Student-Mentor Manual by Tamarack Media

Studentâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Mentor Manual

A Program of the

Last Revision 2013

Program Basics

About EnvironMentors Welcome! You are about to embark on an exciting journey that will help prepare you for college, strengthen your research skills, teach you about the environment, and provide you with guidance and support from a mentor.

EnvironMentors exists for students just like you. Here at EnvironMentors, we envision young adult leaders from all cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds becoming active stewards of their communities and the environment.

You may not realize it, but you are part of an EnvironMentors chapter. Right now, EnvironMentors has 13 chapters, all at universities across the country. You may recognize your chapter in the list below: Alabama State University

Louisiana State University

Alabama A&M University

North Carolina State University

Arkansas State University

University of California, Davis

Colorado State University

University of the District of Columbia

Heritage University

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Kean University

West Virginia University

Kentucky State University

At each EnvironMentors chapter, high school students like you will be paired with a mentor. Your mentor may be a graduate or undergraduate college student, professor from a nearby university, or science professionals from your community. Working together, you and your mentor will design an experimental research project based on your personal interests. In the spring, you will have the chance to present your research results at a Chapter Fair. The top three students from each chapter will be invited to present their findings at the National EnvironMentors Fair in Washington, DC. At the National Fair, students compete for college scholarships. As you work on your project, remember that there are other students across the country working on their research projects, hoping to make it to the National Fair, just like you. We hope that you enjoy your time with the program!

About Your Chapter My chapter director is: Director’s email: Director’s phone number:

My chapter coordinator is: Coordinator’s email: Coordinator’s phone number:

My EnvironMentors teacher is: Teacher’s room number: Teacher’s phone number: Teacher’s email:

Other Important Contact 1: Phone number: Email:

Other Important Contact 2: Phone number: Email:

Student Commitments EnvironMentors is a lot of fun, but take a lot of commitment. Take a minute to reach through the following list, to see if you can commit to them:

1. Stay in contact with your mentor -

Obtain all of your mentor’s contact information (home, work, cell phone numbers, and email) and share all your contact information with your mentor and coordinator.

Meet in person with your mentor for 1-2 hours once per week or at least 3 times a month.

If you cannot make a meeting, contact your mentor immediately to reschedule. If you cannot reach your mentor, call your chapter coordinator immediately.

2. Stay in contact with your chapter coordinator -

Provide your chapter coordinator with your class schedule, after-school and weekend schedule, work schedule, and a list of your extracurricular activities.

Attend all required EnvironMentors workshops and meetings. If you cannot attend a workshop, meeting, or other event, contact your chapter coordinator immediately.

3. Work with your mentor to design an experimental research project based on an environmental issue that concerns you -

Identify a research question.

Conduct a literature review on your topic utilizing library and internet tools.

Identify a local expert on your topic and conduct an expert interview.

Conduct background research, incorporating what you learned in your literature review and expert interview.

Develop a hypothesis based on your research and design an experiment to test it.

Write a description of your experimental methods and materials.

Collect data through experimental trials.

Organize, analyze and present your data visually with tables, charts and graphs.

Write a discussion and conclusion in which you discuss the results of your experiment and draw a conclusion about what your data mean.

Write a research paper using the elements you completed throughout your project.

4. Work with your mentor to communicate what you have learned  Design and create a project poster.  Present your project at your Chapter Fair and participate in your Chapter Awards Ceremony.  Possibly participate in the National EnvironMentors Fair & Awards Ceremony.

EnvironMentors Program Calendar Ask your chapter coordinator for an official calendar, and write down important dates here

September 2013 Sun 1

Mon 2

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Labor Day

Important Dates or Deadlines:

October 2013 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Columbus Day

31 Halloween

Important Dates or Deadlines:

November 2013 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Veterans Day

Thanksgiving Day Hanukkah

Important Dates or Deadlines:

December 2013 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Christmas Day

Important Dates or Deadlines:

January 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed 1

Thu

Fri

Sat

New Year Day

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Important Dates or Deadlines:

February 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat 1

Valentine’s Day

President’s Day

Important Dates or Deadlines:

March 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat 1

Important Dates or Deadlines:

April 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Good Friday

Easter Sunday

Important Dates or Deadlines:

May 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day

National Fair

26 Memorial Day

Important Dates or Deadlines:

June 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day

Important Dates or Deadlines:

Getting Started At the beginning of the program year, your chapter director, coordinator, or teacher may ask you to sign permission slips or waivers. These will allow you to participate in the program and attend field trips. Please share these with your parent/guardian and read them carefully. Sign and return them to your chapter as soon as possible.

Your chapter may also ask you to take a short survey at the beginning and end of the program. The two surveys will be nearly identical. You will NOT be graded on them, and you do not have to take them if you are uncomfortable. The surveys help us understand what students like, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like, and what we can make better in the future.

Your Mentor

Benefits of Mentorship Your mentor will… Provide you with the knowledge, guidance, and support to develop and complete a research project based on an environmental topic of your interest.

“My mentor has been amazing at helping me develop projects that directly relate to my passion and goals.”

Share valuable insight into the wide variety of science, technology, and environmentally-related college degree programs and careers that are available to you.

“I liked my mentor because he was close to my age and a recent graduate in a field I was interested in.”

Be supportive of you in EnvironMentors, high school, and beyond.

“My mentor and I are like best friends, and he continues to support me with personal advice and helps me with schoolwork.”

Before You Meet Your Mentor Before you meet your mentor for the first time, you should think about why you might want a mentor and what you might learn from him or her. Mentors will be there to listen to your interests and help you find your own path (academic or personal). Mentors also have more life experience that you, and a different perspective to share.

Through your mentor you will get a chance to talk about and learn things such as: -

New environmental and science issues and concepts;

College life and potential careers;

Different life choices and paths that your mentor has taken.

During EnvironMentors, your mentor should: -

Meet with you once a week, or at least 3 times a month.

Stay in contact via phone, e-mail, text, Skype, or Online Community between in-person meetings.

Guide you through the research process and help you understand difficult material.

Help you design and conduct your experiment, and analyze the data you collect.

Assist you in developing a project poster for your chapter fair and any other presentation opportunities that are available to you.

Your Mentor Will Be -

A friend who is there to get to know you and have fun.

A role model who sets an example of an environmental student or professional. No mentor is perfect, but they will share with you their skills and life experiences.

Someone who is proud of you! Your mentor is your own personal cheerleader and coach who is there only to help you be the best you can be and guide you in the process.

Your Mentor Will NOT Be -

Your friend’s or family’s mentor. The mentor’s mission is to focus on you and while you can share things about your friends or family, they are not there to guide them.

Your psychologist. You can definitely talk to your mentor about personal problems, but they are not there to “fix” you or diagnose you.

Your free labor. When you and your mentor are working on your EnvironMentors project, they are there to guide you, and you are there to do the work.

