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(See also separate Project Booklet)

Introduction

The following guidelines were written to help teachers understand the project requirements in the Middle School Science Curriculum Frameworks.

The project requirement was designed as a means of addressing several standards at once, particularly the standards relating to scientific inquiry (See Appendix C). By integrating the project into your content objectives, the project will address content standards as well. The projects may also address Math, Social Studies, and ELA standards, which is particularly important to those who teach science in the earlier middle school grades and feel that there is never enough time for science.

The descriptions that follow are meant to be used as guidelines. Precise information about what exactly constitutes a project that "meets or exceeds the standards" can be found in the project rubrics.

The proposed methods for helping students produce projects are not rigid procedures that you must strictly follow. They simply represent one way of helping students arrive at and carry out a given project. The most important thing is that the projects arise from a dialog between students and teacher, and the students' observations about the world around them.

If any part of this guide is ambiguous or unclear, we would like to know so that it can be revised. As always, if you would like more information, the best way to get help is by posting a question on the Discussion Forum at the Middle School Science Teachers' Lounge or, if you do not have Internet access, see your science facilitator.

NYC Performance Standards

The Intermediate Level Science Project Requirement is designed to help students meet standards from the New York State Intermediate Level Science Core Curriculum as well as New York City Performance Standards. Standard S8 actually anticipates that projects will incorporate most elements of standards S1 -S7 during the course a of student's 5-8 middle school career. A quick glance at these standards should make it clear how a single project can be used to address multiple standards.

Controlled Experiment

What is a controlled experiment? A scientific investigation in which variables are controlled is a controlled experiment. In its simplest form, a controlled experiment is done when the investigator consciously changes one variable (the independent or manipulated variable), which will likely cause another variable(s) to change (dependent or responding variables). To the extent possible, all other variables are kept the same (constants). Conclusions are often inconclusive, or present new problems or hypotheses to be tested.

A good problem question for a controlled experiment can usually be phrased in this form: How does one thing (independent variable) affect another thing (dependent variable)? Consider the following example: "How does the temperature of water affect the ability of sugar to dissolve?" We might do some preliminary research that tells us that, generally, an increase in temperature leads to increased solubility but there are exceptions. We could form a hypothesis from that preliminary research that "if we increase the temperature of water then more sugar will dissolve." The temperature of water is the independent variable. We can further define the levels of the independent variable by selecting discrete temperatures for testing, i.e., 0o, 25o, 50o, 75o, etc. We could further designate 25o as our control group (25o Celsius is considered standard "room temperature,"). We can measure the dependent variable by keeping a record of the number of teaspoons or the grams of sugar that dissolve in each sample of water. In order to get a fair test, you would want to keep all variables other than the temperature of the water constant: For example we would want to see if different amounts of sugar dissolve in the same amounts of water and in the same kinds of containers. It would not be fair if you used a small amount of cold water and a greater amount of hot water. The problem question could not be answered because we would not know if the higher temperature or the greater volume of water caused the differences in solubility. Lastly, because measurement is always imperfect, we would need to perform our experiment several times (trials), or use a large number of samples of each of the levels of the IV, and look for trends within the data collected in order to draw meaningful conclusions.

In the classroom 

In grade five, students will have ample opportunity to perform controlled experiments based around the topics in the Variables, Mixtures and Solutions, or Food & Nutrition units. By engaging students in discussion, they will naturally generate questions that might be the basis for a controlled experiment. Keep in mind that students also need to demonstrate conceptual understanding of the phenomena that they are investigating. The following is a way for teachers to help the process along:

1. Generate questions about a topic. 
2. Conduct preliminary research to learn as much as possible about the questions. The research may in fact lead to more or better questions. 
3. Identify questions that lend themselves to a controlled experiment or help students rephrase questions in a way that they can be investigated using a controlled experiment (How does ____ affect _____?). 
4. Formulate a hypothesis in the form of an "if … then …" statement. 
5. Design a procedure to answer the question. Identify the following; levels of the independent variable, a measurable dependent variable, constants, and a control group as appropriate. 
6. Conduct the experiment, collecting qualitative/quantitative data as appropriate and other observations that might contribute to a logical conclusion. 
7. Organize results using appropriate graphs, diagrams, and tables. 
8. Analyze and interpret the organized data to draw conclusions and answer the problem question. Answers may be ambiguous or inconclusive, which should lead to further research. 
9. Present findings in a written and an oral report

Design Project

What is design? Whenever we seek technological solutions to problems, we are engaging in design. Solutions to problems must always be designed within given constraints. The ultimate constraints are, of course, the laws of physics. For example a perpetual motion machine, desirable as it may be, cannot be designed because it would violate fundamental laws of physics (the 1st & 2nd laws of thermodynamics, in case you were wondering!).

In most everyday situations, though, the laws of physics are only one set of constraints. Economic, social, and time constraints are also factored into all design projects. As an example, space travel presents a design challenge. A journey to Mars would take a crew of astronauts about six months in both directions. We could probably build a spacecraft within the next 20 years to accomplish the task. But that much time in zero gravity would not be healthy for a human being. How do you carry enough food/water to keep humans alive in space for the 1+ years needed for the voyage? What happens if someone gets seriously ill along the way? How much will it cost the taxpayers and at what benefit?

