Level 1 – Physics

Vandebilt Catholic High School

W. Dupre

Second Semester Research Project

 

3rd Quarter  (90 points)

Part 1: Initial Proposal                                                                                   10 points

            Thursday, January 16

·        One Manila Folder

·        Names of Team Members

·        Description of your topic

·        Key Concepts

·        What Data you hope to gather

·        Resources (materials) you might need to complete the project

 

 

Part 2: Abstract and Working Bibliography                                     15 points

            Wednesday, February 12

·        Summary of the current literature available that outlines the major principles which govern the field you are researching. Logically organize this information from broad to narrow.

·        Description of the question you hope to answer with your research.

·        Preliminary hypothesis.

·        The working bibliography should contain a minimum of eight (8) sources, at least three of which are non-electronic. If the source is not from a scientific journal (i.e. Time, Cosmopolitan, Popular Science, etc.) a copy of the article should be turned in with the bibliography for approval.

·        Both the abstract and working bibliography are to follow the guidelines of the APA Style Manual. The Abstract is to be a maximum of one page, with one inch margins all around and 12 point Times New Roman font. The working bibliography is to be on a separate page from the abstract.

 

 

Part 3: Experimental Design / Working Set Up                                           15 points

            Thursday, February 27

·        Explain the experimental set up you intend to use to test your hypothesis.

·        Proposed procedure; describing both how you intend to collect data and analyze it.

·        A good idea might be to include a blank data table that shows the type of quantitative data you intend to gather.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part 4: Presentation of Final Proposal                                                          50 points

            Friday, March 14 & Monday, March 17

·        Written Paper (30 Points)

Ø      Follows the guidelines of the APA Style Manual

Ø      Title Page

Ø      Introduction

Ø      Background information – Current state of research in your chosen field. Basically expands in your abstract.

Ø      A step by step detailed explanation of your experimental set up. It should be clear what variables will be changed and how these variables will be measured. It should be written so that anyone could follow your procedure in repeat your experiment.

Ø      A diagram or other visual is to be included.

Ø      A final hypothesis based on the research you did and substantiated by evidence.

·        Oral Presentation (20 Points)

Ø      3-5 minutes in length

Ø      Includes Visuals

Ø      Summarize for the class what you are attempting to do.

 

 

 

4th Quarter (120 points)

 

Part 1: Experimentation                                                                                20 points

            Friday, March 28                  

·        Turn in a visual record of your field tests (experiment)

·        Photographs that are bound together in chronological order and captioned to inform the viewer what is taking place in the photos. There should be enough photos turned in so that the viewer can “get a feel” for the entire sequence of events that took place in the sequence.

OR

·        A video that includes narration. It should be edited so that it is no more than 20 minutes in length.

 

Part 2: Experimental Results                                                                        20 points

            Tuesday, April 8

·        Charts / Tables showing the data collected during experimentation.

·        Graphs that analyze the data collected.

·        A discussion of experimental uncertainty (error).

·        Conclusions – Talk about how the data did or did not support your hypothesis, additional hypotheses that may explain your data, and suggestions for further research.

·        Following the guidelines of the APA Styles Manual.

 

 

 

 

Part 3: Create a Website                                                                               60 points

            Wednesday, April 30

·        Homepage linked to my website.  Should be the most visually impressive part of your web. Include graphics, animation, sound, etc. Dazzle us with your creativity.

·        Personal Info about team members doing the research

·        Background research / Theory

·        Experimental Design (include visuals)

·        Experimental Results (include charts, graphs, etc.)

·        Credits / Sources (Bibliography)

·        Links to related sites (5 minimum)

 

(This is basically taking everything that you have already done, with maybe a few additions, and placing it on a website)

           

Part 4: Final Presentation                                                                              20 points

            Friday, May 2 – Monday, May 5

  • 5-10 minutes
  • Discuss your results
  • Highlight your website
  • Discuss any problems you incurred
  • Final Thoughts