Tips for Working With Your Mentor Communication: Listening Being interested means that when you are having a conversation, you are focused on actively listening to what your mentor is saying. That means NOT: -

Thinking about your own response while they are talking

Checking your phone or texting your friends

Daydreaming

You should be: -

Looking at your mentor

Asking clarifying questions if necessary

Repeating back what they said to make sure you understand

Communication: Responding Professionally There are certain rules of etiquette you should know when arranging a meeting or responding to a mentorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s phone call, email, or text. -

If someone emails you, respond within 24 hours

If someone calls you, call them back within 24 hours

When you call someone, leave a message including: o

Your Name

Your telephone number (slowly, twice)

Why you are calling

If someone texts you they expect a prompt response; reply within 1 hour or as soon as possible

It is professional courtesy to confirm meetings the day before and 1 hour before the meeting

If you are running late, you should let the person know and give them an approximate arrival time

Time Management: Organizing Your Life Managing your time well is an important element of success — especially if you’re a student. If you set priorities that fit your needs and lifestyle you'll have a better chance of achieving your goals. Here are some tips for taking control of your time and organizing your life: 1. Keep a Calendar. It can be in an agenda book, notebook, on your phone, or online. It’s impossible for even the most organized person to keep track of all their short- and long-term deadlines. 2. Make a To-Do List Every Day. Put things that are most important at the top and do them first. And don't forget to reward yourself for accomplishments. Consider prioritizing your tasks by putting

Not important

Important

them into the following categories. Which are most important for you to do first? Urgent

Not Urgent

I Important deadlines Crises Pressing important meetings Emergencies Last minute preparations

II Relationship building Personal development Employee training Exercise and health Prevention and planning

III Some emails and phone calls Many interruptions Some popular activities Some meetings

IV Trivia Some phone calls Excessive TV Time wasters

3. Use Spare Minutes Wisely. When you’re commuting on the bus or train use the time to get some reading done. Also time yourself doing assignments so that you can accurately predict how long something will take you. 4. It's Okay to Say No. If your friend asks you to go to a movie on a Thursday night and you have an exam the next morning, realize that it's okay to say no. Keep your short- and long-term priorities in mind. 5. Find the Right Time. You'll work more efficiently if you figure out when you do your best work. For example, if your brain handles math better in the afternoon, don't wait until late at night. 6. Review Your Notes Every Day. Reviewing helps you reinforce what you've learned, so you need less time to study before a test. You'll also be ready if you get called on in class or have to take a pop quiz.

7. Get a Good Night's Sleep. Your brain needs rest to perform at its peak. Lack of sleep makes the day seem longer and your tasks seem more difficult. 8. Communicate Your Schedule to Others. If phone calls or text messages are proving to be a distraction, tell your friends that you are only available at certain times of day and not to expect a response at other times. 9. Become a Taskmaster. Give yourself a time budget and plan your activities accordingly. Figure out how much free time you have each week before you add any commitments. 10. Don't Waste Time Agonizing. Instead of agonizing and procrastinating, just do it. Wasting an entire evening worrying about something that you're supposed to be doing is not productive, and can increase your stress. 11. Determine Your Priorities. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do everything at once. Establish the importance of each item. Then set realistic goals that are attainable.

About Your Mentor Please fill out this form when you are paired with your mentor Contact information

Mentorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Preferred email: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Preferred phone (Work/Home/Cell): _______________________________________________________________________ Secondary phone (Work/Home/Cell): ______________________________________________________________________ Home address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Organization/agency/business your mentor works for: __________________________________________________ Your mentorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s professional title: ____________________________________________________________________________ Work address: _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Best days, times and locations to meet or stay in touch:

Day of the Week

Time

Location

Student & Mentor Meeting Commitment Form Please fill out this form with your mentor, sign it, and return it to your chapter coordinator. First Meeting I, _______________________________________, agree to meet my mentor for our first meeting at the time and location specified below: Date: _________________________________________ Time: _________________________________________ Location: ______________________________________ I will get to the first meeting location by (circle all that apply): Public Transportation Walk

Get a ride from __________________________ Other _____________________________________

Future Meetings I, _______________________________________, will continue to meet with my mentor as follows: Day of week: ___________________________________ Time: ___________________________________________ Location: _______________________________________ Transportation: ________________________________ Contact With My Mentor I, _______________________________________, agree to notify my mentor if I am unable to make a meeting or if I will be late to a meeting. I will do so by calling all numbers and writing to all emails my mentor provides me. If I do not reach my mentor, I promise to leave a message and continue to call my mentor until I speak to him/her directly. I, _______________________________________, understand that if I fail to meet these basic commitments on an ongoing basis, I may be asked to leave the program.

Student signature: ________________________________________________

Date: __________________________

Mentor signature: ________________________________________________

Date: __________________________

Understanding Science

The Process of Science What comes to mind when you hear the word science?

You may think of famous scientists, experiments you’ve done in class, lab equipment, funny Muppets, and television shows that use science and evidence to bust myths or solve crimes.

Science is both a way of investigating the world (a process) and a collection of information known about the world (known information). Through EnvironMentors, you will use science as a process to explore an environmental topic of your interest. Your research findings will contribute to the body of scientific knowledge about the world.

In this chapter, we will begin to explore how scientists learn about the world. You may have heard of the Scientific Method before. The Scientific Method is a simplified example of how science is done. In reality, all scientists do not use the same steps in the same order to conduct their research.

On the next page is a more realistic picture of how science works. You will see that there are many paths that a scientist may go through when conducting research. You will see that there is no one “right way” to do science.

Image courtesy of: Understanding Science 2013. University of California Museum of Paleontology. www.understandingscience.org

The EnvironMentors Project Since there are so many ways to do science, it can seem overwhelming. You may be asking yourself, where do I even begin?

Your project will not follow the exact same order as other students at your chapter, and that is okay! Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s look a little more closely at the different parts of the process shown in the picture.

Exploration and Discovery Scientists are inspired by many things. They may see something that makes them scratch their head, or they may know a family member suffering from a disease. You will choose a topic to research in the same way â&#x20AC;&#x201C; picking something that interests you that you want to learn more about.

Make an Observation, Ask a Question Many scientific experiments begin with a simple observation (The river near my house is murky) and ask questions about your observation (Which sections of the river are murky and which are clear? Why is the river murkier in some sections?). Talk about your topic and questions with your friends, family, and mentor. What do they know about your topic? What questions or ideas do they have?

Conduct Background Research Once you have a project topic you are interested in learning more about, you will want to do background research. This will help you find out what information is already known about your topic (What affects the clarity of the water in the river near my house? My mentor mentioned turbidity, what does that term mean? What other experiments have been done on river turbidity?). You can use the library, the internet, and talk to experts.

It is possible that many scientists have spent time asking similar questions to yours. From your background research, you may find that your question has a well-known answer, or that you actually have other questions you are more interested in learning about. This research will help you refine your question and make a more educated guess, or prediction, about the answer to your initial question. Remember that you are not done with research now! You may need to conduct more research throughout your experiment.

Testing Ideas After discussing and researching your topic, you will have enough information about your initial observation to form a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an educated guess about the answer to your question.

Form a Hypothesis With a hypothesis you will try to predict the answer to your question, using the knowledge you have learned about your topic. Your hypothesis may look something like this: If A is changed in a certain way, then B will change is a predictable manner. For example, if I expose my plant more sunlight then it will increase in height. I am predicting that more sunlight (A) will lead to a taller plant (B).

Design an Experiment Your experiment will test your hypothesis. It is important that your experiment is a fair test. In order to conduct a fair test, you should be sure that you change only one factor, or variable, at a time, while keeping all other conditions the same.

Revisiting our plant example, how could we make sure that the plant experiment is a fair test? We would need to make sure that other factors, such as water or fertilizer, aren’t really responsible for differences we may see in plant’s height. You can do this by fixing or eliminating other factors in your experiment. In our plant example, we would fix the amount of water and fertilizer each plant is given.

Once you have identified which variables you will keep the same you will then identify what you will change during your experiment. The thing you plan to change is called an independent variable. The thing you will observe or measure to see if there is a reaction is called a dependent variable. In our plant example, the hours of direct sunlight is the independent variable. Our dependent variable would be the height of the plant. You can think of it like this: we hypothesize that the height of the plant will depend on the amount of sunlight the plant receives.

A fair test is also one that can be replicated by you or other scientists in the future. You should repeat your experiment multiple times (trials) to be sure that the results aren’t just an accident.

You should write your procedure like a step-by-step recipe for your experiment. Your procedure should be detailed enough that someone else could repeat your experiment just by reading it. Your materials list should include all the supplies and equipment you will need to complete your experiment. By making your

list and gathering your materials ahead of time, you can be sure that you will have everything on hand when you need it. It is a good idea to make your materials list well in advance because some items may take time to obtain.

Collect & Analyze Data When conducting your experiment, you should be sure to record all your data in an organized manner. You should follow your procedure exactly, and record any changes that are necessary. Be careful to only change your independent variable and keep all other variables constant.

It is also very important to be safe while doing your experiment. For example, if your experiment requires you to go out on a boat to collect water samples, make sure you are wearing a life jacket. If you need to do some chemistry to analyze your water samples, be sure to wear the necessary protective equipment. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not sure what safety equipment you need, consult your mentor and chapter coordinator.

