Period 9 Science Research
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Science Research Program
Teacher: Dr. Christine Rogers
Email: christine.rogers@henhudschools.org or mclrogers@verizon.net
Phone: (914) 257-5800, Ext: 6809, or (917) 679-4159 (mobile)
Website: Google Classroom.
Course numbers: 4024, 4027, 4029
Course Description:
The research course is a three to four years (from Sophomore or Freshman year) elective in which students choose a topic and implement an original research project on that topic. The students work on a full research project, from design to implementation. They read professional journals, find a mentor, plan a project, and carry it out to the completion of a full research paper and presentation of their research. Over the course of three years, the student writes research papers, creates posters, and presents research findings at available competitions, locally first, with the possibility to progress to state, national and international finals. During the junior and senior years, the students may elect to take the course for college credit, for a total of up to twelve credits at the State University of New York, University at Albany. Also during the junior and senior years, each student is required to complete writing of their paper with preliminary (junior) or final (senior) data and enter available competitions. First year students are required to enter the West Lake first year science fair, an excellent venue to get accustomed to presenting in front of judges.
Students Responsibilities:
Students are expected to:
- Attend all classes and biweekly meetings, and be on time.
- Students can reschedule two biweekly meetings per quarter due to excused absences. Unexcused absences of biweekly meetings will receive the grade of 0.
- Maintain a minimum of a B average (83).
- To complete all course work assigned in timely fashion and respect deadlines.
- To come prepared to their biweekly meeting with all the documentation summarizing their work and the required paperwork. Failure to provide proper documentation may result in a 0.
- To document all of their work in their laboratory notebook.
- To keep all of their documents and copies of their notebook in their portfolio.
- To keep track of their readings in their lab notebook.
- To keep track of their contacts (phone, email, etc…) with scientists in their lab/diary notebook and copies of emails in their portfolio.
- To perform work with their mentors during summer and other vacation time (depending on the mentor’s availability)
- To attend all symposia and participate in the organization and the presentation of their work.
- To attend and enter local and national competitions.
Materials:
- Three or four inches ring binder (portfolio)
- Tab dividers.
- Laboratory notebook, 100 numbered pages with duplicate pages.
- Black pen and highlighters.
- When required, poster boards.
Attendance:
Students should attend all classes, unless special permission from the teacher to work in the library on specific research. Biweekly meeting attendance is mandatory. Biweekly meetings are arranged on a one by one basis, depending on the student’s schedule (as music lessons), to prevent as little disruption as possible to other classes. They can be rescheduled only twice per quarter, in case of scheduling conflict. They will be rescheduled in case of an excused absence. An unexcused absence will receive a grade of zero.
Homework Policy:
Research work done at home or in the lab (when the student has found a mentor) is at the core of this program. Students have to perform a minimum of 5 hours of independent work outside of the classroom per week. The grade is essentially based on effort and work done at home and outside the school. Failure to do the appropriate work outside of school will result in a failing grade for this course.
Make-up Policy: Due to the flexibility naturally built in this program, students will be given time to make up work in the case of illness, injury or exceptional familial circumstances. However, should the absence be a long term absence, it would strongly impact on the ability of the student to continue doing research and, therefore, should be addressed on a case by case basis.
Extra Help:
Students/parents should contact me as soon as possible if they are encountering difficulties, so that time can be set for help and meetings.
I will be available from 2:10 pm until 3:00pm for extra help (except when faculty meetings are scheduled).
Grading System
Grade Weights according to the University at Albany guidelines:
- Biweekly Meetings: Approximately 15% of the final grade. Three meetings minimum per quarter.
- Lab Notebook and Portfolio: Approximately 25% of the final grade
- Research (includes fieldwork and research presentations): Approximately 40% of the final grade.
- Symposium: 20% of the final grade (counted as a final exam, representing a 5th quarter)
The Hendrick Hudson High School has converted its grading system into a points-based system.
To comply with the University at Albany guidelines, quarters 1, 2, 3 and 4 represent 80% of the final grade and the symposium represents 20% of the final grade.
