Preparing for the Science Fair

A Guide for Students and Parents

What Do I Have to Do?

You are required to do the following: Choose a topic Develop a research or “focus” question Complete a research paper about your topic and/or

research question Write a hypothesis that answers your focus question Design and perform a controlled scientific experiment

to test your hypothesis Collect data while doing the experiment Analyze the results of your experiment through the use

of photographs, charts, tables, and graphs Write an abstract that summarizes your experiment,

results, and conclusion Create an attractive display of your work

When is this due?

Because the project will broken down into several steps, there will be several due dates

Your topic and focus question will be grades given during 1st Quarter.

The research paper and abstract are major grades for the project that will be given during 2nd Quarter.

The display board will be turned in and graded in January (3rd Quarter)

So How Do I Get Started?

The absolute hardest part of doing a Science Fair project is to figure out what your topic will be.

We will go through several activities to help you come up with a topic to do your project on this year.

Just remember, if you pick a good topic this year, you can add on to this project next year. You’ll be a step ahead of everyone else!

Where Do Ideas Come From?

Observations Be aware of things around you. You may find

a topic right in front of you. Your Interests

Sports Music Art Photography

Your Curiosity What is it that you what to know more about?

Topic Brainstorming Session Make a list of 5 topics that interest you.

These should be general topics, such as “electricity” or “plants”. Don’t be too specific at this point.

There are some things that you will not be able to experiment with according to the rules. You cannot do experiments on the following:

Bacteria Fungi Humans Vertebrate Animals (animals with a backbone)

Read through your list; remember you must eventually be able to perform an experiment on your topic.

Cross out any topics that you cannot do an experiment on. Replace any topics you remove with a new one. Let two people at your table check your topics. Make sure you both

agree that they are good topic choices. Write your final five topics on an index card. Put your name at the top. The two people who agree with your topics should sign the bottom.

These cards are your exit slips for today.

NARROWING YOUR TOPIC

You must now try to narrow your topics to a specific question that you will try to find the answer to by doing an experiment.

To narrow your topic, you must look for relationships within your topic area. For example, in the area of plants there are

relationships between plants and water, plants and sunlight, plants and fertilizer, and plants and temperature. All of these relationships are testable because one affects the other.

Relationships Practice

Let’s practice finding relationships. Remember you are looking for things that have an affect on another.

Look at the topics that you came up with on your index card. Write these topics on the “Get to the Point” worksheet. (If you did

not do an index card, write down 3-5 things you are interested in, and then do the following activity.)

For each topic, write down as many relationships that you can think of for your topics. Remember, you are looking for things that have an affect on another. Example: If your topic was “bugs”, then what are some things

that can affect bugs? Do not work on the question section of your sheet!

Need Help?

If you need help finding relationships, ask me, or ask your neighbors to help you out. You cannot be afraid to ask for help!

Asking a Question

Once you have identified the relationships involved with your topics, it is time to create questions about those relationships.

The question you write should point out a cause and effect, which will be the purpose of your experiment. For example, if the relationship between plants and

fertilizers is chosen, this question could be asked, “Will fertilizer ‘x’ or fertilizer ‘y’ cause petunias to grow taller?”

Your research questions should be written as a question that cannot be answered with “yes” or “no”.

Writing Research Questions

On your “Get to the Point” worksheet, write 1-2 possible research questions for each topic.

Make sure these questions go along with the relationships that you have written.

Again, if you need help, ask .

Research Question

Look over your list of research questions. Cross out any that you cannot reasonably

test. On the “Research Questions” worksheet,

write down your top two choices of questions to investigate.

Purpose of a Science Fair Project

The purpose of a science fair project is

to give you a chance to explore the

world on your on, just as a scientist

would. It represents your solution to a question or

problem.

Scientific Method

All science fair projects must follow the scientific method.

The steps of the scientific method are: Ask a question Develop a hypothesis Test the hypothesis Analyze data from the experiment Form a conclusion Communicate the results

General Tips

Follow the schedule given to you closely. Make sure things are ready before they are

due. Don’t wait until the last minute. Be creative with the title of your project. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Your teachers

are more than willing to help you with your project.

