Science Fair Project

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Science Fair Project

Science fair projects combine several different tasks: an experiment that follows the scientific method, a science report, a visual display, and an oral presentation.

Task 1: Requirements

Make sure you understand the job ahead of you. Review all the guidelines you have about the science fair and verify you can answer the following questions.

When is the science fair?

Are there any guidelines governing what kinds of projects you can do?

Are there any guidelines governing your report, display, or presentation?

Task 2: Topic

Every science project starts with an observation. You see something and you wonder why it happens; or you see something and wonder if what you think caused it is true.

1. Make an observation. Think about everyday things: Flowering trees bloom in the spring, the remote control doesn’t work when someone stands between it and the television. Example: You observe that flowers growing in the shadow of your red patio umbrella seem to grow bigger than flowers in the other shady parts of the yard. You wonder if the sun shining through the red fabric of the umbrella has anything to do with it, and decide to investigate the effect of colored light on plant growth.

2. Turn your observation into a question. Make sure you find it interesting—the remainder of your work will be devoted to answering this question. Example: Do plants grow better in colored light?

Task 3: Research

Learn more about your question before getting down to planning the experiment.

1. Track down information about your question. Look for library books, periodicals, Web sites, and any other good sources of information.

2. Read, read, read. Familiarize yourself with available information related to your question. Has your question—or one similar to it—been investigated by other scientists? What did they find?

3. Talk to people with first-hand knowledge, such as science instructors at your school, your parents, your friends’ parents, or professionals working in the field of your experiment. Ask them if they can recommend research sources or have suggestions for your experiment. Example: Because your question is about plant growth, you talk to the plant specialist at the nursery.

4. Fine-tune your question to make it as specific and testable as possible. Now that you’re an expert on your topic, you have a better idea about what you’re looking for and how you’re going to find it. Example: You now know that your original question, “do flowers grow better in colored light?” is too open-ended. You narrow your question to “do marigolds grow better in red light or in green light?”

Task 4: Hypothesis

Develop your hypothesis—a statement predicting the outcome of your experiment.

1. Based on your research, predict the answer to your question—that is, make an educated guess. You know what other scientists have found, and you know the science behind their results.

Example: From your research, you know that plants perform photosynthesis more efficiently in red light than in green light. Your prediction, then, is that marigolds will grow better in red light than they will in green light.

2. Rewrite your prediction as a statement in an “if/then” form. Example: If I grow some marigolds in red light and some marigolds in green light, then the marigolds in red light will grow faster than marigolds grown in green light because plants perform photosynthesis more efficiently in red and blue wavelengths of light.

Task 5: Experiment Design

To test your hypothesis, you need to design and conduct an experiment.

1. Identify the goal of your experiment—what you want to demonstrate. Example: Your goal is to test your hypothesis—demonstrate that if you grow some marigolds in red light and some in green light, the marigolds in red light will grow faster than marigolds in green light because plants perform photosynthesis more efficiently in red and blue wavelengths of light.

2. Identify and list your variables. A variable is anything that has an effect on the outcome of your experiment. Example: You plan to grow marigolds in red and green light to see which grows faster. If you vary the color of the light, the rate of growth will vary. Other factors that could influence the rate of plant growth include soil condition and frequency of watering. You determine the variables are:

Light color

Rate of growth

Soil condition

Watering frequency

3. Design an experiment that restricts as many variables as possible. Your goal is to eliminate all but two variables—the independent variable (the one you plan to manipulate) and the dependent variable (the results that change when you manipulate the independent variable). Example: You want to grow marigolds in red and green light to see which one grows faster. Your independent variable is light color. Your dependent variable is rate of plan growth. To eliminate all the other variables (soil condition and water), you will plant them in identical potting soil and water them the same measured amount at the same time.

4. Write a procedure plan—that is, exactly how you plan to test your hypothesis. Include a detailed description of how you will control all but the dependent and independent variables, how and when you will manipulate the independent variable, and how and when you will measure the dependent variable. Example:

1. Fill two identical potting flats with potting soil from the same bag. Place 12 marigold seeds in each flat, evenly spaced. Cover with 1/4 in of potting soil. Water each with 8 ounces of water.

