Senior Science Research Projects

(SD7R/SD8R)

Overview

• The first goal of this class is to turn the lab work you did with into marketable products. Everyone will produce a research paper, poster, and presentation (PowerPoint/Google).
• The second goal of this class is to enter as many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics competitions as possible.
• Grades are based on how many events you participate in. The more things you try, the better your grade will be. Important dates are in red. There are many extra credit opportunities. Students who fulfill the minimum class requirements will recive a grade of G (85%) in the 1st marking period, 90% in the 2nd marking period, and 95% for the semester. See grades-sd7r.pdf and grades-sd8r.pdf for more information.
• College credit is available for this class. Everyone still working in a lab should apply. See Mr. Rosenfeld for details. There will be a "small" fee to cover the cost of SUNY tuition.

Faculty

Fall Semester (SD7R)

Fall Meetings for Seniors

Check the calendar on midwoodscience.org often. Individual, team, or small group meetings are the way business gets done. (Large group meetings are rare.) Keep your supervising teacher up to date on your progress. Do not hesitate to tell us of problems. Above all, do not miss your appointments. They count significantly toward your grade.

• September
  • Entrance meeting on the second day of the semester. Everyone attends.
  1. Status update
  2. Programming issues
  3. Contact info
  • First Meeting
  1. Research Paper: First Draft
  2. Siemens Status
  3. Summer Lab Logs
  • Second Meeting
  1. Research Paper: Second Draft
  2. Siemens Status
  • Competitions
  1. Siemens Competition for Math, Science, and Engineering (optional)
• October
  • First Meeting
  1. Research Paper: Third Draft
  2. Intel Registration
  3. September Lab Logs
  • Second Meeting
  1. Research Paper: Fourth Draft
  2. Intel Essays
  • Third Meeting
  1. Research Paper: Fifth Draft
  2. Intel Essays
  • Competitions
  1. Siemens Competitions Regionals (if invited)
• November (2 meetings before the Intel STS deadline)
  • First Meeting
  1. Research Paper: Sixth Draft
  2. Intel Essays
  3. October Lab Logs
  • Second Meeting
  1. Research Paper: Seventh Draft
  2. Intel Essays
  • Competitions
  1. Intel Science Talent Search
• December (1 meeting before the NYCSEF deadline)
  • First Meeting
  1. NYCSEF Registration/Paperwork
  2. JSHS Registration/Paperwork (if invited)
  • Competitions
  1. NYCSEF
  2. JSHS (if invited)
• January
  • First Meeting (1 meeting after you hear from NYCSEF)
  1. NYCSEF Status
  2. St. Joeseph's Poster Session Registration
  • Second Meeting (1 meeting during Regents week)
    1. Scientific Poster: First Draft
    2. NYCSEF/JSHS/St Joseph's Status

Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology

Wednesday, September 28, 2011 (research paper)

• Students are encouraged to participate in this competition.
• Like many competitions, this one is centered around a research paper and application forms. In addition, they ask for an abstract and executive summary (a.k.a. layperson's summary).
• Registration is done online through the College Board. Print out the "Confirmation Page" when you are finished and give it to your supervising teacher. They will get the Principal's signature for you.
• Fill in and print the "Supplemental Form" and the "Mentor/Advisor Form" (and the "Qualification Questions for Vertebrates" if necessary).
• Follow the guidelines set by the contest when writing your report. Your entry will be "blind read" by a panel of judges who's expertise is related to your project.
• Copy your abstract, executive summary, report, and references to a CD (and the "Qualification Questions for Vertebrates" if necessary). Print your name and registration number on the CD. We will provide blank CDs on submission day to anyone who needs one.
• Make the necessary paper copies of your application and research paper including one copy for our records. Use one of the high volume photocopiers with a document feeder in room A200, A300, or A317. If you are including color graphs, illustrations, or photographs you will have to make the necessary copies yourself.
• Materials will be collected for shipping on Wednesday, September 28, 2011. The deadline for receipt of all entries is 5:00 PM, Monday, October 3, 2011.
• Up to 300 projects are selected as semi-finalists. Up to thirty individual students and thirty teams (of 2 or 3 students) are chosen to compete at one of six regional competitions in November (MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, UT Austin, Cal Tech). Students' names will be posted on the Siemens Foundation website Friday, October 21, 2011.
• Winners of the regional competitions go on to the national competition in December at George Washington University.