Have Fun!

Time to Look for Information

Now that you have a topic and a focus question, you need to find out as much about your topic as you can. This will help to determine your hypothesis, the answer to the focus question.

How to Research

Once you have your topic and focus question, you need to think about where to find information about your topic, as well as your independent and dependent variables.

Sources of information: depending on your topic, you may find information in the following places: People who are experts on your topic; places that

study your topic; books; magazines; newspaper articles; websites; computer programs; videos

How to Research

When you have identified sources of information, it is time to write down all important information that you find.

Things to remember: Always have paper on hand to write down

notes Have change to make copies All notes need to be in your own words. DO

NOT COPY STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE! IT IS AGAINST THE LAW!!

How to Research

To keep your research organized, only use one sheet of paper for each source.

Keep all of your research and project information in a separate notebook.

Before you write down the information about your topic, make sure to give credit to your source.

Giving Credit:Information About Your Sources If you interview someone, tell their first and last name, their

occupation, and the date of the interview. If you use any printed material, give the first and last name of

the author; the title of the work; the volume or page number; the publisher; city of publication; and the date of publication.

If you use an Internet site, write down the title of the site, date of retrieval, and the web address.

Encyclopedias typically have the same information. Therefore, you may use only one encyclopedia as a source of information. Choose the one that has the best and most information about your topic.

If you use anything else as a source, ask your teacher how to give credit for that source.

How Many Sources Do You Need?

Just remember, the more information you get, the better your report will be.

You should have at least 3 sources of information, only 1 can be an encyclopedia (including on-line and computer program encyclopedias).

Writing Your Report

Now you are ready to write a short report about your topic, the variables, and how they interact with each other.

Put all the information together that you have collected.

Besides, reporting the information that you have found, you need to explain why this information is important to other people.

Writing Your Report

This report should be at least 5 paragraphs long. Your report must include a title page and works cited

page. This report should not contain the words “I”, “me”, or

“my”. Make sure your report is neatly written or typed,

contains no spelling errors, and is free of grammatical errors. Ask your teacher or another adult to check for you if you are not sure.

Create Your Title Page

Your title page should include the following information:

Do not put your name on the report. Your name and your teacher’s name will only be placed on the back of your display board.

Title of Topic (Do not include the word “title”) Date (Just put the date. Example: January 31, 2010) School Name ( _____ Middle School)

Create Your Works Cited

The works cited is the list of sources that you used to write your report.

The sources should be arranged in alphabetical order.

Even if you only used one sentence from a source, you have to list that source in your bibliography.

Put the Report Together

When you are finished, your report needs to be in the following order:

1. Title Page

2. Report (at least 5 paragraphs)

3. Works Cited

Ready to Experiment?(Not Just Yet!) Now that you have finished your initial report

on your topic, you have enough information to answer the focus question you created earlier.

Before you experiment, there are a few things that need to be done.

Write Your Hypothesis

Change your focus question to an if/then statement. Think about what you learned in your research

to help you create the if/then statement. This is your hypothesis. You will now design an experiment to see if

your hypothesis is correct.

Hypothesis Practice

EXAMPLE RESEARCH QUESTION: What are the affects of colored light on plant growth?

Now, change this to and “if/then” statement. If plants are given green light, they will produce taller

plants. Now, practice with your research question.

My question is: ____________________________________?

My hypothesis is:

____________________________________ .

Planning Your Experiment

Think of your experiment like a recipe. You need times, sizes, amounts, and a series of steps to follow.

You must also remember that your experiment should be testing only the variables that are in your hypothesis.

Sample Experimental Procedure

Materials Needed:8 pink impatiens in 6” pots, water, plant food, 60 watt incandescent bulbs (2 each clear, red, green, blue); 8 lamps each attached to a timer; metric ruler; potting soil; measuring cup

For all Plants:Each plant will be given the same amount of soil, food, and water as they are potted. Place each of the plants under a lamp in the same room. Each lamp should have a different colored bulb in it. The timer will need to be set so that all the lamps will be on for the same 12 hours each day. The plants will be given 12 ounces of water every other day at 5:00 p.m.

