Preparing Your Final Draft

Science Fair Research Paper

Order and Points

Title Page - 10 points Abstract - 10 points Table of Contents - 10 points Introduction - 10 points Background - 30 points Experimental Resources - 10 points Experimental Procedures - 30 points Data Analysis - 20 points Conclusions - 30 points References - 10 points Appendix - 10 points

Order and Points Cont’d

GENERAL GUIDELINES - 10 POINTS APA format Times New Roman

Font Font Size of 12 1 inch margins Double-spaced

SPELLING & GRAMMAR - 10 POINTS Correct spelling No fragments or run-

ons Correct verb tense Correct punctuation

(including commas) Correct capitalization

Entire Paper = 200 points

Common Errors

Data Analysis section needs to say the results Don’t need EVERY observation

Conclusions No “proved”; just “supported” Only make conclusions based on your

results Make sure your pg. #’s match your

T.O.C. DO NOT PLAGARIZE!!

Common Errors

No contractions Spell out numbers less than 10

(unless they are decimals or your actual data)

Only use SI units (no inches!!!!!) Indent new paragraphs Be consistent!!! Commas, commas, COMMAS!!

Commas

Conventional Uses

Use commas in certain conventional situations, such as dates, addresses, salutations and closings in letters, and certain titles and names.

Conventional Uses

Separate items in dates and addresses After Friday, November 23, 2012, address all

orders to Emeryville, CA 94608.After the salutation of a personal letter

Dear Mr. Adams, After the closing of any letter

Sincerely, Abbreviations, such as Jr., Sr., or M.D.

when they follow persons’ names. Please welcome Allen Davis, Sr

Commas are needed in a series!

Use for items in a series

Words in a series All my cousins, aunts, and uncles came to our

family reunion.Phrases in a series

The children played in the yard, at the playground, and by the pond.

Short independent clauses The engine roared, the wheels spun, and a cloud

of dust swirled behind the sports car.Two or more adjectives preceding a

noun Are you going to that hot, crowded, noisy mall?

The Oxford Comma

The last comma before the last “and” in a series like “red, white, and blue” is called a serial comma, Harvard comma, and most commonly, the Oxford comma.

Technically, using the Oxford comma is a style choice, and people disagree on its usage.

1. With a quick powerful leap, the stunt personbounded over the burning balcony.

2. One summer when we were little, I had mumps you had measles and he had chickenpox.

3. I took a flashlight a sleeping bag extra tennis shoes and a parka on our camping trip.

Identify each series in the following sentences, and add commas where necessary.

Items in a series

Don’t Put a Comma Between a Subject and Its Verb

Comma Splices

Comma splices happen when a comma is used to splice together two complete sentences when that isn’t the function of a comma.

Example: “Harrison was happy

when school was closed, he was not looking forward to his biology test.”

THE COMMA IS NOT ENOUGH.

Combining Independent Clauses

There are three ways to combine independent clauses.

Remember that independent clauses have a subject, a verb, and a complete thought. They can stand alone as a sentence by themselves, which makes them INDEPENDENT.

Combining Independent Clauses

▪ Sean likes to ride his motorcycle. He always wears a helmet.▪ This is an example of separating two independent clauses into two sentences.

▪ Sean likes motorcycles, but his girlfriend doesn’t.▪ This is an example of using a comma AND a coordinating conjunction (Remember FANBOYS! The acronym stands for “for, and, nor, but, or, yet, & so.” Those are the coordinating conjunctions.

▪ Sean works on his motorcycle every Friday; it should be in great condition!▪ This is an example of combining independent clauses by slapping a semicolon between them.

1. She liked the story but she did not like the ending.

2. High school graduates may go on to college or may begin working immediately.

Identify whether the following items are missing commas (M) or are correct as is (C). For items missing commas, add the comma where needed.

3. A few rowdy spectators tried to grab the star so the bodyguards formed a ring around

him.

Independent clauses

Interrupters

Use commas to set off elements that interrupt the sentence. Direct address Nonessential information Parenthetical expressions

Direct Address

When someone is being directly addressed, his or her name needs to be followed by—or surrounded by—a comma or commas.

