Over the last 100 years, our understanding of the world has evolved tremendously. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the idea of plate tectonics had not been developed, we believed that the Milky Way galaxy was the entire universe, and we never imagined that our planet's plant and animal life might one day become extinct. Today, we know that plate tectonics is a major force that shapes Earth's surface, that the universe stretches far beyond our galaxy, and that the biodiversity of Earth's living things is of critical importance to not only human survival, but also to the continued function of the Earth system.

Each year Museum scientists endeavor to gain more knowledge about these and other subjects. They travel across the planet to places as far away as the Falkland Islands and as close as Central Park in New York City. These scientists observe, collect, and document what they find. Their observations are recorded in field journals that they can refer to again and again long after the expeditions are over. With each careful, detailed field study, scientists add to the existing body of knowledge. Many months and sometimes years later, scientists are still analyzing the information they gathered on their expeditions, and communicating their findings with other scientists and with the public.

You are Invited!
You too can join with scientists in exploring the world around you. The Young Naturalist Awards program invites you to plan and conduct your own scientific expedition that will provide original data, questions, and observations on a topic in the natural sciences. You are not expected to make a new scientific discovery. However, your expedition should provide you with a new understanding about the question you investigated. Tell us about your expedition in an essay that includes artwork and/or photographs that help to illustrate your findings. To learn more about the projects you can do, see: Selecting and Planning a Project.

Essays must be mailed to the Museum between June 1, 2003 and January 9th, 2004. A panel of judges will review each essay and twelve winners, two from each grade, will be chosen. The winning essays will be published. Winners will receive cash scholarship awards. In addition, each winner and a parent or guardian will be invited to take an expenses-paid trip to New York City to attend an awards ceremony at the Museum. There they will meet Museum scientists and participate in a behind-the-scenes tour. For more information regarding the awards and eligibility see: Contest Guidelines.

Selecting and Planning a Project

Go On Your Own Expedition!
You can plan your own scientific expedition whether you live in a big city, a small town or in the country. You do not have to travel to a faraway place. Your expedition can be to a local area, such as a park, lake, stream, beach or woodlands. You can take an expedition to your backyard or through the lens of a telescope as you look at the planets and stars. Your expedition is a journey into the natural world where you will investigate a question that you have or a question that you may uncover. Choose one of the following areas to investigate: biology, Earth science, or astronomy.

Choosing a Question to Investigate
You may already have a topic you would like to investigate. Perhaps you're curious about the mushrooms that seem to suddenly appear in your backyard or about whether an invasive plant is crowding out native species in your area. You may have noticed that the population of fish in a nearby pond seems to be dwindling and wondered why. Maybe you want to know how the mountain you can see from your window formed or about the role of erosion in shaping your environment. Perhaps you are interested in observing the moon or nearby galaxies. These are all good topics to investigate.

Question: What if I know a good place to go on an expedition, but I don't have a question to investigate?

You may have a good idea of where you'd like to go to do your investigation, but not a clear idea of what your topic or question will be. For example, suppose there is a marsh nearby. A marsh would be a good place for an expedition, but maybe you haven't formulated a question you want to answer. In that case, visit the marsh and bring along a journal. Take notes and make drawings in your journal. Document what you observe (see, hear, smell, feel). Write down any questions that you have. After your visit, look over your journal. Perhaps you noticed a large amount of trash or an oil slick on the water. You might want to investigate what affect the trash and oil slick have on the plants and animals of the marsh. Perhaps you wonder what factors determine the health of a marsh. You could identify these factors and create an experiment or conduct research to determine whether the area is healthy or not. Maybe you noticed that an animal or plant species had been introduced into the marsh and wondered if and/or how this introduced species would affect the biodiversity of the marsh. These are all good questions to investigate. Remember, you may not come up with a topic on the first visit. You may have to make several visits before you find a good question to investigate.

Planning Your Expedition
Plan how you will investigate your topic.

Formulate a hypothesis: Once you have a question, the next step is usually to formulate a hypothesis. A hypothesis is simply the best guess you can make with the information you have. Why do you think something is the way it is? For example, suppose your question is "Why is the fish population in Parker Lake dwindling?" Your hypothesis might be: "I believe the fish population is dwindling because industrial waste is polluting the lake and killing off the fish." The hypothesis is an important part of your research because it will help you direct your investigation.

Visiting your site: You will need to visit your site to observe and collect data. In some cases, you may be visiting several sites. For example, if you were comparing two different environments, such as a lake and a pond. The number of times you visit your site or the sites you select will depend on the type and nature of the data you need to collect. Each time you visit, bring along a journal and any other research tools you may need, such as, binoculars, compass, small thermometer to read the temperature, camera, colored pencils.

Recording information: Keeping a field journal is a helpful way of noting your expedition activities, observations, and questions. You may also use the journal to make drawings or to record data in charts to help keep your information organized. Photographs of your site or of specimens you find is another good way of collecting data. For more information see: How to Keep a Field Journal.

Outside Research: The information you collect at your site may not provide you with all the information you need. Plan to do research in the library or on the internet to find more information about your topic. This will help you put your observations in context. You can also conduct interviews with experts in the field to gain more knowledge about your topic. It is very important to document your research. Write down the title, author, publisher and publication date of every book you consult. Note the pages that you read. Write down the Web site addresses of the sites you visit. You will need to cite these sources in your bibliography. For more information see: How to Write a List of References.