Intel Science Talent Search

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 (research paper)

• Students in this class must participate in this competition.
• Like many competitions, this one is centered around a research paper and application forms.
• Obtain a pdf copy of the rules and instructions from the Society for Science and the Public.
• Register and begin the application process in front of your supervising teacher at Apply Yourself during September or October.
• This application has multiple parts
  • Personal Info
  • Essay Questions – This includes an abstract and layperson's summary (a.k.a. executive summary).
  • Project Recommendation – Your mentor does this part.
  • Teacher/Advisor Recommendation – Your supervising research teacher.
  • Counselor Recommendation (a.k.a. Secondary School Report) – Select an appropriate counselor in the College Office.
  • Official School Transcript – Mr. Elert will take care of this.
  • And for those who need it vertebrate animals, human participants, IRB, informed consent, etc.
• The paper is submitted electronically. No paper copies are necessary. Save a copy of the final application pdf and submit it to Mr. Elert.
• The deadline for entry is 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 16, 2011. You must provide proof to your supervising teacher that you have met this deadline and completed the application process before the end of the school day.
• The 300 Semifinalists will be announced on Wednesday, January 11, 2012.
• The 40 Finalists will be announced on Wednesday, January 25, 2012.

New York City Science and Engineering Fair (NYCSEF)

Friday, December 16, 2011 (research paper) — Sunday, March 4, 2012 (poster)

• Students in this class must participate in this competition.
• Register online after Thanksgiving break.
• Begin filling out the application forms as soon as possible. Use the Quick Guide tool to help you identify which forms you will need to submit with your application.
• Make the necessary paper copies of your application and research paper including one copy for our records. Use one of the high volume photocopiers with a document feeder in room A200, A300, or A317. If you are including color graphs, illustrations, or photographs you will have to make the necessary copies yourself.
• Materials will be collected for shipping on Thursday, December 15, 2011. Mr. Elert will deliver them himself the next day. Completed applications and research papers must be received by 5:00 PM at the College Now offices in Brooklyn (16 Court Street, 3rd Floor). This is NOT a postmark deadline.
• This year's Preliminary Round for all students will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2012 at City College in Hamilton Heights, Manhattan.
• The top 25 percent of student researchers from each subject category will be invited to participate in the Finals Round Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at the American Museum of Natural History.
• The Awards Ceremony follows 2 days later on Thursday, March 29, 2012 at a location TBA.
• Twenty students will be selected to represent New York City at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania May 13–18, 2012.

Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS)

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 (research paper) — Sunday, February 12, 2012 (PowerPoint presentation)

• This competition is limited to 6 projects. Selected seniors may enter this competition for extra credit. Team projects are allowed, but only one member of the team will present. The other members of the team must be present as observers. Presenters will receive extra credit. Observers will receive "partial extra credit".
• The New York JSHS is sponsored by York College in Jamaica, Queens. The competition has two parts: a research paper and a PowerPoint presentation.
• Deadline to submit applications and upload documents is Tuesday, December 13, 2012.
• Prepare a PowerPoint presentation for the symposium. Presenters will rehearse in front of the Juniors in February.
• The Symposium will be held at York College Sunday, February 12, 2012.
• The top students at the NYC JSHS move on to compete in the National JSHS May 2–6 in Bethesda, Maryland.
• The top students in the national JSHS move on to compete in the London International Youth Science Forum (LISYF) in August.

St. Joseph's College High School Poster Session

Saturday, February 4, 2012 (poster)

• Students in this class must participate in this competition.
• Apply online during your January meeting with your supervising teacher.
• This event is open to high school students who have completed research in any scientific area during the past year and can present their findings in a poster.
• The posters will be judged by professors and/or scientific professionals and prizes will be awarded for outstanding entries.
• The competition is held at St. Joseph's College - New York in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn on Saturday, February 4, 2012 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The College is located at 245 Clinton Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205. Click here for directions.
• This contest is sponsored by the New York Section of the American Chemical Society

Lab Log Format

• In general …
  • Use a hardbound notebook — one that would show obvious damage if a page was removed.
  • Number all pages so that missing pages can be spotted.
  • Never remove pages from your lab notebook.
• Place important information on the inside front cover.
  1. Personal information
  • Your name, phone number, email address so that a lost lab log can be returned to you
  • Your ICE name and phone number (ICE means "in case of emergency")
  2. Where you work
     • Name of primary worksite, location (room number), phone number (if applicable)
     • Name of secondary worksite, location (room number), phone number (if applicable)
     • Name of tertiary worksite, location (room number), phone number (if applicable)
  3. Who you work with
     • Principal investigator (PI) name, phone number, email address
     • Other researcher name, phone number, email address
     • Lab manager/technician name, phone number, email address
     • Post-doc name, phone number, email address
     • Graduate/Undergraduate student name, phone number, email address
• Daily entries
  1. Date
  2. Location
  3. Time In/Time Out
  4. Aim/Goal
  5. Notes/Procedures/Results
• Monthly summaries
  • At the end of each month, create a table that summarizes the work you did for that month.

