Northwest Ohio District 2 Science Day at UToledo

Information for Students

Student Registration  
Student Registration and Project Submission Informational Videos on YouTube

DAY OF THE EVENT DETAILS:

The University of Toledo, Main Campus, Thompson Student Union

  • Please park in Lot 5 (below Savage Hall) and follow the signs to the check-in/registration tables. NOTE: If you park outside of the designated Lot (5), you will need to pay for parking.
  • Check-in and setup is 7:30-8:45 a.m. in the Thompson Student Union (preferably the west side).
  • Upon check-in at the registration tables outside the Student Union Auditorium (Second Floor, follow the signs) you will receive a numbered location for your project. Projects are arranged numerically, e.g. 001, 002, 003, etc. If you are a 5th or 6th Grader, your project will also be arranged numerically, but in a separate area of the auditorium.
  • You must be at your project by 9:00 a.m.
  • Judging begins at 9:00 a.m. and will be completed by noon.
  • All parents must wait outside the Auditorium while judging is taking place.
  • Awards Ceremony - 1:30 p.m. in the Ingman Room, Thompson Student Union.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO ENTER DISTRICT SCIENCE DAY?

1. For 2024, there will be no requirement for a local fair “Superior” rating to qualify for District Science Day. Projects should be reviewed by a teacher or mentor prior to registration. Any project completed and approved will be eligible.

2. Read the information included on the Ohio Academy of Science and NWDSD webpages including: the Ohio Academy of Science, Science Day Standards, which contains instructions, judging criteria, research reports and tips on oral presentations.

3. Identify a topic or problem to study and begin the research project as soon as possible, preferably in the Fall. Place the research project in one of the following categories: behavioral science, biochemistry, botany, chemistry, computer science, earth and space science, engineering science, environmental science, mathematics, medicine & health, microbiology, physics or zoology. Go to the Rules Wizard if you question what forms need to be completed. Be sure to complete Checklist for Adult Sponsor/Safety Assessment Form before experimentation begins. Signatures are required before you start your project. Then complete Student Checklist/Research Plan (1A) individual or team version) and Approval Form (1B). Note that Form 1B must pass review from the District Scientific Review Committee (SRC). Later when registering online you will complete a Consent and Release Agreement, abstract and other necessary forms as indicated. If your project is a continuation of research from last year, you will be required to complete a Continuation Form (7).

To enter Northwest Ohio District 2 Science Day, click here for ProjectBoard to begin the online registration process. Make certain to print out copies and keep a set at your project site on Science Day. There will not be a registration fee payment page included in student registration this year via ProjectBoard. The registration fee of $30 per student must be submitted through this online payment link.

DSD REGISTRATION DEADLINE: As of February 1, 2024, a “Submit” button will appear for student projects. If a student has completed all of the required portions of the registration process, they can click Submit. At that point, they will no longer be able to edit their project. As of February 26, 2024, at 11:59 pm, all projects will become uneditable by students regardless of whether they have clicked Submit.

4. If a project involves research at a registered research institution or industrial setting and/or involves research with nonhuman vertebrate animals, human subjects, pathogenic agents, controlled substances, recombinant DNA, human and nonhuman animal tissue, and/or hazardous substances and devices additional forms must be completed and submitted with each registration. These forms  may  include Registered Research Institutional /Industrial Setting Form (1C), Qualified Scientist Form (2)Risk Assessment Form (3)Human Participants and Sample Informed Consent Form (4)Nonhuman Vertebrate Animal Form (5a) and (5b) Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents Form (6A), and Human and Vertebrate Animal Tissue Form (6B). 

The above forms are detailed, require certain signatures, have time restraints and must be carefully adhered to. If you have any questions or problems, please contact the Director, Mark J. Camp at 419-530-2398 | mark.camp@utoledo.edu Failure to complete forms will lead to disqualification. Your science teachers may approve research plans in lieu of review by a Local Scientific Review Committee, if the proposed research does not involve recognized research risks or issues. Note working with humans, even just having them answer questions, involves additional forms. Also, using many chemicals, even common household products like bleach require approval and extra forms. Do not use pets for animal research.