2. Place one flat under a flexible-arm reading lamp with a red, 60 watt light bulb. Adjust lamp so that it is 14 inches above the surface of the soil.

3. Place the other flat under a flexible-arm reading lamp with a green, 60 watt light bulb. Adjust the lamp so that it is 14 inches above the surface of the soil.

4. Turn on lamps and leave them on for the remainder of the experiment.

5. After the seeds have sprouted, number and label the plants in each flat.

6. Exactly one week after planting, measure and record the height (in millimeters) of each seedling, sprinkle each flat with 16 ounces of water.

7. Continue watering and recording measurements at regular weekly intervals for 6 weeks.

8. At the end of the 6-week period, compute weekly and final average heights of the marigolds in each group. Compare results.

5. List and gather the materials you’ll us to conduct your experiment. Example: To conduct your marigold experiment, you’ll need:

Marigold seeds (24)

Potting soil

Potting flats (2)

Lamp on flexible arm (2)

Red light bulb (1)

Green light bulb (1)

Watering can with measurement grid

Metric ruler

Paper and pen for recording data

Task 6: Experiment

1. Follow your documented procedure to the letter.

2. Collect data and record it in pen—not pencil—in your empty data tables.

3. Note—also in pen—any observations you make during your experiment. What did you see? What did you hear? Did you notice any unusual odors? Did anything interfere with your experiment or data collection?

4. You may want to take pictures or make sketches of your experiment to use in your display.

Task 7: Data analysis

Compare your results with other published data.

1. If you haven’t already done so, determine the expected outcomes of your experiment. You may need to do some research at the library or on the Internet. Your goal is to find out what should have happened during your experiment.

2. Be sure to cite any references you use—that is, jot down exactly where you found relevant information, including the title of the source, its author and publication date, and a page number if appropriate. You’ll need this information if your teacher requires you to include a list of works cited with your report. Tip: Take a few minutes now to determine what information about each source you need for your list of works cited. Knowing exactly what you need now will save you the hassle of looking up more information later.

3. Compare your results to the expected results. Are they consistent? If not, how do they differ?

Task 8: Report

Typically, science reports are organized into seven sections: purpose; hypothesis; materials; procedure; observations, results and data; conclusions; and list of works cited. There are many acceptable formats for science reports, so be sure to follow any science fair guidelines provided.

Purpose. In one or two sentences, state the goal of your experiment. To give the purpose context, include relevant background information that can serve as an introduction for the report. Example: The purpose of the experiment is to determine if marigolds grow better in red light or in green light.

Hypothesis. State your hypothesis—the original idea or theory that you believed to be true before you conducted your laboratory experiment. Typically, a hypothesis is a single sentence presented as an “if X, then Y” statement, with the “if” based on facts you know to be true and the “then” an educated guess about the lab’s outcome.

Example: If I grow some marigolds in red light and some marigolds in green light, then the marigolds in red light will grow faster than marigolds grown in green light because plants perform photosynthesis more efficiently in red and blue wavelengths of light.

Materials. List all the chemicals, tools, equipment, and other apparatus used in your experiment. Be sure to include quantities used. If appropriate, make note of any safety concerns.

Procedure. In two to three paragraphs, explain exactly how you performed the experiment. Include every step in the experiment, paying careful attention to detail. The way you conduct your experiment can dramatically affect your results. It’s likely that an educated reader, such as your teacher, will be able to tell if you omit an important detail.

Observations, results, data. Use this section to present your results—the data you collected during your experiment, presented in well-labeled tables, graphs, charts, or drawings. Also include a paragraph describing the observations you made during the experiment. What did you see? What did you hear? Did you notice any unusual odors?

Conclusions. In paragraph form, summarize your findings and explain what you learned as a result of the investigation. Do your results support or contradict your hypothesis? Why or why not? If appropriate, tell why, or how, what you learned might lead to a new hypothesis—and describe new experiments to test it.

List of works cited. If you used additional references during your experiment or while composing your lab report, you’ll need to compose a list of the sources you used in your research. In a lab report, this list is usually a separate page or pages title “Works Cited.”

