1. Science Fair
Webbin’ It!

2. PART A---DEVELOPING A STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Go to (click on link)
Let’s start with creating a statement of the problem or a question. Now, you may have a particular question in mind or you may just have a general idea. Or, you could possible have no idea! Let’s start by clicking the purple tab at the top labeled “PROJECT IDEAS”.

3. If you would like to work through the topic selection wizard, click on it. If you think that you would do better browsing through various topics, scroll down the page and click on topics you are interested in.
Spend 5-10 minutes looking for a question that YOU would like to work with. Remember, you must be interested enough in this topic to actually carry out an experiment that may involve days and weeks of work, so don’t just pick the first thing that looks interesting. Spend some time making the best choice for you and your interests.
Now GO! READ!

4. 4. Once you have narrowed it down to a topic, read through each topic idea by clicking on it. Make sure this is a fair and testable question. Read the following to help you decide if this is a fair question:

5. The experiment should measure changes to the important factors (variables) using a number that represents a quantity such as a count, percentage, length, width, weight, voltage, velocity, energy, time, etc.
--Or, just as good might be an experiment that measures a factor (variable) that is simply present or not present. For example, lights ON in one trial, then lights OFF in another trial, or USE fertilizer in one trial, then DON'T USE fertilizer in another trial. If you can't measure the results of your experiment, you're not doing science!

6. You must be able to control other factors that might influence your experiment, so that you can do a fair test. A "fair test" occurs when you change only one factor (variable) and keep all other conditions the same.

7. Is your experiment safe to perform?

8. Do you have all the materials and equipment you need for your science fair project, or will you be able to obtain them quickly and at a very low cost?

9. Do you have enough time to do your experiment before the science fair
Do you have enough time to do your experiment before the science fair? For example, most plants take weeks to grow. If you want to do a project on plants, you need to start very early! For most experiments you will want to allow enough time to do a practice run in order to work out any problems in your procedures. The normal time frame for science fair is about 2 months, and you will have this much time to work on it when you are in the 8th grade.

10. Does your science fair project meet all the rules and requirements for your science fair?
Detailed rules may be found here:
Take the Rules Wizard to see if your project will meet the standards!

11. Have you avoided the bad science fair projects listed in the table on this page?
(The first gray table halfway down the page)

12. If you still have no idea what topic you would like to work on, try visiting this website for ideas:

13. **REMEMBER:
It should NOT be a yes/no question.
Starting your problem statement with the word “How…” is a safe bet.
Make your question specific.
Your statement of the problem should be clearly testable

14. STOP! BEFORE MOVING FORWARD, HAVE YOUR TEACHER APPROVE YOUR QUESTION!!!

15. Good! You’ve got your question. Now…
Open a PowerPoint window.
Create several new slides by holding the CTRL key and hitting the “M” until you have several blank slides. Type your question on the first slide and center it. Save your new PowerPoint. If you need help, ask your teacher or the computer lab tech.

16. PART B—RESEARCH AND WRITING A HYPOTHESIS
Let’s get smart about what a hypothesis is. Go to and read through the first three sections, Key Info, Hypothesis, and Example Hypotheses.

17. Now, you need to create a hypothesis, or an educated guess
Now, you need to create a hypothesis, or an educated guess. To write an effective hypothesis, you need to be educated about your topic. To do so, you may do the following:
Back on the same screen with your topic information and question there might be a short list of bibliography links. Spend a few minutes reading through each provided link. Keep your question in mind as you read. Take notes of anything that makes you go “hmmmm….” (something that teaches you about your topic) and, if you need to, go ahead and modify or completely change your question to suit your changing interest in the topic.

18. Do a general search for your topic information on Google
Do a general search for your topic information on Google. Make sure you search alternate words or synonyms that could provide more information.

19. As you are researching your topic, keep a record of the sites you visit. Each site that provides you with knowledge about your topic should be included on a new slide titled “Bibliography”.
One way to do this is by copying the site address into the PowerPoint slide and then typing a short paragraph describing what you learned from reading the site. If you learn nothing from a site, don’t include it in your Bibliography.