After collecting your raw data, you will need to perform some calculations in order to analyze your data and form a conclusion. This often involves calculating a mean, or average, of all data from all your experimental trials. Graphs are usually the best way to display your data so that it is easy for others to understand.

Draw a Conclusion Once you have analyzed your data, you can determine whether they support or disprove your hypothesis. Scientists often find that their hypothesis was false, but this does not mean that their experiment was incorrect. Scientists often learn the most when their data show something that was unexpected. Even if your data support your hypothesis, it is still a good idea to test it again in a different way. A good conclusion will suggest future experiments that will build on what you have learned, and help you and other scientists learn more about your topic area.

Community Analysis and Feedback We would not have the collection of scientific knowledge that we have today if scientists kept their results secret. A key part of doing science is sharing your results.

Remember, collecting and analyzing data is really the beginning of sharing your results, getting feedback from other scientists, asking new questions, and forming new hypotheses. Scientific conclusions will be of little use to society if scientists did not share them with one another. Scientists help build the body of

scientific knowledge by sharing their research findings and discussing them openly. Remember that the information you gathered during your background research was available because other scientists completed this critical step of the scientific process.

When writing a report, you should use clear, objective language and avoid the use of the First Person (I thinkâ&#x20AC;Ś or I measuredâ&#x20AC;Ś). You should also use the active voice whenever possible, as it is more concise than the passive voice.

When presenting your research orally, it is often helpful to have visual aids that will help your audience understand your research project. You can show pictures of your experimental site, as well as graphs and charts. Your visual aids should enhance your presentation, but not be your entire presentation. If you use slides, avoid merely reading your slides to the audience, which can be boring. Try to be animated and make your audience as excited about your project as you are, while still presenting yourself in a professional manner.

Scientific Vocabulary Sometimes scientists use words that have a different meaning in the scientific community than in everyday conversation. To help make sure we are all using the same language to talk about our research, here are some helpful definitions.1 Vocabulary

Fact

Law

Observation

Hypothesis

Everyday meaning

A thing that is indisputably the case. Facts are highly valued because we can be so confident in them.

A rule used by a society or community that has consequences if violated.

Something that we've seen with our own eyes.

An educated guess — or an idea that we are quite uncertain about.

Scientific meaning

In scientific thinking, most facts are about relatively simple statements. For example, it may be a fact that there are three trees in your backyard. But from that simple statement, we do not know anything about trees in general, or tress in your friend’s backyard. In science, a fact is a small piece of information. Multiple forms and sources of knowledge are more powerful than a single fact.

In science, laws are less rigid. Law usually refers to a generalization about data and is a compact way of describing what we'd expect to happen in a particular situation. They may have exceptions, and, like other scientific knowledge, may be modified or rejected based on new evidence and perspectives.

In science, the term is used more broadly. Scientific observations can be made directly with our own senses or may be made indirectly through the use of tools like thermometers, pH test kits, Geiger counters, etc.

In science, hypotheses are much more informed than any guess and are usually based on prior experience, scientific background knowledge, preliminary observations, and logic. A hypothesis is different than a prediction. Scientific hypotheses have explanatory power — they are explanations for phenomena.

Understanding Science 2013. University of California Museum of Paleontology. www.understandingscience.org

Theory

Falsifiable

Uncertainty

Error

Prediction

Often used to mean a hunch with little evidential support.

This word isn't used much in everyday language, but when it is, it is often applied to ideas that have been shown to be untrue.

Suggests the state of being unsure of something.

A mistake

Something that a fortune teller makes about the future.

Scientific theories are broad explanations for a wide range of phenomena. They are concise (i.e., generally don't have a long list of exceptions and special rules), coherent, systematic, and can be used to make predictions about many different sorts of situations. A theory is most acceptable to the scientific community when it is strongly supported by many different lines of evidence â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but even theories may be modified or overturned if warranted by new evidence and perspectives.

In science, when an idea has been shown to be false â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a scientist would say that it has been falsified. A falsifiable idea, on the other hand, is one for which there is a conceivable test that might produce evidence proving the idea false. When a scientist says falsifiable, he or she probably actually means something like testable. A testable idea is one about which we could gather evidence to help determine whether or not the idea is accurate.

Scientists usually use the word when referring to measurements. The uncertainty of a measurement is the range of values within which the true value is likely to fall. In science, uncertainty is not a bad thing; it's simply a fact of life. Every measurement has some uncertainty.

In science, error has a precise statistical meaning. An error is the difference between a measurement and the true value, often resulting from taking a sample.

In science, the term prediction generally means "what we would expect to happen or what we would expect to observe if this idea were accurate." Sometimes, these scientific predictions have nothing at all to do with the future. For example, scientists have hypothesized that a huge asteroid struck the Earth 4.5 billion years ago, flinging off debris that formed the moon. If this idea were true, we would predict that the moon today would have a similar composition to that of the Earth's crust 4.5 billion years ago â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a prediction which does seem to be accurate.

Belief/believe

The word belief is often associated with ideas or causes about which we have strong convictions, regardless of the evidence for or against them.

It can generate confusion when a scientist claims to "believe in" a scientific hypothesis or theory. In fact, the scientist probably means that he or she "accepts" the idea â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in other words, that he or she thinks the scientific idea is the most accurate available based on a critical evaluation of the evidence. Scientific ideas should always be accepted or rejected based on the evidence for or against them â&#x20AC;&#x201D; not based on faith, dogma, or personal conviction.

Project Planning: Exploration and Discovery

Introduction This chapter will help you begin to develop your EnvironMentors project. In the coming days and weeks you will:

Learn about current local and global environmental issues.

Use brainstorming activities to help you relate your interests to environmental issues.

Select an environmental topic to explore further. Your mentor will help you to think critically about what you currently know about your topic area, what you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know, and what you would like to know. With the assistance of your mentor, you will identify the roots of the environmental topic area you have chosen, and develop an explanation of what can be gained by investigating your topic. Conduct background research on your topic. Develop a research question you would like to answer.

The Environment and our Lives How often do you think about the environment? At first glance, you might respond “not often”. But let’s look at this from another angle. How often do you think about the following questions?

Can I afford to put gas in my car this week? Should I put on the air conditioner or open a window? Can I swim in the local lake? Does it make sense to buy an organic tomato? You may not realize it, but these are questions relate directly to the environment. Many things that we think and care about in our daily lives connect to the environment.

ENERGY

FOOD

WATER

AIR QUALITY

PUBLIC HEALTH

Considering that so much of our life relates to the environment – for starters, what we eat, drink, and breathe – it makes sense that we want to protect the environment for ourselves and future generations.

How do we take care of the environment? In the 1960’s, many Americans began to realize that there were parts of our environment that needed to be protected. The President, members of Congress, and citizens across the country felt that something had to be done. On April 22, 1970 we celebrated the first Earth Day.

Later that year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established. This EPA’s mission is to protect human health and the environment. The EPA is responsible for making rules and regulations from Acts of Congress. Here are some examples you may have heard of before: -

Clean Air Act

Ocean Dumping Act

Clean Water Act

Safe Drinking Water Act

Thanks to these Acts, the EPA has limited lead in paints, banned the pesticide DDT, phased-out lead in gasoline, and phased out chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that damage the ozone layer.

A lot of time, energy, and research go into the EPAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s environmental rules and regulations. Scientists do what you will do in EnvironMentors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ask questions, test hypotheses, collect data, and make informed decisions.

Individual people and communities also do their part to care for the environment. People make decisions to use less energy, fewer resources, and create less waste. People also can buy more energy-efficient products (from cars to washing machines) so that they use less. Small decisions from not taking a plastic bag at the grocery store to using a refillable water bottle add up to big changes.

There will always be new pieces of knowledge or information for you to learn about the environment, and there will always be new decisions you have to make that have an impact on the environment. We hope that by being in EnvironMentors, you know how to get the information you need to inform yourself and make the decisions you face in your life.