  Name of Month
  Date	Hours	Activity
  		⇐ Total hours for the month

One Point One and Extra Credit Requirements

• In order to receive extra credit for the month (juniors only) or to receive a 1.1 for the semester (juniors and seniors), you are expected to attend lab and/or do lab-related work for at least 4 hours per week (16 hours per month for a month with 4 full weeks). If your mentor takes a vacation, you are still expected to make entries in your log.
  • A possible option for this time is analyzing articles that are related to your subject similar to the way you reviewed articles for this class.
  • For all equipment that you use, you should read the manual from your lab and explain the operating principle behind that piece of equipment.
  • For all protocols you should create an extremely simple flow chart of the procedure and identify the final product.

Spring Semester (SD8R)

Spring Meetings for Seniors

Check the calendar on midwoodscience.org often. Individual, team, or small group meetings are the way business gets done. (Large group meetings are rare.) Keep your supervising teacher up to date on your progress. Do not hesitate to tell us of problems. Above all, do not miss your appointments. They count significantly toward your grade.

• February
  • First Meeting (in January during Regents week)
  1. Prepare for St. Joe's
  • Second Meeting
    1. Prepare for NYCSEF
    2. Prepare for JSHS (if selected)
  • Competitions
    1. High School Poster Session at St. Joseph's College
    2. NYC Metro JSHS (if selected)
• March
  • First Meeting
    1. Prepare for Google Science Fair
    2. Prepare for NYCSEF finals (if selected)
  • Second Meeting
    1. Prepare for Google Science Fair
    2. Prepare for NYCSEF finals (if selected)
  • Competitions
    1. NYCSEF Preliminary Round at City College
    2. NYCSEF Finals Round at the American Museum of Natural History (if selected)
• April
  • First Meeting (only meeting)
    1. Final preparations for Google Science Fair
    2. Develop strategy for mentoring sophomores
  • Competitions
    1. Google Science Fair
• May
  • First Meeting
    1. Sophomore mentoring activity logs
    2. Prepare for Brooklyn College Science Fair
  • Second Meeting
    1. Sophomore mentoring activity logs
  • Competitions
    1. Brooklyn College Science Fair
    2. Midwood High School Science Fair
• June
  • First Meeting (only meeting)
    1. Exit Topics

St. Joseph's College High School Poster Session

Saturday, February 4, 2012 (poster)

• Students in this class must participate in this competition.
• Apply online during your January meeting with your supervising teacher.
• This event is open to high school students who have completed research in any scientific area during the past year and can present their findings in a poster.
• The posters will be judged by professors and/or scientific professionals and prizes will be awarded for outstanding entries.
• The competition is held at St. Joseph's College - New York in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn on Saturday, February 4, 2012 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The College is located at 245 Clinton Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205. Click here for directions.
• This contest is sponsored by the New York Section of the American Chemical Society

New York City Science and Engineering Fair (NYCSEF)

Friday, December 16, 2011 (research paper) — Sunday, March 4, 2012 (poster)

• Students in this class must participate in this competition.
• Register online after Thanksgiving break.
• Begin filling out the application forms as soon as possible. Use the Quick Guide tool to help you identify which forms you will need to submit with your application.
• Make the necessary paper copies of your application and research paper including one copy for our records. Use one of the high volume photocopiers with a document feeder in room A200, A300, or A317. If you are including color graphs, illustrations, or photographs you will have to make the necessary copies yourself.
• Materials will be collected for shipping on Thursday, December 15, 2011. Mr. Elert will deliver them himself the next day. Completed applications and research papers must be received by 5:00 PM at the College Now offices in Brooklyn (16 Court Street, 3rd Floor). This is NOT a postmark deadline.
• This year's Preliminary Round for all students will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2012 at City College in Hamilton Heights, Manhattan.
• The top 25 percent of student researchers from each subject category will be invited to participate in the Finals Round Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at the American Museum of Natural History.
• The Awards Ceremony follows 2 days later on Thursday, March 29, 2012 at a location TBA.
• Twenty students will be selected to represent New York City at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania May 13–18, 2012.

Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS)

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 (research paper) — Sunday, February 12, 2012 (PowerPoint presentation)

• This competition is limited to 6 projects. Selected seniors may enter this competition for extra credit. Team projects are allowed, but only one member of the team will present. The other members of the team must be present as observers. Presenters will receive extra credit. Observers will receive "partial extra credit".
• The New York JSHS is sponsored by York College in Jamaica, Queens. The competition has two parts: a research paper and a PowerPoint presentation.
• Deadline to submit applications and upload documents is Tuesday, December 13, 2012.
• Prepare a PowerPoint presentation for the symposium. Presenters will rehearse in front of the Juniors in February.
• The Symposium will be held at York College Sunday, February 12, 2012.
• The top students at the NYC JSHS move on to compete in the National JSHS May 2–6 in Bethesda, Maryland.
• The top students in the national JSHS move on to compete in the London International Youth Science Forum (LISYF) in August.

Google Science Fair

Friday, March 30, 2012 (Google Docs presentation or YouTube video)

• note
• additional note
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Senior Mentoring Project

• on site (in school)
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• off site (in lab)
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Brooklyn College Science Fair

Approximately, April 27, 2012 (poster)

• This competition is limited to 5 projects. Selected seniors may enter this competition for extra credit. Juniors who are working at Brooklyn College may be asked to participate by their mentors. Juniors who do not participate as presenters may attend as observers. Presenters will receive extra credit. Observers will receive "partial extra credit".
• Instructions will be emailed to participants.
• Email your entry form and abstract by Friday, April 27, 2012.
• The poster session will be held from 9 AM to 2 PM on Friday, May 11, 2012 at the Student Center (a.k.a. SUBO), which is two blocks away from Midwood on Campus Road.

Midwood High School Science Fair

Thursday, May 24, 2012, 3:00–6:00 PM

All Science Research students participate in this event.

• Sophomores
  • Bring something to eat or drink.
  • Participate as contestants.
  • Feast.
• Juniors and Seniors
  • Help set up.
  • Participate as judges.
  • Feast.
  • Help clean up.
• Alumni and Teachers
  • Participate as judges.
  • Feast.

Extra Credit

STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, Math

Public Lecture

Attend an approved STEM lecture

• Attend, listen, and take notes.
• Retain your admission ticket, program, or any other handout given at the lecture.
• Have your photo taken at the event by a teacher or other approved attendance taker.
• Complete this assignment while the lecture is still fresh in your mind. (Print the page before you go.)
• Bring the completed assignment to your supervising teacher with proof of attendance to your next one-on-one meeting. (Be prepared to answer additional questions.)

Possible Lectures

• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center High School Outreach
  • Major Trends in Cancer Research
  • CancerSmart Lectures
• American Chemical Society New York Section
  • Brooklyn Frontiers in Science Public Lecture

Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Image of the Week (IOTW)

Create a blog entry around a set of scanning electron microscope images.

• Identify an object or set of objects that can be imaged under the SEM. (All objects must be solid and desiccated.) Clear it with Mr. Elert.
• Make an appointment to use the SEM period 10 and beyond.
• Make a series of images. Select the best (most artistic, most interesting, most informative).
• Write an essay of 100–500 words related to your best images. Essays should be written in a non-technical, entertaining style like that found in New Scientist, Scientific American, Discover, Wired, The Guardian, The New York Times, Seed, etc.
• Your images and text will be posted to the Midwood Science website.

Competitions and Events

Participate in STEM competitions or attend STEM special events.

• Tell your supervising teacher what you intend to do.
• Provide evidence of progress or participation for partial credit.
• Manage your time effectively. Anticipate Deadlines.
• Provide evidence of completion for full credit.

Last Updated 30 January 2012. Expired items are written with a strikethrough. New items will be added as they come across my desk. Contact me if you find anything you think I should check out.

