STEM EXPO Student Handbook Engineering Design MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL APRIL 23, 2018 6:00 8:00pm
2 Table of Contents What is the STEM Expo?... 3 A Quick Note about STEM Competitions... 4 Getting Started on an Engineering Design Project/Invention... 5 Important Note for Students Using this Handbook:... 5 Getting Organized... 6 Choosing Your Project Topic... 7 Choosing Your Engineering Design Topic... 8 Examples of Engineering Questions:... 8 Safety Regulations... 9 Suggested Project Timeline/Calendar... 10 Engineering Design Project Checklist... 11 Elements of a Successful Research Paper for Engineering Design... 12 Prepare a Display Board of Your Findings/Work... 13 Display Board Ideas for Engineering Design Project... 15 How Adults Can Help... 16 Registration for Edmonds STEM Expo... 16 Project Planning Proposal Example... 17
3 What is the STEM Expo? Welcome Students! The STEM Expo is a celebration of YOU, and of your learning in science and engineering. It is the place to share what you care deeply about and to show the community how STEM can be used to impact our future. To join the event, you may use work done as part of a class, or work you ve developed independently with support from a teacher, mentor or coach. Your projects may be presented as team or as individual work in any of the following categories: Science Investigations Lab experiments or field studies designed by students in order to answer a scientific question. Engineering Design Projects and Inventions Inventions and engineered projects designed by students to provide a solution to a problem. Computer Sciences Projects designed by students which include work in computer engineering, programming, forensics and software development. Science Inquiry Essays This category showcases two major types of student essays. One type is writing done to explain lab techniques and experiments done (but not designed) by students. A second type is writing based on a review of scientific literature to explore a question about a scientific topic. STEM Club Projects Procedures and technologies used by students as part of STEM related competitions and projectbased learning activities. STEM Classroom Demonstrations These displays feature demonstrations of procedures and technologies used within STEM classrooms. Each category has specific criteria that need to be followed. The criteria for Engineering Designs and Inventions are listed in this handbook. You are encouraged to choose the type of project that best fits your learning style and interests. Students, teachers, mentors and advisors can find STEM Expo resources in any of the above categories at the Edmonds School District STEM Expo website.
4 A Quick Note about STEM Competitions As you are getting ready for the STEM Expo, it is a great time to be aware of other STEM competitions that you might like to participate in, too. Use your talents, passion and STEM knowledge to make a difference in our world! Check out these opportunities to share your ideas. You might participate in one of these events as part of a class, but you could also do it on your own. Find an event that fits your style. If you have questions about getting started, need support, or plan to enter on your own rather than as part of a class, contact Mary Glodowski at the Edmonds School District glodowskim@edmonds.wednet.edu. Besides using your ideas to make a difference in the world, here are a few other reasons to consider participating in a STEM competition: You can start to make a difference in the world now! (Just had to mention that one more time.) It s really the most important reason for doing science and engineering, after all. You have something to brag about on your college applications. You have something significant to add to your resume. You can make great connections with the science and engineering community. $$$ All competitions listed below have cash prizes. $$$ $$$ Some of the competitions listed below have scholarship prizes. $$$ Consider reviewing these events for great ideas to help you with your STEM Expo Project. Visit Edmonds School District STEM Competitions for easy access to information on ALL of these amazing events! https://goo.gl/fchkdg - Central Sound Regional Science & Engineering Fair Washington State Science & Engineering Fair Intel International Science & Engineering Fair Broadcom MASTERS Regeneron Science Talent Search Siemens Competition ecybermission Microsoft Imagine Cup FIRST LEGO League Real World Design Challenge Toshiba ExploraVision Imagine Tomorrow
