Science Fair

Science projects and trifold poster boards for 3rd grade are due Monday, April 18.

Students should bring in any materials that show their work, i.e. plants experimented on.

Students will present their experiments to the class to prepare for the science fair this Wednesday.

Students should be able to explain the steps they did for their project; i.e. problem, hypothesis, procedure, results, etc.

Science Fair Project Ideas

Below is a list of websites with ideas for science projects. Volcanoes and science kits are NOT allowed.

The steps of the scientific method MUST be followed (sheet 2 in science fair packet) so projects MUST answer a question.

For example: (This was NOT really tested. I made it up :)

Problem: What type of water will help roses grow?
Hypothesis- I think zamzam water will help roses grow.
Materials- 4 rose plants, zamzam water, tap water, distilled water, salt water
Procedure- specific steps that will be used to test your hypothesis
Observations- include pictures, charts, drawings, etc.
Results/Why- The rose plant that was watered with distilled water for 1 month grew the most. Explain why you think so, even if your hypothesis was not correct.

Websites

http://www.education.com/science-fair/third-grade/

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/40-cool-science-experiments-web

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas.shtml#browseallprojects

http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/

Science Fair Project Dates

Friday, March 4- Every student in my class received a science fair packet.

Friday, March 11- Sheet 3 (parent acknowledgement form) in this packet MUST be signed.

Monday, March 14- Sheet 2 (outline) DUE

Tuesday-Wednesday, April 12 and 13- Students will present in class, so projects are DUE in school this day.

Wednesday, April 20- Science Fair

*I will update this post if needed.

Dressing Up for Mexico Presentation

Students must dress up to represent the country they will present on February 24.

To represent Mexico, girls must wear a colorful long skirt and long sleeve white top.

Boys must wear black pants and a long sleeve white shirt.

These should be brought to school on the 24th and can be changed into after lunch.

Sombreros are optional ;)

Mexico Facts for Presentation

Each student has already been given their facts on Mexico that they must practice for their part on stage. We will continue to practice in class, but students should also practice at home.

In case they have lost their paper, the facts are down below in addition to the order students will present.

Jenna
Mexico is located in North America and is about 3 times larger than Texas. Mexico City, the capital, is the oldest city in North America and is also one of the largest cities in the world!

Kerim
Mexico is known for their tacos, sombreros, and ancient temples. But did you know that Mexico introduced chocolate to the world and that the Aztecs used it as money?
 
Dalia
Mexico has a lot of unique animals such as the resplendent quetzal (a bird) and the volcano rabbit which lives near Mexican volcanoes. Did you know that the Chihuahua dogs are named after a city in Mexico?

Haneen
According to an article  written by Imam Isa Rojas in 2012, there were about 5,000 Muslims in Mexico and only 10 masjids. The first masjid built in Mexico was Suriya Masjid in 1989.

Aisha
Mexico has many beautiful and interesting places to visit such as an underwater museum, a giant crystal cave, hidden beaches, and a pink lagoon. If you ever need an idea for a vacation spot, try Mexico!

Mexico Research Websites

Students can use these sites to do research for their research packets, presentation board, and models.

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/mexico/#mexico-mexico-city.jpg

http://www.timeforkids.com/destination/mexico

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/globaltrek/destinations/mexico.htm

http://www.history.com/topics/mexico

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/mexico-guide/

SS Fair Project Dates

1/14/16
Invitation letter to parents with info. on Mexico model sent home.

1/21/16
Landmark model approval letter sent home.

1/26/16
Landmark must be chosen and approved by me so students can begin working on their models at home. If students have NOT chosen by this date, I will assign a landmark that they MUST do. These models will be counted as 1 test grade for the 3rd marking period.

2/3/16
Field trip to American Museum of Natural History, NY.

2/4/16
Research packet MUST be complete. Students have been working on this in class. This will be counted as 1 test grade for the 2nd marking period.

2/16/16
Models are DUE in school. Students will do a short presentation for the class.

2/17-2/18/16
Mid Winter Break

2/22/16
3D display board must be complete. Students must work as a team to complete this in class.

2/24/16
Social Studies Fair will be at 1 pm. Pictures will be taken :) I know all my students and although some may want to sing/dance, others don't and I want everyone to feel comfortable on stage. So, my students will present facts on Mexico to the audience. Attendance this day is MANDATORY.

SS Fair Model Info.

Every model created by my students (with some assistance from parents ;) must include an index card with the following information written neatly on it. Research must be done for this part!

This index card should be securely glued to the project somewhere that will be easy for others to see and read. If there are any questions, please ask me as soon as possible :)

Student name
3rd grade
landmark name
city, Mexico
Why is the landmark important?
What is the landmark used for?
1 interesting fact about your landmark

Example
Sabrina Fatima
3rd grade
Chapultepec Castle
Mexico City, Mexico
This landmark is important because... (please keep it short but answer the question)
This landmark is used for... (again please keep it short but answer the question. If the answers to both are the same, then answer why it is important)
An interesting fact about my landmark is that...