WHAT IS NORTHWEST OHIO DISTRICT 2 SCIENCE DAY?

Northwest Ohio District 2 Science Day (NWDSD) is the regional science fair for students in grades 7-12 in schools of Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Lucas,  Ottawa, Sandusky,  Williams, and Wood counties. Students who enter District Science Day are usually the winners from science fairs held locally at their own school, county, or school district. Projects that have followed Ohio Academy of Science standards from students who come from schools where local science fairs are not held are also welcome providing you contact the Director for special permission.

The Junior Academy Council of the Ohio Academy of Science governs  NWDSD; one of 16 district science days in the state. The OAS is a nonprofit organization founded to stimulate interest in the sciences, to promote research, to improve instruction in the sciences, to disseminate scientific knowledge, and to recognize high achievements in attaining these objectives. The Junior Academy Council sets quotas of students who can compete in State Science Day and sets the rules for entries and  judging criteria.

WHEN AND WHERE IS NORTHWEST OHIO DISTRICT 2 SCIENCE DAY?

The 66th Annual Ohio Academy of Science Northwest Ohio District 2 Science Day will be held at the University of Toledo on Saturday, March 29, 2008. 

The NWDSD Council, chaired by Mark J. Camp from the University of Toledo, organizes this important event. Members of the Council include teachers representing the counties of Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, Williams and Wood. We encourage teachers to join us on this committee. If you are interested, call Director Mark J. Camp at 419-530-2398 or e-mail at Mark.Camp@utoledo.edu  

HOW TO ENTER  NORTHWEST OHIO DISTRICT 2 SCIENCE DAY?

1. Read the information included on the Ohio Academy of Science (http://www.ohiosci.org) and District 2 (http://www.eeescience.utoledo.edu WebPages including: the Ohio Academy of Science  Standards, which contains instructions, judging criteria, research reports, and tips on oral presentations.  If you do not have Internet access please contact Director Mark J. Camp at 419-530-2398 and information will be mailed to you. Please request this early in the school year  so adequate time remains.

    3.  If a project involves research at a registered research institution or industrial setting and/or involves research  with nonhuman vertebrate animals, human subjects, pathogenic agents, controlled substances, recombinant DNA, human and nonhuman animal tissue, and/or hazardous substances and devices additional forms must be completed and submitted with each registration. These forms are available elsewhere on this website and may  include Registered Research Institutional /Industrial Setting Form (1C), Qualified Scientist Form (2),  Risk assessment Form (3),  Human Subjects and Informed Consent Form (4),  Vertebrate Animal Form (5A and 5B),  Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents Form (6A), Human and Vertebrate Animal Tissue Form (6B), and Continuation Projects Form (7).  These forms are detailed, require certain signatures, have time restraints, and must be carefully adhered to.  If you have any questions or problems  please contact the Director, Mark J. Camp .  It is assumed that participating teachers will be familiar with these requirements due to attending the several workshops that have been offered.  If you are a new teacher and are not familiar with the requirements please contact the Director. Failure to complete forms will lead to disqualification. Classroom teachers may approve research plans in lieu of review by a Local Scientific Review Committee, if the proposed research does not involve recognized research risks or issues.

    4.   Students must  write a detailed research report. The report usually includes a title page; table of contents; abstract; introduction (problem and hypothesis to be investigated); methods and materials of investigation; analysis of collected data; conclusions or implications; graphs, tables, and diagrams; and references.  The entire research report is not to be sent in; just a copy of the one page abstract and a summary report as prescribed on Form 1A Attachment Plan.

The abstract should contain no more than 250 words.  A heading must contain the project title and name(s) of the author(s). The heading does not contribute to the word count.  The purpose of the abstract is to provide a summary of your project that will inform interested individuals of the contents.  The wording must be written in a manner that any scientifically-minded individual, who may not be familiar with your topic, can understand the project's important points.  The following should each be summarized in a few sentences:

•  Background information  necessary to understand the abstract and its importance.
•  The problem that was investigated and your hypothesis.
• Outline of the materials and methods used in your experimentation.
• Summary of the results obtained from your experimentation.
•  The conclusions drawn from your results.
• The importance or potential applications your research offers.

    5.   Set up a physical display. This is a poster display (36" wide x 30" deep) exhibiting tables,  diagrams, graphs, models, report, etc.  No equipment is to be displayed at your exhibit site; only the poster setup and supporting paper documents. Objects, specimens, equipment, etc. must not be attached to display boards. Failure to follow these rules could lead to disqualification.

    7. Enter winners (Superior-rated projects)of your local science fair in the Northwest Ohio District 2 Science Day by downloading  current forms from the NWDSD website.  Make certain all required forms are included and completely and correctly filled out..  Again, if you lack Internet access contact Director Mark J. Camp at 419-530-2398 and necessary forms will be mailed.

