Glenn Hills Elementary School January 9, 2018

Science Fair Success A Guide To Making Science Fair An Enjoyable Experience For Teachers, Students, and Families

Purpose of Science Fair Problem Solving - Students use the scientific method to make predictions, then experiment to collect and record qualitative and quantitative data observations. Critical Thinking - Students compare, contrast and analyze their data citing the evidence that justifies their claims, explanations and conclusions.

Benefits of Science Fair Build critical thinking skills Time management Improved reading comprehension skills Enhance research skills Communication skills Possible scholarships Monetary prizes Increased self-confidence Increased scientific knowledge Use on a college application

Expectations It is expected that every student will complete a science fair project . The scientific method will be followed. A research plan must be submitted prior to beginning any project. Students must complete a research paper summarizing what was done in the experiment and analysis of the data. A backboard display must be created.

Starting a Science Project: Steps to Science Fair Success

Model The Process Present the scientific method of inquiry as the process for science fair investigation. Focus on the steps involved in completing a science fair project board.

Choose a Topic Title Purpose Pick a topic that: Will be interesting. You will be able to complete in time. Title Choose a title that reflects your topic and is in the form a question Ex: How does caffeine affect the growth of a plant? Purpose Write 1 to 3 sentences describing what you want to find out in this project. Ex: The purpose of this project is to find out if a pea plant will grow taller when given caffeine rather than water.

Research

Hypothesis Make your guess Use your research to make an educated guess about how you think your experiment will turn out. Use the “ If I __________ then I think _____”format

Procedure Write down step-by-step directions on how to do your experiment. Do not leave anything out! Record data in your record book.

Materials Do your experiment. Make a complete list of everything you will use in your experiment. Tell how many and how much of each object used. Use metric measures only. Do your experiment.

Make Charts and Graphs Display data using charts, tables, and graphs. Choose the correct graphs for your data. Bar-comparison Pie-percentage Line-change/time

Results Using your data write a few sentences how your experiment turned out.

Conclusion Write down why you think your experiment turned out the way it did, include if your hypothesis was supported or not. Be sure to use the term “ My hypothesis was/was not supported. Do not say I was right/wrong. Even when your hypothesis was not supported you gain information about your topic. Use scientific reasoning for conclusion.

Future Considerations Tell what variable you would change if you could do the experiment again. Tell how you might take your experiment to the next step.

Make your Board

Make a timeline and stick to it. Bringing It Together Keys for success: Make a timeline and stick to it. Get Organized . Get your procedure approved before starting. Use science tools, take measurements, make careful qualitative and quantitative observations. Use your notebook to record all data. Repeat your entire experiment 3 times. Graph any data to compare and contrast results. Use claims and evidence to write your conclusions. Write your project up on a presentation board.

Have Fun!