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Science Fair Projects

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Topic

Select a topic that can be answered only by you experimenting

Write your topic as a question to be investigated 1

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Selecting a Topic

• Help in finding a topic:– READ in books, magazines, newspapers– Talk to your teacher, family, friends– Visit professional people, museums, zoos,

• Select a topic you know nothing about.

• Select a topic that you know something about but want to investigate further

• Select a topic that genuinely interests you.2

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Good Topic Bad Topic• Do different colored

mints dissolve at the same rate?

• What surfaces do mealworms prefer?

• Do all brands of paper towels absorb water at the same rate? 3

• How volcanoes erupt.

• Microscopes

• do different brands of paper towels soak up different temperatures of water at the same rate?

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Purpose

• One to three sentences that explains why you are doing this investigation. The purpose can be stated like this:

–“The purpose of this project is …”• If your purpose is well worded, you will have

little difficulty writing a title for your project.

4

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Hypothesis• A hypothesis states what you think is

going to happen when you investigate a question.– Question: Does light affect the way plants grow?

• Hypothesis 1: Plants will grow toward the light• Hypothesis 2: Plants will grow away from the light.• Hypothesis 3: Light will make no difference in the

way plants will grow.– Choose one hypothesis you believe will work for your tests.

5

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Procedures

• Materials

• Variables

• Step by Step directions

6

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MaterialsGood Listing Poor Listing

• 3- 15x 15 cm sq each of: Brawney, Gala, Scott, Generic paper towels

• 250 ml graduated beaker

• 750 ml water at 20 0 C

• 1- 20x20 cm sq cake pan

• Celsius Thermometer• Clock with second hand

7

• Paper towels

• measuring cup

• water

• container

• thermometer

• clock

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VariablesThere are three types of variables

• Independent Variable (Manipulated)- – What you change on purpose in an investigation

– The factor being tested

• Dependent Variable (Responding)- – What changes by itself because you changed something in your

investigation

– How you measure your results

• Control Variables- – Everything else in your investigation must be held constant

– Kept the same.

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Examples of Variables• Question: Do all brands of paper towels absorb the

same amount of water?– Independent Variable: Brands of paper towels– Dependent Variable: Amount of water that is

absorbed by each towel.– Variables held Constant:

– Size of paper towel, – Amount of water poured on each towel– Temperature of the water used– Container towels are placed in– Method of pouring

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Step-by-Step Directions

• Your step-by-step directions are like a recipe. Anyone who reads them will be able to duplicate your investigation and get the same results.

• Example: Question: Do all brands of paper towels absorb the same amount of water?

• 1. Cut 3- 15x15 cm sq from each brand of paper towels

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• 2. Label each cut piece with brand name• 3. Pour 50 ml of 20 o C water into 20x20 cm sq pan• 4. Place 1 square of Generic brand paper towel into

water and pan• 5. Leave for 30 seconds• 6. Remove paper towel• 7. Measure water remaining in pan and record• 8. Dry cake pan• 9. Repeat steps 4- 8 for each brand of paper towel• 10. Repeat entire process twice more for each brand

of paper towels– note: minimum of 3 trials

Step-by-Step Directions

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Data/ Logbook

• Data refers to information gathered during your investigation. Writing in a notebook is the most convenient way to keep a log.

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Data cont.• 1. A list of all materials used

• 2. Notes on all preparations you made prior to starting your investigation

• 3. Information about the resources you use (books, people, libraries, museums, universities, on-line websites, etc.)

• 4. Detailed day-by-day notes on the progress of your project

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Data cont.• What you are actually doing

• Problems you have with your investigation

• Things you would change if you were doing this investigation again

• 5. Any drawings that you feel might help explain your work

• 6. Data that you gather from your investigation (notes, tables, charts, graphs)

• Be sure that you date each entry in your log.

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Science Fair Projects

Part 2

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Data/Log BookData refers to information gathered during your

investigation. • List all materials used• Notes on all preparations you made prior to starting your

investigation• Information about the resources you use (books, people,

libraries,etc)• Detailed day by day notes on the progress of your project• Any drawings that you feel might explain your work• Data that you gather from your investigation (notes, tables, charts,

graphs)• Be sure that you date each entry in your log

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LabelingB1 B4 B7

B2 B5 B8

B3 B6 B9

7/2 7/4 7/6 7/8

B1 1 3 4 6

B2 2 3 6 8

B3 2 4 7 8

B4 3 6 7 8

TOTAL 8 16 24 30

AVG 2 4 6 7.5

A1 A4 A7

A2 A5 A8

A3 A6 A9

7/2 7/4 7/6 7/8

A1 2 4 5 7

A2 3 5 8 9

A3 2 3 4 5

A4 3 4 5 5

TOTAL 10 16 22 26

AVG 2.5 4.0 5.5 6.5

Control Group A Experimental Group B

AVERAGINGDATESDATES

PLA

NTS/W

EIG

HT (

cm)

PLA

NTS/H

EIG

HT (

cm)

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GraphsThere are two main types of graphs.

BAR GRAPH

A BAR GRAPH IS USED TO DISPLAY DATA THAT DOES NOT OCCUR IN A CONTINUOUS MANNER

LINE GRAPH

A LINE GRAPH IS USED TO DISPLAY DATA THAT OCCURS IN A CONTINUOUS MANNER

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MAKING A GRAPHTITLE

Depend

ent

vari

able

Y (

Vert

ical axis

)

Independent Variable X (Horizontal Axis)

Title: the title is a short description of the data being displayed

should include dependent and independent variables

Horizontal Axis (x)- The Independent Variable (Manipulated Variable) what you changed on purpose is displayed on the horizontal axis

Vertical Axis (y): The dependent variable ( Responding Variable) what happened as a result of what you changed is displayed on the vertical axis

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Graph/Spacing• Plan your graph so

that your data will be evenly distributed across the horizontal and vertical axes.

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Conclusions• Your conclusions should include:

– Statement of support or non-support of the original hypothesis

• The results of this project ________ the original hypothesis.

– Description of any problems or unusual events that occurred during your investigation.

– What would you do differently next time.– Revised hypothesis (if data did not support your

original hypothesis)

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Writing a Conclusion• Before you write your conclusions, carefully examine all

your data (graphs, charts, tables).• Ask yourself these questions:

– Did you get the results you expected to get? If not, how were the results different?

– Were there any unexpected problems or occurrences that may have affected the results of your investigation?

– Do you think you collected sufficient data? (Were there enough trials? Samples?)

– Do I need to revise my original hypothesis? (If you write a revised hypothesis, DO NOT use it to replace your original hypothesis for this project!)

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Conclusions• Questions: Do all brands of paper towels absorb the same

amount of water?

• Hypothesis: The cheaper the paper towel the less water it will absorb.

• Conclusion: The data collected does not support the original hypothesis. The cheapest paper towel (generic) did not absorb the least amount of water. The higher priced paper towel (Brawny) did not absorb the most. The revised hypothsis is the price of the paper towels does not affect the amount of water absorbed.

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Absorbency of Paper Towels

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PROJECT BOARD SET UP

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

METHODS

RESULTS

CONCLUSIONS

PURPOSE

TITLE OF PROJECT

DATA TABLE #1

MATERIALS

PROCEDURES