Project Brainstorming Brainstorming may help you begin to think about your personal interests and how they may relate to the environment. It may also help you refine your general environmental interests into a more specific project topic.

What is brainstorming? Brainstorming is a process of spontaneous thinking used by an individual or a group to generate ideas. There are no right or wrong ideas, so turn off your â&#x20AC;&#x153;inner criticâ&#x20AC;?. Do not judge your own ideas, or the ideas of others. You should be open to any ideas that come to you.

Brainstorming #1: My interests Step 1: Start with a large, blank piece of paper and a marker/pen Step 2: Think about one or two issues that interest you. These can be topics from sports cars to fashion to eating healthy. Step 3: Write down one of these issues in the center of your paper and draw a circle around it. Step 4: When you focus on that one issue, what thoughts or ideas pop into your head? When you think of other things, write them down on your paper and put a circle around them. Draw lines to connect how your ideas relate. Step 5: Keep going until you run out of ideas or connections.

Swimming outdoors (ocean/lake)

Swimming Chlorine/ chemicals in the pool

Exercise/ staying healthy

Brainstorming #2: Making Observations Step 1: Follow Steps 1-5 above, but this time start with just one of the secondary topics you identified in your last brainstorm. Step 2: Around your center circle, write down your observations or thoughts about this topic. Step 3: Repeat this process for 1-2 other secondary topics from your initial brainstorming.

Swimming outdoors (ocean/lake)

Swimming Chlorine/ chemicals in the pool

Exercise/ staying healthy

Sometimes the lake is closed for swimming

Swimming outdoors (ocean/ lake) Salt water in my eyes stings

I float better in the ocean

Brainstorming #3: Asking Questions Step 1: Focus on one of your observations at a time. Step 2: For each observation, write down what questions they bring to mind. Step 3: Do this for 2-3 of your observations.

Sometimes the lake is closed for swimming

Swimming outdoors (ocean/ lake) Salt water in my eyes stings

I float better in the ocean

What makes things float?

Would I float differently in the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean?

Why do I sink a little when I release my breath?

Sometimes the lake is closed for swimming

Is the lake water dirty or unsafe?

Is it unhealthy for people to swim in the water?

Can people eat fish from the lake even if we cannot swim in it?

Reflecting on Your Questions When you have finished brainstorming, take some time to reflect on your ideas and questions. Without realizing it, you have created a long list of potential project topics to investigate further. Are there any that are particularly interesting to you?

Answer the following questions for every idea that you find very interesting. This will help you decide which to research further as your EnvironMentors project. Questions for reflection

Example

Question or observation:

Is the lake water dirty or unsafe?

Things you know about your topic area:

Water quality can be affected by stormwater runoff.

Things you think you know about your topic area:

Stormwater runoff is a problem in urban areas.

Questions you would like to ask about your topic area:

What is an impervious surface?

Your topic

Once you have done this exercise for your most interesting questions and observations, talk with your mentor and coordinator. Which of your questions do you think you could answer through research in the next few months? Select one question to learn more about through background research and an expert interview.

Background Research In this section you will conduct background research on your project area. Some sources of information may be existing literature or scientific experts. From these sources, you will find out what is already known about your topic, and the research that other scientists have already done. By doing background research, you can learn about techniques and methods that might be useful for investigating your topic.

Research Strategy 1: Literature Review Spending some time at the library researching your topic will save you a lot of time when planning and carrying out your experiment. You have access to your high school library, public library, and university library. If your chapter coordinator is not already planning a trip to your university library, ask your mentor if you could visit together.

Research Strategy 2: Expert Interview Your mentor and chapter coordinator can help you identify a scientist who is an expert on your topic area. This person will be able to tell you more about your environmental issue. Hopefully, your expert will inspire you to think creatively about your topic, and direct you in a productive and interesting direction.

Literature Review The purpose of your literature review is to collect background information on your project topic. You should identify at least 6 sources to ensure that you have read a variety of sources on your topic. Not all sources of information are created equally. Some sources are more trustworthy and accurate, while others provide commentary or discussion about a topic that provide an interpretation of information (not the original facts).

Getting Started Librarians: The most valuable resource at the library is the librarian. Librarians are specially trained to help you organize your search and find information. Start your background research process by talking to the librarian at your public library, or when you visit your university library with your EnvironMentors chapter. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll help you get started, give your ideas for sources, and help direct you to these sources.

Key Words and Bibliographies: A good place to start your search is to identify key words related to your project topic and research question and look them up in an encyclopedia, dictionary, and/or textbook. Use the bibliography at the end of the encyclopedia articles or textbook entries to find sources for further research. Ask your librarian to help you search scientific journals for articles that might be relevant to your project topic. You can also use internet search engines to find more information from the websites of environmental organizations, professional societies, government agencies, etc.

Primary and Secondary Sources Primary Sources: are original documents containing first-hand information about a topic. You may find these in a library or online. Different fields of study may use different types of primary sources. Common examples of a primary source are: -

Diaries

Letters

Photographs

Interviews

Original works of art

Works of literature

Secondary Sources: contain commentary on, or discussion about, a primary source. The most important feature of secondary sources in that they offer an interpretation of information gathered from primary sources. Common examples of a secondary source are: -

Biographies

Indexes

Bibliographies

Dissertations

Abstracts

Journal articles

Can You Trust It? As you collect sources on your topic, how do you know if it is reliable? You can begin by asking yourself the following questions:1

Is this a credible source? Do many scientists contribute to this information or recognize its accuracy? Is this information still relevant, or is it out of date? Does this information seem biased towards a single point of view? Are there errors in the source (either grammatical or factual)? This may require you cross-check the facts with another source. Does this source cite the original source of its content? Is this information widely available and easy to obtain?

Recording Your Sources It is important to keep track of the sources you are collecting. You may want to find it later, or need to acknowledge your sources of information at the end of your experiment. At a minimum, you should keep track of the author (first and last name), title, book or journal it was published in, web page (if found online), and year it was published or made available online.

Adapted from: Science Buddies (http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_finding_information.shtml)

Interviewing an Expert While you have learned a lot of information through your background research, talking to an expert will be able to give you more insight into your topic, and give you advice on how to proceed with your project.

Identify an Expert Work with your mentor or chapter coordinator to identify potential experts working in the field of your project topic. With all the technology we have today, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to meet your expert face-to-face. You can talk with them via telephone, Skype, or e-mail. You can still begin by looking for an expert at your chapter university.

If you cannot identify an expert at your chapter university, you can also do internet searches using key words related to your project topic to help identify scientific and environmental organizations and agencies located in your area that might have possible experts.

Make Contact Once you have identified two or three individuals whom you could interview, call or e-mail to introduce yourself as an EnvironMentors student and request a date and time for an interview. Remember, that may be in-person or over the phone or internet. When setting up your interview time, ask your expert if they would prefer to receive your questions in advance so they can prepare their answers.

Develop Your Interview Questions The more prepared you are, the more useful your interview will be. Use what you learned in your literature review to write questions that show your expert that you are invested in your topic. What were you unable to find an answer to using online or library research? Be sure to ask your mentor for assistance and advice in developing your interview questions.

Preparing for the Interview If you are meeting in-person, remember to bring paper, a laptop, or a tablet to take notes and record your thoughts. Wear a nice pair of slacks or a skirt (no jeans) and a button-down shirt. If possible, try to be 5-10 minutes early to your interview appointment.

Send a Thank You Note Be sure you have your expertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s postal mailing address or e-mail so you can send a thank you note.

Reflecting on Your Questions II When you have finished conducting your background research and your expert interview, take some time to reflect on what you have learned. Revisit your original questions and add to the table below if you learned new information about your topic area, or if you found answers to your original questions.

Questions for reflection

Example

Question or observation:

Is the lake water dirty or unsafe?

Things you know about your topic area:

Water quality can be affected by stormwater runoff.

Things you think you know about your topic area:

Stormwater runoff is a problem in urban areas.

Questions you would like to ask about your topic area:

What is an impervious surface?