20. For example, if you clicked on ocean sciences and chose the topic: “How Salty is the Sea?”, then you could have picked the question “What is the difference in salinity between salt water and fresh water aquatic environments?”.
Well, as you do your research of the topic, you start to realize that you would like to change this question to have something to do with the Great Salt Lake. Maybe you are thinking you can test how brine shrimp live in varying levels of salinity. You remember the brine shrimp from your visit to the lake last summer. So, you have changed or modified your question.
You can now copy down the site addresses where you read about brine shrimp, how to grow them, and about the Great Salt Lake and its salinity. Put these in your PowerPoint slide on the Bibliography slide.

21. REMEMBER, make your question as personal as you can
REMEMBER, make your question as personal as you can. That way it is more interesting and more satisfying to research. Teachers and judges like it when you have a personal connection to the project.
Remember to make your hypothesis very specific. Take a stand on the subject.

22. Once you have a general idea what your hypothesis will be (your educated answer to your question), type it into the second slide of your PowerPoint. Move the Bibliography slide further down and now you have three slides! We’re halfway there!

23. AT THIS POINT, HAVE YOUR TEACHER CHECK YOUR HYPOTHESIS
AT THIS POINT, HAVE YOUR TEACHER CHECK YOUR HYPOTHESIS. DO NOT GO FORWARD WITHOUT YOUR TEACHER’S APPROVAL.

24. PART C—THE VARIABLES
You will need to create another slide that contains both your independent and dependent variables, as well as any controlled variables. Move another slide up into the third position after your question and hypothesis. Make your Bibliography the last slide. Now, here is a little review of what the above variables mean:
Read through this and look at some of the examples of variables.

25. REMEMBER:
Independent variable is the variable that you change in the experiment.
Dependent variable is the outcome, or what happens because of what you changed in the independent variable.
Controlled variable is everything in the experiment that stays the same throughout… to make the test fair.

26. Now…
go back to your hypothesis slide and modify it slightly to make sure it includes (mentions) both your independent and dependent variable in the prediction. Give enough information so readers will know exactly what you expect to happen when your independent variable is manipulated.
Go back to your Problem Statement slide and also make sure both variables are worked into the statement. Make sure that your statement is clearly testable.

27. Once you have your variables, put them on a “VARIABLES” slide just after your hypothesis. On to the next step!

28. HAVE YOUR TEACHER CHECK YOUR VARIABLES
HAVE YOUR TEACHER CHECK YOUR VARIABLES. DO NOT GO FORWARD WITHOUT YOUR TEACHER’S APPROVAL

29. PART D—WHAT DO YOU NEED? THE MATERIALS
Go here: Read about what a good materials list will contain.
Create a Materials list. Write down, in list or bulleted form, all the materials that you will need to carry out your experiment. Place your materials list on your PowerPoint just after your variables but before your bibliography.
Double-check your materials list. Make sure you have everything that you will need.

30. PART E—THE HOME STRETCH, THE PROCEDURE
Go here:
Read through the page about creating a Procedures page. Be sure to click on the sample.

31. Now, write a detailed procedural list of what needs to be done to complete your entire experiment. Make sure you include multiple trials. Also, make sure it reads clearly enough so that someone else could redo your experiment just as if they were following a recipe.
It is also good to put pictures or diagrams with your procedure. Pictures/diagrams could include helps or hints on how to setup the experiment. When you do this for real (Science Fair), you can take pictures and make sketches along the way to help judges/teachers to understand exactly what you did. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words!
At this point… if you can do this easily while sitting at the computer by inserting a few pictures/diagrams from the internet, go for it!

32. HAVE YOUR TEACHER CHECK YOUR MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES LIST AT THIS POINT.
relax….. you have completed everything for this webquest. Aren’t you just one smart cookie?