1. 2012-1013

2.  Be testable  Be able to be completed in the time allowed  Materials can be obtained and will not cost too much  Meet safety requirements  Be something that you can understand and can be completed with little help

3. Fifth Graders must do an individual Science fair project!

4.  This is what your experiment will be answering.  It must be testable, meaning it can be answered through hands-on investigation  A good testable questions is always about changing one thing and keeps everything else the same.  Example: Broad QuestionTestable Question How do plants grow?In which type of soil do tomato plants grow best? How does detergent work? Which detergent will remove grass stains from cotton? How do batteries work?Which brand of battery will power a toy car longer?

5. Find out all the information you need to complete the experiment. This will help you with your hypothesis. QuestionResearch In which type of soil do tomato plants grow best? How much water and sunlight do tomato plants need? How long does it take tomato plants to grow? Which detergent will remove grass stains from cotton? What is the detergent to water ratio? What is the best way to remove stains from cotton? (brush, sponge, etc) Which brand of battery will power a toy car longer? What is the average life of each type of battery?

6.  Independent- the one thing you changed in the experiment  Controlled- the things that will stay the same throughout the experiment  Dependent- the things that will change due to the independent variable

7. QuestionWhat changes?What stays the same? How will you collect data? In which type of soil do tomato plants grow best? Soil- sand, clay, and loam Tomato plant, location, treatment Measuring growth, number of tomatoes grown, number of leaves Which detergent will remove grass stains from cotton? Detergent- Tide, Gain, and Sun Grass stain and cotton fabric Pictures of the stain before and after cleaning Which brand of battery will power a toy car longer? Batteries- Energizer, Eveready, and Duracell Toy CarTime used prior to battery dying

8.  What do you think the outcome will be based on your research.  Remember a hypothesis is not always correct.  Use the words “if” and “then” and “based on the research”. QuestionHypothesis In which type of soil do tomato plants grow best? If the tomato plant is planted in loam soil then it will produce more green leaves and ripe tomatoes. This is based on the research that says tomato plants need more nutrients in the soil to grow the best plant. Which detergent will remove grass stains from cotton? If grass stains are treated with Tide detergent then the grass stain will be removed completely from the cotton. This is based on the research that there is a better concentration of detergent with Tide than the other two.

9. 1. Clarify variables 2. List materials needed and how much of each 3. List detailed steps 4. Estimate the time it will take to complete each step 5. Check Your Work- Who will read and check your writing?

10. Stain Removal Investigation Materials  3- 100% cotton cloth samples  Grass  Commercial detergent #1 - Tide  Commercial detergent #2 – Gain  Commercial detergent #3- Sun  Wash basin  Timer/stopwatch  Rubber gloves

11. Stain Remover Investigation Procedure 1. Place a grass stain approximately 4 inches in diameterrr on 100% on the cotton fabric. Prepare other identical stain samples in addition to the first sample. 2. Place 10mL of detergent on the grass stain sample. Wait 3 minutes. Scrub for 1 minute. Label this sample. Repeat this using the other 2 stain removers. 3. On the last sample, do not put on any stain remover. Leave the grass stain as is. Scrub for 1 minute. Use permanent marker to write the word grass on each sample. 4. Wash each sample using detergent and water in a basin. 5. Compare the samples to see which stain remover worked the best.

12.  Detailed notes of what is happening with your experiment.  Can be shown in a chart, graph, or table.  You can create a key to help organize your data. DetergentStain trial # 1 Stain trial # 2 Explanation Tide55Successful! Gain34 Sun12 KEY 5- Stain is gone 4- Slightly visible3- Faded 2- No change1- worse

13.  Write a descriptive caption for each picture or set pictures in a table.  Pictures can be used to backup your data finding. BeforeAfter Tide Gain Sun

14.  The conclusion should include the research, hypothesis, and outcome of your experiment.  Questions to ask yourself: ◦ What can be learned from looking at the data? ◦ How does the data relate to the original hypothesis? ◦ Did what you changed (independent variable) cause changes in the results (dependent variable)?

15.  Sketch a rough layout on paper before pasting up your display.  Leave yourself plenty of time.  If you forgot to photograph each step of your procedure, consider re-staging it now for documentation. (Some are better than none!)  Come up with a catchy title and display it prominently.  Include all required categories and content on your display.  Arrange items from left to right, from top to bottom.  Mount black & white text blocks on construction paper for contrast.  Make type large enough to read from four feet away: As a general rule, use 24 pt type for headings, 16 pt type for text blocks.  Use subheads and bullet points rather than long paragraphs of dense text.  Make sure to label the X and Y axes on all graphs, charts, & tables  Write descriptive captions for photos.

16. * Leave your display until the last minute! * Forget to spell-check/proofread * Write or draw directly on the board * Use too many fonts or fancy fonts that are hard to read * Display photos without captions * Go crazy with colors. A few bright colors are good to accentuate key elements and add pizzazz, but keep it professional * Cover every inch of your display; remember to leave some breathing room (in graphic design called “white space”) between blocks of text or graphics * Glue any 3-D objects to the display board at home. Wait until you transport the board to school, and do it there

17. Did you remember to…  Meet requirements for the Scientific Method?  Label every chart, graph, illustration, etc…?  Have captions for every photograph?  Proofread every word on your display? Ask yourself…  Is the type large enough to read from far away?  Are the lines straight?  Does the display look overly crowded? Did you add too much?  Are there any empty spaces? (Move things to balance it out.)  Did you follow all rules and guidelines?  Do you have everything you need to display your experiment?