MIGHT WORK
This is an example of how a project might develop, in the context of the Scientific Method.

1. Some observations or reading or events. Something that wants to be investigated

The pond on my property, which is filled by the local, polluted, irrigation water, is getting
overwhelmed by the growth of duckweed.

2. A question to investigate
Does duckweed grow and reproduce best on clean or polluted water?

3. Background research
I discover that duckweed
a. has an extraordinarily high rate of a-sexual reproduction
b. is the smallest flowering plant on planet Earth
c. is able to ‘clean’ polluted water by extracting nitrate and phosphate toxins
d. has one of the highest known % of protein in its tissues and for this reason could be
‘farmed’ as a food for animals or even humans

4. A hypothesis
Because duckweed plants require to make large amounts of protein to sustain their rapid rate
of growth, and because duckweed apparently is able to efficiently absorb nitrates and
phosphates from polluted water, I think that duckweed will grow better and reproduce faster in
polluted water than in hygienic, municipal water from the tap.

5. An investigation to test the hypothesis

The investigation will involve growing identical samples of duckweed in polluted pond water
and in ‘clean’ tap water. The independent variable will be the water – clean or polluted. The
dependent variable will be the reproduction rate (ie numbers of new fronds) of the duckweed
samples. The controlled variables will include light, temperature and time. There will be several
repeat samples set up in order to obtain statistically valid results.

6. Results of investigation – a table of results

Results of duckweed reproduction – the number of new fronds in each sample in a period of
time

7. Analysis of results – graphs and/or statistics

Graphs which compare the growth rates of the different samples of duckweed. The
application of simple statistics to see whether the results are statistically valid.

8. Conclusion
The hypothesis is supported or rejected, according to the analysis of the results

9. Evaluation of process – incl. errors and recommendations

Sources of error are identified and solutions to correct the errors are proposed
Recommendations are made for further investigation or study – ie that duckweed
might be used commercially to clean polluted water or harvested as a food.

10. Communication
The investigation and its results and conclusion are communicated by means of a
scientific poster, supported by a short video and an internet web page.
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 REQUIREMENTS FOR ASSESSMENT AND JUDGING
The VIRTUAL SCIENCE FAIR 2020 will be judged according to the rubric below. The principal
medium for showing the content and components for the assessment will be through the Scientific
Poster. The video and material published on the internet site will also be taken into account.

The over-riding criteria for assessment will be the collected evidence that the Scientific Method has
been followed in all its stages and according to the rubric. The quality of the Scientific Poster and of
the video will also be important.

It might also be possible to stage a ‘live’ interview session, during when the judges may ask participants
to defend their research and its results.

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Template for a Scientific Poster – to be adapted according to need

Within this template, you need to include as much of the science of the investigation as possible, but you
do have freedom to be creative – see next page.

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 Two examples of Scientific Posters

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