1. Gather all the source information you jotted down when you were taking notes.

2. Assemble your sources into a single list, alphabetized by author’s last name. Sources that don’t have authors (encyclopedia articles, for example) should be alphabetized by title.

3. Properly format each item in your source list according to an accepted bibliographic style. One common bibliographic style is provided below, but there are many acceptable styles for bibliographies. Be sure to use the format that your teacher specified. Common Bibliographic Style

This bibliographic style follows the MLA Handbooks for Writers of Research Papers, 5th edition, written by Joseph Gibaldi and published in 1999 in New York by the Modern Language Association of America.

Book

Author Last Name, Author First Name. Book Title. Publication Location: Publisher, Publication Year.

Encyclopedia article

“Article Title,” Encyclopedia Name. Edition Year ed.

Newspaper, magazine, or journal article

Author Last Name, Author First Name. “Article Title” Publication Title Publication Date: page numbers.

Book review

Reviewer Last Name, Reviewer First Name. Rev. of Book Title by Book Author First and Last Name. Publication Location: Publisher, Publication Year.

Film, movie

Movie Title. Dir. Director First and Last Name. Studio or Distributor, Movie Release Date.

Internet source

Author Last Name, Author First Name. “Article or Page Title.” Site Name. Institution or organization affiliated with the site. <URL>.

Task 9: Final draft

1. Confirm that your report follows any guidelines for the science fair.

2. Read your report from start to finish, the way the science fair judges will. Fix any spelling errors or grammar mistakes.

3. Once you’re satisfied that your report represents your best effort, get a second opinion. Ask a science instructor, parent, or other trusted person to read your report with a critical eye and to give you feedback. Make any changes you think necessary.

4. Read the report one last time to make sure you didn’t introduce any new errors in the above step.

Task 10: Display

1. Create a design mockup. Make a rough sketch of your project and plan how you’ll convey your key concepts visually. Most science fair displays consist of a three-paneled backboard made of sturdy cardboard. Typically, displays are organized in the following way:

Left panel: Purpose, Hypothesis, Procedure

Center panel: Title, Data (illustrations/photos, tables, and charts)

Right panel: Results, Conclusions

Example: To create a mockup of your three-sided backboard, cut newsprint to the dimensions of each panel and tape them together, then map out how you will present your information on the panels.

2. Create your project using your mockup as a guide. Refer back to your project objective often to keep yourself on track. You might want to draw on the following rules of thumb about visual presentation, but don’t let convention limit your creativity too much.

Keep it simple. Too many colors or graphics will detract from the content of your display. Judges are looking for simple, professional-looking presentations.

Use contrasting colors to make your display more readable. If you’re using light-colored paper, choose a dark color for your data and text.

Draw attention to important information by drawing a border around it or using a different background color.

Give your project a professional, polished look by trimming jagged edges, securing loose pieces with glue or double-sided tape, wiping away excess glue, and erasing any pencil guidelines.

Don’t forget to check your spelling.

Task 11: Presentation

You’ve recently become an expert on everything about your project, now you need to narrow your point of focus for your presentation. The judges don’t want to hear every word of your report, or even every detail about your experiment.

1. Working from your report and display, identify the key parts of your project that you intend to present to the judges.

2. Develop an outline and list the key elements of your project that you want to convey in your presentation. Any oral presentation consists of three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

Introduction: Introduce yourself to the judges and tell them about your project purpose and hypothesis.

Body: Describe your experimental procedure and the results you achieved.

Conclusion: Restate your key results and summarize your conclusions.

3. Note in your outline which times you will refer to your display. List the key things you want to call out in the tables, sketches, and photos in your display. This will help you remember to refer to the right part of your display at the right time, even if you’re nervous.

4. Practice, practice, practice. Repeat your presentation over and over again. Give it to your family. Give it to your friends. Give it to your pets. Practice in front of a mirror. Practice in front of a camcorder. Practice in your imagination.

Time yourself to make sure your presentation fits in the allotted time.

Speak slowly, clearly, and not too softly. Be careful not to say “um” or fidget.

5. When it comes time to present your project to the judges, relax and have a good time! You’re an expert on the material and you’ve practiced your presentation relentlessly.