Tennessee FFA Agriscience Fair CDE Chaney Mosley Tennessee

Tennessee FFA Agriscience Fair CDE Chaney Mosley Tennessee FFA Executive Secretary July 2011

Objectives • • Overview of the Agriscience Fair Rules of the Agriscience Fair Information About the Competition Agriscience Fair Project Display Logbook Project Final Report Tips for Teaching

What is the Agriscience Fair? • Opportunity to explore an area of interest in agriculture • Enhances SAE (good for STAR applicants and proficiency applications) • Academic integration • Teaches problem solving and critical thinking • Recognizes students for scientific exploration • Promotes career success

Research Based Project • Categories include: – – – Animal Systems Environmental Service Systems / Natural Resource Systems Food Products and Processing Systems Plant Systems Power, Structural and Technical Systems Social Sciences • Divisions: – – Division I: individual students 7 th - 9 th Division II: individual students 10 th - 12 th Division III: teams of two members 7 th - 9 th Division IV: teams of two members 10 th - 12 th – Participation in the same category and division over multiple years will be allowed. Must document research is a continuation of past research presented

Project Must Use Scientific Method

Display • May consist of one or more panels • Must be stable & free standing • Max size = – 48” wide x 30” deep x 108” high from the floor

Display • Upper right hand corner must have – – Name of student(s) Chapter Name Title of Category Division (I - IV)

Winning Display • Conduct multiple trials • One trial may not be enough to draw a conclusion • Attempt at least three trials • Prepare a display to give your audience a quick overview of • The question you asked, the method you used, the result you got, and the conclusion you came to • Create charts, diagrams or illustrations to explain your question, methods and results • A neat and organized poster will obviously communicate your work better than a sloppy, disorganized poster

Include within Display • Demonstration Materials – Items that illustrate a scientific principle, equipment or materials used, or enable others to retrace your steps – ”Hands-on" will make an exhibit more interesting and help others understand your discovery – Use photographs to illustrate your work if your experiment involves valuable equipment or animals & dangerous chemicals that are not allowed – Log Book (see handout) – Project Report (see handout)

Getting Started • Selecting a Research Topic – Choose a topic of interest – Realistic • (student abilities, knowledge, resources and time) – Select topic matches closely to SAE – Seek a topic that can be expanded • National winning projects (long term 2 -3 year with performed replications & more data collection)

Tips for Teaching • Require students to complete an agriscience fair project as a classroom assignment • Conduct a school wide Agriscience Fair – Have science teachers judge projects using the agriscience fair scoring rubric…then ask them for suggestions – Give prizes (ribbons, t-shirts, money, certificates, etc) – Display completed projects throughout school – Do not allow freshmen to pair up with 10 th – 12 th grade students • Find community contacts who can/will help students with projects – Veterinarians – Hospital laboratories – Horticulturists – Mechanics • Relate projects to student SAEs – Add this information to proficiency award applications

What Does A Local Agriscience Fair Look Like? • The quality of projects will vary • Some students will go above and beyond • Use the local agriscience fair as a state qualifier

Questions?

Let’s Complete A Project • • • Break Into Groups Distribute Supplies Provide Direction Complete Projects Judge