STUDENTS:
MID-COLUMBIA REGIONAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR
WHO CAN ENTER?
A. Any student in grades 6-12 may
participate. Twenty 6th grade exhibits
per school will be accepted.
B. NO Team
Projects will be accepted in grades 6-12
PROJECT CATEGORIES
LIFE SCIENCE PHYSICAL
SCIENCE
Behavioral and Social Science Engineering
Biochemistry Math/Computer
Science
Botany/Zoology Earth
and Space Science
Medicine and Health Chemistry
Microbiology Physics
Environmental Science (L) Environmental Science(P)
The entire project must be
done in a scientific manner and a 250 word abstract must be attached to the
display. The abstract should include
title, hypothesis (objective), procedure, observations, results (data),
conclusion, reflections, applications. A tabletop space of 122 cm.(48")
wide by 76 cm. (30") deep will be provided. Height may be 274 cm.(9'). A written report based on the
scientific method and a log/journal are required. The journal should be handwritten. The checklist, Research Plan, Approval Form
and Signatures of Approval must be signed prior to any experimental research
and submitted with the registration form.
All projects must
comply with the rules of the 61st International Science and Engineering Fair. (http://www.societyforscience.org/isef) You are encouraged to make graphs, drawings,
take photographs and display your project in an attractive and informative
manner. Students who are doing any
experimentation with vertebrate animals, humans (including yourself),
recombinant DNA, tissue, or pathogenic agents/controlled substances must have
all certifications signed BEFORE EXPERIMENTATION BEGINS.
EXPERIENCE THE EXCITEMENT of
competition and displaying your work in public.
TALK to informed judges about your project. WIN PRIZES!!
One or two winners from grades 9-12 may receive an all expense paid trip
to the International Fair. Senior Division and 9th grade observers will also
receive an expense paid trip. Many
prizes will be awarded including cash and savings bonds. All entrants will have an opportunity to
attend the AWARDS CEREMONY. A
certificate of participation will be given to each entrant as well as pins and cash awards to
the major winners.
INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION
Register on the website in FEBRUARY.
Experiment With Me First
It is time to encourage
students to begin their science projects.
The first information for the
year includes:
1. ANNOUNCEMENT POSTER - to be displayed in your
classroom, library, or school bulletin boards.
(To
be mailed)
2. STUDENT
INFORMATION LETTER - Please discuss this with any interested students. This letter contains valuable information regarding rules,
eligibility, categories and awards.
3. DEVELOPMENT OF A SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT- Provides details
for the development of a science project, gives helpful hints for
experimenting, judging and project display.
4. CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE INFORMATION (due end of January)
5. CHECKLIST FOR ADULT SPONSOR, RESEARCH PLAN,
APPROVAL FORMS AND SIGNATURES OF APPROVAL (On website and in ISEF rules and
guidelines booklet, pages 29-41)
6. ISEF RULES
AND GUIDELINES BOOKLET is downloadable at http://www.societyforscience.org/isef/document/index.asp Please write or call if you need one.
WAYS IN WHICH THE SCIENCE
FAIR ASSOCIATION CAN ASSIST YOU
1.Web sites for science fair ideas, animal care and
microbiology procedures and possible mentors.
2. Rules
A. Each student
must submit a signed Checklist, Research plan, Approval Form and Signatures of
Approval (signed before experimentation).
B. The Research Plan
must be completed and signed by all appropriate parties prior to the onset
of research involving vertebrate
animals, humans, recombinant DNA, tissue or potentially pathogenic and
pathogenic agents/controlled and hazardous substances.
C. These forms must be signed by either of the
Chairpersons of the Regional Science Scientific Review Committee. If the research involves humans, an IRB must
approve the research also. If the forms
are signed by the local SRC then the Regional SRC must also sign them before
competition. We recommend that Regional
approval occur at the same time as the local SRC approval.
D.
The Mid-Columbia Regional Science and Engineering Fair SRC must approve
local SRC/IRBs.
Please email a copy of your local SRC/IRB to the fair director.
3. Judging
The Science
Fair Association can recommend judges for your local fairs and provide criteria
for your local judging. Please try to
screen projects or have a local fair before sending projects to the regional
fair.
DIRECTOR'S
LETTER
Joyce E. Stark MCRSEF
Website: www.mcsf.net
Sunnyside High School
1110 S. 6th Street
(509)837-2601 ext.3371 FAX (509) 837-0494
E-mail jepstark@bentonrea.com (home)
Dear Teachers:
We are continuing to incorporate your suggestions
into improvements. Categorical awards
will be continued and the number of sixth grade entrants will be maintained at twenty. Teams
remain eliminated.
