SCIFEST EZINE February 2015
Volume 6 Number 3
SciFest 2015 is now officially launched
‘SFI Discover is delighted to
The Launch of SciFest 2015 took place in Dominican College, Taylor’s Hill, Galway,
support SciFest as it is vital
on Friday 13 February. The attendees were welcomed to the event by the principal
that we engage and encour-
of Dominican College, Mr Alan Kinsella. Speakers included Dr Des Foley, GMIT,
age our young people to
Carol Farrell, SFI, Gretta Collins, Boston Scientific and Dr Pádraig Ó Murchú, Intel.
increase their knowledge
The attendance included representatives of the SciFest partners, the DES and local
and interest in STEM.
teachers. A number of students from the College presented their projects and an
Initiatives like SciFest allow
impressive range of trophies won at SciFest science fairs over the years were on
us to promote inquiry-based
display.
learning with our young peo-
In her introductory remarks Sheila Porter, SciFest CEO, noted that over 25,000
ple which is vitally important
students have participated in SciFest science fairs since the launch of the project
as we seek to build an Inno-
nationwide in 2008. SciFest 2015 promises to be bigger and better than ever.
vative, knowledge-based
Closing date for receipt of entry forms to SciFest@College 2015 is 13 March. Entry forms and further details are available on the SciFest website.
to provide employment opportunities in the years to
SciFest@School science fairs run throughout the year on dates selected by the schools concerned.
come’ Prof. Mark Ferguson, Director General, SFI and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government
Registration forms and further details are available on the SciFest website.
economy that will continue
SciFest website: www.scifest.ie
In This Issue
Etornam Glavee, Mairead Bell and Amy O’Reilly at the launch of SciFest 2015
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SciFest@School - St Nathy’s
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Dates of SciFest@College fairs 2015
3
New for SciFest 2015
3
What is a science fair project?
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What the judges look for in a science project
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SciFest@College 2015 Awards
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Contact us
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George and Sheila Porter, SciFest Ltd, Carol Farrell, SFI, Gretta Collins, Boston Scientific and Pádraig Ó Murchú, Intel at the launch of SciFest 2015
SciFest@School, St Nathy’s College
SciFest@School - St Nathy’s The faculty of science at St Nathy’s College, Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon held a SciFest@School Science Fair on 30 January 2015. One hundred and forty first and second year students competed in the competition, with a total of 58 projects. They arrived into the large Sport Complex hall at 9am amid an air of excitement and anticipation. They earnestly set about setting up their posters and displays. Project titles were varied, many reflecting the interests and life experiences of this group of 12 – 14 year olds. Titles included “Nasty Nicotine”, “How to prevent injuries from Football Boots”, “The effects of video games on Children”, “Does wearing Foundation give you spots?”, ”How Social Media affects our lives”, Ill-discipline”, “Computer radiation”, “Should Energy Drinks be banned from Schools?” and “Which Gender has better Concentration?”. Topical issues such as “How can we make the Farm a Safer Place?” and “What causes people to drink alcohol?” were addressed as were more technical questions such as “Could we live without Polymers?” and “How do Crystals form?” Despite the diversity of the problems that these students set out to solve they shared a common enthusiasm to share their ideas and findings with anyone who would listen! Bring on the Judges! Well done to all the students who entered projects in this competition. The prize winners will have the opportunity to continue their research and to present their projects in the next round of SciFest, to be held in April in Sligo IT. SciFest provides a wonderful opportunity for students of all abilities to work as part of a team and to research and develop their ideas in an area that interests them. The strength of this competition is its inclusiveness. The competiveness of the more able students spurs them on to perform and present work of a very high standard while the less academic students are exposed to and engage in science in a new way. They are only too delighted to speak to anyone who asks them about what they have done and what they have found out in their research. For the day they are listened to. They are just as important as everyone else. They are proud of their work! Maybe science isn’t too bad after all! Watch the video and see for yourself. By Dr Oonagh Redmond, Science Teacher, St Nathy’s College, Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon
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Dates of SciFest@College Events 2015
New for SciFest 2015 SciFest is now affiliated to
Venue
Date
Venue
Date
DIT
27 March
ITB
6 May
CIT
17 April
IT Tralee
7 May
LIT
28 April
IT Tallaght
12 May
WIT
29 April
IT Sligo
13 May
AIT
29 April
GMIT
14 May
LIT Thurles
30 April
LyIT
15 May
IT Carlow
30 April
NorthWest (Derry)
12 June
two of the largest international pre-college science
DkIT
6 May
fairs in the world: the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and the International Environment and Sustainability Project Olympiad
Closing date for receipt of entry forms to SciFest@College is Friday 13 March. Closing date for receipt of entry forms to SciFest@College NorthWest (Derry) ONLY is Friday 1 May.