Your topic

Now that you know more about your project area, you will have to select one research question. Since your research project will last for the next several months, be sure to pick a topic that is interesting to you. When selecting your research question, you may want to consider: -

Questions that remain now that you have done background research

New questions that you asked after doing background research

Suggested questions from your coordinator, mentor, or the expert you interviewed

RESEARCH QUESTION:

Testing Ideas: Forming & Testing Your Hypothesis

Forming a Hypothesis Now that you’ve learned more about your project topic and chosen a research question, you can make an educated guess about the answer to your question. This educated guess is your Hypothesis. It is useful to state your hypothesis in a way that can be tested in your experiment.

Tips for Developing a Hypothesis

Your mentor, your teacher, and your chapter coordinator are great resources to help you think about your hypothesis. Be sure to ask them for advice. Remember that your hypothesis doesn’t have to be the “right answer.” In fact, it is perfectly all right if your experiment disproves your hypothesis. Scientists often learn the most when they disprove their hypothesis, because it usually means that something new and unexpected happened. Think about what will happen to your dependent variable when you change your independent variable, based on your background research. Keep in mind that both your dependent and independent variables should be easily measured.

Designing an Experiment Using what you learned from your background research about how other scientists studied your project topic, you will develop a materials list and experimental procedure to objectively test your hypothesis.

The following pages will give you a greater understanding of the difference between independent, dependent and controlled variables. Running your experiment may feel like you are finally â&#x20AC;&#x153;doing scienceâ&#x20AC;?, but preparing your procedure and materials list will make your effort meaningful. The more you prepare, the more smoothly your experiment will go. Your mentor and his/ her network of friends and colleagues are great resources for help with developing your experimental procedure and may be able to help you obtain access to the experimental equipment necessary for your project. If you and your mentor need more assistance obtaining equipment, be sure to talk to your chapter coordinator well in advance.

Goals of Designing an Experiment Accurately define what data you need to collect to test your hypothesis. Clearly identify a study site(s) or laboratory setting that is suitable for your research. Identify your independent, dependent and controlled variables, and explain how you will manipulate your independent variable. Describe your experimental methods and sampling techniques with sufficient detail. Create a comprehensive materials list.

Identifying your Variables In a scientific experiment, you are measuring how changing one factor in a system affects another factor. These factors are called variables, and an experiment generally has three types: independent, dependent and fixed.

Tip: Good variables are usually those that you can measure with a number (e.g., concentrations of pollutants, time of day, temperature) or observe objectively (e.g., colors, growth).

The independent variable is the one that you, as the scientist, change or manipulate. Your experiment should have only one independent variable. For your EnvironMentors project, possible independent variables could be time (e.g., testing the amount of pesticides in the water at the same site on different days) or location (e.g., measuring noise pollution at different locations at the same time of day). Time and location are just two examples of independent variables. You and your mentor should work together to determine the best independent variable for your project.

The dependent variable changes in a consistent manner in response to changes you make in the independent variable. In the examples above which used time and location as the independent variables, the dependent variables would be the amount of pesticides in the water, and the amount of noise pollution, respectively. Whereas there should only be one independent variable, the number of dependent variables can vary. For instance, if you were investigating water quality at the same site on different days, your independent variable would be time, and each different pesticide concentration you measure in the water would be a different dependent variable.

The fixed variables are those that you try to keep constant throughout your experiment. These are all variables that might affect your dependent variable. If you were measuring the concentrations of pesticides in water on different days, you would want to make sure that things like the weather and outside temperature remain relatively constant. You should keep track of your fixed variables as carefully as your other variables. Remember that it is important to try to keep your controlled variables as constant as possible. For instance, if you measured the noise pollution at two different traffic intersections in your city (independent variable = location; dependent variable = noise pollution) but made your measurements at different times of day, you wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to tell if changes in the amount of noise pollution were due to the different location or the different time of day. Most experiments will have more than one fixed variable.

Talk to your mentor and make a list of all the variables you think might affect your dependent variable, and the best way to make sure you keep those variables constant.

You must also compare an experimental group to a control group. The control group is the set of experimental trials where the independent variable is set at its natural state. An experimental group is the set of experimental trials where you change the independent variable.

Example: In an experiment investigating the effects of acid rain on plant growth, you might grow different plants and water them with water at different pH values. The plants watered with water with a pH naturalâ&#x20AC;? rain value of 5.6 would be your control group and the plants watered with water with more acidic pH values would be your experimental group. In some projects, it might not be possible to measure a control group. Be sure to discuss this with your mentor and/or chapter coordinator

Developing an Experimental Procedure After identifying your variables, the next step is to design a procedure for how you will manipulate your independent variable, and how you will measure the resulting changes in your dependent variable(s).

Each time you perform your experiment it is called a trial. Remember that for your EnvironMentors project, you will need to conduct at least three trials of data collection. Three trials are necessary to collect sufficient data to answer your research question. Conducting more than three trials is strongly recommended as additional trials will produce additional data and therefore reduce the margin of error. Tips for Developing an Experimental Procedure In order to make sure that the changes you observe in your dependent variable are due to changes in your independent variable, you should make sure that your controlled variables remain constant. You must also compare an experimental group to a control group. Develop an experimental procedure by writing a step-by-step list of how you will conduct your experiment. Be as detailed as possible. When writing your procedure, pretend that another scientist will be repeating your experiment. They should be able to perform your experiment exactly as you did by following your step-by-step procedure. Your experimental procedure should detail how you plan to execute effective data sampling. Experiment Design and Effective Data Sampling Several attributes characterize effective sampling: accuracy, consistency, and persistence.

Accuracy is the foundation of all scientific observation. Care in taking the measurements is the first step. The equipment used and efforts to keep it in good condition are very important. Strive for perfection in recording data entries and tests.

Consistency means doing the experiment the same way every time. This lets you compare your data against others doing the same tests. Consistency is also important over time. You want to watch changes and trends in your data; the data that you have taken in the past must be directly comparable to the data you have taken today.

Persistence means regular and frequent observations, allowing a greater understanding of what is happening at a measurement site. Also, regular observations are easier to interpret and can be used with greater confidence, especially when unusual phenomena are being measured.

Creating a Materials List What type of supplies and equipment will you need to complete your EnvironMentors project? By making a complete list ahead of time, you can make sure that you have everything on hand when you need it. Some items may take time to obtain, so making a materials list in advance is key!

As with your Experimental Procedure, your Materials List include the specific amounts of each item you’ll need (500 g of soil, rather than just listing soil). Ask yourself two questions when developing your materials list: Have you listed all necessary materials? Have you described the materials in sufficient detail? Tip: At a simplified level, you can think of your Materials as the ingredients list of a recipe. A recipe that lists only flour, sugar and eggs would be useless without specified quantities. Your materials list needs to be as detailed and specific as a cooking recipe ingredients list. Science Buddies.org provides an example of a “good” and a “bad” materials list A Good Materials List Is Very Specific

X A Bad Materials List

500 ml of de-ionized water

Water

Stopwatch with 0.1 sec accuracy

Clock

AA alkaline battery

Battery

If you and your mentor have any problems obtaining the materials and equipment you need for your experiment, be sure to talk to your chapter coordinator.

Data Collection This section will likely be both the most fun and the most challenging part of your project. Most students have a great time getting outside or into the lab to do their experiment, but sometimes find analyzing and interpreting their data difficult.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to ask your mentor for help and advice throughout this part of your project. If you are conducting research outside at a study site, you should use Google Earth or Google Maps to characterize the location of your study site. Take pictures and/or make drawings and diagrams of your study site(s) or lab arrangement. These will be useful when you create your project poster.

Before beginning to run your experimental trials, be sure to create a table or system for recording your data. As you take measurements, samples, or gather data, you can easily insert your results into your pre-made chart.

While recording your data, you should also record other interesting observations. You never know what factors might influence your results. When the time comes to write up and analyze your results, it is always better to have too much information than too little.

Data Analysis Now that you have collected a significant amount of data it is time to complete your analysis. Through this, you will determine what your data mean and draw conclusions.