Sample Experimental Procedure

Measurement: Each plant’s height will be measured after it is

potted. Record the time when the measurement is

made. Exactly 7 days later, measure the height (in

centimeters) of each plant again. Repeat this procedure for 4 weeks

Identify Your Variables

Independent Variable – you identified this earlier. It was the “cause” in your focus question.

Dependent Variable –you identified this earlier. It was the “effect” in your focus question.

Constant Variables –these are the things that will be kept the same to make sure that the test is fair.

Control –this is the part of the experiment that has an absence of the independent variable

Identifying Variable Practice

Sample hypothesis: If exposed to green light, plants will grow taller.

The independent variable is green light. You are in control of what color light the plant receives.

The dependent variable is the height of the plants. This is the part that you are measuring.

The constant variables are the amount of light, amount of soil, amount of water, type of plant, etc… These are the things that must remain the same for both

plants. The control set up will be a plant that is given white light (the

light from a light bulb or the sun). You must have a control setup in order to have something to

compare your experimental setup.

Plan Your Procedure Be exact Write each direction on a new line.

Don’t forget to include how often measurements will be taken.

Only use metric measurements Make sure you have 1 control set up and at least 3 other

experimental setups. In our example, a plant given white light is the control.

The experimental setups will be the ones where you change the independent variable. In our example, one plant will be given green light. You may

also have a plant given red light, and another given blue. Remember to repeat your experiment several times to get

accurate results. In this example, instead of repeating the experiment, just

use more than one plant for each setup.

Materials

Before you begin, make a list of all the materials needed to do the experiment, as well as those needed for the display.

Obtain all necessary materials. If necessary, build any items needed for the

experiment. Read your procedure again to make sure you have

everything needed to begin the experiment. (Don’t forget paper and a pencil to record measurements!)

Begin Your Experiment

Read your procedure again. Perform your experiment. Make sure to follow your procedure exactly. Do the experiment many times. Don’t forget…do not change anything about

your constant variables. They have to remain the same throughout the experiment.

Record Results

While you are performing your experiment, you must record not only the measurements that your take, but also any observations that you make. In our example, measure how high the plants are

before you start the experiment. These results will be recorded in your log book. Each

time you take a measurement, you must record it in a log book.

Take pictures as you do your experiment. Make sure, though, that your pictures do not include your face.

Again, repeat your experiment several times. In our example, you should record measurements for

at least 4 weeks.

Data Tables

Once you have completed your experiment, use your log book to create data tables for the measurements that you took.

Your data tables should reflect what happened to your dependent variable when the independent variable was changed.

Sample Data Table

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

White 1 15cm 16cm 16cm 16.5cm

White 2 20cm 21cm 21.5cm 22.3cm

Green 1 16cm 16cm 18cm 18.1cm

Green 2 15cm 15.5cm 17cm 19cm

Red 1 17cm 17cm 18.4cm 18.5cm

Red 2 16cm 16.1cm 16.5cm 17cm

Blue 1 20cm 20cm 23cm 23.5cm

Blue 2 21cm 22cm 22.3cm 22.8cm

Charts and Graphs Now that you have your data organized into table form, you are

ready to create a picture of your data. You need to take the information in your data table and create a

chart or graph of the information. You need to have a copy of your graphs, charts, and data table

for both your experiment write-up and your display board. Remember:

Circle (pie) Charts show percentages Bar Graphs compares items Line Graphs show how the dependent variable changed with

the independent variable You need to have a copy of your graphs, charts, and data table

for both your experiment write-up and your display board.

