Science
Mini- Research Project
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Question Due Date:
December 21, 2017
Report Due Date:
February 14, 2018
Parent meetings regarding the science research projects were held on:
Tuesday, December 6, 2017 and December 12, 2017. The third meeting will be December 20, 2017 at 8:00 am.
Please check your child's folder for any "hard" copy of information that has been sent home. Please place the hard copy in a safe place as it is several pages and we all know it is bad for the environment to waste resources. You can always access the same information on the science handout page.
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NOTE: If you find that you have trouble with any of the links, you may want to "Google Search" the link.
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Don't just write "Bears" as your title (or any other mammal, insect, reptile or fish)
(This could be a 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th grade topic. Please see the grade topic list to be sure which questions apply to your grade list.)
Rather ask for example:
How do ______ bears adapt physically and behaviorally to natural changes in the environment?
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How do ______ bears adapt physically and behaviorally to extreme environments?
How do ______ bears adapt to global warming?
How do ______ bears adapt to humans taking over their habitats ?
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How do _______ bears compete with ______ for resources in an environment?
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Why do some ______ bears in a location survive while others do not?
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Why do ______ traits differ depending on the seasons?
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For example:
Don't ask: "What is a plant?"
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(This could be a 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th grade topic. Please see the grade topic list to be sure which questions apply to your grade list.)
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Rather Ask for example:
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How do plants produce fruits and vegetables?
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Why will the decrease in honeybees negatively affect the growth of plants?
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How do plant parts differ from the desert to the rainforest?
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How do plant parts differ from the __________ to the ________?
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Why do invasive plants threaten ecosystems?
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How do plants and animals depend on each other for survival?
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How do plants respond to changes in the environment?
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How do plants manufacture and store food?
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Hows are plants impacted by extreme natural events?
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How is solar energy converted in the chlorophyll of plants?
Remember- Science is not simply finding the right answers;
It is learning to ask the right questions.
For example:
Don't ask: "What is electricity?"
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(This could be a 3rd, or 4th grade topic. Please see the grade topic list to be sure which questions apply to your grade list.)
Rather ask:
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How is electricity generated (or made) for use in our homes?
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How can we become less dependent on fossil fuels to make electricity?
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How can solar energy help to produce electricity and make us less dependent on fossil fuels?
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How does electricity use increase global warming?
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How do turbines work?
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How are electromagnets used?
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How do insulators and conductors help us to get electricity safely?
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How is hydroelectric power (ex: dams) used to generate electricity?
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How are natural resources converted to electricity?
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All students must submit a question to Ms. McGinty by December 21, 2017.
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The question can be given to Ms. McGinty on paper, sent by Classroom Dojo, or by email to:
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This question will guide your research focus.
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After you have identified a topic that you would like to research, you must write a question that will lead your research.
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Try to avoid the "What is a...... ?" type of questions and focus more on the "why" and "how" types of questions.
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Here are three examples for questions.
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These are also some of the BIG questions directly from the NYS Science Scope and Sequence. They are very broad questions but may give you ideas for a more narrow topic for your research.
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grade 2
How do different materials affect the makeup of the Earth?
What causes objects to move?
How are plants alike and different?
grade 3
How can we accurately describe the physical properties of matter?
How does the use of various forms of energy affect our world?
How do simple machines help us in our daily lives?
How can we best inform the community about creating and sustaining wildlife, pollinator, and food habitats in urban and suburban NYC communities?
grade 4
What are the interactions of animals and plants within an ecosystem?
How does the use of electricity and magnetism affect our world?
How do the properties of water affect living things and the natural environment?
How do natural events affect our world?
grade 5
How do scientists gather, use, and share information?
How do scientists think and work?
How do scientists investigate the natural world? Why inquire?
How can we use data to support a claim?
What are the processes that help shape the land? What changes affect landforms?
How can we use patterns to predict changes on the surface of the Earth?
How can we model lithospheric events?
How does nutrition and exercise affect our health?
How are plants and animals in an ecosystem connected?