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Collect Information
Methods for collecting information

How to collect information:

Once you have decided on your topic, you have to collect information. This information will let you refine your thoughts. Adults call this "research" and one thing you need to do is record what and where you find the information. We suggest either buying some index cards or a notebook to record all the things you find to use later in writing your paper. If you have access to a computer, you can enter the information you record into it.

Each time you find a source - a book, magazine or video - that has information you might use, you need to record some basic information. A librarian can help you or you can visit this internet link for further help.

If you don't record where you find your information, the paper you write as part of this project will receive a lower grade. Where you find your information is just as important as what you find because it adds validity or truth to what you say.

Information comes in lots of forms.

Check the catalog in your library for books.

Your library may have newspapers and magazines indexed on CD-ROM.

Your library may have newspapers and magazines available on the internet.

Your library may have videos and other media regarding your topic.

Scope out the internet links we have arranged

Ask your mom or dad if friends or relatives have any knowledge of your topic.
Links 
Sites to help you in your project
1. ScienzFair Projects
http://members.aol. com/ScienzFair/ideas.htm
Hosted at AOL but available to anyone on the Web.  This is the best collection of science fair project ideas from multiple sites.  Includes links to supporting materials.
2. Science Fairs Home Page
http://www.stemn et.nf.ca/~jbarron/scifair.html
Arranges science projects by grade level.  This is a collection of real science fair project descriptions.   The project ideas are brief and do not include details on how to put the project together.
3. The Ultimate Science Fair Resource:  The Idea Bank & The Idea Board
http://www.scifair.org/ideas/
The Idea Board is a Web board for students are sharing ideas with each other .  The Idea Bank is a collection of ideas from the archives of the Idea Board and from the Ultimate Science Fair resource editors.
4. Science Fair Central: Students Getting Started:  Project Ideas
http://www.school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/scifai rstudio/ideas.html
Discovery Channel's Discovery School site elementary school level project ideas and descriptions.

5.  Internet Public Library - Science Fair Project Resource Guide - Choosing a Topic
http://www.ipl.org/youth /projectguide/topic.html
Sample project ideas and collection of links to many other sites with science fair project ideas

Jenna's Diary
January 15th

 

Jenna went to her public library that afternoon. She remembered last year she had waited way to long to get started, and she didn't want to make that mistake

again. When she got to the library, she used the computerized catalog.

Jenna looked in the catalog for the following items:

Grass, Soil, Dirt
Each time she found something, she wrote down the title and the call number of the book she found. With almost every book she found on the computer, there were links to other books. In all, Jenna found 8 books to look at. She went to the shelves and found them.
After she looked at the books she actually found one that suggested an experiment. Jenna wrote it in her notebook:
"Take four flower pots of the same shape and size. Fill each of them with one type of soil. Place the same kind of grass seed in each one. Make sure they get the same light and water each day. See which type of soil produces the best grass."

Now Jenna has her experiment.
Jenna then went to a librarian, who helped her search the magazines the library had. Most of them were on the internet. With a little help from the librarian, she found three articles. The library printed them out for her at no charge.
Jenna also found a videotape on farming. She checked out all her materials and was home in plenty of time for supper.
After supper, Jenna asked her mom to help her look at all the things. Her mom said she was busy, but they could do it when she got home from work the next day.
 


 

 

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Pages last revised 02/15/01 Copyright 2000 Micro Libraries