5 Getting Started on an Engineering Design Project/Invention Engineering projects focus on DESIGN and producing a SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM. If you have identified a problem that could be solved by creating a product or a new way to do things, you should consider exploring through an engineering design. On the other hand, if you have a project that focuses on RESEARCH and producing KNOWLEDGE about the world, you should consider learning more about science investigations. A separate Student Manual for that category can be found at the STEM Expo resources webpage. Important Note for Students Using this Handbook: If you are participating in the STEM Expo as part of a class assignment: Follow all instructions from your teacher very carefully as you move through the engineering design process. This handbook may serve to give you a few more ideas and resources to consider. If you are doing this project without your class and will be entering only the STEM Expo: Feel free to use a blend of the strategies presented in this handbook in a way that best suits your style! Before you start your investigation, you will need to have your procedure/plans approved for health and safety issues. Contact Mary Glodowski at the Edmonds School District glodowskim@edmonds.wednet.edu for approval, to register for the STEM Expo, and if you have questions or need support with your project. If you are doing this project for both the STEM Expo AND for another STEM event or competition (see examples on page 4): If you plan to share your competition work at the STEM Expo, follow all instructions given for your other STEM event/competition very carefully. You will register for the STEM Expo with your teacher. If you are doing entering the STEM Expo without your class, you can contact Mary Glodowski at the Edmonds School District glodowskim@edmonds.wednet.edu to register for the STEM Expo, and if you have questions or need support with your project.
6 Getting Organized Record Keeping - Notebooks Your project notebook is the most important aspect of providing evidence that your ideas and work belong to you. It is a detailed account of every phase of your project, from your initial ideas to your final products. It is a hand-written, day-by-day record of everything related to your project. General Guidelines: 1. Use a durable, stitched, laboratory-type notebook. Pages are not to be removed. 2. Use the first few pages as your Table of Contents and fill in titles and pages as you work. 3. Begin using the notebook right away and document everything you do for the project. 4. Whether working individually or as a team, each person must have a notebook. 5. All pages must be numbered before information is entered. 6. All pages are dated as information is added. 7. All entries should be done in blue or black ink. No pencil. 8. Don t worry about neatness. This is a real, working notebook that serves as a diary or record of what you are doing. Don t re-write pages to make them look nice. They only have to legible and organized enough for others to read your work and understand what you are doing. 9. Simply put a line through errors no white-out and initial. 10. Most of the records in your lab notebook will be hand-written. 11. Notebooks typically include: Topic ideas and brainstorming, questions about your topic Daily observations and ideas Criteria and constraints Literature review reading notes, bibliographical citations Drafts of materials and procedures, and actual materials and procedures Labeled sketches and photos of prototypes and all designs Data tables, calculations, graphs Data analysis notes, conclusion notes Poster design Finding Resources Edmonds School District Online Resources Library https://goo.gl/4rzjuh Teachers and Specialist in your topic area School Library and Media Specialists Google Scholar Museums Organizations that specialize in your topic
7 Choosing Your Project Topic Choosing your Project Topic is the first step and probably one of the more difficult things about doing a STEM project. The following suggestions can help you get started: Generate a list of interests: The best topic comes from something you are passionate about. What are your hobbies? Are you interested in how things work, patterns you observe in nature, solving a problem or issue you have noticed in your community? Is there something you have always wondered about? Is there a product or design you have wanted to develop or improve? Remember to record these in your lab notebook. You may not use them, but your notebook is your record of your engineering design process. Get help: Brainstorm ideas with a friend, parent, or another interested adult. What questions do I have about the topic? Just as you identified a topic, generate a list of questions you have about this topic. Remember, this is all a brainstorm to this point. Best Tips for Idea Resources from the STEM Competitions (see page 4) ecybermission: You can watch series of short videos that guide students through each stage of a science or engineering process. Remember to look at the bottom of the page for links to supporting documents. Toshiba ExploraVision: This site has a series of great tips to help guide you through the processes of brainstorming, choosing a topic, and even how to research.
