May 2013

Project Overview  In the next few weeks, we will begin the process of choosing a Science Project  This will be a lengthy process  We will devote time starting in the Third Quarter for research and testing  The final project will consist of a science board and a presentation on the computer

How to choose a project  Must be investigative:  Testing  Measuring something  Comparing two or more things  Collecting data  When searching for a project, look for words:  To find out  To show  Avoid: DEMONSTRATIONS

How to choose a project  Look at the materials list  Are they easy to find?  Are they expensive?  Do you know what they are?  Look at the procedure  Do you understand it?  Can it be accomplished in a couple weeks?

How to choose a project  Will this project be easy to research?  Can I find information easily?  Finally... Ask yourself this question:  Why would someone want to know the answer to my question I want to test?  If you don’t know, it’s probably not the best project

Living Organisms  Something to think about:  No living organisms  This includes humans  Sorry... You can’t connect electrodes to your brothers, sisters, cousins, friends, etc  Growing plants is ok, but it takes time  This usually takes 2-3 weeks or more  You will probably need plants to do a good job  So avoid growing plants too

Elements of Good Experimental Design  Builds on previous research  Describes all steps in procedure clearly & completely  Describes all data collected  Keeps all variables, except for those being tested, the same  Includes a control for comparison

Elements of Good Experimental Design  May include a large sample size  May include multiple trials  Can be reproduced by other investigators to give similar results  Respects human & animal subjects

Parts of the Project  Purpose & Hypothesis  Experimental Procedure  Materials List  Conclusion  Pictures  Computer Presentation

To be continued...