Presented by: Sara Clark and Owen Thomason

Creating a Project  Getting Started  Pick a subject area Narrow the scope Consider interests, facilities/equipment, time frame, room for expansion, SAE

National Agriscience Fair Categories III. Zoology (Animal Science)  Study of animals-animal genetics, ornithology, ichthyology, entomology, animal ecology, paleontology, cellular physiology, animal husbandry, cytology, histology, animal physiology, invertebrate neurophysiology, studies of invertebrates, etc. Examples: Compare effects of different thawing temperatures on livestock semen. Compare effects of different nutrient levels on animal growth. Study effects of growth hormones on meat or milk production. Research new disease control mechanisms. Examine effects of estrous synchronization on ovulation.

National Agriscience Fair Categories II. Environmental Sciences  Study of pollution (air, water and land) sources and their control; ecology. Examples: Study effect of agricultural chemicals on water quality. Compare water movements through different soil types. Examine effects of cropping practices on wildlife populations. Compare different irrigation systems for energy efficiency. Research uniform water quality standards.

National Agriscience Fair Categories I. Biochemistry/Microbiology/Food Science  Biology of microorganisms-bacteriology, virology, protozoology, fungi bacterial genetics, yeast. This area also can include chemistry of life processes-molecular biology, molecular genetics, enzymes, photosynthesis, protein chemistry, food chemistry, hormones, etc. Examples: Compare different yeast fermentation techniques for converting sugars to alcohol. Research resistance of organic fruits to common diseases. Examine techniques for controlling molds on bakery products.

National Agriscience Fair Categories IV. Botany (Plant/Soil Science)  Study of plant life-agriculture, agronomy, horticulture, forestry, plant taxonomy, plant physiology, plant pathology, plant genetics, hydroponics, algae, etc. Examples: Study effects of lunar climate and soil conditions on plants growth. Examine effect of substrate particle size on shiitake mushroom growth. Research effects of heavy metals such as cadmium on edible plants. Compare plant growth using hydroponics and conventional methods. Study effect of ultraviolet light on soil microbes.

National Agriscience Fair Categories V. Engineering (Mechanical/Agricultural Engineering Science) Technology; projects that directly apply scientific principles to manufacturing and practical uses-mechanical, chemical, electrical, environmental engineering, etc Examples: Develop alternate energy source engines. Investigate light energy sources. Test absorption media for plant materials. Compare various tillage methods for energy efficiency.

Statement of Problem and Hypothesis  Statement of problem – explains what the research project is about.  Ex. Does constant liquid feed (CLF) liquid fertilizer produce larger plants than once a week application of liquid fertilizer?  Form hypothesis  Ex. Miracle Grow liquid fertilizer ( ) 100 ppm using CLF will produce taller tomato plants than Miracle Grow liquid fertilizer ( ) 100 ppm applied once a week.

Testing Hypothesis Experimental treatment = Miracle Grow liquid fertilizer ( ) 100 ppm CLF Control treatment = Miracle Grow liquid fertilizer ( ) 100 ppm once a week application Determine measurement = measure the height of each tomato plant using metric ruler once a week for a period of eight weeks.

Testing Hypothesis  Determine how many plants for each treatment at least 10 per treatment  Determine number of replications of experiment at least 10 replications  Determine equipment or facilities needed Miracle Grow liquid fertilizer ( ) 100 ppm, fertilizer injector, Metro Mix 360 media, 4 inch Kord square pots, Better Boy tomato plants one week after transplanting, greenhouse, labels, marker

Agriscience Fair Project Set-up logbook DateHeight OT1 OT2 DateHeight CLF1 CLF2

Data Gather data Analysis data Average height of each treatment Miracle Grow CLF = 10 ml Miracle Grow one application per week = 8 ml

Introduction  Report data Charts and Tables

Final Report  Abstract = brief summary of entire experiment  Research paper  Materials  Methods = list all steps in a way that someone else can duplicate experiment  Results = summarize data using numbers in narrative form

Final Report  Discussion and Conclusion = Summarize data and connect to hypothesis. My hypothesis was that the Miracle Grow liquid fertilizer ( ) 100 ppm using CLF will produce taller tomato plants than Miracle Grow liquid fertilizer ( ) 100 ppm applied once a week. I proved my hypothesis because the tomato plants receiving the CLF treatment grew an average of 10 millimeters and the tomato plants receiving the once a week treatment grew an average of 8 millimeters. I recommend using CLF treatment on Better Boy tomatoes.  Acknowledgements  Literature Cited

Display Board Dimensions Height = 78 inches Width = 48 inches Depth = 30 inches Displaying your results Be creative and organized Do not clutter Use relevant photos and simple, correct captions –50 words or less  Remember: Display is 10% of total project Keep it simple

Title Use sentence case Results Results should be mostly illustrations with captions. MAKE SURE ALL PHOTOS, GRAPHS, AND TABLES HAVE CAPTIONS. Methods Methods can be boring and long. Try to shorten it up by bulleting as much as possible Results Results should be mostly illustrations with captions. MAKE SURE ALL PHOTOS, GRAPHS, AND TABLES HAVE CAPTIONS. Discussion Bullet the discussion as much as you can. Literature Cited Just like in a paper, if you used reference literature or cited literature in your text you must cite it. Acknowledgements A necessary evil, especially if your research was funded. Thankfully the font can be ridiculously tiny Logos should go here if you have to use logos Introduction All text should be readable from a minimum of 3 feet away.

Interview  Score card  Interviewing Tips Practice Prepare Relax Smile Firm Handshake

Display Boards

Timeline

Resources  scienceFair/Pages/default.aspx