The
Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science shall be organized
to create a state-wide affiliation of interested science
students, and shall have the following objectives:
•
To promote greater participation in science activities
among the youth of Pennsylvania.
• To provide opportunities for the development of
students as thinking people.
• To improve the quality of achievement in the sciences
through encouraging students to participate in scientific
research and to develop original ideas.
• To foster an understanding of the operation of
the scientific community through close association with
leaders in the scientific disciplines.
• To encourage the development of scientific attitudes
and humanistic ideals.
Scientific
Categories for Research
• Behavioral Psychology (BEH):
The systematic investigation
of mental phenomena of human and other animals, specially
those associated with consciousness, behavior and the
problems of adjustment to the environment. This includes,
but is not limited to, projects involving psychology,
learning perception, perception problems, and educational
testing. Note: Proper certification must be filed and
approved before a project in this category may begin.
• Biology (BIO): This
category is for the life science projects which do not
fall into any other category. This includes, but is not
limited to, projects involving human medicine and dentistry.
Note: Proper certification may be required and approved
before projects in this category may begin.
• Biochemistry (BC):
The study of chemistry within living organisms with emphasis
of the process. This includes, but is not limited to,
projects involving blood chemistry, protein chemistry,
and plant genetics. Note: Proper certification may be
required and approved before projects in this category
may begin.
• Botany (BOT): The
study of plants. This includes, but is not limited to,
projects involving plant physiology, plant anatomy, plant
pathology, and plant genetics.
• Chemistry (CHM):
The study of the composition of matter and how it can
change. This includes, but is not limited to, projects
involving physical chemistry, organic chemistry (other
than biochemistry), inorganic chemistry, and chemical
engineering.
• Computer Science (CPS):
The development of computer programs, algorithms,
computer languages, and hardware. If the project deals
with the use of computers as a tool to obtain, analyze,
or present data, the project should be placed in to category
of its major thrust.
• Earth and Space (ES):
The study of the earth and extraterrestrial bodies and
the processes affecting them. This includes, but is not
limited to projects involving geology, oceanography, meteorology
and astronomy.
• Ecology (ECO): The
study of the interactions and relationships of living
things to their abiotic environment and to each other.
This includes, but is not limited to projects involving
pollution, environmental alterations and ecosystem analysis.
Note: Proper certification may be required and approved
before projects in this category may begin.
• Mathematics (MAT):
The study of numbers both pure and applied. This includes,
but is not limited to projects involving algebra, calculus,
geometry, statistics, topology, operations research, and
number theory.
• Physics (PHY): The
study of matter and motion. This includes, but is not
limited to projects involving the traditional subsets
of physics (i.e. statics, dynamics, optics, acoustics,
heat and electricity) and applied physics (i.e. mechanical
, electrical, and civil engineering).
• Zoology (ZOO): The
study of animals. This includes, but is not limited to
projects involving animal physiology, animal anatomy,
animal pathology, and animal genetics. Note: Proper certification
must be filed and approved before a project in this category
may begin.
SCIENTIFIC
THOUGHT - Selection
and statement of problems; experimental validity and value;
Scope of design. Any science research project has a basic
support idea. This idea permits formulation of a meaningful
question, the answer to which is not immediately obvious
but which may be found through a suitably designed experiment.
Thus the ultimate aim of such research is to promote our
knowledge and understanding of the world in which we live.
Judging the “scientific
thought” involves consideration of such questions
as:
1. Is there significant basic thought in the project?
Is it clearly stated?
2. Does it admit formulation of a meaningful question?
3. Is the scope of the problem sufficiently limited to
permit a meaningful experiment?
EXPERIMENTAL
METHODS - Techniques of analysis and use of original
material or using materials in an original way. Proper
controls and sample size.
We uncover the “secrets”
of nature, scientifically, through a well-designed experiment.
It requires an analysis of the problem. It may require
designing, building, and using material hardware. Sometimes
book research may replace a part of the experiment.
1. Is the experiment procedure
basically sound, and is it well-designed for the problem
at hand.
2. Has it been properly used to obtain the desired information
or data.
3. Have any original or ingenious materials or methods
been used in the experiment?
ANALYTICAL APPROACH -
Ability to draw valid conclusions. Full use of data and
findings.
Interpretations of weakness of design. Suggestions for
further research. An experimental research project is
of little value unless it
yields answers to the problem, postulated by the “basic
thought.”
1. Are the data, obtained by
the experiment, fully used to draw
conclusions?
2. Are the conclusions valid?
3. Is there an evaluation of the validity of the results,
and possible
specific suggestions for further research.
PRESENTATION
- Ability to convey the information gained to others and
to demonstrate new
and improved ways of expressing or communicating scientific
ideas.
The ability of conveying scientific
information to a group of people is evaluated under this
heading.
The presentation should, preferably, be in the form of
a free talk, rather than reading.
1. Is the talk well-organized,
and does it cover the basic points, the idea, the experimental
method, the data and the conclusions?
2. Does the student exhibit a
firm understanding of any of the basic scientific principles
involved?
JUDGES
OPINION - Consider the age level and project correlation,
and the overall feeling of the
problem and the students work. This covers simply the
overall reaction to the
project - - its handling by the student, and the student
himself/herself.
MATHEMATICS
& COMPUTER SCIENCE PROJECTS
Mathematics and Computer Science projects are in general
expository, not experimental. They will
be judged according to the following criteria:
I. FULFILLMENT
of PURPOSE
a. Is the objective or purpose of the presentation clearly
stated?
b. Is the problem clearly and precisely formulated and
substantiated with the pertinent background
material?
c. Is there
acquisition of knowledge beyond the existing curriculum
of that student or is there
novelty in the approach?
II. CONTENT
a. Does the student show depth of mathematical thought
and mastery of the topic?
b. Does the student show mastery of mathematical language
and the techniques employed?
c. Is there any correlation with other disciplines?
III. DEVELOPMENT
a. Is there a unity, coherence and flow of ideas?
b. Does the student show sufficient examples or counter-examples?
c. Is there economy of expression?
IV. PRESENTATION
a. Does the student present a well-organized talk?
b. Is the student able to interest the audience with well-thought
out and use of graphics and
language?
c. Is the quality of exposition of a high degree?
d. The student must present a flow-chart of their program.
NO PART of the program MAY BE
SHARED with the judges prior to or during their presentation.
JUDGES
OPINION - The subjective evaluation of work considering
age level, depth, and
complexity of subject matter, significance of project
and the student’s
success in achieving his/her purpose or objective will
be utilized.
