Science Fair Project Samples Mrs. Lee’s 5 th Grade Class

SAMPLE 1 : ICE CUBE PROJECT

Purpose/Question What is the best insulator to keep ice from melting?

Research What materials are good insulators? What materials are poor insulators? What items to people buy to keep their items cold?

Hypothesis If ice is placed in a Styrofoam container, it will take longer to melt than if placed in a glass or plastic container. I think this is true because my research shows that a lot of people purchase Styrofoam coolers to keep drinks cool.

Materials (Be specific) Ice (3 cubes per container) Plastic cup Glass cup Styrofoam cup 3 graduated cylinders (measures liquid) Tin foil

Variables Dependent Variable (Stays the same throughout the experiment): Ice Independent Variable (Changes throughout the experiment): Containers

Procedure (Step by step) 1. Take three identical ice cubes from the freezer and place them in the bottom of the plastic container. 2. Repeat this process for the glass and Styrofoam containers. 3. Cover all container openings with tin foil. 4. Wait for 30 minutes. Uncover and pour any melted water into each designated graduated cylinder (3 graduated cylinders). 5. Re-cover containers and repeat every 30 minutes until 2 hours have passed. 6. Compare amounts of liquid and record data. 7. Repeat entire experiment two times to make sure data is consistent.

Data GlassPlasticStyrofoam 30 minutes1 mL0.5 mL0 mL 1 hour2 mL1mL0.25 mL 1hr 30 minutes3 mL1.5 mL0.5 mL 2 hours4 mL2 mL0.75 mL

Analyzing Data Use these questions to help guide this part of the experiment: 1. What can be learned from looking at the data? 2. How does the data relate to the original hypothesis? 3. Did the independent variable cause changes in the results of the dependent variable?

Conclusion Conclusions are written to answer the original testable question proposed at the beginning of the investigation. They also explain how the student used science process to develop an accurate answer.