TYPES OF PROJECTS MAY INCLUDE:
Models
Collections
Observations
Demonstrations
Experiments
Research
NOTE: Please DO NOT bring live animals or precious objects.
A SUCCESSFUL SCIENCE PROJECT:
1.Represents the student’s work - not that of an expert or parent
2.Indicates an understanding of the science area chosen
3.Shows careful planning
4.May have a notebook showing a complete record of all work completed
5.Has a simple, well-stated title and neat lettering
6.Includes photographs, charts, pictures, graphs, etc. that may be necessary to explain the project
7.Has accurate, valid and correct observations
8.Allows the audience to follow the project from beginning to end
9.Is original in approach and presentation
10.Is self-explanatory
11.Is attractive and organized
12.Does not have to cost much money
A CHECK LIST FOR DEVELOPING A SUCCESSFUL SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT
GETTING STARTED
—Choose a topic
1. Think about different aspects of nature and the world.
2. Look through books or magazines for topics of interest to you.
3. Read science project idea books in library.
—State the purpose of the project in one to three sentences.
1. Complete the following sentence: The purpose of this project is to . . . .
DOING THE PROJECT
—Research
1. Find books, magazines, encyclopedias and any other source of information.
2. Talk to parents or people that work at jobs in your topic area.
—Plan and carry out your project
1. For models, collections, observations and demonstrations, decide what you’d like to share: then, determine the best way to explain it.
2. For an experiment or research project, the following steps of the scientific method may be helpful.
Stating the Question:
What is it that you are trying to find out from your experiment? What is it that you are trying to achieve?
Research Your Topic: Investigate what others have already learned about your question. Gather information that will help you perform your experiment.
State Your Hypothesis: After having thoroughly researched a topic, you should have some prediction about what you think will happen in your experiment. This educated guess concerning the outcome is called your hypothesis. You must state your hypothesis in a way that you can readily measure.
Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment: Now that you have come up with a hypothesis, you need to develop a procedure for testing whether it is true or false. This involves changing one variable and measuring the impact that this change has on other variables. When you are conducting your experiment, you need to make sure that you are only measuring the impact of a single change. Scientists run experiments more than once to verify that results are consistent. Each time that you perform your experiment is called a run or a trial.
Analyze Your Results: At this stage, you want to be organizing and analyzing the data that you have collected during the course of your experiment in order to summarize what your experiment has shown you.
Draw Your Conclusion: This is your opportunity to explain the meaning of your results. Did your experiment support your hypothesis? Does additional research need to be conducted? How did your experiment address your initial question and purpose?
Report Your Results and Conclusion: Since you are performing an experiment for the science fair, you will write a report and prepare a display board so that others can share in your discoveries. Throughout the process of doing your project, you should keep a journal containing all of your important ideas and information. This journal is called a laboratory notebook.
COMPLETING YOUR PROJECT
—The following information should be considered for the display or a written report.
1. Explanation of the topic or question and your reasons for selecting it.
2. List of materials and methods used. (Tell what you did.)
3. Observations and results? (What did you find out?)
4. Conclusions. (What is the answer to your original question or purpose?)
5. Limitations. (Explain possible sources of experimental error.)
6. Bibliography. (List your sources of information.)
7. Acknowledgments. (Thank the people who helped you.)
Finally, remember to practice talking about your project with your family and friends. You will have the opportunity to share the results of your project with an evaluator on the day of the science fair!
HAVE FUN AND GOOD LUCK!