(INESPO). Latest SciFest video: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vFpKN1rVAz8 Boston Scientific Medical Devices Award A faciity for submitting online entries to SciFest@College is being introduced on a pilot basis. For the current year (2015) this facility is available for entries to the SciFest@College science fairs in DIT Kevin Street and LIT Thurles only.
SciFest 2015 Be a part of something BIG 3
What is a Science Fair Project? A science fair project is an investigation that is carried out to solve a problem or answer a question. You should:
follow what is called the SCIENTIFIC METHOD
keep a REPORT BOOK. Write down all the steps of your investigation
RECORD ALL YOUR RESULTS as you go along
DISPLAY what you have done
Follow the steps of the Scientific Method 1. Look at the world around YOU. 2. Ask a question. 3. Carry out lots and lots of research. 4. Write down your hypothesis. A hypothesis is a guess about how things work. Kita Vallely, Dominican College,
STOP HERE AND ASK YOURSELF
Taylors Hill, Galway at the launch
CAN YOU test it, record data, and draw a conclusion?
of SciFest 2015
If the answer is no to any of the above you need to go back and look at your hypothesis again. 5. Draw up a timetable and an experimental plan. 6. Test your hypothesis by carrying out experiments. 7. Write down what you see. This is called data. 8. Examine the data. This gives you the results of the experiment. 9. From the results, decide whether or not your hypothesis was correct. This is how you reach conclusions. 10. Now that you are an expert on the topic are there any recommendations you would like to make? 11. Don’t forget to mention if your investigation has a real-world application. 12. Design your poster (visual display). 13. You are now ready to present your project. What is a FAIR TEST? It is very important that your experiment is a FAIR TEST. To do this you must:
Only change one thing (variable) at a time while keeping everything else the same
Repeat the experiment a number of times
Remember
To make a timetable. Each of the steps will take time — some more than others. You might have to ask your teacher to order special chemicals or you may have to visit an IT or a university to carry out some of your
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tests. Be ambitious and determined but also realistic.
You may have to go back and redesign your experimental plan.
Record everything—what worked, what didn’t work, anything you were not expecting, changes you might make if you had time to repeat the investigation again
Take photographs as you go along. These can be used to record progress and results. They also look good in your report book and on your display board.
When carrying out your research write down all your sources; these should be listed in the references section of your report book.
Record all data not just e.g. the average. You want to show that you did the experiment a number of times.
Be safe. Do not carry out any experiments that might be dangerous or use chemicals that might be harmful. Always check with your teacher first.
Entry forms for SciFest@College 2015 are now downloadable from the website www.scifest.ie. Closing date for receipt of entries is 13 March (SciFest@NorthWest in Derry only: 1 May). Please note that teachers, principals and parents have to sign the entry forms.
What the judges look for in a science fair project Section 1: Investigation Introduction: Clear statement of problem/objective/hypothesis Literature Review: Reasons for topic selection with outline of current knowledge and background research Preparation and Planning: Well-planned, replicable, adequate controls, fair test, appropriate variables, list of resources Procedure: Experimental procedure in detail, safety issues Clear accurate labelled diagrams, data tables and graphs Calculations and Data Analysis: Accurate calculations shown Discussion of relationship between variables Analysis of trends/patterns in data – conclusions Creativity and Innovation: Originality of work, use of unique methods, designs or materials, potential for development
Section 2: Presentation skills, visual display and report book Presentation Skills: Speaks clearly, demonstrates enthusiasm, confidently discusses content & answers questions, work as a team (group projects) Visual display: Visually appealing, appropriate level of content, well -organised, good spelling & grammar Report book: Well-documented, organised entries, clear illustrations, adequate & accurate references
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SciFest@College 2015 Awards Students participating in SciFest@College science fairs have the opportunity to compete for a wide range of awards and prizes. Please click here for a list of the major awards presented at each of the 15 regional SciFest@College 2015 science fairs. In addition to the major awards a number of special awards are presented at individual fairs.
Contact Us e: sheila.porter@scifest.ie e: george.porter@scifest.ie m: 086 379 6143 w: www.scifest.ie
Please check the website regularly for updates
www.scifest.ie
Record numbers participated in SciFest 2014
☺6059 students – 60% female ☺2594 projects – 38% physical science/technology ☺400+ teachers ☺243 schools ☺35 SciFest@School Fairs ☺15 Regional SciFest@College Fairs ☺1 National Final SciFest@SFI Discover
SciFest 2015 is supported by
Institutes of Technology
St Mary’s College, Derry