Many scientists find that the easiest way to present their data is through graphs or visual aids. Graphs allow someone who is not an expert on your topic to easily process complex findings. There are many different types of graphs that you might use. Below are some samples. Your mentor and/or chapter coordinator will help you determine which type of graph is best for your data and help you use Excel or another computer program to create your graphs.

Calculating Your Data The mean of your data is the average. To calculate the mean of a set of data, add all the values and divide by the number of data entries.

The mode is the value that occurs most frequently in your data set. To compute the mode, count the number of times each value occurs in the data set and then choose the data value with the highest sum.

The median is the central value of an ordered distribution. To obtain the median, order the values from the lowest to the highest and select the data value that occurs in the middle of your distribution. If your data set has an even number of entries, the median is the mean of the middle two values.

(Almost everyone will need to calculate mean values for their data sets. Calculating the mode and median values may not be useful. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not sure, consult your mentor.)

Graphing Your Data: Basic Graph Types Bar Graphs are used to show relationships between groups. The values being compared do not need to affect each other. This type of graph is an easy way to show large differences.

Line Graphs are used to show how changes in one variable affect changes in another variable. Most line graphs are created by plotting the independent variable on the x-axis (bottom) and the dependent variable on the y-axis (left). Line graphs can also be used to show how data change over time.

Pie Graphs are used to show how part of something relates to the whole. Pie graphs are used to effectively show percentages. Example 1: Using a bar chart to show the differences in rates of water percolation through different types of soil.

A student set up her experiment by placing a clean piece of filter paper in four different funnels. To three of the funnels, she added 25 mL of sand, clay, and soil, respectively. The fourth funnel had just the filter paper, and served as the control data set. She then poured 25 mL of water through each funnel, and measured the time, in seconds, it took for all the water to percolate through the funnels. She repeated her experiment a total of three times. Her raw data sets, her mean values, and her bar chart are shown below. Notice that she used her mean values to create her bar chart.

Trial 1

Soil type

Trial 2

Trial 3

Mean

Time (seconds)

Sand

Clay

57.3

Potting Soil

23.7

Control

5.7

Comparing Water Percolation Through Different Soil Types 70

Percolation Time (sec.)

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Sand

Clay

Soil Soil Type

Control

Example 2: Using a line chart to show the changes in river flowrate over time.

A student measured the flowrate of water in four of his local rivers. Note that in this experiment, there is no control group; the student is comparing the different experimental data sets to each other. The student measured the flowrate three times during the transition from winter to spring with the assistance of his mentor and a park ranger. His raw data sets and his line chart are shown below.

January 1

River

February 1

March 1

Flowrate (cubic feet per second)

Klamath River

375,000

327,000

320,000

Eel River

647,000

542,000

498,000

Trinity River

166,000

161,000

131,000

Mad River

62,000

57,000

38,000

Comparing River Flowrates 7.0E+05

Flowrate (cu. ft/sec)

6.0E+05 5.0E+05 4.0E+05 3.0E+05 2.0E+05 1.0E+05 0.0E+00

1-Jan

1-Feb Klamath

Eel

1-Mar Trinity

Mad

Example 3: Using a pie chart to show the different bird species observed on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

A student counted the number of different types of birds she observed during a two-hour period at a specific beach location. She returned to the same location three days in a row and counted birds during the same two-hour time block. Her raw data sets, her mean values, and her pie chart are shown below. Notice that she used her mean values to create her pie chart.

Type of Bird

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Mean

Number of birds

Pelican

12.3/66.8= 18%

Sanderling

18.3/66.8= 27%

Great Egret

15.3/66.8= 23%

Snowy Egret

9.3/66.8= 14%

Other

11.6/66.8= 17%

Birds Observed at Emerald Beach 17%

18%

Pelican Sanderling Great Egret Snowy Egret Other

14%

27%

23%

Drawing Conclusions Now that you have completed your experiment and analyzed your data, it is time to reflect back on your project to develop a project discussion and draw a conclusion about your project. The Discussion and Conclusion section of your research paper is when you explain what your results mean, and how they relate to your hypothesis.

Discussion Your discussion should summarize what you learned through your experimental research. When writing this section, ask “How could I best explain my results in words (without the visual assistance of charts and graphs)? The discussion will explain: how you conducted your experiment, what data you collected, what observations you made, and what you learned.

Conclusion In your conclusion, you should discuss how your data, and what you learned, relate to the hypothesis you formed in Section 6. Did your data support or disprove your hypothesis? If your data supports your hypothesis, you should summarize the reasons why, using your background research to defend your argument. If your data disproves your hypothesis, think about the reasons this may have happened. If you are having difficulties finding reasons your experiment turned out differently than expected, be sure to discuss it with your mentor. Experimental errors may have contributed to your data disagreeing with your expected outcome, but remember, if your data disproves your hypothesis, this doesn’t mean your experiment was “wrong,” it just means you learned something new and unexpected.

Tips for Discussion and Conclusion Remember not to use phrases like “I believe…” or “I think…” Scientists always try to keep their opinions separate from the Scientific Method. Instead, use phrases like “The data show…” The Conclusion is the section where you can make suggestions for future research on your topic. Include interesting ideas for continuing your project, or for determining why your data disagreed with your expectations.

Communicating Your Results

Introduction Sharing your results and discussing them with others is a key part of doing science. It allows you to contribute to the broader scientific community, develop other research questions you might test in the future, and helps advance our knowledge of the world around us.

As part of your time with EnvironMentors, you may get to communicate your results through: Written Research Paper Your chapter coordinator may have you write a final research paper, summarizing your work. If you earn a trip to the National Fair in Washington, DC, a completed research paper will be part of your overall score given by judges.

Project Poster You will develop a Project Poster for your EnvironMentors Chapter Fair. This Poster will display all the same summary information about your research as you would include in a written research paper.

Oral Presentations You will present your Project Poster and research findings at your Chapter Fair. You may also have a chance to share your poster with others in your community, at your high school, or at a nearby elementary school. These assignments will help you improve your written and verbal communication skills, which will benefit you throughout high school, college, and your career. As you prepare your research paper, project poster, and oral presentation, you should not forget to ask your mentor for assistance with editing and advice.

Research Paper Outline & Tips Once you have completed your background research, hypothesis testing, and data analysis, you should have all the information necessary to write a research paper. Ask your chapter coordinator if you will need to write a research paper for your Chapter Fair. Your chapter coordinator may have specific requirements (page length, content) for your paper.

Even if your chapter coordinator does not require you to write a research paper, you may want to develop a project outline that will help you decide what to display on your Project Poster and what you want to talk about in your oral presentation. Plus, if you earn the right to compete at the National Fair, a research paper is 25% of your overall score. The more detailed your project outline, the easier it will be to write a research paper between your Chapter Fair and the National Fair competitions.

Title Page • A title that clearly describes your project • A picture or image that relates to your project • Your name, your EnvironMentors chapter, and your mentor’s name Abstract • A complete summary of your project (see below) Introduction Description of your general topic area • Problem statement regarding your specific environmental issue • Explanation of the need for your project • Description of your project purpose • Your research question Background Research Summary of what you learned from both your literature review and your expert interview • Discuss both the similarities and differences of the information you studied • Summary of previous experiments in your project topic area • Include your hypothesis in this section. Make sure to present a logical argument for why your • background information supports your educated guess. • Remember to properly cite all your information sources, and list them in your bibliography. Include your interview questions as an appendix. Experimental Method Description of your variables (independent, dependent and controlled) and how you measured them. • Description of your experimental and control data sets.

• • •

Detailed information about the location of your study site(s), including maps. Materials written in paragraph form rather than as a list. Experimental procedure. This should be written in paragraph form as a description of what you did, rather than as a list of instructions.

