Science Fair Projects

Concerns About Science Projects “So what kind of a project is required?” Allowable Projects: Experimental type projects that use the scientific method with a testable question. Ex. How does aspirin affect the growth rate of roses? Projects Not Allowed: Research projects (What is a hurricane?) or models (a paper mache' volcano). These do not involve testing.

Science Project Categories (Area of Interest) Physical: Projects related to the physical sciences such as physics, chemistry and astronomy that deal primarily with non-living materials.

Science Project Categories (Area of Interest) Biological: Projects that deal with the processes of living organisms and how these processes are affected as a result of manipulating a variable. *No animals may be harmed*.

Science Project Categories (Area of Interest) Environmental: Projects dealing with human’s relationship with the earth and human’s effect on the earth. The student should show clearly the connection between humans and their environment.

Project Overview Variables Independent Variable The variable you are “messing with”. Dependent Variable The variable that you will record and measure. It’s changes “depend” on the independent variable. Control Variable All aspects of this variable must remain constant. “How Does Aspirin Affect the Growth Rate of Roses?” “What bubble gum flavor lasts the longest after 10 minutes?” Ind. Dep. Cont. Ind. Dep. Cont.

Purpose The problem you are trying to solve with your experiment. Explains what you are trying to discover or prove. Your statement should include: The problem you are trying to solve with your experiment. Why you want to do this experiment. How the information you get from this experiment will help other people.

Purpose The purpose of this experiment is to find out if different bubble gums have a more lasting flavor than others. I became interested in this experiment when I noticed that some gums lost their flavor quickly and others didn’t. The information gained from this experiment will help people decide which gum to buy when they go shopping next time.

Project Overview Hypothesis A hypothesis is a statement about what you think will happen in the experiment. It is stated in a positive manner. Avoid statements like “I think” and “I predict.” The hypothesis should be in the form of “If ___, then___.” Examples: If I measure the height of 3 plants, then the plant with the most exposure to sunlight will be the tallest. If I feed my dog four different dog foods, then he will like Purina the best. If I survey all students in my class about their favorite color gummy bear, then most students will choose green.

Project Overview Materials List The materials section is a detailed list of everything used in the experiment. Include what, how much, and what kind of things used. You may want to photograph the materials used. Non-Example Water Flower pots Seeds Dirt Example 5 liters of rain water Six 4 cm. clay pots 12 bean seeds 10 liters of potting soil

My Experiement - Procedure Project Overview My Experiement - Procedure The procedure is a listing of steps used in the experiment. It is very detailed, like a recipe. It makes it easy for someone to duplicate the experiment.

My Experiement - Procedure Project Overview My Experiement - Procedure 1.) Rinse mouth with ¼ cup of water. 2.) Place gum inside mouth 3.) Begin chewing constantly for 5 minutes. 4.) Ask volunteer to measure on a scale of 1-5 the strength of flavor after 1 minute. 5.) Repeat Step 4 after 2 minutes. Blah Blah Blah…

Project Overview Observation - Example Date: Time Procedures/ Observations Feb. 16, 2011 9:00 am: Selected topic and research question. Feb. 16, 2011 6:30 p.m: Purchased materials and 4 different types of gum. Asked for volunteers for my experiement. Feb. 19 4:25pm: Timed Volunteer 1 chew Orbit gum for 5 minutes. After 1 minute, she said it was at a level 3. After 2 minutes, it was a level 3. After….

Project Overview Observation Use a small notebook and write down everything you did for your project that day. (kind of like a diary) Be detailed about findings and results. i.e color change, texture change, amounts used. Include the date and time of each observation.

Project Overview Analyzing the Results Results include both data and observations. Look at measurements/observations recorded in your journal. Think about the data and observations and decide what those results mean. Construct graphs or tables that will show results clearly.

Writing the Conclusion Project Overview Writing the Conclusion Look at the data. The conclusion can be written in one or two paragraphs. Did the data support your hypothesis? If not, why do you think it did not? What could be done differently the next time? Do not worry about negative results, or results that come out differently than expected. Just explain why you think you got those results. If the results turned out as expected, explain why you think it turned out this way.

Writing the Conclusion Project Overview Writing the Conclusion The conclusion is a wrap-up of the entire project. It should be very detailed and complete. Here are some examples of what it should include:

Writing the Conclusion Project Overview Writing the Conclusion Tell what the question was and why you chose this topic. “My problem is _______? I decided on this project because_______. I started asking questions and found out that_____________”

Writing the Conclusion Project Overview Writing the Conclusion Tell the hypothesis and explain why you thought this would happen. “My hypothesis was ____________. I thought this would be true because_________.”

Writing the Conclusion Project Overview Writing the Conclusion Tell how you tested the hypothesis. Do not tell the step-by-step procedures, just explain the experiment. Tell how many times you repeated the tests. “I tested my hypothesis by ________________.

Writing the Conclusion Project Overview Writing the Conclusion Talk about your results. Include some of the most important data such as totals and averages of measurements. You should also mention one or two of your most important or unusual observations. “While doing my science project, I observed that _______. Also _______. Another interesting thing that happened was _______.”

Writing the Conclusion Project Overview Writing the Conclusion Talk about your conclusions. Say whether or not the data supported the evidence. Talk about the most important thing you learned. Talk how people in general (or scientists) might apply this information to everyday life. If you could do this project over again, what would you do differently? “My data (did or did not) support my hypothesis. The most important thing I learned was ____. My results show _____. This information can be used by _____. If I were to do this project over again, I would _____.