8 Choosing Your Engineering Design Topic Once you ve selected a topic and narrowed your search to a single problem to work on, identify possible solutions, and then plan to develop the best one based on your criteria and constraints. Examples of Engineering Questions: How can you redesign a sandbag to better protect homes during a flood? What can you do with a swim cap to optimize its ability to decrease drag in water? What is the best propeller design for a wind generator? How can students move through the lunch line in less time than it takes now? How can vegetables be kept fresh for a longer time? In real life, the boundaries between science and engineering projects are not always clear. Scientists often engineer tools to do their work, while engineers often use scientific practices to help them design their products. Your project may fall in the gray area between science and engineering, and that s OK. Many projects can and should use science and engineering practices. However, if the objective of your project is to learn about how the natural world works, a science investigation may help you answer your questions. If you are still unsure whether your project is a science or an engineering project, please ask a teacher or parent for help.
9 Safety Regulations The International Rules for Pre-college Science Research: Guidelines for Science and Engineering Fairs is published each year to support students doing independent research safely. They are the official rules of the Intel ISEF and affiliated science fair, as well as the Edmonds School District STEM Expo. The purpose of these rules is to: protect the rights and welfare of the student researcher and of the human participant to make sure federal regulations are followed and safe engineering and lab practices are used protect the environment determine eligibility for participation in the STEM Expo and other STEM competitions and events Do you plan to use any of the following in your project for the STEM Expo? Human Subjects, in any way, even for surveys or opinions Vertebrate Animals (animals with a backbone) Animal Tissues Microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses) Recombinant DNA Technologies Radiation Controlled or Hazardous Substances Explosives or Firearms Chemicals not generally found in the household YES NO You and/or your teacher should visit the summary of the STEM Expo Safety Regulations at https://goo.gl/nwf7s2 BEFORE you start your project. This will help you determine if your project can be approved by your teacher, will need to be modified, or if you need to consult the STEM Expo Safety Team at glodowskim@edmonds.wednet.edu. Your teacher may approve your plans. If your project idea requires a consultation with the STEM Expo Safety Review Team, it doesn t necessarily mean that you won t be able to do your project. We will work with you to ensure that all safety regulations are followed. To see a summary of the Edmonds School District STEM Expo Safety Regulations, please visit https://goo.gl/nwf7s2. To see the entire Safety Regulations in full detail, please visit https://goo.gl/zkzmph.
Suggested Project Timeline/Calendar Science investigations and engineering projects take time. It s not unusual for most of the time to be spent on background research and planning. Creating a timeline for your project is HIGHLY recommended. It helps to keep you on track and breaks the process into smaller tasks. Here s one example of a timeline based on the Central Sound Regional Science and Engineering Fair. 10 Week 1 November Weeks 2&3 December Weeks 4-5 January Weeks 6&7 January Week 8 February Weeks 9&10 February Week 11 February Week 12 March Weeks 13&14 March Tasks to be completed in each week or two week time frame Start a STEM Expo Lab Notebook to record all work on your project Decide whether to do a team or an individual project Brainstorm 3 topic ideas Develop at least 3 research questions or define at least 3 problems, share with an adult Think about how you would test each research question, or develop a solution for each problem Choose a testable research question, or engineering design plan Decide on a project category for the STEM Expo Make a list of questions you have about your topic Spend as much time as possible reading & taking notes on your topic Develop your scientific question or engineering design criteria Finalize your scientific question or engineering design criteria WINTER BREAK Make a rough draft of your materials and science research procedures or engineering design plans Complete a Project Planning Proposal form. One can be found at the end of this handbook. If your plans involve human subjects (even if it s just to ask them questions for a survey), animals or animal tissue, micro-organisms, DNA, radiation, controlled or hazardous substances, explosives, or chemicals not generally found in a household, please review the Safety Regulations found in this handbook BEFORE you start your project. Wait for Project Approval (and Safety Approval if applicable) Write the introduction and background sections of your research paper Format the references page for your research project. Be sure to have at least 3 sources! Finalize your experimental procedure, or engineering prototype designs Conduct your scientific investigation, or build and test your engineering prototype(s) Register for the STEM Expo Continue to collect data for your scientific investigation, or modify your engineering prototype and retest Organize your raw data into graphs and charts Analyze your data Science Investigation - collect the final data for your project Engineering - Redesign your product and conduct final testing if needed Finalize all graphs and charts for your display board Analyze your data Write the experimental procedure, results, and conclusion sections of your research paper Write your official 250 word abstract (for upper grades) Proofread your research paper Create your display board Practice talking about your project with friends and family!.and take your project to the STEM Expo in April!
