FOURTH BIMESTER RESEARCH PROJECTS

(10 GOLD POINTS)

DUE MAY 2, 2016

CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING 13 PROJECTS:

DONT FORGET TO FOLLOW THE RUBRIC FOR THE WRITTEN REPORT!
Hand in a written report with rubric for written report by MAY 4. Thank you!
1. ONE INFECTIOUS DISEASE PRODUCED BY A BACTERIA, A VIRUS, A FUNGUS, OR BY A PARASITE, WITH THE
FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
1. Name of disease
2. Cause of disease
3. Medical name
4. How it is transmitted
5. Symptoms
6. How it is diagnosed
7. Treatment
8. Does it produce immunity or can it produce re-infection?
9. Photograph or drawing of the pathogenic agent.
10. Is there a vaccine against it?
11. How can you avoid getting the disease?
12. What impressed you most about this disease?
13. Conclusions
2. ONE NON-INFECTIOUS DISEASE:
1. What general name do non-infectious diseases have?
2. What organs are affected by the non-infectious disease you chose?
3. Is it a deadly disease?
4. Is it hereditary?
5. Can you avoid getting the disease?
6. Symptoms
7. Treatment
8. Conclusions
10. What impressed you most about the disease?
11. What do you think are the most important things you
learned by making this report?
3. Beneficial Bacteria Scrapbook.
We often hear about disease-causing bacteria and their effects. Yet, a significant number of bacteria are helpful to humans and the
environment. Make a scrapbook about good bacteria. Collect articles and ads from newspapers or magazines. Include photos (or
draw pictures) and add information about where the bacteria can be foundin the environment, lab, food, or human body.
4. Lunch Time.
Outdoor meals are ideal breeding grounds for bacteria. If food is not handled carefully, food poisoning can result. Research
Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella enteriditis, and shigella, three types of bacteria responsible for food poisoning. Then plan an
outdoor class picnic when the weather is warm. What should you serve? How should the food be prepared and kept to avoid food
poisoning?
5. Outbreak.
Write a short story depicting the outbreak of a mysterious disease. Where is the setting for the outbreak? How does the virus spread?
What happens to the victims? Then come up with a step-by-step plan to stop your virus from spreading.
6. Viral Action Scrapbook.
Viruses make the headlines all the time. Keep track of viral action by gathering interesting articles about viruses and diseases. Look
for images in magazines, newspapers, and on the Internet. Look at advertisements. How do people use diseases to sell? How are
viruses both harmful and helpful? What effects do viruses have on people and the environment? How do they affect you and your
family, your school, the country, and the world?
7. Dangers of Drug Use. Plan a 30- second commercial aimed at teenagers or talk about a specific drug and the effects and
consequences of its use. (See more info for your project on page 244 of yourText Book).
8. I Just Cant Resist
Most antibiotics are broad-spectrum, meaning they knock out many different types of bacteria. This also means that they cant tell
good bacteria from bad. Weve had antibiotic medicines for a little over half a century, but in that time some bacteria have developed
resistance to just about every antibiotic invented. The overuse of antibiotics in recent years is also causing problems. Investigate
antibiotic resistance, and then create a public-health campaign for your school that includes recommendations for fighting this threat.
9. Teach Others About a Trait (see following pages for guidelines for these last three)
10. All in the Family
11. Stop the Invasion
12. Allergies vs. Viruses
13. Tricks & Illusions

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Allergies vs. Viral Infections

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You will do the following:

- Understand how a virus and an allergen infect the body and how the body responds to each
- Create flowcharts to show the body's reaction to the common cold (a viral infection) or hay
fever (an allergic reaction)
- Examine the differences in how colds and allergies are diagnosed and treated.
Procedures:
Allergies:
1- What causes allergies?
2- What happens to the body during an allergic reaction?
3- How are allergies treated?
4- What initially causes an infection?
5- How does the body react?
6- How long do symptoms typically last?
7- How is it treated?
8- How can they be prevented?
9- How is it diagnosed?
Viral Infections:
1- How is a viral infection treated?
2- What is an allergen?
3 -What is an allergic reaction?
4- What is a viral infection?
5- What reactions in the immune system are activated by a viral infection ?
What you will do:
You will compare the immune system's reaction to pollen, a common allergen also known as
hay fever and a viral cold.
Web sites suggested below.
Allergic Reactions
Hay Fever
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1625.50516
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1680.50309
What Are Allergies?
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1625.50536
Kids' Health: Allergies
http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/allergy/allergies_p3.html
Allergy Glossary
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1625.50534
Cold, Flu, Allergies
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/category.jhtml?catref=C208
Common Cold
Common Cold
http://www.commoncold.org/
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1680.50949
Cold, Flu, Allergies
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/category.jhtml?catref=C208
What's a Virus?
http://www.microbe.org/microbes/virus1.asp
Fact Sheet: Common Cold
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/cold.htm
Create a flowchart showing the body's reaction to an allergen or virus. The chart can use both
text and symbols and should include the antigen entering the body, the immune system's
various reactions, the body's physical symptoms, and how the body heals.
Compare the two reactions. How are they alike?
Which symptoms are similar?
How can you tell the difference between a virus and an allergen?
Discussion Questions:
1. If you have a runny nose, fever, sore throat, and headache, how might you be able to tell if

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you have a cold or allergic reaction?

2. Why are people more susceptible to certain allergies at different times of the year?
3. Using what you know about how the common cold is transmitted, how might you try to
prevent catching a cold?
Extension:
Treating Allergies and Viral Infections
Diagnosing allergies and viral infections can be confusing, and their treatments are different.
Interview your own or another pediatrician about treatments for these conditions
with similar symptoms. Brainstorm with students about questions they might ask. You may
want to include the questions below in their interviews:
- How does a vaccine work?
- How do antihistamines work?
- How do antibiotics work? When won't an antibiotic work?
- Why is rest important?
- Is there a treatment for a virus?
- Why is it wise not to treat a fever?
- How is the common cold spread?

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PROJECT OVERVIEW

Tricks and Illusions

In this project, you will be exploring a variety of illusions that can fool your senses. You will
examine your own responses to these illusions, as well as the responses of other students.
Sometimes you may want to describe how people first respond to an illusion, then how they
figure out the way the illusion has tricked them.
For example, look at the two lines below. Which line seems longer? Next, measure the two
lines with a ruler. This illusion tricks you into thinking that line B is longer than line A. Once
you measure the lines, however, you realize that the lines are the same length. You may be able
to find out how some illusions fool the senses. Others may be too complicated to actually
explain.

You will set up a science fair booth to test and record other students responses to the
illusion that you select. Afterward, you will make a presentation to the class that will show and
explain the results of your tests. You will be using your illusions to demonstrate how different
people react to the same experience. Depending on the illusion, you may also try to explain
how the illusion works.

Project Rules
Investigate at least five illusions and choose one or more illusions for your tests. Try to
include some illusions that involve the senses of hearing or touch, as well as sight.
Get your teachers approval of the illusions you plan to present in your science fair booth.
Try out several ways to present the illusions to others. Choose the one that seems to work
best.
Decide what responses you will need to record and what materials you will need.
Present your illusions to several people who have never experienced them before.
Create a summary of your findings and present them to your class.
Either your teacher will provide you with a selection of illusions to choose from, or you
will need to do research to find examples of illusions.

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Suggested Materials
You will need paper and a pencil to record responses. You will probably also need to
collect other materials to carry out your illusions.

Project Hints
Project Worksheet 1 will allow you to try several illusions and observe your responses to
them.
Pay close attention to your own responses when you try the illusions. This will help you to
decide what questions to ask and what responses to look for when you conduct your tests.
Once you have chosen an illusion, present it to several people. Record their responses to
see if they were the same as yours. This will help to plan your data sheets. Project
Worksheet 2 will help you to design a way to record your data during your tests.

Project Timeline
Task

Due Date

1. Project Worksheet 1 completed.

______________

2. At least five illusions tried.

______________

3. One or more illusions selected and

approved.

______________

4. Project Worksheet 2 completed.

5. Data sheet designed and booth set up.
6. Tests completed and data recorded.
7. Findings presented to class.

______________
______________
______________
______________

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PROJECT WORKSHEET 1

Fool Your Senses

Try out the illusions described below, and then answer the following questions on a separate
sheet of paper.