1.  Have students complete all parts of individual or team registration. Please make sure students have answered all questions pertaining to name, school, address, grade, project information, and project type and all signatures are present. Be certain forms are typed, preferably online where possible.  Be certain project title fits division it is to be judged in.
2. Have students choose one sponsored award category in which they wish to be judged. Write the name of the award in the "Sponsored Awards" section of the entry form. Teachers please sign. All qualified students, if so interested, may sign up for the SciMaTEC Award and the Tillotson UT District Science Day Scholarship in addition to another award. All projects may also be considered for a number of overall awards.
3. Make sure abstract is sent in with each entry.
4. Each school is required to provide one judge per five students entered in NWDSD. These must be sent in with student entries. Please use the on-line judging form at our website or provide Director Mark  J. Camp, (419-530-2398 Mark.Camp@utoledo.edu with names. We count on these judges! We also need any individuals who would like to judge in selected fields of interest. PLEASE, VOLUNTEER!
5. Collect registration fees from each entrant. The entry fee for NWDSD will be $20.00 per student. The entry fee for team projects (see below)  is $20 per individual student i.e. $40 for two person team and $60 for three person team. Checks made out to Northwest Ohio District Science Day must accompany entries. Send entries to:

                            Dr. Mark J. Camp, Dept of  Environmental Sciences, MS # 604, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606-3390

CAN TEAMS OF STUDENTS ENTER THE DISTRICT AND STATE SCIENCE DAY?

The Junior Academy Council of OAS endorses the concept of team projects at District and State Science Days. The International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) has also adopted the idea.

Rules for team projects for grades 7-12 at NWDSD  are as follows:

1. A team is limited to three (3) students. All students on a team must play an active role in the science experiment. Individuals should not be used solely for writing reports, making displays, etc.
2. A  50 point rating scale is used for teams including a category for teamwork.
3. Each student on a team, and in attendance, will receive the district’s usual recognition.
4. Points will be deducted for non-appearance of any team member on the day of judging.
5. Teams will be eligible for local sponsored awards; monetary awards will be divided among team members.

HOW ARE STUDENTS JUDGED IN NORTHWEST DISTRICT 2 SCIENCE DAY?

Professionals in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering, and education, volunteer their time to judge on Science Day. The judge’s use the criteria set by the Junior Academy Council of the Ohio Academy of Science, and all judges’ decisions are final. The criteria are:
                    -Knowledge Achieved
                    -Effective Use of Scientific Method
                    -Clarity of Expression
                    -Originality and Creativity
Students receive between 1 and 10 points for each of the four categories. The points are summed to form a rating category. The minimum number of points for each rating is:
                    -Superior 36
                    -Excellent 24
                    -Good 12
                    -Satisfactory 4

Team projects are judged in the four above categories plus a fifth category, teamwork.

In order for a participant to have a reasonable chance of qualifying for state competition he/she/ must score some combination of 10s and 9s in each of the four judging categories -- knowledge achieved, use of scientific method, clarity of expression, and originality & creativity -- totaling a 36-40 or equivalent team point total. i.e. a higher superior rating. In order to assure quality student performances at State Science Day please note that judges will be looking for the following:

    1. A Student Research Plan (1A) displayed with an 8-10 page research report. Report must be neat and well organized. Although in most cases judges will not be able to critically review all aspects of the report, any spelling and grammatical errors, notable lack of scientific method, and absence of pertinent references will lower ranking.

    2. All completed forms including special forms for live vertebrate animals, human subjects, recombinant DNA, controlled substances, hazardous substances and devices, human and nonhuman animal tissues, or pathogenic agents..

   3. A well written complete concise abstract.

    4. All superior projects must be free of errors in spelling and grammar on the display board

   5. Verbal presentations of participants receiving 38-40 or team equivalent superiors must be completed without reading from note cards or reports or presenting memorized speeches. Appropriate questions from judges must be adequately answered. Participants must be comfortable with terminology and have a thorough knowledge of their research.

    6. If project involves experimentation, a control or controls must be present and explained. A minimum of  3 sets of data must be part of the analysis.

HOW ARE STUDENTS CHOSEN TO ATTEND STATE SCIENCE DAY?

Each district in the state of Ohio has a quota limit for students who can attend the State Science Day May 10, 2008 at the Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. The quota for our district in 2007 was 116. The procedure for choosing students to fill this quota is:

1. All 7 to 12^th graders with 40 points, in descending grade order (i.e. 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7) are chosen first.
2. All 7 to 12^th graders with 39 points, in descending grade order are chosen next.
3. Next, students with 38 points are chosen in descending class order (grade 12,11,10,9,8,7).
4. Then, students with 37 points are chosen in descending class order (grade 12,11,10,9,8,7).
5. Finally 7 to 12^th graders with 36 points in descending grade level are chosen.
6. If there are more qualifiers in the final grade/numerical score division than quota positions, the final group will be determined by random draw (i.e. If there are 5 positions and 8 freshmen with 37’s, the 5 participants will be determined by random draw of these 8 students).
7. Alternates will be selected via random drawing following the same guidelines as above.

ALL STUDENTS INTENDING TO COMPETE AT STATE SCIENCE DAY MUST ATTEND THE AWARDS CEREMONY OR HAVE SOMEONE REPRESENTING THEM ATTEND IN THEIR PLACE. STATE QUALIFIERS WILL BE GIVEN AN ENTRY PACKET AT THE AWARDS CEREMONY AND MUST MAIL THIS IN WITH RESPECTIVE FEES AS INSTRUCTED IN THE PACKET. PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED WITH EACH ENTRY PACKET IMMEDIATELY AS THERE ARE IMPORTANT DEADLINES GIVEN.  THE ENTRY WILL NEED TO BE POSTMARKED BY TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2008. Be advised that internet access is required to complete SSD registration.

Materials including books, pamphlets, and videos about conducting science fairs are available from:

The Ohio Academy of Science
1500 W. third Avenue
Columbus, OH 43212
Telephone: (614) 488-2228
Email: OAS@IWAYNET.net
Website – http://www.ohiosci.org