11 Engineering Design Project Checklist Pick a Topic: Define a need or How can I make this better? Ideas should come from things in your areas of interest. What is going on in the world that you would like to change? Set up and Keep a Project Notebook: During the design and testing process, keep detailed notes of each and every test in a Project Notebook. Research Your Topic: Do background research and search the literature to see what has already been done or what products already exist that fill a similar need. What makes them good and what makes them weak? Use a minimum of 3-5 resources. Consult with Your Teacher or Advisor and Get Approvals: You are required to discuss your plans with a teacher or advisor who can review and approve your plan BEFORE STARTING your project. Special attention should be given to health, safety, and ethics regulations. Organize: Organize everything you have learned about your topic. At this point, you should narrow your thinking by focusing on a particular idea. Make a Time Line: Choose a project that not only interests you, but can be done in the amount of time you have. Develop a time line to manage your time efficiently. Develop or establish design criteria: There could be more than one, depending on your topic. For example, what is your product supposed to do? What constraints exist in the design (i.e. size, weight, materials, etc.)? Prepare Preliminary Designs: Prepare preliminary designs and a materials list. Consider costs, manufacturing and user requirements. Build and Test Your Prototype: Build a test prototype of your best design. Consider reliability, repair and servicing. Retest and Redesign: Retest and redesign as necessary. Run product testing. Prepare a Research Paper: See Elements of a Successful Research Paper for Science Investigations in this handbook. Prepare to Present your Project: Construct a display board. Practice talking about your project to friends, family and sponsoring teacher.
12 Elements of a Successful Research Paper for Engineering Design A research paper should be prepared and available along with the project notebook and your display board for the EXPO. A research paper helps organize data as well as thoughts. A good paper includes the following sections. Title or Title Page Table of Contents: Allows the reader to follow the organization of the paper quickly. Abstract or Summary Page: Advanced grades may include an abstract to summarize the project. Introduction: Include the purpose, engineering goals, explanation of what prompted your research and design, and what you hoped to achieve. Summarize your background research about similar devices or systems, how they work, their history, etc. Statement of Purpose: What was the device or system designed to do? Design Criteria: What specific criteria and constraints will guide the design and evaluation of your device or system? Materials, Methods, & Test Plan: Include preliminary designs, detailed photographs, diagrams, and/or drawings of your prototype. When describing the materials used to complete your project, include the technology used. Data and/or Results: The results include data obtained through the testing, redesigning, and retesting of your prototype and analysis of this data. This section should include statistics, graphs, the raw data collected, etc. Discussion and Analysis of Data or Results: Did your product accomplish what you had intended? How do you know? What would you do differently if you repeated this project? Include a discussion of possible errors. Conclusions: Briefly summarize your results. Support those statements with evidence and data. Be specific, do not generalize. Mention real world applications in your conclusion. Acknowledgements: You should always credit those who have assisted you, including individuals, businesses and educational or research institutions. References/Bibliography: Your reference list should include any documentation that is not your own (i.e. books, journal articles, websites, etc.) Use the MLA format. Include a minimum of 3-5 resources. A good internet resource to help you format your bibliography can be found at www.easybib.com Select the category of your source material (website, book, etc.) then follow the prompts to enter your source information, and a correctly formatted citation will be created for you to copy and paste into your documents. Adding bibliographies to work anytime you use resources is a good habit to establish.