• ACT-SO
  • Afro-academic, Cultural, Technological, and Scientific Olympics.
• American Association of Physics Teachers
  • High School Physics Photo Contest
  • Physics Bowl
  • Six Flags America Roller Coaster Design Contest (?)
• Bay Scallop Bowl
  • See Mr. Stack in room 119 for more info.
• Brain Bee
  • Run by The Dana Foundation
• Brooklyn College Science Day
  • See me in April.
• Cablevision Challenge (No Website)
  • See Mr. Stack in room 119 for more info.
• Chemagination
• DNA Day Essay
  • Run by the American Society of Human Genetics.
  • Students in AP Bio should seriously consider entering this contest.
• DuPont Challenge
• ExploraVision
• FIRST Tech Challenge
  • See Mr. McMahon in room A317 for more info.
• High School Cyber Forensics Challenge
  • Run by Polytechnic Institute of New York University
  • Part of Cyber Security Awareness Week.
• JOIDES Resolution Scientific Ocean Drilling Art Contest
• Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams
• Maker Faire
  • Serve as a volunteer.
• March of Dimes Essay Competition for Students (No Website)
  • Run by the New York State Chapter of The March of Dimes.
  • See me in January.
• Moody's Mega Math Challenge
  • See Ms. Grabowski in the Math Department for more info.
• NASA
  • Aeronautics Research Directorate
  • Balloonsat High Altitude Flight (BHALF)
  • Cassini Scientist for a Day
  • Dropping in a Microgravity Environment (DIME)
  • INSPIRE
  • No Boundaries
  • Space Settlement Contest
  • Team America Rocketry Challenge
  • Women in STEM High School Aerospace Scholars (WISH)
  • There may be more coming. Check the NASA Students Facebook page or the NASA 9-12 Education Programs page for updates.
• Neuroscience Research Prize
  • Sponsored by the by the American Academy of Neurology.
• Northeast Conference on Science and Skepticism (NECSS)
  • Apply to attend for free.
  • Serve as a volunteer.
• Rockefeller University Students Modeling A Research Topic (RU SMART)
  • Ms. Ross supervises this activity.
• Spirit of Innovation Awards
  • Sponsored by the Pete Conrad Foundation.
• Saturday Science Seminars a.k.a. S³ (No Website)
  • They contact us. See me in December.
  • Run by Barnard College.
  • For female students only.
• Stockholm Junior Water Prize
  • For water-related science projects.
• ThinkQuest
  • Design a website.
• Topical Review in Sleep Science Contest
  • Run by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
• Urban Barcode Project
  • Run by the Dolan DNA Learning Center
• Young Naturalist Awards
  • Run by the American Museum of Natural History.
• Young Science Achievers Program
  • Applicants for this program must be …
    • females of any ethnicity
    • males of African American, Hispanic or Native American descent …
  • attending public or private high schools in New Jersey or New York City (grades 9 -12)
• World Science Festival
  • Serve as a volunteer.

Lab Log Format

• In general …
  • Use a hardbound notebook — one that would show obvious damage if a page was removed.
  • Number all pages so that missing pages can be spotted.
  • Never remove pages from your lab notebook.
• Place important information on the inside front cover.
  1. Personal information
  • Your name, phone number, email address so that a lost lab log can be returned to you
  • Your ICE name and phone number (ICE means "in case of emergency")
  2. Where you work
     • Name of primary worksite, location (room number), phone number (if applicable)
     • Name of secondary worksite, location (room number), phone number (if applicable)
     • Name of tertiary worksite, location (room number), phone number (if applicable)
  3. Who you work with
     • Principal investigator (PI) name, phone number, email address
     • Other researcher name, phone number, email address
     • Lab manager/technician name, phone number, email address
     • Post-doc name, phone number, email address
     • Graduate/Undergraduate student name, phone number, email address
• Daily entries
  1. Date
  2. Location
  3. Time In/Time Out
  4. Aim/Goal
  5. Notes/Procedures/Results
• Monthly summaries
  • At the end of each month, create a table that summarizes the work you did for that month.

  Name of Month
  Date	Hours	Activity
  		⇐ Total hours for the month

One Point One and Extra Credit Requirements

• In order to receive extra credit for the month (juniors only) or to receive a 1.1 for the semester (juniors and seniors), you are expected to attend lab and/or do lab-related work for at least 4 hours per week (16 hours per month for a month with 4 full weeks). If your mentor takes a vacation, you are still expected to make entries in your log.
  • A possible option for this time is analyzing articles that are related to your subject similar to the way you reviewed articles for this class.
  • For all equipment that you use, you should read the manual from your lab and explain the operating principle behind that piece of equipment.
  • For all protocols you should create an extremely simple flow chart of the procedure and identify the final product.

Midwood Science Research Program Glenn Elert — Coordinator

Midwood High School at Brooklyn College David Cohen — Principal 2839 Bedford Avenue Brooklyn NY 11210 (718) 724–8500