Examples: Yes, Jimmy, your shirt

is too tight. Thank you, Morgan. Mr. Colson, may I

borrow a pencil?

Nonessential Information

Restrictive elements are phrases or clauses in a sentence that cannot be left out without changing the meaning of the sentence.

Restrictive elements are not surrounded by commas.

Examples: Dogs that howl make

me crazy. The boy who threw up

on the Vortex wished he had stayed home.

Nonrestrictive elements are phrases and clauses in a sentence that can be left out because they do NOT change the meaning of the sentence.

Nonrestrictive elements are surrounded by commas.

Examples: Bacon, a popular

breakfast food, is becoming more scarce.

The town is near the capital, which is thirty minutes from the border.

Parenthetical Expressions

Of course, I am glad that he called me about the extra movie tickets.

She is, in fact, a dentist.

Commonly Used Parenthetical Expressions

after all generally speaking nevertheless

at any rate however of course

consequently I believe on the contrary

for example in the first place on the other hand

for instance moreover therefore

1. My favorite painting Mona Lisa is displayed at the Louvre in Paris.

2. Did you know Amy that one of Faith Ringgold’s story quilts sold for $40,000?

Identify whether the following items are missing commas (M) or are correct as is (C). For items missing commas, add the comma where needed.

Interrupters

3. You are, I hope, planning to go to the museum with me.

Introductory Elements

Use a comma to set off certain introductory elements.

Mild exclamations such as well, oh, or hey Hey, that’s an unusual pet you’re

walking.

Introductory words such as yes and no Yes, it’s my pet iguana.

Introductory Elements

Introductory participial phrases Switching on the flashlight, the ranger led

the way to the caves.Two or more introductory

prepositional phrases or one long one. By the time I get home from school, I am

ready for a snack. Introductory adverb clauses

After he sang, the audience applauded.

1. In Mexico a favorite dish is a corn tortilla with beans.

2. If you’d like more variety in your diet you could add more whole grains to your meals.

Identify whether the following items are missing commas (M) or are correct as is (C). For items missing commas, add the comma where needed.

Introductory elements

3. Because the soybean is high in protein it has been a principal crop in Asian countries for more than five thousand years.

Commonly Confused Words

Affect vs. Effect

AFFECT-to influenceex: Lack of sleep affects the quality of your work.EFFECT-n., result, v., to accomplishex: The subtle effect of the lighting made the room look ominous.ex: Can the university effect such a change without disrupting classes?

To, Too, Two

TO-towardex: I went to the University of Richmond.TOO-also, or excessivelyex: He drank too many screwdrivers and was unable to drive home.TWO-a numberex: Only two students did not turn in the assignment.

Their, There, They’re

THEIR-possessive form of theyex: Their house is at the end of the block.THERE-indicates location (hint: think of "here and there")ex: There goes my chance of winning the lottery!THEY'RE-contraction for "they are"ex: They're in Europe for the summer--again!

Accept, Except

ACCEPT-to receiveex: He accepts defeat well.EXCEPT-to take or leave outex: Please take all the books off the shelf except for the red one.

Its, It’s

ITS-of or belonging to itex: The baby will scream as soon as its mother walks out of the room.IT'S-contraction for it isex: It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Than, Then

THAN-use with comparisonsex: I would rather go out to eat than eat at the dining hall.THEN-at that time, or nextex: I studied for my exam for seven hours, and then I went to bed.

Verb Tense

Maintaining Consistent Verb Tense

Keep tenses consistent within sentences

Do not change tenses when there is no time change for the action.

INCORRECT: During the movie, Sam stood up and

then drops his popcorn. CORRECT: During the movie, Sam stood up and

then dropped his popcorn.

When Shift in Tense is Appropriate

When Mary gets here, everyone will stare. Didion’s memoir examines grief; it is based on the

death of her husband

Don’t use past tense in your essays unless you are referring to a past event or a completed study, finding, or argument found in scientific literature.

PAST EVENT: The Declaration of Independence was adopted on

July 4, 1776. SCIENTIFIC STUDY: 12 patients showed that the vaccination was

effective.