13 Prepare a Display Board of Your Findings/Work The display board is a visual representation of your entire project, from question to conclusion. You will be provided a tri-fold display board. Keep your exhibit neat, uncluttered, and to the point. All photos and illustrations should include captions and photo credits. Note: No living organisms, taxidermy specimens, preserved animals, human/animal parts or body fluids, hazardous or flammable chemicals, or drugs are allowed as part of your display at the STEM Expo. Photos should not show students faces. Do not have anything of value or that is breakable as part of your display. You will not have access to electrical outlets. Your ENGINEERING DESIGN display board should include the following: Title of the project Your Name Engineering Question/Goals Background and Real World Applications Design Criteria/Design Process Materials and technology used Prototype Development Testing and Retesting Data and Results Data Analysis and Conclusions The following is an example of how a display board is to be organized in the Central Sound Regional Science & Engineering Fair, the Washington State Science & Engineering Fair, the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair, and the Broadcom MASTERS. If you are entering these competitions along with the Edmonds School District STEM Expo, use this format.
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Display Board Ideas for Engineering Design Project This is another example of a Display Board for Engineering Design Projects Title Student Name 15 Background and Real World Connections Engineering Question/Goals Data and Results Design Criteria/ Design Process Materials & Technology Used Prototype Development Includes Preliminary Designs, prototype building and testing, prototype redesigning and retesting Photos with captions Data Analysis and Conclusions In Front of Display Board on Table: Research Paper, Project Notebook and any other materials you feel would be useful to explain and show how you ran and/or created your project.
16 How Adults Can Help Visit the resource pages for the STEM Expo at the Edmonds School District Explore STEM site at https://goo.gl/6qaqb8 Be a questioner to help achieve focus and clarity. Guide the students rather than lead. Encourage students to make their own decisions and use the inquiry approach. Be a helper by answering questions on the how to. A student might require help remembering how to set up a graph or chart. Show them how but don t do it for them. Be an assistant when students need extra hands. Some tasks are just too difficult to do alone. Help them organize time and information. Be a coach for students who need help. Show or remind them how to use information and assist in finding appropriate search tools. Be a runner for various materials that the student might need. A student might need materials for the project or they could need to visit a site or interview an expert to enhance their study. Be a wise listener when students want to share ideas. Allow the student to discuss progress and show interest in the student s project. Most importantly, be an encourager! Allow students to do their own quality work. Students will perform best if they know they have support from teachers and parents. Let them know how well they are doing and how proud you are of their accomplishments. Registration for Edmonds STEM Expo Online registration for the STEM Expo will be open from February 22 March 16, 2018. If you are participating as part of a class, your teacher will give you registration access information in early February. If you are participating without a class or club, please contact Mary Glodowski glodowskim@edmonds.wednet.edu for registration instructions.
17 Project Planning Proposal Example Edmonds STEM Expo Project Planning Proposal Due Date: Student s Name or Team Members Names Grade Possible Project Title Category (circle one): Science Investigation Engineering Design/Invention Science Inquiry Essay Computer Sciences STEM Club Project STEM Classroom Display School: Sponsoring Teacher: A brief explanation of your proposed project. (2-3 sentences): Does your proposed project use any of the following? Yes No Yes No Human Subjects in any way (even if it s just to ask them questions for a survey) Vertebrate animals (animals with a backbone) Animal tissue DNA Radiation Controlled or hazardous substances Any micro-organisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi) Disease causing agents Explosives Chemicals not generally found in a household I understand that when my project planning proposal is approved I will be expected to host my exhibit at the STEM Expo on Monday, April 23, 2018, 6:00-8:00pm at Mountlake Terrace High School. ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Teacher s Review: Congratulations! Your project proposal has been approved. Your project proposal isn t ready for approval yet.