5. Write a detailed report. The report usually includes a title page; table of contents; abstract; introduction (problem and hypothesis to be investigated); methods and materials of investigation; analysis of collected data; conclusions or implications; graphs, tables, and diagrams; and references. The detailed report is not to be sent in; just a copy of the one page abstract and the abbreviated report of the Research Plan Attachment (second page of Form 1A).

Complete an abstract through the online registration site containing no more than 250 words. A heading must contain the project title and name(s) of the author(s). The heading does not contribute to the word count. The purpose of the abstract is to provide a summary of your project that will inform interested individuals of the contents. The wording must be written in a manner that any scientifically-minded individual, who may not be familiar with your topic, can understand the project's important points. The following should each be summarized in a few sentences:

a) Background information necessary to understand the abstract and its importance.

b) The problem that was investigated and your hypothesis.

c) Outline of the materials and methods used in your experimentation.

d) Summary of the results obtained from your experimentation.

e) The conclusions drawn from your results.

f) The importance or potential applications your research offers.

In your abstract do not be concerned with including all the details. The key point to remember when writing an abstract is to keep the wording brief and concise. Use complete sentences. Abstracts should only provide necessary information needed to understand the project's basic points and importance.

Please note the abstract is a brief synopsis of the pertinent techniques used and a summary of the findings, it is not the same as the report which goes into greater detail of the research process and results.

REQUIRED TILES IN PROJECTBOARD: For student registration in ProjectBoard, students will enter the usual contact information, etc. Additionally, they will have to complete some (not all) tiles shown on their ProjectBoard project page. The only tiles that are required for all District Science Days are the ISEF Forms, Completed Final Written Report and Abstract tiles. The Quad Chart and Video tiles are only required if a district wants to require one or both of them. The Quad Chart and Video tiles are required for BSEF and State Science Day.

6. Student Registration and Project Submission Informational Videos on YouTube

7.  Complete NWDSD online registration by midnight on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. There will not be a registration fee payment page included in student registration this year via ProjectBoard. The registration fee of $30 per student must be submitted through this online payment link.

SWITCHING DISTRICTS: If a student is unable to attend their assigned District Science Day on its scheduled date and would like to attend a different in-person District Science Day on a different date, that is still allowed. The guidelines for that are in the current State Science Day Guidelines. The written guidelines for switching districts need to be followed. A district is not required to accept a switch, and switching districts is NOT allowed after February 26 (the registration deadline that is discussed above).

8. Team projects are permitted for grades 5-12 at District 2 Science Day. The rules are as follows: 

  1. A team is limited to three (3) students. All students on a team must play an active role in the science experiment. Individuals should not be used solely for writing reports, making displays, etc.
  2. Each student on a team, and in attendance, will receive the district’s usual recognition.
  3. Points will be deducted for non-appearance of any team member on the day of judging.

9.  Projects will be judged by professionals and well qualified individuals in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering, and education who volunteer their time to judge on Science Day. The judges use the following criteria set by the Junior Academy Council of the Ohio Academy of Science:

-Knowledge Achieved
-Effective Use of Scientific Method*
-Clarity of Expression
-Originality and Creativity

 *If your project is in the engineering category “Uses of Engineering Design” will replace “Effective Use of Scientific Method”.

You receive between 1 and 10 points for each of the four categories. The points are summed to form a rating category. The minimum number of points for each rating is:

-Superior - 36
-Excellent  -24
-Good - 12
-Satisfactory - 4

Team projects are judged in the four above categories plus a fifth category, teamwork.

10. If you receive a "superior" at NWDSD you qualify to participate at 2024 State Science Day.

AWARDS CEREMONY - 1:30 p.m. in the Ingman Room, Thompson Student Union.  IF YOU PLAN ON GOING TO STATE SCIENCE DAY YOU WILL BE GIVEN AN ENTRY PACKET AFTER THE AWARDS ARE ANNOUNCED.  PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED WITH EACH ENTRY PACKET IMMEDIATELY AS THERE ARE IMPORTANT DEADLINES GIVEN.

Please contact Director Mark J. Camp at 419-530-2398 or mark.camp@utoledo.edu if you have problems.

Last Updated: 10/12/23