On a more mundane level, design is employed whenever manufacturers or consumers themselves make or improve products that allow us to do everyday chores faster, easier, or cheaper. Design can therefore be seen as a major driving force behind our economy.

In the classroom 

In the sixth grade classroom, the design project requirement is aligned with the Human Body, Forces and Motion, or Space Science unit. The design project should have a product that can be an invention, adaptation or novel application of existing technology. Students will identify measurable outcomes and conduct one or more controlled experiments as a means of evaluating the design. Students are also expected to demonstrate conceptual understanding of the problem they are addressing. The following steps may be followed to arrive at a project or you may arrive at a project by a different process, according to your own experience:

1. In consultation with the teacher, students should consider various problems - in the school, community, or home. 
2. Consider problems that lend themselves to technological solutions. 
3. Once the problem is identified, research other/previous attempts to solve the problem and formulate a goal for your design: How will this design alleviate the problem that you have identified? Example: "We will build a ______ (product) that will _______ (outcome)." 
4. Identify constraints - what conditions exist that make the problem difficult to solve? 
5. What resources exist to help remedy the situation? 
6. Generate alternative solutions and evaluate in terms of the constraints given. 
7. Employ a design strategy. For example, construct the most feasible alternative solution; test, collect data, and evaluate the design using one or more controlled experiments; and re-design if necessary. 
8. Present the design project.

Fieldwork Project

What is a fieldwork project? A fieldwork project requires that students go out into the "field" to make observations and collect data. Jane Goodall comes to mind. Goodall spent many years in the field observing and collecting data on chimpanzee populations in Tanzania. In certain areas of science, fieldwork is a crucial part of scientific endeavor. Think of environmental science, geology, and animal behavior, just to name a few. These topics cannot be studied strictly in a laboratory setting. Scientists must go out and collect information about these topics in the "real world." The idea behind the fieldwork project is that students will be exposed to this aspect of scientific inquiry.

In the classroom 

Obviously students need to get out of the classroom to conduct a fieldwork project. Local parks or even neighborhood streets (sidewalks, please!) are good places to do fieldwork projects. The 7th grade curriculum topics, Energy, Earth Science, or Ecology provide a variety of possibilities for fieldwork projects. Remember that students must demonstrate conceptual understanding of the phenomena that they are studying. The steps below outline a possible way to get started. Of course this is not a required sequence, and as always teachers may get to the end goal by other means, according to their individual experience:

1. Students make observations about the world around them, on the way to and from school, in the park, etc. 
2. Teacher discusses observations with students that are related to the 7th grade curriculum. Students may tend to make generalizations or ask questions. 
3. Teacher helps students rephrase questions or generalizations as problem questions (How does ___ affect ____?). 
4. Students formulate a hypothesis in the form of an "if…then…" statement. 
5. Students make a plan for collecting data in the field. Identify the following; levels of the independent variable, a measurable dependent variable, constants, and a control group as appropriate. 
6. Go into the field and collect data and make observations that will help answer the problem question. 
7. Organize data using tables, diagrams, and appropriate graphs to show relationships. 
8. Interpret the data to offer an answer to the problem question. 
9. Present findings in a written and an oral report.

Secondary Research Project

What is a secondary research project? Secondary research refers to the gathering and comparative study of data collected by others. It is not to be confused with the term "secondary sources" that is often used in some research papers and contrasted with "primary sources." Secondary research often involves using data gathered directly by other scientists, either in the lab or in the field. It may also involve statistics gathered from a variety of sources by government agencies or universities. A scientist studying the effects of auto emissions on global warming, for example, might collect data from government agencies on temperature trends, from car manufacturers on the kinds of emissions produced by cars, and from university researchers on recent changes in the kinds and amounts of gases in the atmosphere. The scientist would then try to determine the effect of car emissions while considering other sources of pollution and climate changes that have occurred over time. 

In the classroom 

Many of the questions that students ask cannot be answered by doing classroom activities. The activity may be too dangerous, too expensive, or too time consuming. The questions may, nonetheless, be valid questions that are worth exploring. Secondary research, rather than direct experimentation, is the method to use. Students may choose a research topic from any of the 7th grade curriculum topics: Energy, Earth Science, or Ecology. Keep in mind that students need to demonstrate conceptual understanding of the phenomena they are investigating. In order to conduct a secondary research project, the following should serve as a guide:

1. Teacher helps students identify questions that are appropriate for secondary research. They will usually ask these questions periodically anyway, it's simply a matter of recognizing them and making students aware of them. 
2. Rephrase the question in the form of a problem question (How does ___ affect ___?). 
3. Formulate a hypothesis in the form of an "if…then…" statement.
4. Identify the following: levels of the independent variable, a measurable dependent variable, constants, and a control group as appropriate.
5. Collect information and data from at least two different sources (books, magazines, internet, newspaper, etc.) that will help you answer the problem question.
6. Organize data in tables, diagrams, and appropriate graphs.
7. Analyze data to answer problem question, consider the correlation between the 2 variables.
8. Present findings in a written and oral report.

 

MSSCF Contents

[Introduction] [Matrix] [Guide] [Our Vision]
[Grade 5] [Grade 6] [Grade 7] [Grade 8] [Projects] [Presentations]
[Rubrics & Design Diagrams] [Standards]