Materials

coin

bowl of warm water

rubber glove

meter stick

bowl of cool water

hand lens

tissue

The Shrinking Coin

Cover the coin with the tissue and then feel the shape of the coin through the tissue while
looking at it with the hand lens. Then close your eyes and feel the coin a second time.
1. What two senses are involved in this illusion?
2. Did the coin seem to change size? Explain.
3. Why do you think you were tricked by this illusion?

Are You Wet Yet?

Put on the rubber glove. Place your gloved hand in the bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 seconds.
Then move your gloved hand into the bowl of cool water.
4. In which bowl did your hand seem to be wet?
5. Was your hand really wet? How do you know?
6. What sense was involved in tricking you? What sense was involved in figuring out the
illusion?
7. Why do you think you were tricked by this illusion?

Make the World Turn

Stand up and hold a meter stick so that it stands straight up from the floor. Bend over carefully
so that your forehead just touches the top of the stick and walk around the stick three times,
bent over. Then stand up again.
8. What happened when you stood up?
9. What senses were involved in tricking you?

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PROJECT WORKSHEET 2

Designing a Data Sheet

Determining Responses
Once you have chosen the illusions you will present at your science fair booth, test your own
responses to the illusions and answer the following questions. Then present your illusions to
someone else and ask them to answer the same questions. Record both your own and the other
persons answers on a separate sheet of paper.
1. In what way did you first interpret the illusion?
2. What did you need to do to understand how you had been tricked?

Making a Data Table

Combine both sets of answers to create a page for recording responses to the illusion quickly
and easily.
You might find that the responses are similar enough that you can write down typical answers
ahead of time. Then, a students answers can be checked off as you read aloud the questions.
Always leave one choice as other in case someone has an original response. Also, leave a
space to record any interesting or unexpected ideas you may have as you do the tests. Below is
a sample data sheet for the illusion described in the Project Overview. The checkmarks indicate
Jacobs responses.
Name

Question

Jacob

Which line seems longer?

(before measuring)
Which line is longer? (after
measuring)

Answer
Choice 1
line A

Answer
Choice 2
line B

line A

Line B

Answer
Choice 3
They are
the same
length.
They are
the same
length.

Other
Answer

Once you have designed your data sheet, you or your teacher can make photocopies of it so
that you can record the responses of several different students.

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SCORING RUBRIC

Tricks and Illusions

In evaluating how well you complete the Chapter Project, your teacher will judge your work in four categories. In each, a
score of 4 is the best rating.
Conducting
Research and
Selecting Illusion(s)

Creating Data Sheets

Presenting the
Science Fair Booth
and Gathering Data

Presenting the
Results

4
Student conducts thorough
research and tries out at
least five illusions. Student
selects one or more
illusions that are
appropriate to the projects
goals.
Data sheets are well
organized and clear.
Questions are easy to
understand. Student has
listed a variety of typical
answers.

3
Student conducts necessary
research and tries out five
illusions. Student selects a
single illusion that is
appropriate to the projects
goals.

Student has recorded

responses for a large
number of people. Data
sheets are complete for all
respondents.
Presentation is interesting,
easy to understand,
creative, and includes all
appropriate visual aids.
Conclusions about
perception are logical.

Student has recorded

responses for an adequate
number of people. Data
sheets are complete for
almost all respondents.
Presentation is fairly easy
to understand and includes
all appropriate visual aids.
Conclusions about
perception are mostly
logical.

Data sheets are organized

and somewhat clear. Most
questions are easy to
understand. Student has
listed some typical answers.

2
Student conducts some
necessary research and
tries out four illusions.
Student selects a single
illusion that is somewhat
appropriate to the
projects goals.
Data sheets are
somewhat organized, but
often unclear. Some
questions are easy to
understand. Student has
listed a few typical
answers.
Student has recorded
responses for several
people. Data sheets are
complete for only some
respondents.
Presentation is somewhat
difficult to understand,
and some appropriate
visual aids are missing.
A few conclusions about
perception are logical.

1
Student conducts little
necessary research and
tries out fewer than four
illusions. Student fails
to select any appropriate
illusions.
Data sheets are
incomplete or
disorganized and
unclear. Many questions
are difficult to
understand. Student has
failed to list typical
answers.
Student has recorded
responses for only a few
people. Data sheets are
incomplete for most
respondents.
Presentation is
incomplete and difficult
to understand, and
appropriate visual aids
are missing.
Conclusions about
perception are mostly
illogical.