Science Fair How to get started!

To get started… 1. Pick a topic. What interests you? What are your hobbies? What would you like to learn about?

To get started… 2. Learn more about your topic. Go to the Library or your teacher and get some books about your topic. Gather information about your topic of interest –make sure you use CREDIBLE websites if you are going to #Googleit. Find a mentor or someone that has a career related to your topic.

To get started… 3. Narrow your topic down and determine the type of project (see Project Types below). Is there something specific that is of interest and you can investigate further? Make sure that your project follows the Ethics Guidelines. Project Types A Science Fair project may be one of three types - each is judged with slightly different criteria due to the nature of the project. Experimental Project Study Innovation

Project types Experimental Project This project is an investigation to test a scientific hypothesis using experimentation. It usually features the identification and control of variables. Study This type of project involves the collection and analysis of data from other sources that reveals evidence of a fact, situation, or pattern of scientific interest. Innovation This type of project entails the development and evaluation of innovative devices, models, or techniques in technology, engineering, or computers.

To get started… 4. Start planning the project. Identify the steps and tasks for your project. Determine how you are going to analyze your data. Make a schedule. Figure out how long each step or task will take. Remember to be realistic and plan for a bit of extra time in case things go wrong. Use a calendar to plan out all of your steps/tasks (sometimes it helps to work backwards from when your deadline is). Follow the schedule. Example Schedule: Select topic – September 18th Write report - January 10 Research topic – September 30 Create Display – January 17 Narrow topic down – October 7 Identify steps and create a schedule – October 14 Conduct experiment/gather data – November 5 – December 15

Project Elements Keep a detailed journal or logbook of what you do each time you work on your project. Write a brief explanation of project. This should be short – no more than one page. It should include the purpose of your project, procedure, and the results. This is sometimes called an 'abstract'. Write a project report with: Title Page Table of Contents Introduction (this includes some general background and your hypothesis) Materials Methods

Project Elements cont’d… Results (include charts and graphs to visualize your data) Discussion (discuss what your results mean, what might have gone wrong, and what would you do differently if you were to do the project again) Conclusions (summarize your results and relate them back to your hypothesis) Acknowledgements (thank people who supported and assisted you along the way) References or Bibliography (make sure you reference the materials that you used to gather information for your project - this includes websites, books, magazines, mentor conversations etc.) Include pictures or drawings to help explain things. Create your project display.