Overview
For upper primary school students, the curriculum is more geared towards basic exposure to research. These workshops will introduce students to the fundamentals of research, such as how to formulate research questions, develop hypotheses, and understand basic data analysis techniques. Through live experiment demonstrations and hands-on activities, students will gain practical experience in the scientific process. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to conduct mini research projects over the course of a few sessions, allowing them to experience the joy of research firsthand. At the end, students will engage in a simple “oral defense” by presenting their project to the class, similar to how real scientists would present their research findings. This helps to develop not only scientific skills but also soft skills such as effective communication and presentation.
Introduction to Scientific Research
- Why do people do research? What kind of real-world problems are people trying to address?
- Research Process
- Basic Data Analysis and visualization techniques
Personal Sharing
- Some personal sharing on our research experience (physics, computing, chemistry)
- Some advice on how students can look for research mentorship in the future
Experiment Showcase
Data Analysis and Visualization
- Concept of precision and accuracy, duplicates and random errors
- Different components of a graph (x-label, y-label, data points, trend line, error bars, etc.)
- Different kinds of graphs (bar graph, pie chart, 3D graph, etc.)
- Students will be tasked to carry out simple experiments (e.g., polarizing filter, measure light intensity against angle), collect data, plot graphs, and choose the mathematical expression that fits the trend best.