Analyzing Data and Drawing Conclusions: When your expedition is over, look at your data: observations, measurements, sketches, photographs, notes, and the information you gathered from outside resources. Use all this information to formulate a theory in response to your question. Make sure your data supports your theory, and that your theory references the sources you consulted in your research. For example, suppose that through your research you discovered that Parker Lake was not being polluted by industrial waste, but by the fertilizer run-off from nearby farms. That would be your theory and you would use the data you collected to support or prove your findings.

Question: I collected data and did outside research, but my findings do not support a strong theory. Now what do I do?

That happens, even to the best scientists. Even if you can't formulate a theory, you can still draw a conclusion. Your conclusion can be that your findings were inconclusive and that you need to do further research. You might analyze the research you did and identify how it was flawed. Then explain how you would refine your research methods. Also include any new questions that arose during your investigation.

Presenting Your Findings
Present your findings in a narrative essay

In this scientific narrative essay combine the story of your personal expedition with sound facts, detailed observations, and insightful questions. Take the reader along with you as you explore your topic. What was the question you wanted to answer? What procedures did you follow in trying to answer the question? How did your expedition unfold? What evidence did you find? What theories did your data support? What conclusions did you draw? Were any questions left unanswered? What further research would you do to try to answer these questions?

Your essay may also include excerpts from your field journal.

Writing Your Essay
Now you are ready to share your data, experiences and findings. As you write your essay, keep the following points in mind.

• Personal voice Tell about your expedition in your own words with your own unique style.
• Clarity Your ideas should follow a logical progression. Your procedures, research, documentation of findings and conclusions should be presented with a clear and consistent focus and progression.
• Grammar Check that grammar and sentence structure are correct. Check spelling.
• Proper citing of sources If you use materials from other sources you must credit them properly. If you quote a source you must use quotation marks and cite the source. For more information see: Avoid plagiarism!
• Presentation All entries must be typed and submitted on 8.5" x 11" paper. All artwork and photos must be submitted on 8.5" x 11" paper. All charts and graphs should be clearly labeled and referenced in the text of your essay. Neatness counts! For more information see Contest Guidelines.

How Will My Essay Be Judged?
Your essay will be judged along with essays submitted by students in your grade. Judges will grade your essay according to the following categories and guidelines.

Science (70 points)

Focus of Investigation 15 points Judges look for an interesting and original topic. The topic does not have to be original to the science community, just new to you. It should be a topic that excites you, one that motivates you to investigate it. Examining the microhabitat of pinecones, identifying the aspen as a keystone species, and exploring streams to determine the needs of salmon are just some examples of interesting and original topics. Check out the winning essays of previous years to see the topics students chose and how they focused their investigation.

Procedure 20 points Judges look for strong, solid and thorough science. The investigation should be conducted according to a scientific procedure. The question and methods for investigating the question should be clearly defined. Data should be gathered and recorded using a clearly described and defended methodology. In some cases, a control group might be required to validate your findings.

Analysis and Interpretation 20 points Judges look for a clear analysis and interpretation of your data. Your theory should be supported by your observations, and the data you collected. You may use information gathered from outside sources (i.e., internet, encyclopedia, scientific journals and books) to learn more about your topic and to help you formulate your theory. If your findings are not conclusive you should discuss ways you might change your procedure and you should include questions for further research.

Documentation of Research Materials 15 points The resources you use should be documented in the bibliography. If you quote a source, you MUST give proper credit. Judges look for well-documented books, periodicals and internet sources. Interviews may also be listed in the bibliography. It is best to use a variety of sources, not just internet sources or school textbooks. References must be properly listed, see How to Write a List of References.

Writing and Presentation (30 points)

Personal Voice 10 points Judges look for an interesting, engaging essay told in your own words. Here are two examples:

7th grade: I have lived around Saguaro cactuses all my life. I have seen this cactus in all its different shapes and sizes. They can grow to be almost 80 feet tall and weigh as much as several tons. Knowing that the saguaro cactus commonly lives to be about 200 years old, I realized that all these different shapes and sizes must represent the cactus at its various stages of life. I then began to wonder, what are the stages of life of the saguaro cactus?

11th grade: Beyond the beaver dam in the valley, two tremendous ancient aspens spread their gnarled limbs in a high protective canopy over me and the other smaller members of the grove. Their trunks are studded with sets of claw marks ascending to the level of the first branches. A black bear once climbed these ramets to scent marks its territory, digging its claws into the periderm for a firm hold.

Clarity and Style 10 points Judges look for clear and consistent focus in your writing and a logical progression of ideas. Good grammar, word choice and usage, and correct punctuation and sentence structure must be used.

Use of Visuals 10 points Judges look for illustrations, photographs, maps and other visuals that support and add depth to the information in the essay. Visuals must be properly labeled. The support material must be student created drawings, maps, charts and/or graphs. Excerpts from field journals are also acceptable. Photographs must be taken by the students. Visuals will be more effective if they are clearly labeled, and if they are referenced in the text. Accuracy, neatness, paper format, and presentation are also considered.