Sample Graph

Growth of Plants

0

5

10

15

20

25

White 1 White 2 Green 1 Green 2 Red 1 Red 2 Blue 1 Blue 2

Color of Light

Heig

ht

(cm

)

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Sample GraphTotal Growth of Plants

0

5

10

15

20

25

White 1 White 2 Green 1 Green 2 Red 1 Red 2 Blue 1 Blue 2

Color of Light

Gro

wth

(cm

) Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Total Grow th (cm)

Sample Graph

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Average Height Gain (cm)

White Green Red Blue

Color of Light

Average Growth

Series1

Draw Your Conclusion

Your conclusion should: Tell what happened in the experiment Tell if your hypothesis was supported by the

results Answer questions that came up during the

experiment State any other information discovered during the

experiment.

Sample Conclusion

In the experiment, the plants, on average, grew taller if they were given the blue light. I thought that the green light would cause taller growth. This surprised me because chlorophyll is green. I thought the green light would make it easier for the plants to do photosynthesis, which would make them grow taller.

Writing an Abstract

Now that your experiment is complete, the results analyzed, and a conclusion made, you must write an abstract that will be included in both the experiment write-up and the display.

The abstract needs to answer the following questions:

1. What did you investigate?2. Why did you choose this topic?3. What was your hypothesis?4. How was your hypothesis supported by research?5. How did you test your hypothesis?6. What were your results?7. Did your results agree with your hypothesis?

Writing Your Abstract

The abstract is a summary of your entire project.

It should be at least 200 words, but not more than 500. (Make sure it is ½ to 1 page in length).

It is okay to use the word I in the abstract.

Sample Abstract

For my experiment, I chose to investigate how the color of light affects the growth of plants. I chose this topic because I like to garden, and I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to make my plants grow better. I thought that green light would make the plants grow taller. In my experiment, I tested 8 impatiens. My control setup was 2 plants that received white light. I had 4 experimental setups: 2 with green light, 2 with red light, and 2 with blue light. After doing my research, I found that blue light actually made the plants grow taller. The results for average growth were: white, 1.9cm; green, 3.05cm; red, 1.75cm; and blue 3.15 cm. The results for the green and blue were very close. This makes me wonder if I ran the experiment long enough or if I used enough plants to get accurate results.

Experimental Write-Up

You now need to make a report about your experiment. Like the initial report, you need to type this, or write it neatly in

pen. You need to put your write-up in the following order:

1. Title page (follow same rules as before)2. Abstract3. Table of Contents (Label this)4. Introduction (Label this) –this tells why the topic was chosen

and states its importance to other people5. Research –this is a copy of your research paper (make sure

your name is not on this copy

Experimental Write-Up

6. Focus Question7. Hypothesis8. Experimental Procedure9. Identification of Variables10. Materials List11. Number of Setups12. Description of Setups13. Data Collection –tell how data was collected as well as what data

(measurements) were collected14. Results15. Conclusion16. Pictures17. Diagrams18. Graphs/Charts of Data19. Acknowledgements –thank everyone who helped you with your experiment20. Bibliography

Prepare Your Display Your display should be neat, attractive, colorful, and well

organized. Size: Projects can be no larger than 30 inches (76 cm) deep; 48

inches (122 cm) wide; and 108 inches (274 cm) high from the bottom to the top of the project.

See handout for a sample of how to set up your display board. Important: Sketch out your display before you actually put it

together. Make sure everything is spelled correctly on your display! Your name and your teacher’s name should only be on the

back of your display board. Please put this on a small piece of paper and attach it to the back of your display board.

Project Display Set-Up

Rules About the Display

Items not allowed on display board: Living organisms, including plants Preserved animals Human or animal food Plant materials (living or dead) Water Lab/household chemicals Controlled substances, including tobacco Hazardous devices Sharp items Flames

Rules About the Display

All displayed photos, whether taken by the student or family member, or taken from the internet or a book, must have a credit line. (“Photo taken by”/ “Photo from”)

If the display requires electricity, you must supply a proper extension cord.

All display items must be contained within the space of the display board. Nothing should hang to the floor or past the front of the

display.

Finished?

Once your display is complete, double check to make sure you have everything ready to turn in.

If your teacher allows you, turn it in as soon as you finish. Don’t wait until the due date. Things can, and usually do happen, on the due date. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Questions

If you have any questions, please contact your Science teacher.