The middle school (6,7,8th
grades) is arranged into Life Science and Physical Science judging. There is an environmental science category
for both life and physical science. There are first, second, third and
honorable mention awards for each of these main groups.
All students in grades 6-12 should be prepared to
present a 3-5 minute summary of their project for the judges. Judging for middle school students begins at 9:00
A.M. and 12:00 noon for
All students must have SRC approval
for use of pathogenic or potentially pathogenic organisms BEFORE the research
begins. These organisms cannot be
cultured at home. Methods should include
details about aseptic procedures, clean-up of work area and disposal of
cultures.
The
ISEF RULES BOOKLET contains some revisions from last year (p.4) but it is still
user friendly. NEW.
Please note the major changes working with potentially Hazardous Biological
Agents (p. 21-24). On the Human Subjects Form(4), the IRB will
make a risk determination. It is
required for all projects involving human subjects. Human and non-human animal tissue form
must be submitted to the SRC before research begins. Any continuing project must document that
the additional research is new and different. Feb. 12 is the last day to submit plans to
SRC.
Sixth grade students may enter without
being associated with a middle school. A
parent or teacher will need to accompany the students if this is not part of
your regular field trip plan. We do not
want to have unchaperoned students at the Columbia
Center Mall for such an extended period of time.
Columbia
Center is still requiring that each school provides parent monitors for the
restrooms. Please remind your students
to clean up after lunch also.
Ninth grade students will be judged within the
senior division for ISEF decisions but also as a freshman group.
We are not setting any quotas at the
present time for individual projects in grades 7-12, but please continue to
screen projects or have a local fair. If
the number of exhibits become too large, we may have
to reconsider the quota situation this year. Remember we talked about
capacity problems.
Kay Anyan is the SRC chairperson. Please fax copies of the research plans to
her for approval, (509) 575-8775, Telephone: (509) .
Robin
Bryson is the IRB chair. Please fax
copies of the research plans to her for approval, (509)837-0494, Telephone:
(509)837-2601
We will continue electronic
registration this year (name, project title, school, year, etc.) The Photo Release, Research Plan, Checklist
and Signatures of Approval should be mailed separately.
NEW:
Guidelines for Science and Engineering Fairs will no longer be mailed. They are downloadable at http://www.societyforscience.org/isef/document/index.asp
ISEF abstracts from 2003-2008 are now online at the above website. There is a search feature to look for project ideas.
Categories have changed for the ISEF. The grand prize winners will have to change their selection of category after the Regional Science Fair in order to complete the paperwork for the ISEF. Mid-Columbia Regional Science and Engineering Fair categories will remain the same.
A risk assessment (form 3) is required for all projects involving Hazardous Chemical Activities or Devices. p. 25, 31.
Research plan guidelines for writing detailed procedures are provided on p. 31 of the Rules. It is very important (especially for SRC/IRB approval) that the procedures be written in detail. The IRB and SRC Committees will follow these guidelines.
Certificate of Insurance
It
seems that modern society is enamored with law suits and it is necessary to
protect one's business. This is commonly
done by insurance. Columbia Center is requesting
liability insurance for the shows held on the mall. We have looked into purchasing a limited
duration insurance policy to meet the needs expressed by Columbia Center
Management. The cost of such an
insurance policy would severely impact our budget. Therefore, we are asking the schools that are
sending students to the Fair to post a "Certificate of
Insurance". Please include the
following as insured:
Mid-Columbia
Regional Science and Engineering Fair
Mid-Columbia
Science Fair Association
Certificate
holder should be:
Columbia Center
1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd, Suite 335
This
certificate tells Columbia Center that the school has insurance which will cover
the students while they are on a school sanctioned event. This certificate also
lets Columbia Center know which insurance company insures the school and states
the limits of liability if a student does something to cause injury or damage. The company that covers Columbia Center is
liable if the fault clearly resides with Columbia Center, e.g., someone breaks
an arm because the roof leaked water and the person slipped in the puddle.
These
certifications must be in before we can allow your students to register and set
up at the fair. Therefore we request
that you send the Certificate of Insurance directly to Eva Baroni and NOT
Columbia Center. If these are not sent in, your registrations will not be
accepted and your exhibit area will be reassigned to others. The amounts of liability must be equal to or
greater than those shown in the enclosed sample. Your school business office has this form,
understands what it means, and will contact the insurance company to send a
copy. Please have the Certificate of
Insurance mailed or faxed
to:
Ms.
Eva Baroni
Chairperson-Insurance
Committee
Mid-Columbia
Regional Science and Engineering Fair
2530
Abemarle Court
Richland,
Washington 99352
(509) 375-3712 fax:
(509) 372-6247
If
your school is anticipating sending any students, please take care of this as
soon as possible. We would like to have
an accurate count of the participating schools by January 28.