Results & Analysis • The data you collected in organized tables. This should be your final calculations (means etc.) • Graphs that display your data in a way that is easy to understand. • Brief description of each graph. • Include your raw data and calculations in an appendix. Discussion & Conclusion • Description of how you conducted your experiment and why you designed it the way you did. • Brief description of what each graph in your Results section mean. • Summary of what you learned • Discussion of sources of experimental error • Explanation of whether your data support or disprove your hypothesis. • Summary of how your results address your original research question. • Suggestions for further investigation of your project topic. • How your results can be applied in your community. References • Include the bibliography of sources you used in your background research. Acknowledgements • Thank the people who have helped you accomplish your work on this research project Appendices • Expert interview questions • Raw data and calculations • Any other information you feel is important

The Abstract An abstract is a complete but concise description of your entire research paper meant to give a general overview of the subject while enticing potential readers to read the full paper. You will write it once you have completed the entire paper, but it will eventually be the first piece that readers see. Your abstract should generally be no longer than 250-300 words in length. Do not include your charts and graphs.

What Your Abstract Should Include: Motivation and Problem Statement Summarize the importance of your project. Why is this environmental issue interesting? The first few sentences of your abstract should grab the reader’s attention. Briefly summarize your problem statement.

Approach Include the basic components of your experimental design.

Results What were the results of your experiment? Avoid vague terms such as "very,” “small” or “a lot.” Be very specific about your findings.

Conclusion Describe the implications of your results. Include a summary of how your results compare to other scientists’ results. Very briefly summarize your ideas for continued investigations of your project topic.

Sample Abstract PROJECT TITLE: The Effects of Ambient Air Pollution on School Absenteeism Due to Respiratory Illnesses SOURCE ARTICLE: Epidemiology, 12(1):43-54, January 2001 We investigated the relations between ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and respirable particles less than 10 [mu]m in diameter (PM10) and school absenteeism in a cohort of 4thgrade school children who resided in 12 southern California communities. An active surveillance system ascertained the numbers and types of absences during the first 6 months of 1996. Pollutants were measured hourly at central-site monitors in each of the 12 communities. To examine acute effects of air pollution on absence rates, we fitted a two-stage time-series model to the absence count data that included distributed lag effects of exposure adjusted for long-term pollutant levels. Short-term change in O3, but not NO2 or PM10, was associated with a substantial increase in school absences from both upper and lower respiratory illness. An increase of 20 ppb of O3 was associated with an increase of 62.9% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 18.4-124.1%] for illness-related absence rates, 82.9% (95% CI = 3.9-222.0%) for respiratory illnesses, 45.1% (95% CI = 21.3-73.7%) for upper respiratory illnesses, and 173.9% (95% CI = 91.3292.3%) for lower respiratory illnesses with wet cough. The short-term effects of a 20-ppb change of O3 on illness-related absenteeism were larger in communities with lower longterm average PM10 [223.5% (95% CI = 90.4-449.7)] compared with communities with high average levels [38.1% (95% CI = 8.5-75.8)]. Increased school absenteeism from O3 exposure in children is an important adverse effect of ambient air pollution worthy of public policy consideration. WORD COUNT: 241

Writing Tips Use precise language. Scientific writing must be accurate and precise. While your English teacher might tell you not to use the same word twice in one sentence, this is not a concern in scientific writing. A student who tried not to repeat the word hamster produced this confusing sentence: “When the hamster was put in the cage with the other mammals, the animals began to play.”

Be careful using commonly confused words. Some words can be easily misused, such as “effect” and “affect.” The following usages are correct: “Temperature has an effect on the reaction,” or “Temperature affects the reaction.”

Do NOT use first person voice. You should also avoid stating your opinion. Instead of using “I think…” use “The data indicated…” Rather than writing “I analyzed the samples,” write: “The samples were analyzed.” If you cannot avoid the first person voice without constructing an awkward sentence, always use “we” rather than “I” because scientists never work alone.

Use active voice whenever possible. It is more concise than the passive voice. Instead of: “An increased appetite was manifested by the rates of food consumption and an increase in body width,” write, “The rats exhibited an increased appetite and weight gain.”

Vary your sentence structure. Feel free to use compound sentences, but don’t let them turn into run-on sentences. Strive for clarity.

Carefully proofread your paper. Proof reading will help you eliminate errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and typing. Use Spell Check, but remember that it will not catch all mistakes and may not recognize some scientific terms. Peer edit with a friend or have someone in your family look over your paper. When you are feel your paper is in near-final form, have your mentor provide a final edit.

Public Speaking & Presentation Tips Feeling nervous before giving a presentation is natural. The best way to make sure you do well at your Chapter’s Fair is to be prepared, and take steps to minimize your anxiety. Following are some tips on controlling your butterflies so you can give a great presentation and impress the judges with your project1:

Know your material. Remember that after completing your EnvironMentors Project, you are now an expert on your topic. Review your background research, data, and conclusions. The more comfortable you are with your material, the easier it will be to present your information. It is not necessary to discuss everything you know in your presentation, you can share additional information when the judges ask you questions. It is acceptable to use humor, personal stories, and conversational language, but consult your mentor ahead of time to determine what stories are appropriate.

Practice. Practice. Practice! Rehearse out loud with all the materials you plan on using in your presentation. Revise as necessary. Work to control filler words (um, ah, you know); Practice, pause and breathe. Practice with a timer and allow time for the unexpected. Practice in front of a mirror, with friends, family, and/or your mentor.

Know the audience. At the Chapter and National Fair, your audience will be the judges. If there is time before the judging period begins, mingle with the judges and introduce yourself. It’s usually easier to speak to someone you’ve already met (even if it’s just once) than to a complete stranger.

Know the room. Arrive early, walk around the fair location, and get comfortable with your display board set up. If you brought models or visual aids, make sure you are comfortable with them.

Relax. When a judge comes to your display board, begin by greeting them. It buys you time and calms your nerves. Pause, smile and count to three before saying anything. ("One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand. Pause. Begin.) Transform nervous energy into enthusiasm. Don’t apologize for any nervousness or problem – the judges probably won’t even notice it.

Adapted from Toastmasters International: 10 Tips for Public Speaking (http://www.toastmasters.org)

Visualize yourself giving your presentation. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear and confident. Visualize the audience clapping for you at the Awards Ceremony â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it will boost your confidence.

Realize that people want you to succeed. The judges all want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative, and entertaining. They are evaluating your project and your performance, but they are all rooting for you.

Concentrate on your message. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on the information you want to share with the judges.

Gain experience. Mainly, your presentation should represent you â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as an authority on your project topic and as a person. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking.

Project Poster Tips Your Project Poster is your opportunity to present your project visually. Your goal should be to incorporate all the necessary information both informatively and attractively. Feel free to be creative in your design, and remember that you will be using your display board to convey information to your judges. Elements of your display board can, and should, be pulled from your research paper. Required Elements • Project Title • Abstract • Problem Statement • Research Question • Hypothesis • Experimental Procedure • Materials List • Map(s) of your study site(s) location • Results (Tables of data and observations as well as graphs and charts) • Discussion • Conclusion • Acknowledgements Items to Display on the Table • Extra copies of your abstract for the judges • Final research paper, if required by chapter, in a 3-ring binder • Your EnvironMentors manual with all your raw data and project planning information Optional Elements • Photographs • Drawings and Diagrams • Newspaper articles related to your environmental issue • Water or soil samples (if applicable) • Model demonstrating an element of your project Design Tips • Color: Consider incorporating colors that relate to your project topic (blues for water quality, greens for forest issues, etc.) • Balance: Distribute your information evenly across your entire display board. • Font: Use a simple font such as Times New Roman or Arial, and use the same font for your entire board. Vary the size, or use bold or italics to add emphasis. • Creativity Feel free to use any creative techniques you think will enhance your board such as borders or color background sheets. However, strive to keep it simple, uncluttered, and professional looking.

Display Templates

Review the example display boards provided on the next few pages. You can use a blank PowerPoint slide of Publisher document to design your poster.

You can also follow the link provided below to use a web template to plan your own poster. Fill in the designated areas of the template with information from your project. 1) http://posters4research.com/templates.php#42/56 2) http://www.postersession.com/templates.php 3) http://www.posterpresentations.com/html/free_poster_templates.html

Printing your Poster Ask your chapter coordinator about printing your poster. Remember that your design and printed poster should be no larger than 36 x 48 inches (3 feet x 4 feet).