For each quarter the categories will be broken down as follows:
- Biweekly Meetings (300pts): 3 meetings worth 100 pts each (total 300 pts)
- Lab Notebook and Portfolios (500 pts): Lab notebooks will be checked during meetings and receive a grade on 100 pts (300 points total). Portfolios will be checked twice a quarter and receive a grade on 100 pts (200 points total).
- Research (minimum of 800 pts):
- Seniors:
- Paper draft/final - 200 pts, for each
- Competition timeline (deadlines met)- 100 pts
- Competition forms- 100 pts
- Participation- 100 pts
- Research Presentation outline/draft (includes rehearsals)- 100 pts
- Research presentation- 200 pts (poster/ PowerPoint)
- Juniors:
- Paper draft, research proposal and/or Literature Review- 200 pts, for each
- Research timeline (deadlines met)- 100 pts
- Mentor contact emails (if no mentor) or IRB/SCR research forms (if mentor)- 100 pts
- Participation- 100 pts
- Research Presentation outline/draft- 100 pts
- Research presentation- 200 pts (Poster/ PowerPoint)
- Sophomores and Freshmen:
- Literature Search and review paper outline (1st quarter)- 200 pts
- Literature Search and review paper final (2nd quarter)- 200pts
- Research proposal. Experimental design (3rd and 4th quarter)- 200 pts
- Research timeline (deadlines met) -100 pts
- Mentor Search- 100 pts
- Participation -100 pts
- Research Presentation outline/draft- 100 pts
- Research Presentation- 200pts.
Students must maintain an average of 83 to progress in the subsequent year.
Pre-College Competitions
(International, National and New York State)
- Regeneron Science Talent Search (National)
https://member.societyforscience.org/document.doc?id=748
The STS competition is a paper-based competition open to SENIORS. It is submitted electronically.
Teams NOT allowed.
- Siemens Competition (National)
Paper-based competition
Behavioral and social sciences are NOT eligible.
Team projects are allowed only for students 9-11 grades
Individual projects for SENIORS (12 grade) only.
https://siemenscompetition.discoveryeducation.com/
https://siemenscompetition.discoveryeducation.com/resources
Rules and Guidelines: https://siemenscompetition.discoveryeducation.com/sites/siemenscompetition.discoveryeducation.com/files/downloads/2016SiemensCompetitionGuidelines.pdf
- WESEF (Westchester Science and Engineering Fair- local), qualifying fair for ISEF (International)
Qualifying fair for ISEF (International Science and Engineering Fair).
Submission of forms 1A, 1B, research proposal by the end of November
Submissions of all other forms in December
Paper submission in January
Poster-based competition
Finalists proceed to ISEF or ISWEEEP
- WR-JSHS (Westchester Rockland, Junior Science and Humanities Symposium- local)
http://www.jshs.org/ (national)
http://www.albany.edu/jshs/wesroc.shtml (NY State)
Paper submission at the end of November.
Competition, first Saturday in February.
SENIORS: PRESENTATION
JUNIORS: POSTER
Presentation finalists proceed to NYS Finals in Albany, March 2017. First and second place will do an oral presentation, 3rd and 4th place will do a poster presentation.
Poster finalists receive a certificate.
Upstate NYS Finalists will proceed to NATIONAL JSHS.
- ISWEEEP (international sustainable world, energy, engineering, environment, project olympiad) (International)
Paper-based competition entered individually OR Finalists at WESEF.
- Tri-County Science Fair (local)
Local science fair
Poster-based competition
Finalists proceed to NYS State finals (NYS Science Congress). (NY State)
- Somers First Year Science Fair (local)
Poster-based competition for FIRST Year science research students, based on the development of a research proposal.
Start working on a topic of your choice and select articles you would find an interest in.
Related Files
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Science Research Newsletter 2013
henhud newsletter with cover included 2013 optimized.pdf 3143.253 KB (Last Modified on June 7, 2016)