Instructions to students for creating videos, poster and notebook materials:
Because the on-site science fair has been cancelled, you will need to do your presentation as a video, and create pictures of your other materials, like your poster and notebook. Instructions for doing all of that are contained in the 3 steps below. Please carefully read and follow the instructions and guidance.
Step 1: Guidance on Creating Videos:
You may record your video using any method you like (iPhone, digital video recorder, etc.). Your video presentation should be as if you were doing the presentation in person. The total time of your video should be somewhere between 7 – 10 minutes; not to exceed 10 minutes. Please follow the instructions below on the required content.
As you proceed with planning and making your video, keep in mind that you will be describing actual research and not just an experiment. A specific experiment is designed to be done by anyone, and always in the same way. Your project is more personal, based on your own thoughts, ideas, and discoveries as you went along. It probably varied from the original path you envisioned. That is OK, and it is worth remembering.
Before you start doing your video, please review each of the following steps below. All the information is needed, but the steps don’t have to be done in the exact order suggested. It is possible to be describing one step and realize that part of the information for that step ties very strongly with the information for a different step. Those variations are what might make your presentation even more personal. Just try to make sure you haven’t left out any important information. Judges will be looking for your video to include the information in these steps.
TIP: Outline your presentation first, indicating what specific items you want to include and in what order, and what portions each partner will talk to for team projects, and then start recording.
A. State the title and purpose of the project. Do NOT state your name(s).
B. Tell where the idea for the project came from.
C. Explain how the idea developed into an investigation/experiment/prototype.
D. Describe the procedure that was followed.
E. Explain how the data was collected, and whether it was recorded in a notebook.
F. Give a review of data, tables, and graphs in a way that provides evidence for the conclusion(s). One possibility is showing data or table or graph during the video and giving an explanation at the same time.
G. State your conclusion by accurately interpreting the evidence shown by the information in Part F.
H. What was learned from doing the project?
I. If done again, would anything be done differently?
Please time your video to ensure it is between 7 – 10 minutes, and doesn’t exceed 10 minutes. Do it more than once if needed. When finished, watch it carefully to make sure that all items have been included and done to your satisfaction. Check to make sure that what you wanted to present and show is clearly visible in the video. Videos may be edited to remove parts that aren’t needed, and/or add parts that got missed in the initial recording. Check the audio to ensure the judges will be able to hear you clearly when they review your video. Feel free to have others watch it as well to make sure.
Step 2: Guidance on Posters and Notebooks
To ensure that the judges can view your poster in detail, you will need to take at least one picture of it. Please lay the poster flat before taking the picture and review to ensure it is clear. If you have small type, graphs or pictures, you may take additional close-up pictures of those portions of the poster to ensure all material is readable by the judges. If your poster is available as a PDF, you may use that instead of a picture.
For your notebooks, please take at least 2 pictures (no more than 5 pictures please) of portions of your notebooks where information may be useful to the judges to see. As a minimum, you may take a picture of the first page of notes and a picture of the last page of notes. Please do NOT take a picture of every page.
Step 3: Post your Video and Pictures
When you are completely done and satisfied with your video, find your project ID from the paperwork. It might be, for example, “AP-ADF”. Please name the file with your Project ID plus the word, “video”. Example: AP-ADF-video. Go to (— link to be provided — ) and upload the video. Your video will be viewable by the judges as an unpublished YouTube video and deleted after judging is complete.
Next, upload the photo or PDF of your poster to the same site, naming the file(s) by your Project ID and the word, “picture”. If you have multiple pictures of your poster, please add a sequential number to the filename for each picture. Example: AP-ADF-picture1, AP-ADF-picture2, AP-ADF-picture3, etc.
Last, upload the pictures of your notebook to the same site, naming the file(s) by your Project ID and the word, “notebook”. Since you will have multiple pictures of your notebook, please add a sequential number to the filename for each picture. Example: AP-ADF-notebook1, AP-ADF-notebook2, etc.