EnvironMentors Fairs and Scholarships

EnvironMentors Chapter Fairs In the spring, your chapter will host a Chapter Fair. It will be an opportunity for you to present your project to judges and compete for a spot at the National Fair in Washington, DC. Your Chapter Fair may take place at your high school or on a university campus. It may be held in a library, auditorium, or other community facility.

You will be judged by multiple individuals, who will score your project. Judges are typically senior faculty, deans, department heads, and local environmental leaders and professionals in your community. This presents a great opportunity for you to showcase your project and the caliber of research you are capable of performing. For this reason alone, you should take every opportunity to do the best you can to present yourself and your project as well as you can at your chapter fair.

Winners of your Chapter Fair will be recognized at your chapterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awards ceremony. The top three students from your chapter will be invited to participate in the National Fair in Washington, DC. Ask your Chapter Coordinator for more information about your Chapter Fair, and any awards and scholarships that might be offered.

2012 Chapter Fair - Colorado State University

National EnvironMentors Fair and Awards Ceremony The National EnvironMentors Fair and Awards Ceremony is… … a serious competition You will compete alongside the top three students from all other chapters

… an important opportunity for you You never know who you might meet at the EnvironMentors Fair. A judge could eventually become a mentor, friend, or help you find an internship or job. Plus you’ll meet people from other universities across the country. You may learn about college you really want to attend, even though you had never considered applying to before.

… a really fun event The EnvironMentors Fair and Awards Ceremony are times for students to come together in an end of the year celebration of a job well done. It’s an opportunity for you to meet and get to know students from other chapters. Most of all the National Fair and Awards Ceremony is EnvironMentors opportunity to honor you, our student scholars, mentors, chapter coordinators, teachers, and so many others who worked hard to make the year a great success.

2013-14 EnvironMentors College Scholarships EnvironMentors offers students a variety of college scholarships. All students will compete at their chapter fairs to move on to the National EnvironMentors Fair in Washington, DC. The top three students from each chapter will compete for National EnvironMentors scholarships. Your chapter may also have scholarships which are available only for students in your chapter. Review the following points in order to be competitive for EnvironMentors scholarships. Awards for Excellence in Experimental Science These scholarships are based on application of the scientific method to the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s project topic. The evaluation criteria are set forth on the Judgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Evaluation Form. At the National EnvironMentors Fair, all students are evaluated by at least three judges, the average score of which is your overall ranking score. First Place Award

$2,000

Second Place Award

$1,000

Third Place Award

$800

Fourth Place Award

$600

Fifth Place Award

$500

Emerging Environmental Leader Scholarship

$10,000

This prestigious scholarship is awarded to an EnvironMentors graduating senior who has participated in EnvironMentors for at least two years, has been admitted to college, and who, as a result of their participation in EnvironMentors and other experiences, has decided to pursue and environmentallyrelated STEM college program. Not all students are eligible for this scholarship; please check with your Chapter Coordinator about the application requirements and timing.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Scholarships are awarded to EnvironMentors students on the basis of acceptance to college to help pay for college expenses including down payments, books, and other essentials. If you win a national scholarship, you will need to send documentation of acceptance to the college you will attend, along with a copy of your high school diploma. If you win a scholarship at the EnvironMentors Fair during your freshman, sophomore, or junior year, you will receive a letter from EnvironMentors in the spring of your senior year to remind you to send us documentation of college admissions so that we can send you scholarship funds. Please see the following page for the actual list of EnvironMentors Scholarships.

EnvironMentors Research Project Evaluation Form Student Name:

Table #___________

________________________________

University Chapter: ____________________________________________________ Project Title:

_____________________________________________________

**Please rank the following project attributes on a scale of Excellent to Unsatisfactory/Absent**

A. APPLICATION OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD (40 points) Points 1) 2) -

3) 4) -

5) -

6) 7) 8) -

Excellent

Good

Satisfactory

Excellent

Good

Satisfactory

Needs Improvement 2

Unsatisfactory/ Absent 1

Needs Improvement 1

Unsatisfactory/ Absent 0

Project Topic: Can the student clearly articulate how he/she came up with the project topic? Does the student demonstrate that the topic was born of his/her own interests? Research Question: Can the student explain the importance of their research question(s) to the field in which their research is contributing? Hypothesis: Does the student present a testable hypothesis? Is the hypothesis stated in a way that it can be distinctly supported or refuted? Experimental Procedures: Did the student design a research method designed to gather the information necessary to test the hypothesis? Literature Research Conducted: Did the student include and cite: o At least 6 sources? o Can the student explain how he/she knew the sources were credible? Did the student conduct and cite at least 1 expert interview with someone other than their mentor? Field Research Conducted: What research method did they employ? (e.g. field work, lab work, survey) Did the student collect original data? Does the project include control and experimental data sets? (if field or lab work) Can the student explain his/her choice of study site(s) or setting(s)? Is student data collection quantity and quality sufficient to draw conclusions? Discussion: Can the student explain their results? To what extent is the explanation consistent with their data? Conclusions: Can the student clearly articulate WHY he/she believes WHAT happened, happened? Can the student describe what he/she would do next if he/she had the opportunity to do so?

B. ENVIRONMENTORS EXPERIENCE (10 points) Points 1)

Applied Learning - Can the student clearly articulate the

importance of their research question to an environmental issue important on a local, national, and/or global level? 2) Environmental Stewardship - Can the student answer the questions: why is it important to protect the environment? and what can you do to protect the environment?

Points Project Inspiration - Can the student answer the question: what was the most important thing you learned from an adult you met through EnvironMentors?

Excellent

Good

Satisfactory

Needs Improvement

Unsatisfactory/ Absent

1.5

0.5

Excellent

Good

Satisfactory

Needs Improvement 2

Unsatisfactory/ Absent 1

C. PRESENTATION (25 points) Points 1)

Verbal

- Can the student respond to interview questions clearly and concisely when prompted? - Does the student communicate his/her project in a logically developed presentation? - Is the student excited about his/her project and eager to discuss it with you? 2) Physical Has the student developedâ&#x20AC;Ś - a visually appealing display board that show attention to grammar and spelling - additional materials in his/her exhibit which help communicate his/her project in an interactive and engaging way 3) Professionalisms - presenter is dressed for the occasion, and behaves professionally

D. Research Paper (25 points) Points A)

Title Page

Abstract

Introduction

Background research/lit review

Experimental Method

Results and Analysis

Discussion and Conclusion

References/Annotated Bibliography

Acknowledgements

Appendices (Expert Interview questions, raw data and calculations, other)

Present = 2.5

GRAND TOTAL (100 points) Additional Comments Please provide the student with several comments (positive and/or constructive) that could help him/her further develop his/her abilities. We will share this evaluation with students. Were there any aspects of the scientific method or research that students didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand clearly?

Printed Name

________________________________________

Signature

________________________________________

Not Present = 0

National Fair Practice Questions At the Fair, you will be evaluated by at least three judges who will interview you based on the following questions. 1) What originally interested you in your project topic? Why did you select this topic? 2) What are your Project Topic and the Purpose of your project? 3) What is your research question and hypothesis for this project? 4)

Who did you interview in your Expert Interview? What new information did you learn from him or her that you hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t obtained through your independent research?

5) What sources did you use for your Literature Review? What did you learn from your Literature Review? 6) What data and/or observations did you collect in your experimental research? Can you explain your experimental research methodology for me? What was your sampling method? How many trials of data collection did you conduct? Where was your study site(s)? 7) In what ways did you analyze your data? Can you explain your graphs for me? 8) What conclusions do you draw from your research? 9) Is there anything you would do differently if you had a chance to conduct this project research over again? 10) What would you like to next if you had an opportunity to either continue this project or to develop a new one?

1101 17th St. NW Washingtoin, DC 20036 Phone: 202-530-5810

http://www.ncseonline.org/program/environmentors